Dumplings occupy a special place in many peoples’ hearts and bellies. Below, you’ll find many excellent venues to be introduced or reunited with just how delicious these savoury-filled pockets of goodness are.

Unsure where to start? Check out our Dumpling Trail restaurants below. While it isn’t a literal trail of dumplings, as amazing as that would be, it guides you to 13 eateries that steam, fry and boil up some of the most delectable dumplings this side of the Pacific. Showcased on CNN Travel’s 12 of the world’s most enticing food and drink trails—come and taste why!  

Dumpling Trail Restaurants

  1. Jade Seafood Restaurant
  2. Yuu Japanese Tapas
  3. Szechuan House
  4. Bánh Mì Très Bon
  5. Pepper Lunch
  6. R & H Chinese Food
  7. Suhang Restaurant
  8. Tsim Chai Noodle Restaurant
  9. Silkway Halal Cuisine
  10. Empire Seafood Restaurant
  11. Parkhill Seafood Restaurant
  12. 4 Stones Vegetarian Cuisine
  13. Dinesty Dumpling House

Learn more about each restaurant

Bánh Mì Très Bon

Pepper Lunch

Dinesty Dumpling House

R&H Chinese Food

Yuu Japanese Tapas

Dumpling - Photo Credit: Suhang Restaurant

Suhang Restaurant

Empire Seafood Restaurant

Parkhill Seafood Restaurant

Jade Seafood Restaurant

Szechuan House

4 Stone Vegetarian

Silkway Halal

Tsim Chai Noodle

Bánh Mì Très Bon

LABOUR OF LOVE

Owner Lan Do gave up a successful corporate career in high-tech marketing and publishing to open Banh Mi Tres Bon, her first restaurant, in 2016. To prepare, she spent five months travelling across Vietnam, taking private cooking classes with top chefs and learning about regional cuisines.

DON’T MISS THE BANH KHOT

Not quite a dumpling, but just as delicious! These miniature cup-crêpes are made to order and served in a sizzling cast-iron aebleskiver pan for an elevated version of the popular street food. The rice batter is gluten-free, tinged yellow with turmeric and topped with crispy shallots and sautéed greens.

FRESH HANDMADE BAGUETTES

The banh mi sandwiches are stuffed inside fresh French baguettes that aren’t just handmade, they’re hand-kneaded. Do says this labour-intensive process – rare to find nowadays, even in Vietnam – gives the bread its crispy crust and soft, airy crumb.

Pepper Lunch

GYOZA VS JIAOZI

Japanese gyoza, like Chinese jiaozi, are folded, crescent-shaped dumplings filled with pork or vegetables. The main difference is that gyoza wrappers are thinner. This is because they are commonly pan-fried and the thin wrapper makes it easier to achieve a crispy, golden-brown bottom.

DIY DINING

Pepper Lunch is a huge Japanese “fast-steak” restaurant franchise with more than 600 locations around the world. It was founded by chef Kunio Ichinose, who wanted to serve chef-less food that customers could prepare for themselves on hot metal plates, quickly heated to 260 C on induction burners.

MODERN ISHIYAKI

The Pepper Lunch hot-plate concept is a modern spin on Ishiyaki, the ancient Japanese art of cooking on hot volcanic stones.

Dinesty Dumpling House

SOUP DUMPLINGS: TAIWANESE OR SHANGHAINESE?

Dinesty Dumpling House is a local restaurant chain that serves a mix of Shanghainese and Taiwanese dishes. Its best-selling steamed soup dumplings have a claim to fame in both regions. Although no one knows for sure where the first soup dumplings were made, it is widely believed that they originated in Nan Xiang, a country town in the outskirts of Shanghai. But their global popularity, some say, can be attributed to Taiwan’s Din Tai Fung. The Michelin-starred restaurant chain is world-renowned for its obsessively detailed xiao long bao – pleated precisely 18 times and weighing exactly 21 grams before steaming.

CORRECT WAY TO EAT XIAO LONG BAO?

  1. Use your chopsticks to gently lift the dumpling by its top knot and place it on it a soup spoon.
  2. The soup will be scalding hot so give it a few minutes to cool. If you absolutely can’t wait, nibble off the top or poke a hole in the side to create a release valve for the steam.
  3. Drizzle a bit of black vinegar (usually served with thin strands of ginger) onto the spoon or into the top.
  4. Slurp through the top or, as some prefer, put the whole dumpling in your mouth and pop it like a balloon. Your call.

FREE DUMPLINGS

Dinesty Dumpling House offers many types of dumplings, but the xiao long bao is the most popular by far. And loyalty has its rewards. Every time you order a basket of soup dumplings, you can receive a stamp on Dinesty’s dumpling points card: 10 stamps = 1 free basket.

