When was the last time that you bought into the hype of something and was left underwhelmed and disappointed. I’d love to say that I’m not a bandwagoner but my dusty Ello account, first-gen Zune player, Hoobastank extended cut album, Ed Hardy trucker hats and box of fidget spinners will say otherwise. My feed has been inundated with content from this place. Unfortunately I fell into the algorithm of overly ecstatic people pushing the “best” of this thing and the “you won’t believe” of that. I wanted to check out the spot for myself. So I went to Panda Doré and ordered the entire menu to see what this dumpling place was all about and if it really warranted social media bug-eyed gawking reactions.
Dumplings
We’re going to start 2023 with a bang. Literally. A meal at this place felt like a straight body-shot to the gut. You may not know it but not only does Montreal have great Chinese restaurants, but we are home to restaurants that represent the various regional cuisines of China – as per my article for Tourism Montreal. The majority of restaurants in the city serve Cantonese cuisine- fried noodles, sweet and sour deep this and thats, rice dishes, sizzling platters, dumplings. It’s once you get into regional specialties can you tell the difference. The spices, the techniques, the ingredients. The regional cuisine that stands out is Szechuan. I recently discovered the small Szechuan restaurant – Mala Express – in one of the most obvious neighbourhoods in the city… Kirkland.
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.