This selection was definitely one of the most anticipated restaurant choices since our arrival in Vancouver, with my partner asking me, day after day: “Do you think it’ll be good?”
When it comes to dumplings, in Toronto I was spoiled. There is a brand called The Daily Dumpling Wonton Co. that makes Shanghainese-style dumplings … the best I’ve ever had.
They have a couple of locations in Toronto, but I would buy them frozen from Fiesta Farms and then steam them at home.
Being predominantly vegetarian, they only have one option (out of seven) for me: Spinach, Shiitake, and Pine Nuts. You get an 18-pack for $12, and what I love about them is that they are jammed with Spinach.
In Vancouver, I’ve tried a couple of frozen options, but it was a let down compared to my Toronto go-to. Especially one brand that costs about $15 for a 12 pack.
With all of that, there was a degree of pent up excitement about checking Ugly Dumpling out. For one, their Instagram page is pretty informative for those who are curious … and second, their menu appears to change often. Third, my partner checked in to see if they could accommodate my diet and they replied positively. Their menu appears to be meat focused, so we didn’t want to take a chance that I’d be stuck.
When we arrived, as well as throughout the evening, the ambiance reminded me more of Toronto … of those places on Queen Street or College, and less like a place that is backed financially by the big restaurant groups. We’ve been to some of those places here in Vancouver, and they are nice, but this reminded me a bit more of being at home. Real people, actively designing and evolving menus, making and serving real food in a place that ain’t too fancy but that is well put together and cozy.
What I got from Ugly Dumpling is that they aim to use a lot of local food ingredients in their dishes. Our server, Miki, even mentioned that the greens we had with the appetizer were from their garden – and they were quite delicious I should add.
The wine list, particularly with the whites, was rather unorthodox, with wines from regions you don’t typically see on lists such as Albariño from Galicia, wines from the Canary Islands … or a “Field Selection” from Rhone Valley. I found this intriguing and if wine were in my thoughts when reviewing the drink menu, I’d have tried a white wine.
It did make me wonder if they were pushing the dinner guest to veer to their sake list, which seemed pretty killer.
Through further conversations, we learned that our server worked at Miku in Toronto, where I had the best sake experience ever (she said she trained the team over there on sake). So, it was no surprise that our selection was superb. We ordered the Dassai 45 Sparkling sake. I found this review online, but the only thing I would add is that there were some fermented fruit notes (which one might imagine) but this may have something to do with the thick sediment in the bottle. It looked like chunks of fruit. It was so good that we ordered two of the 375 ml. bottles (but couldn’t finish the second).
Food-wise, we ordered the Tasting Menu of seven items.
The appetizer consisted of some raw tofu with green onion and pehaps teriyaki sauce, and some other flavours that I couldn’t nail, and it was very good. With that, we were also served Burdock, Pickles (turnip or radish, carrot, cucumber, and kim chi), and Salad Greens with Baby Radish (see photo below) – and I found all of the flavours quite complimentary. A bit of tang from the salad, some zing from the pickles and a nice balanced injection from the burdock, which I’ve never had before. The burdock was prepared with sesame, soy, and mirin.
The second dish was a warm Egg Custard prepared with delicata squash and mitsuba (see photo below). Perhaps there was dashi in it, as well, as there was a slight umami flavour. To me it tasted like a next-level miso soup. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Dish number three was salad of endives, garlic mayo, and pickled shitake mushrooms. It wouldn’t have been a selection for me if I were choosing from a menu, but it was a nice addition to our tasting menu.
So far – things are good!
Before we decided on the tasting menu, my partner recommended that we try the Celeriac root and Sesame Dumplings to fulfill my vegetarian needs. I’ve seen celeriac root on other menus recently and wonder if it’s something that’s in season … or if it’s about sticking to a 100 mile diet or something like that, but I’m not sure I get it.
When the suggestion was made, I probably rolled my eyes and said “I’m not having that.”
And then it was mentioned to me that if I ordered the Tasting Menu, it’s probably going to be part of my tastings.
Right.
So, it was. Dish number four was dumplings. Three dumplings for each of us.
The celebrated celeriac for me, and pork and onion for her.
And, as predicted, I didn’t enjoy them. The pastry was nice, but the insides were for someone else’s taste.
My partner enjoyed two-thirds of my dumpling tasting, as well as hers, which she said were quite good!
The fifth dish was probably the most interesting dish of the evening. It was a small bowl of Braised Daikon Teriyaki with Kale buds, and what appeared to be lemon grass (photo below). My partner’s came with sirloin instead of daikon.
I say that it was the most interesting because there were so many flavours and textures with each bite. I couldn’t even talk about it at the time, as I was registering everything in my brain with each chew. Although I prefer my daikon pickled and julienned in a salad roll or in a banh mi, I liked it in this dish. And while I might have picked something else to pair with the kale buds, I’m glad I got to try it in the manner it was served. Lots going on, and it’s nice to have your comfort zone pushed a little … even at 50 years of age.
The final offering of the savouries was Wood Ear and Shitake Mushrooms and (oh boy, here we go again) Celeriac noodles served in a turmeric broth and a bit of rice on the side. The aroma reminded me of a green curry. And I have to say that all of the flavours were fantastic; even the celeriac noodles.
My partner’s version of dish number six was Congee with Crispy Duck Skin, Green Onions, and Chili Oil, which she liked very much. (photos of both final savoury dishes below)
The finale was Panna Cotta with Cherry Blossom Cordial. It made me wonder if they took advantage of the recent cherry blossom blooming here in Vancouver. I pictured the chefs running out to collect the cherry blossoms and bringing them back to make their fine syrup. I liked it quite a bit, as I didn’t find it sweet. It was exceptionally well done.
Rating this place is difficult because, while I didn’t like everything, I understand how much work went into every single detail. And even in the case of the braised daikon, while it wouldn’t have been my choice, it worked incredibly well in the dish. And let’s be clear, I enjoyed much more on the menu than I didn’t.
I don’t think I’ve had an experience in Vancouver that matches what I experienced at Ugly Dumpling.
Great, knowledgeable service.
Most interesting menu.
Really nice joint.
Return: Yes. I’d like try their next menu iteration!
Rating: 9/10
Vikas Sharma 
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