This place was jammed packed Friday night. Like every other dumpling joint, this is a hole in the wall. Cramped quarters elbow to elbow with fellow diners locals and tourists alike.
A plate of dumplings will run you about 10 dollars more or less, with 15 dumplings per plate. If you're not insanely hungry, one plate per person would do. I stuck to pan-fried pork and leek and steamed pork mushroom and shrimp because I never mess with the "classics". The wait is a tad on be long side but you get free hot tea to tie you over (mine was served in a 12 oz drinking glass and replaced with another glass promptly after finishing. Interesting to say the least.)
The filling of the pork and leek was more flavorful of the two but I preferred the steamed style. There was something about the way the dumplings tasted that was a tad "off" about the pan-fried dumplings. Maybe it was old fry oil or something but it was too savory / salty on the outside to really appreciate the flavor inside. NYC's prosperity dumpling blows theirs out of the water undoubtably. And call me a gringo, but I prefer Sriracha over hot chili oil on my dumplings. The skin wasn't too hot either (I like a slightly thicker skin with an Al-dente chew). I wish the shrimp was ground up finely in the shrimp and pork dumplings- it's nice to know they put a substantial amount of succulent tasty shrimp in their dumplings but I think the flavor is better when the shrimp are ground, but that's just me.
I'm not breaking my pelvis to return here but it's pretty solid. Not Prosperity or Vanessa's dumpling level good though.
Don't look down on the floor because it's carpet matted with old dirt, gravel and other grime from the streets of Montreal. Im sure they attempt to clean it and is in no way a commentary about the hygiene of the food but I would suggest pulling up the carpet and just having bare carpet for the customer's dining pleasure. Store owners are incredibly nice and attentive by the way.