RICHMOND: Dim sum, old and new

We all have our favourite dishes at dim sum, but it’s fun to try new offerings whenever possible. Jade Seafood Restaurant has a nice variety of old and new, though the prices are a bit higher than average.

It’s a huge, second-floor dining room with courteous service (shocking, I know) and nary a dish slammed onto the table. Jade is more linen tablecloth than white plastic table covers. It’s clean and bright, so I don’t begrudge its higher prices.

The standard donut rice roll (炸两) got a twist by having a sort of fish seafood loaf stuffed in the middle.

I was sniffing about the $6.99 listed on the menu for the rice roll with beef brisket until it came in a huge clay pot enough to feed eight of us.

The deep-fried chicken knees (listed on the menu as ankles) were $6.99 but again was a large portion, sprinkled with edamame beans for a pretty green burst. They’re kind of like popcorn chicken and we get this often enough that I don’t really think eating salt and pepper chicken joints is weird.

I quite enjoyed the pickled ginger, century egg & prawn roll ($4.48), and the other standard dishes (sticky rice, dumplings congee etc.) were excellent.

There’s an impressive list for vegetarians, including a fresh egg tofu dish with enoki mushrooms and Chinese greens ($6.98).

But it still doesn’t matter how well Chinese restaurants do their desserts, I still think hot, sweet soup to end a meal is gross. However, everyone else was sucking back and enjoying almond milk dessert soup.

We had 13 dishes among eight of us for a total tab of about $85.

Dim sum at Jade is ordered off the menu; there are no carts that get pushed around the restaurant. The extensive menu has good English translations and the servers seem helpful enough that non-Chinese customers would not feel out of place.

I was pleasantly shocked to find Jade has a website and its full dim sum menu online. Early-ish risers get a 20% discount on dim sum between 9-11 a.m.

Jade Seafood Restaurant, 8511 Alexandria Rd., Richmond, B.C., (604) 249-0082. Open daily including holidays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 5-10 p.m.