R&H Chinese Food

HOW DO THEY GET THE SOUP INSIDE THE DUMPLING?

Xiao Long Bao’s are a marvel of culinary engineering. At this popular food-court gem, operated by the Sun family since 2009, you can watch the assembly in action. No, the soup is not injected. The wrappers are pleated around small porky meatballs and intensely flavoured gelatin cubes, which melt into hot liquid when steamed.

LUCKY DUMPLINGS

Jiaozi (gaau ji in Cantonese) are crescent-shaped dumplings that are said to bring good fortune. The curved shape symbolizes prosperity because it resembles sycee, gold and silver ingots that were used as an ancient form of Chinese currency. Many different types of dumplings fall under this category, including guo tie (pan-fried) and shui jiao (water boiled). They’re all lucky and are often eaten at the Lunar New Year to bring riches in the coming year.

PRO TIP

Put 1 cup of water in a pot large enough for four cups and bring to a boil. Add frozen dumplings, stir once to prevent them from sticking and let the water return to a boil. Add another cup of cold water and bring it to a boil again. Repeat the cold-water process two more times – three times in total. This technique, known as Dian Shui (add water), keeps the dough tight and prevents the wrappers from falling apart. “That’s how my grandma cooked dumplings,” says R&H’s Michael Sun. “It’s the Chinese way.”

Yuu Japanese Tapas

FOODIE FAMILY

Owner Julia Kubotani opened Yuu Japanese Tapas in 2010, the same year she had her first child. She comes from a long line of chefs, in Japan and Hong Kong, including her dad, uncle and brother-in-law. When her parents came to Canada in the early nineties, they opened the first restaurant in Richmond that served authentic Kyushu (a.k.a. tonkotsu) ramen. “People didn’t even know what ramen was back then,” says Kubotani. “Everyone thought ramen meant instant noodles.”

HOME OF THE ORIGINAL BEER RAMEN

In 2018, Yuu Japanese Tapas became Instafamous when its Beer Ramen went viral. The cold ramen, inspired by a sticky hot summer, was served in a frosty beer mug filled with dashi and a foamy head made from gelatin and broth.

The “Instafamous” Beer Ramen. PHOTO CREDIT: Yuu Japanese Tapas.

Beer Ramen is still available at Yuu as a summer special. In winter, the restaurant swaps it out for Volcano Ramen, served in a sizzling stone bowl with hot broth poured over top and steamed through a funnel.

YOSHOKU CUISINE

In addition to gyoza and ramen, Yuu serves Western-influenced foods like hamburger patties in teriyaki sauce, cheesy corn and nori poutine. This fusion style of cooking is called yoshuku. It has a long history in Japan, going back to the late 19th century, when isolationist policies were lifted and Western foods were promoted. The edible path to progress included red meat, which had been banned for 12 centuries.

Mukokuseki (no nationality) cuisine, is the more modern term for this common mishmash of cooking styles. Kubotani simply calls Yuu a Japanese family style restaurant. “We have so many different varieties of cooking. I couldn’t pinpoint one. We’re always innovating and experimenting and creating new dishes to cater to our younger clientele.”

Dumpling - Photo Credit: Suhang Restaurant

Suhang Restaurant

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

Xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and sheng jian bao (pan-fried buns) are traditionally eaten for breakfast. But here in Richmond, you’ll find them on the dinner menu at most Shanghainese restaurants – Suhang included. Cantonese dim sum, on the other hand, is usually only available during the day.

LIGHT AS CLOUDS

The word wonton comes from a Chinese phrase that means “swallowing clouds.” Shanghainese wontons, which are made with thin, white wrappers, have long, silky tails and are often served floating in a milky, pork-bone broth, are the dreamiest.

STILL HUNGRY?

Try Suhang’s ambrosial dong po pork — a thick slab of belly that is slowly braised in soy sauce, rock sugar and rice wine until meltingly tender. It was a Critics’ Choice Signature Dish winner for the 2021 Chinese Restaurant Awards. In 2022, Suhang was voted Best Shanghainese Restaurant.

Empire Seafood Restaurant

CLASSIC HAR GOW: THE DIM SUM LITMUS TEST

Har gow is one of the most common – and popular – dim sum dumplings. It’s also the litmus test of a good kitchen. Ideally, the har gow skin should be thin, translucent, stretchy and slightly sticky. The dumpling should be stuffed tight with filling, not saggy. The shrimp should be plump, juicy, slightly crunchy and whole (if small) or hand-chopped (if large), but never minced.

