Kirin Mandarin Restaurant - Vancouver, British Columbia

Kirin on Alberni is supposed to be a fine dining kind of dim sum, or a fancier one downtown. This was only my second time over the past few years and I recalled the quality of dim sum was good but the price was more the upper end which was fair ... due to its higher quality. The food was not disappointing. However, the two friends that I brought complained the portion was not big enough. I understood that we they had not been to a lot of dim sum places. To be fair though, we could not finish all we ordered and the price was more reasonable than I expected. 1) Deep-fried fish fingers. I forgot what it was called exactly, but the style was supposed to be a bit spicy. This was a great appetizer to start with as it was really appetizing. 2) Combination of taro cake and radish cake. Radish cake is my favourite food of all times, so I was a bit sad that they did not have the standalone one but combined it with taro cake. This was delicious, though. However, since radish cake was only halved, I was tempted to get another one. 3) Siu Mai. You know the food is good when no one remember to take the picture. 4) Chinese donut. It was crispy and but not too crunch so it was still a bit chewy. It was fairly cheap and apparently only available at the weekends. 5) Stew noodles with beef brisket and tendon in a clay pot. Again, I forgot what this dish was called exactly. I ordered this mainly because it was a rare item to see on the menu of restaurants in Vancoucer. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise - it was like a stew and served in a clay pot. It was flavourful and the beef was tender. 6) BBQ pork in a pastry. This was like having the BBQ pork bun but without the bun and served in a pastry. This often is a dim sum that everyone enjoys. 7) Steam sore pork ribs - flavourful and very smooth and tender. The dim sums overall were great. The service was not bad but slightly disappointing for a couple of reasons. First, they forgot one of our dim sum once. Second, one dim sum took so long that we decided to go as our 1.5 hours of parking was running out. Then, here the dim sum came to the table and we had to finish it in a rush. This last incident made my guests not happy. They thought I could have just refused to pay for the last dim sum. Parking was expensive but they validated us for an hour. Read more

Always love Kirin Downtown. The restaurant is clean. High quality of food and excellent customer service. Eddie Ng, Senior Assistant Manager is super friendly and knowledgeable. His recommendation of the dishes usually great and never disappointed.

During my visit to Kirin Restaurant, I was truly impressed by the exceptional service, the delectable shrimp dumplings, and the immaculate ambience. The service at Kirin Restaurant was truly outstanding. The staff members were attentive, friendly, and displayed a genuine commitment to ensuring a memorable dining experience. They promptly seated us, ... provided helpful recommendations from the menu, and were attentive to our needs throughout the meal. The attentiveness and professionalism of the staff added a personal touch to the dining experience. Now, let's talk about the culinary highlights. Kirin Restaurant is known for its delectable shrimp dumplings, and they certainly lived up to their reputation. The dumplings were expertly prepared, with a thin and delicate wrapper enveloping plump and flavorful shrimp. Each bite was a burst of delightful flavors that perfectly showcased the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the chefs. Alongside the shrimp dumplings, the shu mai also impressed with their succulent filling and impeccable seasoning. In addition to the culinary delights, the cleanliness added to the overall dining experience, making it a comfortable and enjoyable place to dine. In conclusion, Kirin Restaurant is definitely worth a visit imo. Read more

Was downtown for an event and wanted to try this restaurant out. Started with an appetizer of Jellyfish in sesame sauce. Amazing 😍 and was quite a large dish. Then ordered the Seafood Chow mein. The noodles were nice and crispy but the seafood was lacking. Disappointed as this dish was over ... priced for what you got. The main dish was the Lobster special with eggplant and rice cake in premium soy sauce. Yum! 🤤 This was the highlight of the dinner. Awesome 👍. I must also mention that the service was 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Very attentive and was extremely satisfied. Read more

We went for dim sum at work. The food was okay, I’ve had better dim sum, and at better prices in Burnaby/Coquitlam. The decoration of the main lobby is pretty modern, and have an overall nice atmosphere. Nothing about the food stood out to me too much, apart from the custard buns, ... and the scallop har gar. The spring rolls were nice too. Overall, I wouldn’t go here again as I like other places better, but in terms of downtown area, it is the best you’ll get for dim sum. Read more