Fisherman's Terrace Seafood - Dim Sum

In the mood for some dim sum, we decided to brave the Aberdeen parking lot in order to dine at our favourite dim sum place, Fisherman's Terrace.  As always, it was quite busy, but we still got a table pretty quickly.

We each checked off a few items on the order sheet and waited eagerly for our food.  The service here isn't very friendly, but it's fast and efficient, and our dishes were soon arriving.

First up was the Deep Fried Bean Curd Roll with Shrimp and Pea Tips.  The bean curd was perfectly fried and had a nice crisp texture.  The rolls were filled with lots of  fresh shrimp which produced the requisite snap when bit into.  The pea shoots added a bit of flavour but I think a bit of egg would've put this over the top.  It was served with Worcestershire sauce which added a nice saltiness.

This was followed by Baked BBQ Pork Pastries.  This is one of my favourite dim sum items.  The pastry was light and flaky, and the pork was tender and flavourful.  There was a nice sweetness to this dish which comes from both the pastry and the BBQ sauce.

Next was the Triple Mixed Mushrooms Rice Roll.  I love enoki mushrooms when they're cooked properly, and these were perfect.  They added a nice slightly crunchy texture without being stringy which happens when they're overcooked.  The shiitake and button mushrooms added some nice flavour, and the rice roll itself was nice and thin and not too gummy.

Usually I like to order some BBQ pork buns, but this time we opted for the Steamed Chicken Buns.  These were amazingly good.  The bun itself was warm with just the right amount of doughy-ness. The chicken was really well seasoned and there was a nice hit of ginger among other things.  There was cilantro which usually kills a dish for me as I have the gene that makes it taste like soap, but in this case it was muted enough that it didn't bother me.

Haw Gow, or shrimp dumplings, are a dim sum staple.  These were chock full of tasty fresh shrimp that exhibited that desirable snap.  The skin was super thin but still had a nice elasticity to it. 

Last but not least, was perhaps my favourite dish, the Bean Curd Roll with Shredded Chicken and Chinese Celery.  The bean curd skin was perfect; it had a nice bite with a slightly chewy texture.  The filling is super tasty and really well seasoned.  I could eat a plate or two of these on my own!

Fisherman's Terrace is definitely not cheap, but this is a case of getting what you pay for.  All of the dishes are prepared at a level that is not seen at cheaper dim sum establishments and are well worth the price.

Overall Impressions:

- My favourite place for dim sum in the lower mainland

- Really tasty, well executed food

- Service is fast and efficient, but not super friendly

- Gets very busy on weekends, reservations are recommended

- Aberdeen parking lot is a scary place to drive

- Pricey when compared to other dim sum, but worth it

Fisherman's Terrace Seafood

4151 Hazelbridge Way (Aberdeen Mall)

Richmond, BC

604.303.9739