The 13 best dim sum in Montreal you need to feast on
Dim sum is one of those culinary specialties that has become a staple food in Hong Kong, China, Japan and now Canada. The best way to get your fill of this popular dish is to hit up one of Montreal’s Chinese restaurants.
Montreal’s dim sum is a great way to spend a weekend, and the city is home to some of the world’s best. There are many places to get dim sum, but here’s my list of the top 13 spots in town:
The best dim sum in Montreal you need to feast on
1. Restaurant Impérial
Located inside the Swatow Plaza, this dim sum eatery combines old and new flawlessly. With a décor considerably more polished and sophisticated than any other location in Chinatown, Imperial undoubtedly sticks out.
The food, though, stays firmly traditional. Imperial’s sophistication in the dining room extends to the kitchen with some of the greatest levels of execution of any of the restaurants on our list, albeit the prices are a bit higher too.
For a soothing classic, grab the congee with roast pork or a preserved egg and don’t miss the shrimp filled eggplant.
2. Miss Wong
Miss Wong, a high-end dim sum restaurant, is the centerpiece of Laval’s Centropolis entertainment complex.
The opulent 300-seat restaurant features a magnificent mix of influences, ranging from the Ming Dynasty to Blade Runner and Isle of Dogs, in its décor.
A wide variety of cuisines are represented, including cross-cultural dishes like General Tao chicken in duck sauce and beef carpaccio with ponzu and parmesan.
In this 18+ Asian speakeasy and dim sum parlour, dine like a Triad boss or a Shanghai business billionaire.
3. Jiao Dim Sum Bar
Dim sum is nothing like you’ve ever had before you enter Jiao. Dim sum at Jiao has been reimagined as an elegant pan-Asian dining experience that’s equal parts bar and dim sum counter.
Take a bite out of the matcha Har Gao or the Louis XIII Remy Martin-infused dumpling if you’ve got the money. It’s the ideal blend of Montreal cocktail culture and excellent dumplings at Jiao.
There’s no rule that says you can’t consume dim sum at 2 am.
4. Restaurant Ruby Rouge
With deep crimson carpets and draperies and intricate golden dragons fastened to the walls, this 800-seat restaurant stands out from the crowd.
Even during the Sunday morning rush, you can expect courteous and personalized treatment.
If you’re in the mood for something a little more substantial, the restaurant’s chef can whip up a delicious BBQ pig or glazed duck meal. Additionally, dim sum is available from 8:00 a.m. till closing time every day.
5. Restaurant ChinaTown Kim Fung
As far as dim sum restaurants go, this is the standard bearer. A nondescript entry to Place Du Quartier mall on Saint Urbain Street leads to a lively dining area with a huge capacity.
Steamed ginger squid, fried turnip cake, and har gao are all classics, but there are also some house specialties like fried crab claws. Expect a 20-minute wait to get seated on the weekends because of the high volume of customers.
This is for people who want to get the most out of the game. Cart service, attentive wait staff, and delicious food all combine to make this a memorable dining experience. One of the best, and for good reason.
6. Restaurant La Maison Kam Fung
Kam Fung, a Montreal institution since 1994, relocated to Brossard in 2009 after originally opening on Clark in 1994. On busy weekends, even with only 500 seats available, plan to wait outside the door.
Kam Fung’s Shaomai are some of the best in town, but save space for the lobster and ginger, sticky rice, and fried chicken feet if you’re up for it.
7. Chez Chine
It’s the best-kept secret in town. It’s one of the most magnificent restaurants in the neighborhood, housed inside the Holiday Inn’s pagoda-topped Chinatown tower.
Koi ponds with lacquered wood surrounds and traditional meals battle for attention with the enormous, mouthwatering one. Take advantage of one of Chinatown’s best hidden secrets and dine by the water.
8. Foo Lam Restaurant Maison
Ahuntsic Cartierville, up north, offers a taste of Chinatown without the commotion of the city center. The squid in black bean sauce and the honeycomb tripe are standouts, but the dumplings are also excellent.
