Famed dumpling purveyor Din Tai Fung may not have made it to Canada yet, but Vancouver’s got their own local version in Dinesty Dumpling House. Like Din Tai Fung, Dinesty even has a glassed-in kitchen at the front of the restaurant so you can watch dumplings being made while you wait (there will be a wait).

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if the comparison was apt when I saw the outside of Dinesty, cringing at the rather drab-looking exterior that looked more fitting with a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Upon entering, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the interior was far more upscale than what the storefront would suggest.

The menu at Dinesty is fairly extensive with a full range of appetizers, noodles, fried rice, dumplings and entrees. They were out of appetizers and some of the noodles the day we visited, which made selecting our dishes a little easier.

The Shanghai Fried Noodles were a greasy belly bomb (the way my daughter likes them). Unfortunately, they were out of the housemade noodles for the Seafood Fried Noodles, and they subbed in a flat noodle which was nothing special. There was a lot of seafood in the noodles though, which made me feel slightly better.

Dinesty is famed for their xiao long bao, soup dumplings. While their dumplings are not quite as delicate as Din Tai Fung’s, they are just as good. Unlike DTF, they don’t have a small battalion of workers assembling dumplings non-stop, and we had to wait FOREVER to get our fish dumplings. Luckily, they were worth the wait.

Din Tai Fung, you can skip Canada on your quest for world domination. They already have their own homegrown version and don’t need you. Plus, you’ll probably just be labeled as a Dinesty wannabe.

Location – 1719 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C9, Canada. Other locations here.
Website – https://dinesty.ca
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Friendly – Yes