First stop on our dumpling trail was Chef Tony Seafood Restaurant. There was a line up to get a seat. The place is bright and bold, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and red accents. You know that this place is going to have great food when you see people of all ages engaged with the experience.

Unlike most Asian restaurants, where one type of tea is served, Chef Tony offers a selection of five types: Chrysanthemum, Shou Mei, Jasmine, Citrus Peel Pu-Erh, and Iron Buddha – just like a wine menu.

They serve a large variety of dumplings along with a good number of standard main course meals. If you have been to a sushi restaurant, you would most likely have been given a menu order form. Chef Tony has done the same for dumplings, which is the first time I have seen that. It gives you the chance to get what you really like and a sampling of things you have not yet tried.

The menu is in Chinese and English with nice large photos. The order sheet is in Chinese, but they have numbers that correspond to the menu, making it easy to order.

First thing we had was the shrimp and yellow chives rice noodles. The shiny wrap around the shrimp appeared translucent and it just tasted amazing.

Next were steamed dumplings, starting with the shrimp and matsutake. The dumplings were perfectly formed and looked like art. I really enjoyed the black truffle, pork and shrimp dumplings and the barbeque pork bun. I try to have these dumplings when I’m out for dim sum, but Chef Tony’s version was next level.

Deep-fried taro and abalone dumplings looked like a sponge but with an abalone stuffing. The deep-fried shrimp, nori and pineapple spring roll had a crispy exterior and plump, juicy shrimp on the inside.

The deep-fried cuttlefish and meat sticky rice dumplings were one of the two really cool looking dumplings. Squid ink made the dumpling look like black granite. It’s like an alien egg, but the taste is nothing like what the appearance. The other was the steamed sweet salty egg yolk lava bun – a desert. When you pull the dumpling apart, the egg yolk is hot and not fully set. It’s not runny like a lava cake, but just enjoy having it a little fluid. Both dumplings are stand out creations that you must try when you visit.

Meat and dried shrimp sticky rice dumplings were similar to the squid ink dumplings, but a nice golden colour. Last, we tried was the baked assorted mushrooms pastry, which were flaky with a moist mushroom stuffing.

I did not know how much more we were going to be eating but I could have easily tried more of their dumplings. The dumplings were sophisticated and elevated above the traditional versions. Chef Tony’s Seafood Restaurant offers a complete menu with different types of congee (rice porridge) that have also been amped up, as in lobster and stewed duck varieties.

I understand why there was a line up to get in. You can easily make favourites that you want to come back for, but also try something new every visit.

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Contributor Steve Polyak |

Locale British Columbia | Richmond |

Topic Food | Travel |

Photo Gallery Richmond, BC |