Jump to content

Anyone been to Dim Sum Restaurant, London Road


Robbie9

Recommended Posts

Thanks Bago! I am veggie for religious reasons and so utensils that have touched meat doesn't sound too great. I really want to try some dim sum though!

 

I tend to avoid chinese food mainly because I find the veggie food isn't all that, just some vegetables with hardly any taste. I only recently started eating it after discovering a Budhist chinese resturant in London which is amazing. I was trying to convince the woman to open up a branch in Sheffield but she just laughed at me :(

lol. Maybe because she doesn't think there isn't a market for it here. Buddhist vegetarian food is expensive, unless the chef can make it, I think the ingredients have to be shipped over to the UK. (I had a strict buddhist meal once with my bro's friends. He managed to source some stuff from overseas, but it works out quite expensive when it includes shipping.) So, who would spend a lot of money on food that is not meat ? Not many would... and hence its less popularity. Hence she only targetted London cos she's more likely to sustain a business with a larger population.

 

I remember some muslim friends at uni being quite strict on their meat having to be halal. Some girls would even use their own utensils to cook with. So I do understand. I don't think many chinese restauranteur would know this kind of practise. However, if you go over to Malaysia, or even in HK, you definitely will find a lot more vegetarian options. Definitely. Because of the chinese fusion with religion standards, you will find more variety.

 

On the note of taste, I think you will be amazed at how great things can taste naturally. Chinese people go for the freshness of the taste, and not emphasize so much on additional flavourings. Although, I know oyster sauce is a popular flavouring, but many types of dishes are based on emphasizing the main ingredient itself, than to create an explosion of taste. Maybe I'm not explaining it well. Let's just say that there's more choices in vegetarian food if you choose and pick the ingredients yourself. I can recommend you some decent chilli sauce if you wish. ;) ! Also, I think you can go for things like miso soup and miso paste. Sichuan noodles based on a chilli miso paste soup would be strictly vegetarian. Sesame oil is a great flavouring too. I've made veggie dumplings before too which kind of works. I recently had amazing stir-fried veg steamed buns in HK. However, that kind of high standard of dim sum skills, you only find it in SE Asia where many will practise their trade. The dim sum chefs here won't be as adventurous cos the market is not here. There's no scope to use their creativity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

I know my message is lengthy, but this is the review I've just posted on Trip Advisor about this restaurant. We are really upset at how much we feel we've been ripped off by this place. The food's OK, yes, but it's very expensive for what it is. We definitely won't be going again. Read my review...

 

My family of 5 (me, hubster - whose birthday we were celebrating, and our 3 kids aged 8, 6, and 4) have just this minute returned from a meal at this restaurant. We'd gone on the recommendation of a friend of my husband's.

We rarely eat out these days, largely because it is so expensive for us all to eat out. So when we do go out it really is a treat for us. So imagine how upset and disappointed we were to feel really 'ripped off' when we got our bill at the end of the evening.

A few days prior to our visit, my husband had called in to see what food they offered for children. They explained they didn't have a specific children's menu, but they would happily do half size portions, or things like an omelette and some chips. He booked us a table for 5.30 as it is a suitable time for the kids to have tea, and it means we've finished and left before 'grown up' diners arrive.

So, we decided to order a set menu for 2 (starter platter, special vegetable fried rice, beef and green pepper in black bean sauce, sweet and sour pork and chinese vegetables in garlic, fresh fruits to finish), and fill it out with some other starters (one portion of soup, and a quarter of crispy aromatic duck), and an extra main (sweet and sour king prawn). To be on the safe side, we also ordered two portions of chips and a children's cheese omelette.

As for drinks, well, I was nominated driver (naturally), so I had a Diet Coke, the kids had blackcurrant squash first, and J2O's as a 'treat' second, and my husband had 3 pints of the draft Chinese lager.

The waitress had been accomodating in swapping some of the bits of the set menu (my husband doesn't eat meat, so we swapped some meat filled starters and rice to veggie alternatives). The food arrived promptly and was very nice. Although, there was no candle lit heater to keep the food warm, and no finger bowls or hot towels to clean our greasy fingers with after the starters. Small things, I know, but actually, I really missed having them. It meant we had to trail upstairs to the loo with all the kids to wash our hands.