ORDER LIKE A PRO

The dim sum rule of thumb is two baskets or dishes per person and one more for the table. Four people = nine dishes. Textural variety is important in Chinese cuisine so try to include a mix of fried, baked and steamed items. For a properly balanced lunch, pare the dim sum back to one basket per person, add stir-fried greens and a main meat or seafood dish. Still hungry? Order fried noodles or rice at the end.

DON’T SAVE DESSERT FOR LAST

There is no set order to eating dim sum. The dishes come out of the kitchen as soon as they’re ready. If you prefer to finish with something sweet, hold off on ordering all those delicious egg custard tarts and brown sugar sponge cakes.

Parkhill Seafood Restaurant

PETITE AND BOUTIQUE

Parkhill (previously called Parklane) is Empire’s smaller, high-end sister restaurant. Both specialize in Cantonese cuisine, but Parkhill offers more labour-intensive, specialty dishes. At dim sum, try the signature Seafood Dumpling Trio – a colourful set of open-faced shrimp dumplings topped with scallop, crab and lobster.

GO FOR THE CHIU CHOW FUN GOR

Teochew (or Chiu Chow) cuisine is rare to find in Richmond, or anywhere in North America for that matter. Before being renovated in 2020, Parkhill Seafood was a full-fledged Teochew restaurant that served the light and brothy, seafood-rich specialties from the coastal Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong. Parkhill and its sibling restaurant, Empire Seafood, still serve Chiu Chow dumplings, sometimes called Teochew or Fun Guo. Here, it’s called Steamed Minced Pork and Peanut Dumpling.

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

Traditionally, beef has not been a big part of the non-Muslim (Han) Chinese diet.  The taboo goes back to ancient times, when oxen-pulled plows were essential to agriculture and the slaughter of cattle without government permission was a serious crime. Beef was mostly eaten by the nobility and the Muslim (Hui) Chinese population. In recent years, as the Chinese middle class has flourished, beef has become a more sought-after luxury. Parkhill offers a large variety of beef dishes on its dinner menu. At dim sum, try the pan-fried beef buns if available.

Jade Seafood Restaurant

A DUMPLING FOR GLOWING SKIN

The Jade, founded in 2004, is an innovative Cantonese restaurant that has won numerous Chinese Restaurant Awards. Owner David Chung, who is also a real estate developer and long-time president of the BC Asian Restaurant of Café Owners Association, recommends the new Steamed Wasabi Fish Maw and Seafood Dumpling. Fish maw is the dried swim bladder of large fishes, such as sturgeon. An expensive delicacy, it’s chock full of collagen and great for the skin.

DIM SUM: EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

Dim Sum is the ultimate brunch that can be eaten for breakfast or lunch. Most restaurants open at 10 am and offer incentives for early birds. At Jade Seafood Restaurant, diners who order before 11 am receive a 20 per cent discount.

DOUBLE CHOPSTICKS

At Jade Seafood and most Cantonese banquet restaurants in Richmond, the tables are set with two pairs of chopsticks in different colours (usually black and white). One pair is meant to be used for collecting food from shared dishes; the other pair is for eating. It doesn’t matter which colour you use, as long as you’re consistent. But it’s easier if everyone around the table agrees on the same colour code.

Szechuan House

CHILIS ALL DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

Sichuanese cuisine (often anglicized as Szechuanese) is world-renowned for being hot and spicy. The fiery diet can be attributed to Sichuan’s wet, misty climate. The landlocked province is surrounded by mountain ranges and gets a lot of rain. In traditional Chinese medicine, pungent spices like chili and cayenne are warming foods that stimulate blood circulation, drive dampness from the body and help prevent colds. Maybe this explains why spicy food is so popular in Richmond!

SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS: A GIFT FOR GLUTTONS

In Sichuan cuisine, the heat of red chilies is balanced by Sichuan peppercorns, which have a tingly, numbing quality on the lips and tongue. According to legend, Sichuan peppercorn is used liberally in Sichuan cooking because the numbing effects allow you to eat more chilies than would otherwise be humanly possible.

MALA: HOT AND NUMBING      

The Chinese word for numbing is MA (麻) and the word for hot is LA (辣). The unique hot-numbing characteristic of Sichuan cooking is called MALA (麻辣).

4 Stone Vegetarian

BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

Voted Best Vegetarian Restaurant by the 2022 Chinese Restaurant Awards, 4 Stones offers Taiwanese cuisine rooted in the Buddhist tradition. In Taiwan, Buddhism and Taoism are the two major religions.

