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| - This is a strange, strange place. That being said, it's a mom'n'pop that's thoroughly deserving of your love and patronage.
The good:
- Fills a niche for Chinese dumplings et al in this neighbourhood
- Reasonably good dumplings, reasonable prices
The okay:
- Wrappers on the dumplings are a little heavy and chewy than I prefer
- I was there on a Sunday night so it was pretty quiet, maybe about 6 covers while I was there. With only one person working the floor, she seemed a bit frazzled, albeit friendly.
The meh:
- Cucumber salad came without nearly enough heat, and too much sugar. Oh well.
- Lack of proper chili oil at the tables. They seemed to have a certain Chinese BBQ oil in its stead, which really didn't cut it
The odd:
- The decor. Even with what I expect from 'hole in the wall' Chinese restaurants, which I adore when the food is good and has minimal health code violations (such parties will remain unnamed here), this is most decidedly a strange space. It's massive cavernous space. They seem to have a bar adorned with lights and vinyl records attached to the side, but seemed to be more for folding linens at the time. Certain corners of the restaurant were too dark to even read a menu, much to the dismay of some of the patrons who had to break out their cell phones to provide enough light. And last but not least, the "stage" whose picture you can see above. There's a sign up sheet that *anyone* can sign up for, a sound system + karaoke + keyboard, just in case you need to get your inner-Christina Aguilera out. Thankfully no one was singing at the time, but I'm morbidly curious what it would be like if someone had been. Also, noticed the fat screen TV blaring out b-ball as well as the security camera just above the stage. Weird.
- At one point in the meal, a woman came out of the kitchen and started skyping with her cell phone, and showing the dining room to the caller, while we were eating. Funny, unnerving, but yet adorable.
It's certainly an experience I won't forget. I'd actually be happy to go back if I were in the neighbourhood, after gaining the requisite amount of mental fortitude.
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