At the end of our meal, when we could eat no more, we asked them to box up some of the leftovers to take home. We said they could dispense with the omelette (I didn't think reheated eggs would work well....had I only known how much that omelette had cost, I would have definitely taken it home!).

The 'fresh fruits' then arrived - a small bunch of about a dozen black grapes, and the waitress cleared the table. As she was tidying up, my 6 year old daughter asked if she could have a set of chopsticks to 'show and tell' at school. The waitress replied that they washed and reused the chopsticks. My husband asked if he could buy some, and she said he could - at the Chinese market!

Then the bill arrived....oh my God! It cost £87.70 for the meal. I'm sure most people reading this will think that's not too bad for 5 of us to go out for a meal. But we didn't really pay for 5 of us to go out for a meal. We really only paid for two and a half, or possibly three of us to go out for a meal: a set menu for 2, with an added quarter duck, one soup and one more main, 2 portions of chips and a CHILD'S cheese omelette. The biggest shock? That the CHILD'S cheese omelette cost £6.70!!! Yes £6.70. The chips were £2.40 (and they were quite small plates of chips). And, the children's glasses of blackcurrant squash were £1.50! By comparison, my Diet Coke was only £1.60 and the J20's were only £2.20.

We were really disappointed. I queried the cost of the omelette (it hadn't been on the menu, so stupidly, I hadn't known how much it was before we ordered it), and the waitress confirmed it was right. My kids had barely touched it, and so it had just gone in the bin.

What a great shame that our rare treat of a meal out together had been spoilt by such profiteering by the restaurant.

The food was good, yes, but it wasn't worth what we paid. Sadly, we won't be visiting again when we're celebrating another birthday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my absolute favourite oriental restaurant in the city, one of my favourite restaurants full stop.

 

I've eaten there loads of times and have always found that the staff couldnt do more to be accommodating and the food has been excellent, enormous portions and very cheap.

 

For four adults we would generally order 3 dim-sum dishes, a couple of mains, a veg side dish, rice, noodles, a soup to share. A drink each and water by the jug, and i usually cant resist one of their home made green tea jelly tart or steamed egg custard dumplings for desert. We've never paid more than £20 per head all in, and that's coming home stuffed to the gunnels and carrying a bag full.

 

The food order sounds like 4 mains (2 in the set meal for 2, an omellette, and the 'extra main' that's four meals) then 6 starters/side orders (counting the set menu for 2 as 2 starters, plus quarter duck, a soup, 2 chips). For that, plus 10 drinks, £87 quid sounds pretty reasonable.

 

When we've asked we've got finger bowls.

 

Taking cutlery home- not really the done thing. We usually buy our knives and forks from the shop, not the restaurant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know my message is lengthy, but this is the review I've just posted on Trip Advisor about this restaurant. We are really upset at how much we feel we've been ripped off by this place. The food's OK, yes, but it's very expensive for what it is. We definitely won't be going again. Read my review...

 

My family of 5 (me, hubster - whose birthday we were celebrating, and our 3 kids aged 8, 6, and 4) have just this minute returned from a meal at this restaurant. We'd gone on the recommendation of a friend of my husband's.

We rarely eat out these days, largely because it is so expensive for us all to eat out. So when we do go out it really is a treat for us. So imagine how upset and disappointed we were to feel really 'ripped off' when we got our bill at the end of the evening.

A few days prior to our visit, my husband had called in to see what food they offered for children. They explained they didn't have a specific children's menu, but they would happily do half size portions, or things like an omelette and some chips. He booked us a table for 5.30 as it is a suitable time for the kids to have tea, and it means we've finished and left before 'grown up' diners arrive.

So, we decided to order a set menu for 2 (starter platter, special vegetable fried rice, beef and green pepper in black bean sauce, sweet and sour pork and chinese vegetables in garlic, fresh fruits to finish), and fill it out with some other starters (one portion of soup, and a quarter of crispy aromatic duck), and an extra main (sweet and sour king prawn). To be on the safe side, we also ordered two portions of chips and a children's cheese omelette.