BEFORE THE BEYOND BURGER

Buddhist faux meats have existed for centuries, making the Beyond Burger look like a baby.  These plant-based meats were originally intended for people making the transition to vegetarianism. It also gives people something to offer (in place of chicken or fish) when going to the temple for special holidays. The 4 Stones’ vegan meat alternative, used in their dumplings, is made from soy protein, gluten, tofu and bean curd.

NO ALLIUMS ALLOWED

Buddhist cuisine shuns the “five pungent vegetables” (wuhun), which includes onion, garlic, scallions, shallots, leeks and chives. They are considered harmful aphrodisiacs that could inflame the carnal passions of Buddhist monks.

Silkway Halal

HUI CHINESE

Silkway is a Chinese Muslim restaurant. Its owners are Hui Chinese, from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northcentral China.  The Hui, representing nearly 10 million people, is one of China’s largest and most widely distributed ethnic minorities. They are the descendants of Arab traders who entered China 1,500 years ago. The Hui have intermingled with the Han (China’s ethnic majority) and thoroughly assimilated into Chinese society. Unlike the Uighurs, the Hui do not have a distinct language and predominantly speak Mandarin.

HALAL

The food at Silkway is all halal. This means: there are no pork dishes on the menu or dishes that contain pork by-products; the meat (largely lamb and chicken) comes from animals that have been fed a natural diet and slaughtered under strict Islamic guidelines; and the food is not prepared with forbidden ingredients such as alcohol, blood, animal shortening or rennet.

NORTHERN CUISINE

Silkway is a great place to explore and discover something new. The menu includes hearty, spicy dishes from all across northwestern China, including stewed goat rib, cabbage hot pots, braised Xingiang-style chicken and cumin lamb skewers.

Tsim Chai Noodle

CANTONESE COMFORT SOUP

Ramen, pho, matzo ball, borscht – every culinary tradition has a favourite comfort soup that warms the belly and nourishes the soul. In Cantonese cuisine, it’s wonton noodle soup. Tsim Chai is widely known for serving one of the best versions in Richmond. And its owners are related to the famous Hong Kong chain with the same name.

WONTONS TWO-WAYS

There are two types of dumplings in wonton noodle soup. The wontons at Tsim Chai are as big as golf balls. They’re tightly stuffed with shrimp and pork in a yellow wrapper made with eggs. Shui kau (sui gow) is a different type of wonton. It’s generally and longer or oblong-shaped, and filled with shrimp, pork, bamboo shoots and wood ear (black fungus) mushrooms. You usually have to choose one or the other, but you can try them both in Tsim Chai’s Noodle Soup #1.

BAMBOO POLE NOODLES

The noodles in wonton noodle soup are a long, thin, vermicelli-like noodles made with duck egg. Duck egg is an extremely dense protein that is difficult to incorporate into flour. Before the invention of food processors and electric stand mixers, the dough for these jook sing main noodles were made with bamboo poles. The cook would attach one end of the pole to a work bench, straddle the other end and bounce up and down – as if riding a see-saw. This heavy bouncing action would press the ingredients together and give the noodles a springy texture. Bamboo noodle-making is a dying art. Today, there are only a handful of restaurants in Hong Kong that use this traditional technique.

Types of Dumpling

Báh Bôt Loc

Chiu Chow Fun Gor

Guo Tie

Gyoza

Ham Sui Gok

Har Gow

Jian Dui

Shui Jiao

Siu Mai

Wontons

Wu Gok

Xiao Long Bao

Báh Bôt Loc

Thin tapioca-skinned shrimp and pork belly-filled Vietnamese dumplings

Chiu Chow Fun Gor

Filling-packed dumplings from the Chiuchow district of China with peanuts, garlic, ground pork, dried shrimp, radish, and mushrooms in a wheat flour wrapper

Guo Tie

Pan-fried pot stickers filled with ground meat and vegetables.

Gyoza

Pan-fried meat or seafood filled Japanese dumplings

Ham Sui Gok

Cantonese egg-sized, tender-crispy pork croquettes with delicious minced pork core.
Tip: Have them cut in half

Har Gow

Plump shrimp dumplings wrapped in a soft tapioca starch pastry

Jian Dui

Fried Chinese rice flour pastries filled with sweet black sesame, lotus, red bean, or black bean paste.

Shui Jiao

Water-boiled dumplings stuffed with everything from chicken to beef, leeks, lamb, chives and more—found in most parts of Asia

Siu Mai

Pork and shrimp dumplings topped with salmon roe or prawn

Wontons

Shrimp, pork or vegetable-stuffed. They can be boiled, fried and served in a bowl of soup, or deep-friend and dipped in chili oil

Wu Gok

Crispy, delicate taro puffs with ground meat and mashed taro filling.