Here’s a hint: As the centerpiece of the table, get a huge bowl of rice and a roast duck and arrange your dim sum items around it.
9. Tong Por
This restaurant is the best in Saint Laurent for a tried-and-true dining experience. For good reason, it’s a popular in the area and has served clients for years, first in Chinatown and now in St. Laurent.
In addition to the lotus-wrapped sticky rice and the famous xiao long bao dumplings, other crowd favorites include the plentiful servings of fried noodles, rare pineapple buns, and fluffy steamed BBQ pork buns.
10. Tong Por Resto-Reception
Address: 12242 Boulevard Laurentien, Montréal, QC H4K 1M9, Canada
Phone: (514) 331-8883
Website: Visit Website
Tong Por, a popular dim sum restaurant in the Ville-St-Laurent neighborhood, is known for its wide open space with a view of a parking lot, where diners can enjoy the classics: shu mai standup dumplings stuffed with pork and shrimp, guo tie pot sticker dumplings stuffed with pork, and chicken feet (it’s all about the sauce).
In addition to being a popular location for evening events, the area is also a hot spot for midday tea and snacks.
11. Ruby Rouge
Address: 1008 Rue Clark, Montréal, QC H2Z 1J9, Canada
Phone: (514) 390-8828
Website: Visit Website
With a twist, Ruby Rouge features a lengthy counter in the rear that displays daily discounts and hot goods.
At the steam table, you’ll discover Singapore noodle dishes like beef rice noodle wraps and braised chicken along with desserts like black sesame jellied cakes and egg tarts.
The deep-fried squid (don’t miss it) is greeted by a stampede of customers as soon as it comes out of the fryer. At Ruby Rouge, you may get a discount on dim sum from 9 to 11 a.m. every weekday morning.
12. Restaurant Impérial
Address: 6th floor, 998 Boul St-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2Z 9Y9, Canada
Phone: (514) 379-4664
Website: Visit Website
Atop the Swatow building in lower St-Laurent, Imperial offers dim sum overlooking Montreal’s gorgeous City Hall—if you can take your eyes off the nice girls who are delivering Imperial’s characteristic square dim sum steamers.
The vista is breathtaking. Those steamed shrimp dumplings with their translucent rice flour wrappers, such as those served with Imperial’s deep-fried squid, are definitely worth the wait; they’re a clear sign of a well-prepared dish.
You should also look for imperial’s lotus leaf with sticky rice (lo mai gai), little packets filled with teeny-tiny morsels of meat and veggies. Choose from a selection of fine teas, including Tie Guan Yin black tea, to go along with your small dishes.
13. Papa Jackie
Address: 4745 Grande Allée, Brossard, QC J4Z 3G1, Canada
Phone: (450) 812-9354
Website: Visit Website
It’s hard to miss Papa Jackie’s bright, airy dining room along Taschereau Boulevard for its seafood specialities, while the restaurant also serves dim sum for lunch.
This dish includes crispy pan-fried cubes of turnip cake with snow pea vine leaves, garlic, and parsley. Ask for the daily soup, served in a clay pot, and a whole steamed fish as a good-luck charm if you’ve completed the journey.
14. Foo Lam Restaurant Maison
Address: 9394 Boulevard de l’Acadie, Montréal, QC H4N 3H1, Canada
Phone: (514) 383-7878
The dining area of Maison Foo Lam, which has a view over Acadie’s big box stores, is known for its baked goods.
The Hong Kong-style pineapple buns (no pineapple inside, but the top is cross-hatched and bright) and their BBQ pork buns are well worth the drive north of the Metropolitan.
Look no farther than the fluffy, fresh tofu pudding with ginger syrup, known as doufu hua.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to try the best dim sum in Montreal, I’ve got you covered. We’ve got a list of the 13 best dim sum spots in Montreal, with a few tips along the way.
We hope you find them helpful in your search to find the perfect dim sum in Montreal.
