Food Vancouver - Food Vancouver Select Guide: Eight Lucky Ways to Experience Authentic Asian Food in Richmond, BC

With the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games almost here, Richmond, BC is ready for the visitors. The new Canada Line rapid transit system takes visitors from YVR Airport or downtown Vancouver into Richmond’s Golden Village to experience the best in Asian foods and shopping. Stop by the Richmond Olympic Oval or experience authentic Asian food that knocks your socks off.

Not only does Richmond feature what some have described as the best Chinese food outside of China, its Asian cuisine is diverse and fresh delicacies can appear daily on your table. The combination of freshly caught seafood and equally fresh hyper-local ingredients is a foodie’s dream come true.

Why eight ways? Well, it’s a lucky number for starters. Why? Maybe it’s because the number features a perfect symmetrical shape; or in Chinese, eight is pronounced "ba," which sounds like the word for prosperity, pronounced "fa." Whatever the reason, here are eight ways to experience awesome food in Richmond.

Dim sum, literally “a little bit of heart,” is the ancient art of eating a lot of little mouth-watering bites. And who doesn’t love a lot of a little tastes of meat, seafood, veggies, desserts and even fruits? At the Jade Seafood Restaurant Chef Tony “Master of Shark’s Fin” Luk has been dazzling foodies with everything from steamed pork and shrimp dumplings to steamed BBQ pork buns for years. Or check out where aficionados and locals go to get their Cantonese fusion dim sum of Shiang – the Garden Seafood Restaurant.

Speaking of dumplings let’s talk about Xiao Long Bao, also called Shanghai dumpling or pork soup dumpling. This Chinese specialty has even caught the eye of Food Network star Bob Blumer, who participated in a recent Xiao Long Boa challenge at the Summer Night Market. No challenge is needed here if you step up to two local eateries: the Shanghai River Restaurant or Dinesty Chinese Restaurant.

You don’t have to go all the way to Beijing to experience the two-course specialty famously known as Peking duck. Dating back to the Imperial Era, the dish is renowned for its thin, crispy skin and is served with delicious hot pancakes, green onions, and hoisin sauce. It’s the most delicious and decadent wrap you’ll ever have.

All hail the king crab! Here’s something to put on the proverbial culinary calendar. Starting this winter, it’s king crab season again. Track down the extra sweet and tender king crab at the Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant where they have a 30-year tradition of serving them simply and deliciously – steamed, with minced garlic.

Little known fact: Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce that is tart in flavour, yellow in colour, and delicious in spirit. At Tsukiji Japanese Restaurant, Chef Henry has created the perfect fresh crab salad with ponzu sauce, and even a luscious grilled lamb with ponzu sauce. Wash it all down with some premium sake, and life is good.

Richmond features two great ways to enjoy some real hot pot. At Posh, you can take in the hot and sweet Japanese sukiyaki version, featuring organic Asian veggies, tofu, and noodles, along with thin sliced beef and pork. Or you can get more adventurous at the Cattle Hot Pot Restaurant. Here you will find traditional soup with tofu, noodles, seafood, or you can live on the edge and kick it up with pork blood and tripe.

Until October 4, you can still enjoy the tastes of serious Asian street foods under the stars and right along the scenic Fraser River at the Summer Night Market. You can eat your way around this Richmond tradition by stuffing yourself with grilled octopus, grilled meats on sticks, BBQ corn, hurricane potatoes, egg waffles, shrimp takoyaki, and every dumpling you can think of. There are loads of choices with hundreds of vendors.

"Have you eaten yet?” That’s the traditional greeting as people enter your home on Chinese New Year. It’s all about food. February 14, 2010, is Chinese New Year. This year we ring in the Year of the Tiger – the sign of bravery. There is no better way than ringing in the Chinese New Year at one of Richmond’s famed restaurants, enjoying Asian favourites like sticky rice pudding cake.

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Food Vancouver Select Guide: Eight Lucky Ways to Experience Authentic Asian Food in Richmond, BC