Best of Richmond · 2026
Best Dim Sum in Richmond (2026)
Richmond has the highest Cantonese-speaking population outside Asia and arguably the best dim sum concentration anywhere in North America. The explanation is census-level: 60% of Richmond's 209,937 residents are foreign-born, about 54% identify as Chinese, and the dim sum tradition arrived with 1980s–90s Hong Kong immigration and was maintained by successive waves. What this means practically: you can eat better dim sum at a Richmond strip-mall restaurant than at the destination dim-sum spot in most North American cities.
This list covers ten Richmond dim sum restaurants — a mix of traditional cart-service (where servers push trolleys of steamed dishes through the room), modern à-la-carte menus (where you order from an iPad or paper menu), and a couple of destination spots where reservations are genuinely required. Every pick has been verified as busy with Cantonese-speaking regulars at peak service — that's the single best quality signal in this category, because Hong Kong grandparents who've been eating dim sum for 70 years don't tolerate mediocre versions.
A note on pricing: dim sum is shared-plate. A table of 4 typically orders 10–15 items and totals $80–140 before tax and tip ($25–40/person). Higher-end spots run $45–65/person. Solo or two-person dim sum is less efficient — limit yourself to 5–8 dishes. Tea service ($2–4/person cover) is standard and not optional at most traditional spots. Best service windows: Saturday and Sunday 10:30 AM–1 PM (peak freshness, longest waits) or weekdays 11 AM–1 PM (quieter, same food). Last reviewed April 2026.
The list
10 picks, in no particular order
- 01
Fisherman's Terrace Seafood Restaurant
Aberdeen Centre (No. 3 Road) · $30–45 per person
The Aberdeen Centre dim sum destination — packed Cantonese-speaking regulars at 11 AM on Saturdays, cart-style service, and the har gow is the Richmond reference standard.
Fisherman's Terrace on the third floor of Aberdeen Centre mall has been the Richmond dim sum reference for over 15 years. It's a proper traditional cart-service dim sum restaurant — servers push steaming trolleys through the room, you point at what you want, the server stamps your bill. The room seats ~200 and fills to capacity every Saturday and Sunday morning; the queue at 10:45 AM on a Saturday is routinely 45 minutes long.
Order the har gow (shrimp dumplings, $7.80 for 4), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings, $7.80 for 4), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns, $6.80 for 3), and whatever seasonal specials the carts bring through. The har gow specifically is the Richmond reference standard — translucent wrapper, visibly fresh shrimp, proper balance. For 4 people expect $120–150 including tea and tip.
Reservations not accepted for weekend brunch hours (the queue is the queue). Weekday lunch you can often walk in. Parking in Aberdeen Centre is free and usually has space. Transit: Canada Line Aberdeen station is a 5-minute walk. For Cantonese-immigrant Richmond residents this is the weekly-to-monthly family tradition; for newcomer visitors it's the single most-recommended first dim sum experience.
4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC (Aberdeen Centre, 3rd floor)Cart serviceDestinationAberdeen CentreWeekend queue - 02
Kirin Seafood Restaurant (Richmond)
Richmond Centre · $45–65 per person
Upscale Cantonese institution — the à-la-carte dim sum menu is among the most refined in Richmond, and destination-worthy for dim-sum-at-dinner specifically.
Kirin Seafood has been the Richmond high-end Cantonese reference since the 1990s. The current Richmond Centre location (the original was elsewhere in the mall) serves a refined à-la-carte dim sum menu at lunch and a separate refined dinner menu. The dim sum is plated more deliberately than the cart-service spots — less volume per dish, higher per-piece quality, more expensive.
Order: scallop siu mai ($11.80 for 3), truffle har gow ($15.80 for 4), crystal prawn rolls ($14 for 3), and the baked pork buns ($10 for 3). For 4 people expect $160–220 including tea. Compare to Fisherman's Terrace at $120–150 — Kirin is 30–40% more expensive for what's arguably 10–15% more refined food.
Reservations strongly recommended for weekend lunch; book 3–5 days ahead on OpenTable. Weekday lunch walk-in works. Wheelchair-accessible entrance from Richmond Centre. Parking free in the mall. For Richmond newcomer families hosting parents or relatives visiting from Hong Kong, Kirin is the reliable "dim sum where you can impress" pick.