As for drinks, well, I was nominated driver (naturally), so I had a Diet Coke, the kids had blackcurrant squash first, and J2O's as a 'treat' second, and my husband had 3 pints of the draft Chinese lager.

The waitress had been accomodating in swapping some of the bits of the set menu (my husband doesn't eat meat, so we swapped some meat filled starters and rice to veggie alternatives). The food arrived promptly and was very nice. Although, there was no candle lit heater to keep the food warm, and no finger bowls or hot towels to clean our greasy fingers with after the starters. Small things, I know, but actually, I really missed having them. It meant we had to trail upstairs to the loo with all the kids to wash our hands.

At the end of our meal, when we could eat no more, we asked them to box up some of the leftovers to take home. We said they could dispense with the omelette (I didn't think reheated eggs would work well....had I only known how much that omelette had cost, I would have definitely taken it home!).

The 'fresh fruits' then arrived - a small bunch of about a dozen black grapes, and the waitress cleared the table. As she was tidying up, my 6 year old daughter asked if she could have a set of chopsticks to 'show and tell' at school. The waitress replied that they washed and reused the chopsticks. My husband asked if he could buy some, and she said he could - at the Chinese market!

Then the bill arrived....oh my God! It cost £87.70 for the meal. I'm sure most people reading this will think that's not too bad for 5 of us to go out for a meal. But we didn't really pay for 5 of us to go out for a meal. We really only paid for two and a half, or possibly three of us to go out for a meal: a set menu for 2, with an added quarter duck, one soup and one more main, 2 portions of chips and a CHILD'S cheese omelette. The biggest shock? That the CHILD'S cheese omelette cost £6.70!!! Yes £6.70. The chips were £2.40 (and they were quite small plates of chips). And, the children's glasses of blackcurrant squash were £1.50! By comparison, my Diet Coke was only £1.60 and the J20's were only £2.20.

We were really disappointed. I queried the cost of the omelette (it hadn't been on the menu, so stupidly, I hadn't known how much it was before we ordered it), and the waitress confirmed it was right. My kids had barely touched it, and so it had just gone in the bin.

What a great shame that our rare treat of a meal out together had been spoilt by such profiteering by the restaurant.

The food was good, yes, but it wasn't worth what we paid. Sadly, we won't be visiting again when we're celebrating another birthday.

 

Its so nice to hear the kids have half protion of omelette between them while your husband have 3 pints of beer, we all know whos most important in the family dont we!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my absolute favourite oriental restaurant in the city, one of my favourite restaurants full stop.

 

I've eaten there loads of times and have always found that the staff couldnt do more to be accommodating and the food has been excellent, enormous portions and very cheap.

 

For four adults we would generally order 3 dim-sum dishes, a couple of mains, a veg side dish, rice, noodles, a soup to share. A drink each and water by the jug, and i usually cant resist one of their home made green tea jelly tart or steamed egg custard dumplings for desert. We've never paid more than £20 per head all in, and that's coming home stuffed to the gunnels and carrying a bag full.

 

The food order sounds like 4 mains (2 in the set meal for 2, an omellette, and the 'extra main' that's four meals) then 6 starters/side orders (counting the set menu for 2 as 2 starters, plus quarter duck, a soup, 2 chips). For that, plus 10 drinks, £87 quid sounds pretty reasonable.

 

When we've asked we've got finger bowls.

 

Taking cutlery home- not really the done thing. We usually buy our knives and forks from the shop, not the restaurant.

 

Spot on, you can spot some people dont go very out much

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's fair to balance this out a little

 

There are better restaurants than Dim Sum

 

The food is on a par with the old Tin Po which had good grub in a cafe atmosphere at cafe prices.

 

Dim Sum isn't expensive - it serves the Tin Po "cafe" food at about £1 a dish more, for the "bonus" of a lazy susan and some frilly tablecoths

 

"Average" would be my one-word review

 

I'd go again - BUT IF noodle inn and HK wok were full

 

My perspective is that of a veggie and comparing the quality of tofu/bean curd dishes (the old old Tin po used to do a wider variety of mock duck/beef/pork and used to prepare us a special fish-free sauce as their normal chili sauce contained fish - now that was good service) - meat dishes may compare differently

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.