Excellent Dim Sum King Restaurant is located on Kingsway near Victoria and is a newer restaurant serving up all day Chinese dim sum. For their grand opening, they are offering 20% off, which is a pretty great deal.
We’re always looking out for dim sum spots popping up in Vancouver, so we decided to come here at 10:30am on a weekday to check it out. We have been to a lot of dim sum spots all over Metro Vancouver, so my parents are picky.
Interior
The space is pretty small compared to some other dim sum restaurants out there. There are some booth-style seating and a few round tables. If you’re with a small group, they will most likely have to combine a table with another group, which is a common practice.
We would recommend coming before 11am to avoid the rush.
Menu
Deep Fried Squid Tentacles with Chili Salt
Most dim sum restaurants have this dish and we found it to be slightly below average. For $9.75, the portion was a bit on the small side and the batter lacked the crunch on the exterior. The tentacles had a firmer chew to it as well.
Specialty Baked Durian Fruit Bun
This is essentially a baked pineapple bun stuffed with durian in the centre. When you cut it open, the classic durian smell is pungent, but it is quite sweet with the pineapple bun. It’s still a fun item for durian lovers to try.
You either love it or you hate it.
Pork with Cabbage Dumpling
The pork and cabbage dumpling come in a light soup broth. There are 6 pieces to an order. Average as well.
Xiao Long Bao
Xiao Long Bao are steamed juicy pork dumplings. The skin was a decent thickness and there was a good ratio of soup to meat inside the dumpling. You definitely want to eat it hot and not wait too long or else it isn’t as delicious.
Braised Beef Tripe and Tendon
The tendon is jelly-like and has a bit of a chew to it. The tripe is decent as well. It’s a pretty standard dish in Cantonese dim sum.
Sui Mai
This is steamed pork and shrimp dumpling and they come 4 in an order. Like most items on the table, it was also average, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Deep Fried Bitter Melon Custard Dumpling
Another specialty item is this deep fried bitter melon dumpling with egg custard in the centre. I was very excited to try this because I don’t like bitter melon, but I’m willing to try anything.
The exterior had a nice crunch and the bitter melon did not have any hint of bitterness to it despite it’s radiant green colour. The egg custard in the centre was a delight too.
Steamed Traditional Sponge Cake
They cut this up for you into 4 pieces. It comes hot and has a decent spongey consistency. Not too sweet either, which is nice.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we felt the dim sum here was average, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They have a few specialty items on the menu, which was quite unique and I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else. Prices are fair and you don’t have to pay for a pot of tea.
Where else are you going to get all day dim sum?
It’s great that there is the 20% discount for their grand opening, which is a nice touch. There is street parking out front as well as rear parking.
Address:
2141 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC
