- [Terry] All of this right here,
is only the first restaurant.
- We're gonna need some help.
- [Gunnarolla] Richmond, British Columbia
is home to some of the best Asian cuisine in North America
and that's thanks to its diverse Asian population,
of which more that half is Chinese.
Today we're exploring the Dumpling Trail,
a collection of more than 20 restaurants
that serve up some variation of the dumpling.
Crunchy, chewy, steamed, or deep-fried.
Nearly every culture in the world
has their version of the dumpling,
and today we're sampling five.
First stop, Empire Seafood,
where you'll find authentic and high quality
Chinese cuisine.
They've got a variety of dim-sum dishes,
and as far as dumplings go,
you'll find all the essentials.
Har Gow, Siu Mai, and Xiao Long Bao.
Also known as the soup dumpling.
Like all good dim-sum spots,
this place fills up fast.
So you wanna get here early.
- All right. Can't have dumplings without dim-sum.
Can't have dim-sum without dumplings.
Now let's dig in.
Do you do your dim-sum in one bite,
or two, or three, or what?
Just pop the whole thing in your mouth?
- I try to get it all in my mouth, in one bite.
- [Istiana] How do you chew like that?
- I was gonna say, it takes up the whole space in my mouth.
- These ones are exceptionally big,
but I'm up for the challenge.
- I think beyond just tasting really good,
I love dim-sum because it's just so pretty to look at.
- [Sylvia] Yeah, it's so true.
- [Gunnarolla] Almost too pretty to eat.
- [Gunnarolla] Next up, Samsoonie Noodle & Rice,
a restaurant that serves up every type of Korean
dish you can imagine,
Including Mandu, the Korean version of a dumpling.
They're steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or deep-fried.
Stuffed with pork or beef,
that's served with a side of kimchi.
If you're looking for an authentic Korean feast,
this is your spot.
- Cheers!
- How do you say "cheers" in Korean?
- Geonbae.
- [Group] Geonbae.
(restaurant chatter)
- I feel like I'm home.
- [Gunnarolla] Next we're heading to Szechuan House,
located in the food court of the Aberdeen Centre,
one of the largest Asian shopping malls in North America.
Here we're sampling Shui Jiao,
a water-based dumpling that you'll find throughout Asia.
They're coated in a spicy sauce that you've got
to experience to understand.
- It's gonna have a spice to it,
that's also gonna numb you a little.
- Cheers!
Dumpling count going up.
- I can still taste it.
- It's weird, it's offering a little tingling on my tongue.
- I don't think I've experienced a taste sensation
like this before.
- That's what I'm saying.
It's very unique.
- Yeah, I just want to keep eating it, though.
(market background noise)
- [Terry] Alright, we're gonna try this Dragon Beard candy.
Ready?
- It's gonna start melting before it gets
into you're mouth.
You ready? Go.
(seductive music)
- [Terry] Oh, it worked.
Wow, surprising.
(laugh)
- It looks so light,
but it gets so dense once you put it in your mouth.
- [Gunnarolla] We're heading from the food court
to Beijang Restaurant,
a spot that specializes in gourmet Halal meat dishes
cooked in traditional Uyghur style.
Here we're trying more Shui Jiao, this time,
stuffed with lamb and beef.
And a ton of other dishes to go with them.
- Here we go!
Cheers!
Oh, yeah.
- This is my first lamb dumpling.
- [Gunnarolla] Yeah. - [Sylvia] Me too.
- I don't think I've ever had a lamb dumpling before.
The dumplings are the reason why we came here,
but these other dishes
are the reason
- [Gunnarolla And Terry] why we will stay here.
- [Gunnarolla] Our last stop on the Dumpling Trail
is Banh Mi Tres Bon,
an authentic Vietnamese restaurant
that serves Bang Bot Lao,
the Vietnamese dumpling that's wrapped
in a thin tapioca skin.
It's bite-sized and chewy,
and the perfect appetizer to any meal.
- I've never had Vietnamese style dumplings.
- I know, me neither.
- They look very silky.
- I'm so excited.
- They do look very silky, translucent.
Fried shallots and sauteed onions.
Of course, essential to any Vietnamese dish,
- [Gunnarolla And Sylvia] fish sauce.
- [Sylvia] Look how squishy.
I love this.
This is my kind of texture, right here.
- [Group] Bon appetit!
(satisfied moans)
- Oh, wow!
- [Sylvia] Honestly, I love that chewiness.
Oh, my god.
- [Istiana] It feels like a silk pillow in your mouth.
- How many did you think you could eat in one sitting?
- At first, I was thinking I could eat that whole
plate no problem,
but then after finding out how filling it is.
Probably still the whole plate.
- I was just gonna say,
I could probably still do it.
- I've learned a lot about how many dumplings
I can eat on this trip.
- [Gunnarolla] So there you have it.
just five spots on the Richmond Dumpling Trail
in British Columbia, Canada,
but we'll leave you to explore the rest.
If you've got a favorite, let us know!
See ya next time.