Itineraries

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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 19^th 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.”

More Things To Do

Discover what Richmond has to offer!

• Wineries and Breweries
• Shopping
• Arts, Culture and History
• Outdoors and Nature

Richmond Hotels

27 hotels including your client’s favourite brand names.

Wildlife Spectacular

Search out the spectacular wildlife of the ocean with Vancouver Whale Watch. You’ll have the chance to spot sea lions, bald eagles, and other amazing birds.

Family Fun

It’s easy to schedule family-oriented activities with all that Richmond has to offer.

• Richmond Olympic Oval. You are likely familiar with the Oval as the venue for the volleyball tournament – however it also offers indoor rock climbing, and is home to the Richmond Olympic Experience, the first Olympic Museum to be located in North America.
• Riverport Entertainment District. This area offers a range of activities, including Splitsville, which has both 5-pin and 10-pin options. You can also take in a movie at SilverCity Riverport Cinemas, or head to Watermania, our swimming complex with waterslides, a wave pool, and more. For family dining check out the Old Spaghetti Factory whose menu has something for everyone.
• The World of Kidtropolis. This brilliant indoor attraction features a colourful miniature town of scaled-down buildings centred on a storefront-lined main street. Suitable for children aged 2-10.

Click here for more ideas and activities well-suited for families.

Steveston Village

This fishing village at the mouth of the Fraser River was voted Metro Vancouver’s best neighbourhood out of 192 in 2020. Steveston Village is Richmond’s charming ‘old town’ waterfront area and is home to two National Historic Sites. It is also a working fishing village and is Canada’s largest small-craft commercial fishing port, making it a seafood lover’s paradise.

• Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. Built in 1894, this was one of BC’s biggest salmon-canning operation until its closure in 1979. Take a guided tour and discover the history of Canada’s West Coast fishing industry.
• Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. The Shipyards is an authentic representation of the community of canneries, boat yards and residences. Here you can explore preserved sheds and bunkhouses and learn about the Chinese, European, Japanese, and Indigenous workers that were here.
• Sample the Catch of the Day. You’re certain to build up an appetite exploring Steveston. Whether it’s fish and chips near the river or fresh, local seafood at a restaurant, you can’t go wrong. For fabulous fish and chips try Pajo’s or Dave’s Fish and Chips, and for local seafood try the Steveston Seafood House or Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant.
• Whale Watching. The majesty of watching these giants of the sea in all their glory while your boat skips along BC’s coastal waters, it’s an unmatched experience. While Orcas are often the main attraction, humpback, gray, and minke whales can be seen depending on the time of year. Keep an eye out for the Orcas of the Salish Sea, three pods (families) of resident Orcas that live and play in the waters off the BC and Washington coast. Steveston Seabreeze Adventures and Vancouver Whale Watch both offer incredible and informative tours. Tours depart daily from Steveston (April to October). Keep an eye out for seals, otters, eagles, and other birds along the way!