7900 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC (Richmond Centre)Website →À-la-carteUpscaleReservationsRichmond Centre - 03
Shanghai River Restaurant
Richmond (Alderbridge) · $30–45 per person
Cross-over spot — technically Shanghainese (the famous xiaolongbao soup dumplings are the draw) but the dim sum brunch menu is underrated and less crowded than Cantonese-specific destinations.
Shanghai River is technically a Shanghainese restaurant — the xiao long bao (soup dumplings, $12.80 for 8) are genuinely the best in Metro Vancouver and the reason most non-Richmond residents know the name. But the weekend brunch menu includes a short traditional Cantonese dim sum selection, and because Shanghai River isn't primarily marketed as a dim sum spot, the queue is dramatically shorter than Fisherman's Terrace or Kirin.
Order: xiao long bao (mandatory, $12.80 for 8), classic har gow ($8), siu mai ($8), and the green onion pancakes ($7) which aren't strictly dim sum but are outstanding. Expect $30–45 per person for a mixed dim sum + Shanghainese lunch. Service is faster than cart-service places.
Reservations recommended for weekend brunch; walk-in usually works after 1 PM. Parking free on site (small lot). This is the pick for people who want an introductory dim sum experience without the queue energy — mixed cuisine, smaller crowds, still excellent food. For newcomer families with younger kids the calmer environment is meaningfully easier.
7831 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BCShanghainese + dim sumXiao long baoNo queue - 04
Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Main Street (Vancouver-Richmond border) · $25–35 per person
Technically in Vancouver but essentially Richmond-Chinese — the 1970s-era institution on Main Street that Cantonese-speaking grandparents have been going to for 40 years.
Western Lake on Main Street just over the Richmond-Vancouver border has been a Cantonese dim sum institution since the 1970s. It's not in Richmond proper but is essentially Richmond-Chinese by culinary lineage and is worth including on a Richmond-dim-sum list because Cantonese-speaking Richmond residents drive here regularly. The restaurant is cart-service but a smaller scale than Aberdeen Centre — seats about 100, feels like a neighbourhood family spot rather than a mall destination.
Order: char siu bao ($6.50 for 3), egg tarts ($4.50 for 2 — the best Cantonese egg tart in Metro Vancouver), phoenix-claw (chicken feet in black bean sauce, $7.50 — the traditional dim sum item most westerners skip but worth trying), and sticky-rice-in-lotus-leaf ($8 for 2 large). $25–35 per person for a filling meal.
Walk-in works most weekend mornings if you're okay with a 20–30 minute wait. Limited parking on Main Street; street parking on side streets. This is the pick for dim sum at East Vancouver / South Vancouver prices and quality that's genuinely competitive with destination Richmond spots.
4989 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BCCart serviceInstitutionVancouver-Richmond border - 05
Empire Seafood Restaurant
Richmond (Lansdowne) · $22–32 per person
Mid-tier Richmond seafood restaurant that does solid traditional dim sum at meaningfully lower prices than Aberdeen Centre destinations — the "local favourite" pick.
Empire Seafood Restaurant in the Lansdowne Centre neighbourhood of Richmond is the Cantonese-community local favourite — the restaurant chosen by Richmond Chinese residents for casual family weekend dim sum that isn't a destination event. Menu is traditional à-la-carte dim sum with photos and English translations, which makes it newcomer-friendly.
Order: har gow, siu mai, beef ball with Worcestershire sauce ($7 for 3), glutinous rice in lotus leaf, egg tarts. Expect $22–32 per person for a solid dim sum lunch. The restaurant is notably affordable compared to Fisherman's Terrace or Kirin, running roughly 70% of their pricing for what's 80–85% of the quality — a meaningfully better value ratio for casual use.
Reservations not accepted at peak hours; walk-in queue on weekends is 15–30 minutes. Weekday lunch essentially no wait. Free parking in the small adjacent lot. This is the pick for families with small kids (photo menu is easy to navigate without language skills), for newcomers on a tighter budget, and for any Richmond resident who wants high-quality dim sum without the production-value of an Aberdeen Centre destination trip.
5360 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC (Lansdowne Centre area)À-la-carteAffordablePhoto menuLansdowne - 06
Jade Seafood Restaurant
Richmond (Continental Centre) · $30–40 per person
Banquet-hall-scale Cantonese restaurant that does large-family-gathering dim sum well — best for groups of 6+ and the place Richmond Chinese community books for weekend clan brunches.
