Based on my latest count, the number of Chinese eateries offering Cantonese style Dim Sum, just in the Richmond Hill/Markham area alone, currently exceeds well over 17…a most impressive number! This number quickly expands to a whopping 24 and more, if one decides to head one block further south!!
As part of my continuing quest to search for the ‘Best’ Dim Sum in town. Today’s luncheon gathering, reconnecting my wife with a group of her former long lost Hong Kong work colleagues, provided me with an opportunity to update my review on this popular Richmond Hill, high end, Cantonese cuisine eatery.
Once occupying the prime corner space at ‘Fusion Parc’, Leslie & East Pearce, Lobster Pot 1 has since relocated and expanded by taking over the former space of both ‘ Yang’s Seafood ‘ and ‘ Le Parc ‘ at Leslie & Hwy#7. To my astonishment and for some unexplained reason, somehow, I have totally omitted this popular neighborhood gem and yet to give the food at this new location a try?!
I was most curious and really looking forward to this outing since I was originally tasked with picking a venue for this gathering but my suggestion of ‘My Wonderful Kitchen‘ was brutally shot down by a few members of this group and ‘Lobster Pot 1’ was chosen in lieu of it!
Emphasis by most attendees on reminiscing and catching up with each other, rather than food has sadly demoted our menu-selection to secondary status.
With the burden of food selection placed squarely on my shoulder, I conservatively picked the following from an interesting and varied menu. These include:
- Sundried Jackfish, Peanuts and Salted Pork Rice Congee
- Fried Taro Croquettes with Chicken and Chives filling
- Pan Fried Turnip Cakes with Diced Chinese Preserved Meat
- Freshly Baked ‘#1 Bun under the sky‘ aka BBQ Pork/Pineapple Buns
- Crispy Spring Roll with Shredded Taro and Chicken Filling
- Steamed Rice Roll ‘Cheung-Fun‘ with Shrimp & Chinese Greens Filling
- ‘Har-Gow’ Steamed Shrimp Dumplings
- Steamed Beef Balls with Sun dried Tangerine Peel Essence
- Steamed Shrimp and Pork Siu-Mai with Tobiko Topping
Overall, the outcome of this Dim Sum lunch was a fairly positive one. Majority of the creations and offerings were well crafted, nicely executed and tasty. Glaring and minor misses were fortunately far and few. The only one worth mentioning was the super-elastic, thick and rough-with-an-edge Cheung-Fun wrapping.
Commendable dishes included the flavourful Congee, the juicy and crunchy shrimp and diced bamboo shoot Har-Gow ( though, as with almost every single Har-Gow product in town, the ductile wrapper was a touch on the thickish side ), the generous and moist BBQ Pork filling baked buns and the crispy, saucy and fairly light Taro Croquettes……to name a few.
Based on today’s experience, I would say the Dim Sum quality of Lobster Pot 1 is superior to a lot of its neighborhood competitors! Maybe IMHO, amongst the top 5 in the Richmond Hill/Markham area?!
