Chinese food in Richmond and Chinatown
Cuisine guide
Chinese food in Richmond and Vancouver's Chinatown suits families and groups who want dim sum and Cantonese seafood, and Tourism Richmond's Dumpling Trail maps 15 dumpling kitchens in Richmond alone. Plan around the clock, because Tourism Richmond says most dim sum restaurants open at 10 am, and Jade Seafood Restaurant closes between 3 pm and 5 pm.
Photo Roland Tanglao from Vancouver, Canada · Wikimedia Commons · CC0
Where to eat Chinese food in Richmond and Chinatown · 3 places
- R&H Chinese Food
The Sun family makes xiao long bao to order in the Lansdowne Centre food court.
- Silkway Halal Cuisine
Silkway cooks Hui Chinese dumplings and cumin lamb on Tourism Richmond's Dumpling Trail.
- iDen and QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House
The duck house at 2808 Cambie Street holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide.
- Little Bird Dim Sum + Craft BeerKitsilano
Little Bird at 2958 West 4th Avenue holds a 2026 Bib Gourmand.
Tourism Richmond's Dumpling Trail guides you to 15 dumpling kitchens across the city, and CNN Travel named it among 12 of the world's most enticing food and drink trails. Aberdeen Centre's food court sits by Aberdeen station on the Canada Line, and Tourism Richmond counts dozens of stands there. The Richmond Night Market ran its 26th and final season from 24 April to 20 September 2026 and closed when its lease ran out.
Jade Seafood Restaurant opened on No. 3 Road in 2004 and serves Cantonese dim sum from 10 am. Owner David Chung recommends the steamed wasabi fish maw and seafood dumpling, and orders placed before 11 am take 20% off. In the Lansdowne Centre food court, the Sun family has made xiao long bao to order at R&H Chinese Food since 2009, and you can watch them pleat the wrappers. Silkway Halal Cuisine cooks the Hui Chinese food of western China, and Tourism Richmond singles out its lamb dumplings and cumin lamb.
Parks Canada writes that more than 10,000 Chinese labourers came to British Columbia between 1881 and 1885 to build the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Vancouver's Chinatown took shape in the late 19th century. Canada charged every Chinese person seeking entry a head tax from 1885 to 1923. It started at $50 and reached $500 in 1903. On 1 July 1923 Parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act, and fewer than 50 Chinese immigrants entered Canada before its repeal in 1947. Ottawa apologized in the House of Commons on 22 June 2006, and Chinatown became a National Historic Site on 19 July 2011.
In Chinatown, Bao Bei on Keefer Street cooks Chinese and Taiwanese plates for sharing, and the 2026 Michelin Guide recommends it. The same guide gives a star to iDen and QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House on Cambie Street. Little Bird Dim Sum + Craft Beer in Kitsilano holds a Bib Gourmand for good cooking at moderate prices.
Tourism Richmond's rule of thumb for dim sum is two baskets or dishes per person and one more for the table, so four people order nine. It calls har gow the litmus test of a kitchen, and a good one has thin, translucent skin around plump shrimp. At Jade and most Cantonese banquet rooms in Richmond, each place gets two pairs of chopsticks in different colours. Use one pair to serve yourself from the shared plates and the other to eat.
Worth knowing
- Order dim sum at Jade Seafood Restaurant before 11 am for its daily 20% early-bird discount.
- Order two dim sum dishes per person and one more for the table, as Tourism Richmond suggests.
- Ride the Canada Line to Aberdeen station for the Golden Village food courts and dining rooms.
Quick answers about Chinese food in Richmond and Chinatown
Is the Richmond Night Market still open?
No. The Richmond Night Market closed for good after its 26th season ended on 20 September 2026, when its lease ran out.
Where can you eat dim sum in Richmond?
Jade Seafood Restaurant in Richmond's Golden Village serves Cantonese dim sum daily from 10 am to 3 pm. Tourism Richmond's Dumpling Trail lists 15 dumpling kitchens across the city.
How many dim sum dishes should you order?
Tourism Richmond's rule of thumb is two baskets or dishes per person and one more for the table, so four people order nine.
When did Canada charge the Chinese head tax?
Canada charged the Chinese head tax from 1885 to 1923. It started at $50 and reached $500 in 1903, and the Government of Canada apologized in the House of Commons on 22 June 2006.