Fortune House - Saskatoon, SK

Dim sum has become quite popular in our little city of Saskatoon.  Until now, there has really been only 1 place to go for dim sum that is good, fresh and authentic - Yip Hong.  Now there appears to be some legitimate competition located on Avenue C.   This location as most will remember was for the longest time Saskatoon Garden and now recently made numerous ownership changes to finally end up with Fortune House!  Owned and operated by a small army originating from Toronto. By army I mean a group of Chinese people.


Let's talk dim sum!  I have been here numerous times now since the new ownership and it's good enough to keep me coming back.  On this weekend visit we had Leen Yong Bao (lotus paste steamed buns), Preserved Duck Egg & Pork Congee, Chicken Feet, Steamed Beef Balls and a BBQ rice plate (which doesn't count as dim sum!

The buns came out steaming hot as it should be. The lotus paste was very sweet.  If you have the need for a sweet bun this is your best bet.  They do have chicken, bbq pork and custard steamed buns as well.

Congee exceeded my expectations as it was slow cooked which made for a nice slightly thicker and flavorful congee.  Unlike the main competition in Saskatoon, the ingredients were fresh.  I can't tell you what a relief it is to have fresh pork in your congee versus the multi-day old pork that the other places use.

Chicken feet, everyone's favourite right?  Maybe not, but it is a staple item when it comes to dim sum.   It's also a good indicator of how skilled the dim sum chefs are.  The flavour is sweeter and also spicier than normal.  That said, the chicken feet itself were cooked to perfection with the skin practically falling off the bones!

I want to make a mention about the BBQ variety they have going on at Fortune House. No where in Saskatoon can you get anything remotely close to this.  Duck, chicken, roasted pork, bbq pork & ribs all hanging in their cabinet made fresh daily.  I have had all except the ribs, and I will say the chicken, bbq pork and duck are all good.  It may not be at the same level or consistency of Calgary, Vancouver or Toronto but I still love it! Definitely worth while having it in on rice or in a soup noodle.

Hopefully this place stays open for awhile as it is tasty alternative for Chinese food in Saskatoon!

  

Qing Hua Dumpling - Montreal, Quebec

Montreal for Chinese dumplings?? Yes!  I was a bit surprised to see the top 3 restaurants on Urbanspoon for downtown to be Japanese, Chinese, then Japanese.   That said, I was dying to check out Qing Hua Dumpling for some authentic dumplings that would taste like "Siu Long Bao" - traditional dumplings from Eastern China.   

I was at a conference with limited time between sessions.  My first window of opportunity was shortly after lunch for a few hours.  I thought, what better way to experience Montreal then to eat some Chinese dumplings - nothing like local cuisine? 

I made my way on foot from the Delta Centre-ville to Lincoln Avenue through pouring rain.  I was on a mission!  After 25 minutes of walking I was completely drenched and had over- walked the address.  I turned back around to see that it was a tiny location sunk down below ground level.  You can see the not so amazing advertising on the window for ATM Cash and their dumpling logo.  By this time it was after 3p.m. and I was seated right away as there was only 2 other tables.  The decor was modern and as comfortable one would expect for a dumpling house.  The server wasn't pleasant or unpleasant but she got the job done.  

Now the food! After reviewing what seemed to be a hundred different combinations of ingredients for the "Soup Filled" dumpling I ordered (2) kinds steamed for a total of 15 pieces.  I ordered a pork & squid + pork, egg, zuchinni variety.  The dumplings came after 15 minutes and at first it didn't appear to be anything special. 

In fact, they looked extremely ordinary, but I was so very excited to anticipate the first bite.  My excitement led to making the rookie mistake.  I gave one solid bite into the dumpling and the explosion of the broth inside landed in a nice puddle - short of my pants.  I was surprised but shouldn't have been because that is what these dumplings are all about.  I recommend eating these in two different ways. First way is to bite a corner and suck the juices out first OR put the whole thing in your mouth and bite.  Remember to close your mouth or you will experience what you see on the right!


After 13 dumplings I ran out of room!  The experience was so fulfilling and easily better than any Siu Long Bao I have had in Hong Kong.  This place is the real deal.  It's authentic, the people are authentic, and they are skilled at making these soup filled dumplings!  Next time you are in Montreal, plan a trip to Qing Hua Dumpling - you won't regret it.