Xiao Long Bao

Shanghainese dumplings usually stuffed with pork and rich soup

Dumpling Trail Itineraries

Hidden Gems Itinerary

Around the World Itinerary

Authentic Chinese Dining Itinerary

Best Dim Sum

Hidden Gems Itinerary

Curious to indulge in a range of dumpling styles? Delight in a leisurely afternoon sampling some of the best. Let us know what you think. 

1:00PM—Szechuan House

Hop on the Canada Line and disembark at Aberdeen Station. Visit the food court at Aberdeen Centre for a delectable serving of flavorful and spicy Sichuanese dumplings. 

4151 Hazelbridge Way, Aberdeen Centre

604.431.6283​

2:30PM—R&H Chinese Food

Board the Canada Line at Aberdeen Station. Disembark at Lansdowne Station and head to the food court for fantastic xiao long bao.

5300 No. 3 Road, Lansdowne Centre

778.297.5668​

4:00PM – 4 Stones Vegetarian Restaurant 

Hop back on to the Canada Line, and disembark terminus station, Richmond-Brighouse. Take a short 5 min walk to 4 Stone Vegetarian Restaurant, which specializes in delicious Taiwanese style vegan and vegetarian dishes.  

160-7771 Westminster Hwy

604.278.0852​

Around the World Itinerary

Curious to indulge in a range of dumpling styles? Delight in a leisurely afternoon sampling Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan’s best. Let us know what you think.

11:30AM—4 Stones Vegetarian Cuisine

Located near CF Richmond Centre, this vegan and vegetarian Taiwanese restaurant serves fantastic meat-free wontons and veggie gyoza. 

#160 – 7771 Westminster Highway

604.278.0852

1:00PM—Báhn Mi Très Bon

Located just off Alderbridge Way, a short drive or bus ride away, tuck into a stunning platter of banh bot loc, Vietnam’s dim sum, at this popular French-influenced cafe. 

#100#1840 – 4720 McClelland Road

604.273.4422

2:30PM—Yuu Japanese Tapas

A five-minute stroll away, your destination is located in the lively Continental Plaza. The gyoza at Yuu Japanese Tapas are presented on a hot stone plate.

#1118 – 3779 Sexsmith Road

604.214.7722

Authentic Chinese Dining Itinerary

With North America’s best Chinese cuisine, Richmond is packed with delectable dumplings. From dim sum to potstickers to wontons, dive in and sample Chinese comfort food classics.

 11:00am—Silkway Halal Cuisine

Just a few steps from the Richmond Public Market, you can indulge in some of the finest traditional Halal dishes in Richmond, featuring delectable lamb, beef, and dumplings. 

110 – 8188 Saba Rd

604.278.6788​

12:30pm—Suhang Restaurant

A short walk or drive from Empire, you’ll find excellent Shanghainese dumplings here. Their intricately pleated xiao long bao are stunning and irresistible.

#100 – 8291 Ackroyd Road

604.278.7787

2:00pm—Szechuan House

Tucked away in Aberdeen Centre, Szechuan House is a food court stall that serves authentic spicy Szechuan style wontons and boiled dumplings.

4151 Hazelbridge Way, Aberdeen Centre

604.431.6283​

Best Dim Sum

This quintessential Chinese meal involves selecting small sweet and savory plates. It’s a fun, tasty way to socialize and connect, and also hugely popular and never rushed. At Continental Seafood Restaurant, you order from passing trolleys (more old school), but usually you mark your selections on a pad of paper. We strongly recommend arriving early or making a reservation if possible. Standard Dim Sum hours are 10:00am-2:00pm

Customs and traditions

Tea
Dim Sum originated in the ancient Silk Road tea houses in Southern China. As such, jasmine tea is a keystone of this meal. Remember not to pour tea for yourself, and when you require more water for your teapot, flip the lid upside down to notify the server.  

Chopsticks

Only use your chopsticks for your own food. Use serving implements or offer small plates to your companions to serve themselves. When finished, place them together to the side or at the top of your dish or bowl. Don’t stick chopsticks into food or point at people with them. It’s acceptable in Chinese tradition to tip a bowl and guide food into your mouth with chopsticks.  

Dim Sum Standouts

Empire Seafood RestaurantOne of Richmond’s oldest, this elegant Cantonese eatery has traditional dim sum as well as pork knuckle and geoduck (at dinner only).

Parkhill Seafood Restaurantrenowned for their expertise in Cantonese-style dim sum, and especially well known for their Chiu Chow (Teochew) cuisine. 

Jade Seafood Restaurant—A contemporary take with traditional dishes and western-inspired fusion.

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