Chen's Shanghai Kitchen (Bai Yu Lan)

Out of all the different regional Chinese cuisine, my favorite had to be the Shanghai cuisine. They're super fattening and unhealthy, due to all the oil that was used, but super delicious at the same time. To me, they're absolutely irresistible. It's not difficult to find a restaurant serving Shanghai cuisine in Vancouver, but it's a different story when trying to find a good one. Luckily, there's the Chen's Shanghai Kitchen, a.k.a. Bai Yu Lan, in Richmond.

The variety of Shanghai style Dim Sum is better during lunch hours, but most of them can also be ordered during dinner time, which is wonderful, as most restaurant won't do any Dim Sum items outside of lunch time. The problem is though, if you don't read Chinese, ordering can be a bit challenging. During lunch time, they give you a Dim Sum checklist that doesn't have English on it. Now I'm sure that they have something in English, but it's usually shorter than the Chinese list. So finding a Chinese-literate to go with you for the first couple of times just to get familiar with the menu is recommended.

Some of their best Dim Sum dishes include the Xiao Long Bao, Shengjian Bao (Pan Fried Buns), Pot Stickers, and Meat and Vegetable Wonton. And in my opinion, they also have the best Green Onion Pancake in town. Those who are familiar with the dish will know that it is usually very oily, and some quite soggy, but Chen's Shanghai Kitchen's version of it is not oily at all, and much tastier than those in other restaurants. Unless you dislike green onions,this is something you must try at this restaurant. Unfortunately, their Xiao Long Bao is not the best in town, but they are a close second (the best Xiao Long Bao is actually in the food court of Aberdeen Centre). The pricing for Dim Sum items are also very reasonable, averaging to about $5 or so per dish.

Dinner-wise, I suggest having Dim Sum and a couple of noodle items like Dan Dan Noodles, Shanghai Chow Mien, or Shanghai Nian Gao (Rice Cake). Unfortunately, the other dishes aren't very impressive, so you're better off ordering the same thing anytime you go. Do keep in mind though, that although the food is excellent in this restaurant, the service and cleanliness is not the best. So now that I've got you mentally prepared, please don't come back to complain about these 2 things. You're going for the food and only the food. Nothing else here.

A word of warning, don't order too much. Remember that most of the good items are either buns or made with a lot of flour, so it's all very filling. Ordering too much will either have you extremely stuffed, having to waste food, or having to bring a lot of left overs home. Oh, and remember when you're eating the Xiao Long Bao and Sheng Jian Bao to remember not to take a big first bites. They are very hot, and super juicy that you might have juice squirting all over resulting in a stain on your shirt, and very bad table manners.

Chen's Shanghai Kitchen 8095 Park Rd. Richmond, B.C. Tel: 604.304.8288