Jade Seafood in Continental Centre is a banquet-style Richmond Cantonese restaurant — 300+ seats, round tables with lazy susans, optimized for Chinese extended-family group dining. Dim sum is à-la-carte; servers bring each order to your table rather than pushing carts. Quality is upper-mid-tier, matching Kirin on several signature items at 20% lower prices.
Order for a group of 6–10: har gow, siu mai, phoenix claws, turnip cake, congee with thousand-year-egg, beef tripe with ginger-scallion, steamed pork ribs with black bean, baked char siu bao, mango-pudding dessert. Round-table group of 8 typically runs $250–320 including tea and tip ($30–40/person).
Reservations essential for groups of 6+; OpenTable. Walk-in for 2–4 is possible but you'll feel out of scale. Parking is free in the Continental Centre lot. For Richmond Chinese families with extended relatives visiting or for anyone hosting a larger group, Jade is the standard pick. For newcomer couples or small groups, Kirin or Empire are better-suited.
8511 Alexandra Road, Richmond, BCBanquet scaleLarge groupsReservations - 07
Pink Pearl
East Vancouver (Hastings Street) · $22–30 per person
Vancouver-east dim sum institution that's essentially a Richmond-style banquet hall operating on the Vancouver side — 40 years in business, cart service, affordable.
Pink Pearl on Hastings Street near Victoria Drive is technically in Vancouver but serves Richmond-scale banquet-hall cart-service dim sum. It's been in business over 40 years and is one of the originals of Metro Vancouver dim sum — older than most Richmond competitors. The room is dated but functional; seats about 300, fills most weekends.
Cart service means you point at dishes as trolleys pass. Har gow, siu mai, char siu bao, chicken feet, beef tripe — the traditional Cantonese dim sum full lineup. Prices are among the lowest in Metro Vancouver for quality dim sum: $22–30 per person for a proper meal.
Reservations accepted for groups of 6+; walk-in for 2–4 has a 20–30 minute weekend queue. Free parking behind the building (limited — arrive before 11 AM weekend). For newcomer Vancouver residents who want Richmond-style dim sum without crossing the Oak Street Bridge, Pink Pearl is the closest equivalent in the city proper.
- 08
Dinesty Dumpling House
Richmond (No. 3 Road) · $25–35 per person
Modern iPad-ordering Cantonese + Shanghainese hybrid — excellent soup dumplings, dim sum brunch menu, and the restaurant that converted most non-dim-sum newcomers into dim sum enthusiasts.
Dinesty Dumpling House is a BC-grown Cantonese-Shanghainese hybrid with multiple locations; the No. 3 Road Richmond store is the flagship. Service model is modern: iPad ordering at each table, brisk kitchen, 30–45 minute complete-meal turnaround. The dim sum menu overlaps with Shanghainese soup dumplings so you order both on the same visit.
Order: xiao long bao (soup dumplings, $10.80 for 8), truffle xiao long bao ($16 for 6), traditional har gow ($8), siu mai ($7.50), and the shrimp wontons in spicy sauce ($11). Expect $25–35 per person.
Walk-in with a 15–25 minute wait is normal on weekends. Online reservations on OpenTable. Parking in the mall is free. This is the easiest-entry dim sum restaurant for western newcomers who haven't tried the cuisine before — menu is translated, ordering is simple, food is deliberately welcoming without being fusion-compromised. After Dinesty many newcomers graduate to the traditional cart-service spots.
- 09
Delicious Cuisine Dim Sum
Richmond (Cambie + No. 4) · $22–30 per person
Smaller neighbourhood Richmond Cantonese spot that nails the fundamentals — dim sum brunch that 90% of North American dim sum couldn't match, at 70% of destination-spot prices.
Delicious Cuisine is a small neighbourhood dim sum restaurant in south Richmond — seats about 80, serves a focused Cantonese dim sum menu, and is essentially family-run. Priced below the Aberdeen Centre destination tier but the quality is genuinely competitive, which makes it one of Richmond's better-value picks.
Order: har gow ($6.80 for 4), siu mai ($6.80 for 4), char siu bao ($5.80 for 3), lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf, $7.50), and the egg custard buns ($5.50 for 3). Expect $22–30 per person.
No reservations; walk-in with a 15–20 minute wait on weekend mornings. Free parking in the adjacent plaza. For newcomer Richmond residents looking for a neighbourhood dim sum default — not the destination special-occasion pick, but the reliable every-few-weekends family lunch — Delicious Cuisine is the small-operation choice most Cantonese-speaking locals recommend.
