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Head south of the city to discover delicious Asian favourites, world-famous fish 'n' chips, tasty BBQ and so much more
Richmond is known for its breadth and diversity of Asian restaurants tucked into every corner of the city. However, its dining culture goes far beyond that, with so many great restaurants (both well-known and under the radar) offering up world-class cuisine from various different cultures. What’s most remarkable is the increasing influence of east-meets-west flavours, a true reflection of the city’s diversity.
Click through for my top 10 places to eat in Richmond…
For seafood, upscale banquet dining and especially dim sum in Richmond, it’s very hard to beat the combination of food and service at Kirin Seafood Restaurant. Located next to Richmond Centre, the second-floor restaurant is open and cavernous with big tables perfect for family dinners and special occasions. For my money, your best bet is their dim sum service, full of old favourites and more than a few delectable specialties featuring a variety of meats cut, stuffed and prepared in all sorts of ways.
Cantonese dining always reminds me of banquet dinners and multi-course menus (at weddings usually). Shiang Garden has a great selection of seafood dishes, Chinese staples and meaty concoctions. For the sophisticated, specialty dishes here include salted egg yolk lobster, steamed garlic prawns and fish platters, all of which are top-notch. Their extensive menu is both innovative and familiar across the board.
If you’re looking for fine Shanghainese food and xiaolongbao pork-soup dumplings, Dinesty will easily satisfy your needs. Their menu is deep and varied with all sorts of Shanghainese dishes available. You can’t beat their award-winning XLB, gyoza dumplings, beef rolls, rice rolls, noodles, rice and soup dishes. There really is something for everyone and ordering is friendly for diners of all backgrounds with their physical menu full of pictures and descriptive text.
While not at all a dine-in restaurant establishment, the best pizza in Richmond (and possibly the Metro Vancouver area) is hands-down from this little corner takeout-only pizzeria. SPC makes no ordinary slice of pie. Their ingredients are diverse and fresh. If you’re worried about possibly not making it home in time to adequately enjoy your gourmet pizza, don’t fret. On a nice day, just take your steaming hot slices across the street to the park and enjoy them in the picnic area or bring them down to the wharf. I recommend splurging and getting one of their specialty seafood pizzas topped with smoked salmon, shrimp and giant tiger prawns or crab legs.
Beef noodles are a staple of the Taiwanese diet. The delicious meaty soup base and slurping noodles are great comfort food and Chef Hung is famous for their chain of authentic Taiwanese recipes. If you like pho, ramen or any kind of traditional Southeast Asian noodle soups, TBN (for short) is sure to satisfy all your spicy soup cravings.
If you’ve got a hankering for some southern-style barbecue and copious amounts of meat, look no further than Steveston’s Hog Shack. Be warned: the portions are generous. Billed as a casual barbecue cook house, Hog Shack goes all out with the fixings and doubles down on not only serious meats well-seasoned and prepared, but also authentic side dishes and southern fare. It may get messy with all the finger-licking sauces and thick cuts of meats so grab lots of napkins.
Deep in the Golden Village of Richmond’s various business complexes, Gyo-O is a solid Japanese-style eatery with a fun and diverse menu of dishes ranging from noodles to fish. Part of the Gyoza King Group of casual dining restaurants, Gyo-O is hip and colourful with a wide array of Japanese izakaya (gastropub-style) dishes. Think Asian-style tapas made from fresh ingredients prepared in all sorts of traditional and non-traditional culinary forms.
This may be an obvious choice, but no visit to Steveston, especially in the summer, is complete without a trip to Pajo’s for some of their trademark fish and chips. Pick your tempura-style battered fish (cod, salmon or halibut) and devour it along with with fresh-cut fries and Pajo’s signature tartar sauce. It’s hard to describe exactly how satisfying it is to enjoy deep-fried fish seaside.
You don’t have to go to Robson or the West End for good, authentic Korean food anymore. Man Ri Sung offers some great Korean dishes, including those famous pancakes, thick noodles and their version of Peking duck. The variety and Chinese influences on their menu makes this spot a great entry point to Korean dining, incorporating more than a few trademark spicy flavours.
Deep in the Richmond suburbs and in the land of strip malls, L.A. Chicken continues to be a reliably delicious destination if you’re looking for fried chicken. Influenced by Southeast Asian and Filipino-style chicken recipes, these finely battered and fried birds are crispy, juicy and succulent. In fact, I’ve actually ranked this chicken as one of the tastiest bites in the city.