Much like the Shrimp Spring Rolls at Bing Sheng, they were plated with the rolls cut diagonally. Look, you can see the bottom of the plate! Not a good value at $4.95. When it arrived, it looked as if half of the order was missing. They were tender with a bit of chew left while there was a good flavour from the garlic and peppers. Not overseasoned either, we could definitely taste the sweetness of the shrimp. Modest in size yet high in quality, the shrimp had the requisite snap while the dumpling skin walked the line between being soft or chewy. The Haw Gow (or Shrimp Dumpling) were equa lly good. I liked the appearance of the dumpling, especially the ample amount of tobiko on top. A balanced amount of snappy shrimp and pork took care of the textural aspects of the dumpling while the mild amount of seasoning and shiitake made for a good tasting product. We started with the Sui Mai which were good. As we were part way through our meal, a large lineup started to build. As mentioned, the restaurant itself is not very big however, it is spaced out decently so it doesn't feel too cramped. Not to worry though, there is plenty of parking across the street at the free spacious Casino lot. And to think I thought Crystal Mall is frustrat ing. Case-in-point, I ended up following a clueless driver into the full lot where all he ended up doing was stopping at the entrance and blocking traffic in and out of the place. The restaurant itself is at the East end of the hotel where the adjacent parking lot is rather small and not user-friendly. You just have to put up with being treated like an inmate at the Dim Sum Correctional Institute. Reluctantly, I will also mention Po King, which is the equivalent of Chinese water torture. Alternatively, there some smaller places such as Wah Lun and Yan's Garden. Yes, Top Gun also serves up "better" Dim Sum at Crystal Mall however, the lineup is just as large and let's not even get started on the circular parking lot from hell. It's okay if you like waiting in line for over an hour, only to be seated in a can of sardines doubling as a dining room. In the case of Burnaby, we have one "upscale" Dim Sum joint in Fortune House at Metropolis. In the case of Richmond, I think there is a real risk of vehicular maiming too. Not very convenient, let alone environmentally conscious with people driving great distances for Dim Sum. It seem like the bulk of the places reside in Richmond and Vancouver. I guess the plastic wrappers keep them fresh, but serving an unwrapped version would seem more in keeping with the overall quality of this restaurant.As much as there is great Dim Sum to be found in the GVRD, it is amazing how few options we have in suburbs such as Surrey, Burnaby, New West and the Tri-Cities. No desserts are offered, but almond and fortune cookies are presented with the check. A large expanse of windows lets in plenty of light during the day and the shrubs outside, decorated with white twinkle lights, become a part of the evening charm. The overall color scheme is mauve and gray, with black accents and very subtle lighting in the evening. One dining area is designated no smoking, the other has four smoking tables. The bar, with 13 stools and four tiny tables, divides the restaurant’s two dining rooms. ![]() ![]() There is also a selection of house wines by the glass sake is available by the jug, plum wine by the glass. Again our waitress tossed the chicken, egg, carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts and cilantro tableside and deftly rolled them inside the thin Chinese pancakes.įortune West differs from many Chinese restaurants in that it offers a full bar and a 25-selection wine list that includes four Champagnes and sparkling wines, a dozen white, two blush and seven red wines. On another visit we were impressed by how attractively the ingredients for spring pancakes were arranged for presentation. Our waiter expertly tossed the chicken and rice noodle filling tableside, then spooned it into the crisp lettuce cups and left hoisin sauce for us to drizzle over before rolling them up. It typifies two of this restaurant’s best features-attractive presentation and tableside service. So does another of the dim sum selections, the minced chicken with lettuce. The same is true of the plump little steamed shrimp shu mai, and both appetizers have well-flavored fillings. Those at Fortune West have considerably more filling than most I’ve encountered elsewhere. True, the menu reads a lot like umpteen others, but that provides a good basis for the reviewer to make comparisons. “I think there’s this print shop somewhere in New Jersey that makes up the menus for Chinese restaurants all over the country,” said a friend as she perused the offerings at Fortune West in Studio City.
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