Comments on: Da Hong Yun Shanghai Restaurant in Richmond

By: Pomegranate Girl

Pomegranate Girl — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:00:56 +0000

Diao Miu (the Teo Meow Song Tong you ordered)is an expensive delicacy because they are the bean shoots that are picked when they are budding and at its most tender; left to grow longer, the stems are quite tough to eat. The plant isnt left to grow and the total quantity harvested is very little.

By: LotusRapper

LotusRapper — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:40:32 +0000

When fingerfoods (crabs, lobsters) are ordered, typically on special meals out or at banquets, sometimes my parents would pour hot tea into clean rice bowls and use them to clean fingers with, instead of the “lemon soup”. They say tea is very effective in “huay yau” (ridding the grease).

By: Joseph

Joseph — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:48:13 +0000

Actually, when I was an FOB in Canada, my wife and I got invited to this fancy Chinese banquet. They served lobster and with that bowl on the side. I actually dipped my piece of lobster in the bowl thinking it was a sauce. My brother in law looked at me with horror in his eyes. Well, you can’t blame me. I don’t think we have finger bowls back in the Phils.

By: Chrystal from Holland

Chrystal from Holland — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:10:31 +0000

Our Queen of the Netherlands had a royal guest for dinner once. They also had a bowl of lime water to wash their hands with. The guest who was not familiar with this custom, took a sip from this bowl. To spare him from embarresement, our Queen followed him by also drinking from the lemon water.

By: cissy

cissy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:56:55 +0000

HI Ben & Suanne,
By looking at the banner in front of the restaurant, the “Tan Tan Noodles” is only $2.99 and the “Shao Lung Bao” is only $1.99, not bad pricing wise:P
I agree w/winz, the greens in the pic are usually $3.99 to $5.99/lb at T&T.

BTW, was a bit disappointed w/the noodle house you blogged few posts down, the bowl was big but the quantity was not, and yes even w/ 25% for me was spicy enough.Usually i only ordered the regular at Thai Son and it fills me up.

By: ts

ts — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:41:55 +0000

I gather that Ben is joking about the lemon/lime finger washer by his wink there…

By: josephine

josephine — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:02:51 +0000

hi, i agree with wildPA too…the small bowl of lime is for washing hands, esp since u’re eating crabs and u might get ur hands dirty on breaking the parts of crab apart. it’s the custom in chinese restaurants…not for drinking..oh dear…

By: winz

winz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:29:39 +0000

hi just browsing, love food blogs!!

I live in Richmond, and usually Da Hung Yun have some pretty ok things price-wise, although it is quite crowded and def not 5 star in terms of decor… i go every once in a while. the noodles and the little shanghai pork bun things are my favourite.

but FYI the greens you ordered is considered a delicacy in terms of… well greens. in addition to being tasty, they are all supposed to be hand picked, and are called “pea tip kings”… all the tips of the plant thus the most tender, hence the hefty price. in many chinese restaurants they can cost upwards of $15 depending on if its the right season…

anyway i agree it was probably a little on the steeper side but at least it didn’t taste bad ^^.

keep up the good work!!

By: WildPA

WildPA — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:50:23 +0000

This is what I am thinking about the bowl of water with the lemon in it. . .

Usually when we order a dish where we use our hands to eat the food, and it makes our hands greasy, we use that bowl of water to clean our hands at the table if they provide it for us. Sometimes instead of lemon and water, a restaurant may give us lemon and tea in a bowl.

I’m not quite sure if the one they gave you was for that, though.

By: LotusRapper

LotusRapper — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:37:44 +0000

Not to judge without first-hand experience, but sounds like from your description that a relatively simple, 3-dish meal like this is overpriced ($47 !). Seems to me the crab special is exaggerated (size-wise) despite its $11 flat price. And the sprouts dish seems quite overpriced IMHO, and this is where they made up the margin from the crabs.

I recall some really good valued set meals at Happy Date Restaurant, I believe they’re still there on Park between #3 Rd and Garden City.