Is the restaurant Northern Style Chinese Cuisine, or Oriental Dumpling King?! A pet peeve of mine is when restaurants have a different name posted on the exterior. Oriental Dumpling King's interior is clean, quite large, has comfortable seating arrangements and a couple of private rooms. Also, the kitchen has an open window and diners can see the staff making fresh dumplings.
FRAGRANT SMOKED PORK BELLIES ($7.95).
Umm I think this is pork stomach not "bellies". When the dish arrived, we asked the waitress if this was pork belly (the fatty kind) and she brought the menu to confirm it is. We then show her the photo that we pointed at when we ordered and she said the photo is obviously chicken, not pork belly. After letting her know that we wanted the dish shown in the photo, she asked the owner if it was possible. Then, she came back to let us know that the photo is not chicken, and is indeed the dish that we ordered. Buttt… I am pretty sure this is pork stomach! After asking if she would mind getting the owner, she says the owner is busy and we offered to wait (I really did not want to eat this). Judging by her facial expression, she did not expect that and offered to cancel the dish which is very nice of her. Yeah… this is pork stomach. When someone reads "smoked pork bellies" on the menu, many assume it will be the fatty pork. However, I guess it is a translation issue. Side note, the dish showed up as "pork tripe" on the receipt.
MOUTH WATERING ($8.95).
ANCIENT METHODS BRAISED PRAWNS ($18.80).
The medium sized prawns are butterflied and taste slightly sweet but not overly, the way I like it. There is a nice sweet brown sauce flavour and the prawns taste bouncy. However, despite being only one of the couple of dishes we enjoyed, it is a bit pricey.
GOLD XO SAUCE SEAFOOD FRIED RICE ($9.50).
The rice tastes soft as well as mushy, and does not have the fried rice feel to it. Furthermore, the rice tastes very bland and there is only a dry shredded squid flavour. Although the fried rice does have a few prawns and edamame beans? Also, the portion is small for the price.
NOURISHING LAMB SOUP ($15.95).
The lamb herbal soup has a few dates, wolf berries and herbal roots, which should have been cooked longer and are quite hard. As for the broth, it tastes like leftover soup base from hot pot. After one bowl each, I decided to pack up the soup and try to lighten the broth at home. Unfortunately though, the waitress did not close the lid properly and the soup spilled in the bag (at least the bag did not have a hole or it would have been all over the car!). As for the lamb, the meat tastes chewy as well as gamy and to be fair, many people only drink the soup and leave the meat behind.
SOY SAUCE, SPICY CHILLI, MUSTARD AND GARIC SAUCE FOR THE DUMPLINGS.
The mustard as well as garlic sauce is empty and it would have been nice if the sauces are replenished before serving. Also, the spicy chilli sauce does not taste spicy and is just oil.
BOILED PARSLEY AND BEEF DUMPLINGS ($8.95).
Parsley in dumplings has never been my first choice and I usually prefer green onion, chive, or a leek mix for that refreshing taste. However, since parsley is an option, the restaurant probably makes it work. The dumpling is housemade with a thin layer of skin and the filling tastes close to melting in the mouth. In addition, although the meat tastes smooth, the only issue is that the dumpling tastes really bland. It is probably my fault for choosing parsley though! Also, the dumplings are smaller than most restaurants and I find it easier to eat.
STEAMED THREE FRESH MEAT DUMPLINGS, PORK, SHRIMP AND LEEKS ($6.95).
This dumpling tastes definitely a lot better! The pork tastes tender, the leek provides a refreshing taste, and every bite has a small cut of prawn. Furthermore, although the boiled and steamed dumplings taste somewhat similar, I prefer the steamed dumplings more because they are served hotter.
2LB SUPREME BROTH LOBSTER ($39.80).
The lobster is perfectly cooked and has a tasty supreme broth flavour. In addition, the meat tastes tender since it is only 2lb and has a nice bounce. Although the price for the lobster is a bit higher than most restaurants by around $1.00-$2.00/lb, it was worth it since nothing else aside from the steamed dumplings tasted good.
POSITIVES
- Dumplings are fresh and housemade (large variety of options)
- Friendly waitresses but need to be trained
NEGATIVES
- Lots of discrepancies between the menu and actual dishes (there is a lot more on the menu that what we ordered)
- Dumplings do not live up to the name
- Owner should train the staff rather than help make dumplings since the restaurant was not even busy (poor girls were lost, sweaty, running around and needed help)
- First dish was never cancelled (the chicken which then became pork bellies, which then became chicken again, and somehow pork tripe)
- Soup was not properly packed (lid was not half closed, it was literally not closed at all) and reminded me of "noodle in a bag" from the night market
- Front door stayed open and the smell of cigarette smoke kept coming in from customers who left for a smoke
LITTLE THINGS
- Abalone and sea cucumber dumplings are available for $18.00. I really wanted to try them but did not want to be disappointed. If the dinner overall was average or better, I would revisit to try them… but, it will not be happening
Food: 2/5
Service: 2.5/5
if you like authentic northern style Chinese food, try Beijing Noodle House, they have the best dumpling in greater Vancouver
ReplyDeleteAuthenticity doesn't matter to me as long as it tastes good! I'll definitely try :).
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