Dinesty Chinese Restaurant 聚

Dinesty Chinese Restaurant

Sending or picking up someone from the airport usually means an excuse to eat in Richmond. My parents are not the type to willingly drive out for food. Hence why we always dine at the same handful of restaurants. I can count them all out to you with less than one hand. Despite my suggestion of trying a non-Chinese restaurant in Richmond (which yes, I know may sound dumb), my dad already made up his mind that he wanted Shanghainese. So, I made sure to go all out on exercising this week in preparation for heavy authentic Chinese food.

There is a plethora of Shanghainese restaurants in Richmond, all rivaling each other to win the title of 'best xiao long bao'. Having my best friend's Shanghainese grandpa, I've visited a few of the Shanghainese restaurants in Richmond over the years. Those include Top Shanghai Cuisine, Shanghai Wonderful, and Suhang Restaurant. I'm no expert in Shanghainese cuisine, so I judge according to my own preferences.

Dinesty is the number one ranked restaurant in Richmond, according to Urbanspoon. It now has three locations in Vancouver, Aberdeen Centre, Downtown, and this one. I noticed there were many Caucasian customers dining here, especially young adults. 

Open Kitchen

The plaza Dinesty is in has a large parking lot, large for Richmond at least. When we arrived smack-dab at noon, everyone seemed to just finish parking; it was a headache trying to find someone that was leaving. People fighting for spots left and right, oieeee.. While my dad circled the parking lot, my mom and brother went to put our name on the waitlist. For the amount of customers Dinesty has, the number of tables is not adequate. I'm estimating that we waited 15 minutes or so until a table for four opened up. The waiting area is very narrow and cramped. I did like the outdoor heater at the door; when the door opens this freezing breeze pulls through, brrr! Speaking of cold, the waitress made sure we were aware that the table we were being put at would feel the cold air when the door opens. I appreciate that she mentioned it to us as it is quite important to the customer's experience.  

The interior design of the restaurant is very modern and up-scale. The tables and sofa-like chairs look very new. Dinesty is different from other Chinese restaurants in a way because their tables are not crammed as close as possible in order to squeeze a maximum number of tables in. Their kitchen is wide open, which is a good sign as the customers have a clear view of how their food is being prepared. 

Illustrated, Diner-Friendly Menu

Matching the elegant design of the restaurant are these menus. I found it amusing how the cover says "open here". It's like we've never encountered a book before. I kid, I kid. Their menu is extremely user-friendly, and those who can't read Chinese very well like myself, can let out a sigh of relief as there are clear, colour photos for the majority of dishes. The English descriptions are quite concise too, minus a few typing errors here and there. Ahem, mashroom...

Spicy Beef Tendon ($6.95)

Most of the dishes we ordered are still considered dim sum dishes, so they are prepared ahead of time and served up really quickly. The Spicy Beef Tendon was the first to arrive. In Chinese, it's actually called "numbing spiciness beef tendon", but the spiciness was faaaaaaaaaaaar from numbing. Nevertheless, this was a well executed dish. The tendon was not too soft nor too hard. The hint of spiciness added just enough flavour without being well, numbing. Because if your tongue is numb, you can't taste anything. This dish was served warm and it was most delicious that way. Although this appetizer tasted good, it wasn't extraordinary. I would've done just fine with a three dollar Cantonese dimsum beef tendon. Make that two, for the seven dollars.

Yellow Croaker ($5.95)

Another appetizer dish. My mom quickly decided that she wanted to order this Yellow Croaker. I thought it was going to be some fillet of fish or some tiny fried fish, but then came these three jerky-like medium sized fish. I'm not in anyway bothered by whole fish as I love eating sardines and such. Unlike the beef tendon, this dish was served cold. The texture of the fish was dry and chewy like jerky, and the weak puddle of vinegar didn't do anything for the flavour. The problem I had with this dish was that it was boring. The taste was flat and just straight out nothing special. Two bucks per fish? Never again.

Sweet Soy Duck ($6.50)

Hangry, impatient people usually don't make the best last minute choices. This Sweet Soy Duck being one of them. I didn't try this dish, but after a few bites my mom declared it tasted like regular soy sauce duck. Which, in fair argument, it is. But nothing about this quarter of a duck was significant to match it's price tag of $6.50.

Vegetable Dumpling ($7.95)

Honestly, I'm not trying to be super picky in this review, but the mediocre food doesn't stop at the appetizers. The Vegetable Dumplings seemed to be a popular choice as I browsed through other diner's photos on Urbanspoon. I really enjoy vegetarian food so this type of dumpling is right up my alley. The wrapping of these small dumplings are thin and not too tough, and the overall dumpling was not too salty, but not bland either. However, the texture of the filling was off; the tofu and vegetables were unappetizing mushy. I don't think too highly of the one and only Northern Chinese restaurant in the Tri-Cities, Lucky Gate, but their version of the vegetable dumpling is much much better. Lucky Gate's dumplings are larger and the tofu and vegetables are more distinguished as they are finely diced rather than mashed.

Spicy Sesame Noodles/Dan Dan Noodles ($6.50)

At first I was worried at how much carb-dense dishes we  ordered. Then we discovered that there was not enough to keep everyone full. Quite a surprise considering that we were dining Chinese. This bowl of Spicy Sesame Noodle was one of the best dishes we had for lunch. Dan dan noodles are called 'peanut noodles' at most restaurants. Traditionally, it should be made from tahini (sesame butter) and not peanut butter. I'm quite picky about my sesame/peanut noodles. I prefer sauce-y noodles over soup-y noodles. Although Dinesty's version of dan dan noodles is more on the soup-y side, the soup was packed with nutty flavour. It was thick enough to stick to the beautifully made al dente noodles. The only downside to this dish was the size. No understatement here, but there was the equivalent of two tiny bowls of noodles. Each of us got to eat one measly little pile of noodles. Sad for me because I actually liked this dish.

Noodles with Meat Sauce ($6.50)

This Noodle with Meat Sauce was not as good as it's spicy sesame cousin. While the portion was noticeably more generous, the noodles were over cooked and nearing mushy. The meat sauce had some firm tofu in it, which was different yet tasty. 

Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings/Xiao Long Bao ($6.95)

And I save the most anticipated for last. Are their Xiao Long Bao worthy of being hailed as 'the best'? (Whatever that means..) Just to help my readers put my review into context, I actually don't have much interest in xiao long bao. My brother loves them, and I know many people are obsessed with these little packages of pork sitting in a bag of soup. I just don't have a soft spot for them. I did eat one for the sake of reviewing them. They were miniature sized, which I don't mind as long as the taste is good. The flavours were balanced, not too salty but can still taste the natural pork flavour. The soup was there, but I wouldn't say there was a lot of it. The pork meat was moist, the wrapping, like the vegetable dumplings, was thin and not tough. Overall, a good value xiao long bao. My family liked how the dipping sauce had a lot of ginger.

Final verdict: Three out of the seven dishes we ordered "can do", meaning that they were good but not amazing/life changing. I'm glad the food was not laden with salt and MSG, but that being said, the flavours weren't a wow factor either. The word underwhelming describes my experience at Dinesty perfectly. I guess the largest issue is that we paid nearly $14 per person but still felt hungry afterwards. The 'dainty' servings are just that small. If you compromise the size, the flavour better make up for it. Unfortunately, it didn't. Perhaps after expanding the business, Dinesty Chinese Restaurant's quality has decreased. After this so-so meal at Dinesty, I know I won't be coming back. Probably ever. I would recommend the Shanghainese food at Top Shanghai Cuisine across the street. 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