Shanghai Dimsum House - Burnaby

All three dishes we ordered were exceptional! The chef was very helpful in assisting us with our order by simply showing her the pictures. It's a cash-only establishment. Located on the second floor of the mall at the corner, it can be a bit tricky to find.

The stall and the food court become extremely hectic during peak hours. Both the steamed and pan-fried pork buns are quite large, have a thick wrapper, and are filled with an unexpectedly generous amount of broth. The pork filling was decent, but a few of the pan-fried buns were almost burnt.

Although this restaurant has great ratings, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. We ordered soup dumplings and pan-fried dumplings. The stall was quite busy, and we waited about 30 minutes for our food. While both types of dumplings were very juicy and the pan-fried ones were cooked nicely, those were the only positives. The filling and broth had an oddly sweet flavor, resembling something drenched in maple syrup. I’m not sure if that’s a signature taste they offer, but it definitely didn’t complement the dumplings for me—it was simply too sweet. Additionally, the skin of the soup dumplings was on the thicker side, which I found unappealing.

The filling was generous — just look at the images — they were packed! Being soup dumplings, the meat had a wonderful relationship with the broth, soaking in its flavor while keeping the meat juicy, salty, and tender, yet still providing a nice bounce in each bite. The broth itself was a glorious golden color, savory, fatty, salty, and incredibly hot. I actually got a little splashed in the eye, but it was well worth it. Just be careful when you take a bite, as the soup tends to squirt out! This broth was so comforting; I might be exaggerating, but I honestly felt it could soothe any ailment if I were unwell. Alright, I’ve rambled on long enough. I'm just so thrilled to have experienced these buns!

Not much to elaborate on regarding this place since it’s situated in the food court, which means the service isn’t as attentive as you would expect in a traditional restaurant. I had some difficulty locating a table at Crystal Mall. The steamed bun I ordered was quite fresh; they make it to order, which is why there was a wait of about 10-15 minutes. However, the soup could have benefited from a bit more vermicelli. I paid $11.50 for this combo.