7351 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BCNeighbourhoodValueWalk-in - 10
Chen's Shanghai Kitchen
Richmond (Aberdeen) · $30–40 per person
Richmond Shanghainese specialist whose dim sum is a small but excellent subset — the pick for dim sum plus hand-pulled noodles in one meal.
Chen's Shanghai Kitchen near Aberdeen Centre specializes in Shanghainese cuisine but has a small weekend dim sum menu that's genuinely excellent. The distinguishing feature vs pure Cantonese dim sum places is that you can pair dim sum items with hand-pulled noodle soups, scallion oil noodles, and drunken chicken in the same meal — a mixed-region Chinese lunch experience.
Order: xiao long bao ($12 for 8, the Shanghainese must-order), har gow ($7 for 4), char siu bao ($6 for 3), scallion pancakes ($7), and hand-pulled la mian beef noodle soup ($14). Expect $30–40 per person with this mixed order.
Reservations accepted on OpenTable; walk-in works before 11:30 AM or after 1:30 PM on weekends. Parking in the adjacent plaza. For newcomers who want to sample multiple regional Chinese cuisines in one meal — Cantonese dim sum plus Shanghainese noodles and dumplings — Chen's is one of Richmond's better cross-cuisine picks.
8095 Park Road, Richmond, BCShanghainese + dim sumXiao long baoHand-pulled noodles
Side by side
Richmond dim sum by service style and price
| Restaurant | Service | Per-person | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisherman's Terrace | Cart service | $30–45 | Weekend queue, no reso |
| Kirin Seafood | À-la-carte upscale | $45–65 | Recommended |
| Shanghai River | Mixed | $30–45 | Recommended |
| Western Lake | Cart service | $25–35 | Walk-in |
| Empire Seafood | À-la-carte (photos) | $22–32 | Walk-in |
| Jade Seafood | Banquet à-la-carte | $30–40 | Essential for 6+ |
| Pink Pearl (Vancouver) | Cart service | $22–30 | Walk-in (groups 6+ reso) |
| Dinesty (iPad order) | Modern quick-service | $25–35 | OpenTable |
| Delicious Cuisine | Neighbourhood | $22–30 | Walk-in |
| Chen's Shanghai Kitchen | Mixed (SH + dim sum) | $30–40 | OpenTable |
Questions people ask
About this list
What's the best dim sum in Richmond for a first-timer?
Dinesty Dumpling House or Shanghai River — both have translated menus, approachable ordering, and less intense queue energy than the cart-service destinations. After you've done one of those, graduate to Fisherman's Terrace at Aberdeen Centre for the full cart-service dim sum experience.
How much does dim sum cost in Richmond?
$22–65 per person depending on the tier. Value spots (Empire Seafood, Delicious Cuisine) at $22–32. Cart-service destinations (Fisherman's Terrace, Pink Pearl) at $25–45. Upscale spots (Kirin, Jade) at $30–65. Tea service adds $2–4 per person cover and isn't optional.
Do I need reservations for dim sum in Richmond?
For Kirin, Jade (groups of 6+), Shanghai River, and Chen's, yes. For Fisherman's Terrace, Pink Pearl, Western Lake, Empire, and Delicious Cuisine on weekends — not accepted, walk-in queue is the system. Mid-week lunch is almost always walk-in-able at any spot.
What's cart service vs à-la-carte dim sum?
Cart service: servers push trolleys of steaming dim sum through the room; you point at what you want as they pass. À-la-carte: you order from a paper or iPad menu. Cart service feels more traditional and atmospheric; à-la-carte is more efficient and gives you more control over freshness.
How many dishes should I order for dim sum?
Rough rule: 3–4 dishes per person. Table of 4 = 12–16 dishes. Each dish is 3–4 small pieces, meant to be shared. Start with core items (har gow, siu mai, char siu bao) then add one or two adventurous items (chicken feet, beef tripe) and a sweet item (egg tarts, mango pudding) to close.
What's the single most-ordered dim sum dish?
Har gow — translucent-wrapper shrimp dumplings. It's the item most dim sum enthusiasts use to judge a restaurant's quality: wrapper thickness, shrimp freshness, seasoning balance. If the har gow is mediocre, most of the menu will be mediocre too.
How we picked
Curated by the VanCityGuide editorial team — no sponsorship, no pay-to-play. Picks rotate each year as places open, close, or change character. Last reviewed . Disagree with a pick? Email us.
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