Sum of Dumplings

It's a truism that all the best "ethnic" restaurants are in the suburbs because that's where most minorities have settled. On Thursday, that was borne out by a trip north on highway 404 to Dragon Boat Fusion Cuisine. First good sign, the place was packed and without a reservation (for lunch!), it was a 10 minute wait.

These newer Chinese restaurants combine the best of both worlds: service remains brisk and efficient, and prices are astonishingly low; the bill came to $18.50 per person for 13 dim sum dishes. But unlike the tired old places, you get smartly uniformed wait staff and nice table settings instead of indifferent servers and plastic covered formica tables. But what about the food? The steamed dumplings whether your classic shrimp (har gow) or pork (siu mai) or new concoctions involving salmon came with soft, delicate shells and plump juicy stuffing. There were interesting dishes such as a baked dumpling filled with curry chicken. Non-dumpling fares included baby octopus and sweet spare ribs. The only bland dish was the fried rice. But as filler to round out the meal, it was an enormous portion. There was no need for it though, because there was enough food to swell all bellies.