There’s a misconception that a meal of dumplings is called “dim sum“. This is wrong. “Dim sum” is more than a meal, it’s an experience. An experience you’d get at some of the city’s various dim sum houses. It’s a meal that consists of various small dishes. Dumplings, steamed seafood, pan-fried radish cakes, pastries and desserts. Yes, you can eat dumplings AT dim sum, but it doesn’t make the meal. Like how a square is can be classified as a rectangle, but not the other way around. I visited Yin Ji Chang Fen. As their name says, a spot that specializes in a particular dish that’s served at dim sum – rice noodle rolls or “chang fun”.
Dim Sum
Recently, every time I’ve given restaurant recommendations for spots in Chinatown, the response I get it, “Are restaurants open?” Yes. Yes they are. Very much so in fact. It surprises me (and doesn’t) that there are people out there who haven’t been to Chinatown in years. Yes, I understand, not everyone has reasons to go. But don’t you think it’s about time you rediscover it? This small eclectic neighbourhood filled will small bakeries, restaurants, boutiques, and other treasures to discover you may have been overlooking in your own city.
Get delicious Chinese barbecue, hand-pulled noodles, knick-knacks and Korean sheet-masks all in one shot! One of the things I’ve always associated with Chinatown is Dim Sum. This used to be considered a Sunday ritual of “Chinese brunch”. But it’s actually an everyday thing – and not many people know this! This is why I’m reintroducing you to one of the long-standing dim sum houses in Chinatown Restaurant Ruby Rouge.
If you follow my super awesome Shut Up and Eat Instagram feed, you’d know that it’s a great source of all things Montreal food porn. You will also be subject to my pontification of dim sum – one of my favourite things in life besides kneading my six year old nephew’s stomach like bread dough. I once read a “best of” list of places to go for dim sum which listed Qing Hua, Yi Pin Xiang and Jiu Xiang amongst other places for best dim sum in Montreal. Wrong. There’s a big difference between dumplings and dim sum – dim sum is the meal, the experience; dumplings are what you eat at dim sum. I took that article with a grain of MSG and decided to right the wrong that has been published under the veil of click-bait.