Boss Lady and Ludwig invited me out for dim sum at U & Me, their go-to spot in Chinatown. Inviting someone there for the first time always leads to confusion.
“Want to go to U & Me?”
“You and me? What do you mean? Go where?”
“No, U & Me is the restaurant.”
“Oh.”
As I walked up the stairs, I noticed soothing spa music playing in the background. Let’s listen to some similar music for this post.
It had been years since my last visit to U & Me, and I was surprised to see the restaurant redecorated. Pink blossoms and lanterns hung from the ceiling.
Lo and behold, when I was shown to my table, I ran into my old colleague, Office Dad. It felt oddly appropriate introducing Office Dad to my actual dad, Ludwig. After a studied glance, Office Dad declared that I looked exactly like my mother, Boss Lady. My mother cast a wary glance at me.
Boss Lady always orders too much. We picked six dishes: Meat & Peanut Dumpling ($6.55), Shrimp BBQ Pork Rice Roll ($6.95), Shrimp Leek Dumpling ($6.55), Chinese Donut Rice Roll ($7.55) Vegetarian Bean Curd Roll ($6.95), Gai lan / Chinese broccoli with garlic sauce ($10.95), and Beef Soy Sauce Flat Noodles / Chow Fun ($14.25). A nice perk, U & Me serves tea free of charge.
The first dish to arrive was the beef chow fun. Ludwig noted there was a generous amount of beef, and he was right. I was surprised by the number of large slices scattered across the noodles. The noodles were slick and glossy, generously coated in soy sauce. The beef was both chewy and tender. I would order this again.
As a vegetarian, Ludwig was assured by Boss Lady that she would only serve him the vegetables and noodles. At my mother’s encouragement, I spooned some into his bowl. He immediately scowled and accused me of slipping in an offensive piece of beef.
Unmoved by my cries of being falsely accused, he waited for a second opinion. My mother came to my defence and poked through the noodles in his bowl, confirming there was no meat. Ludwig nodded, satisfied by her verdict. I decided from then on that he could get his own damn noodles.
I liked the Chinese doughnut dish, particularly the contrast between the crunchy doughnut, the soft, chewy centre, and the silky rice noodle sheets. The real pop of flavour comes from the sauces, a peanut-based sauce and hoisin, which add sweet or nutty notes to every mouthful. This dish is a winner.
The gai lan arrived next, the leaves and stems cooked through, soft and saturated from the garlic sauce. I would have preferred the greens with more of a bite, like Central Grand’s version.
The white rice wrapper in the shrimp and pork rolls was wrinkly thin. I enjoyed the meaty cubes of char sui, though I found the shrimp extra salty. Surprisingly, the shrimp and pork roll tasted even better the next day.
The peanut and pork dumplings are usually one of my favourite dishes, but this time I found one part of the filling mushy. That said, the wrapper remained pleasantly firm, and the peanuts added a satisfying crunch.
The shrimp and chive dumplings contained crunchy shrimp with a satisfying snap. The chives added a pleasant herby savouriness to the filling, a nice change from the plain old shrimp haw gow.
I couldn’t help but marvel at my dad’s appetite. For such a skinny man, he can really pack the food away. When he reached for another Chinese doughnut, I lifted the plate toward him, as it was across the table.
Boss Lady complained that I was causing more trouble than I was helping, and to let him get it himself. I glanced over at Ludwig, expecting some reaction, but his expression never changed. Completely unfazed, he happily speared another piece of gai lan and carried on eating.
Ludwig’s favourite dish was the vegetarian bean curd, and it was easy to see why. The exterior was crisp and crunchy, while the inside was packed with wood ear mushrooms and carrots, giving it plenty of texture. I liked taking turns dipping the bean curd into its accompanying soy sauce, the mustard, and the red sauce. I would order this dish again.
The service at U & Me was efficient. Our tea was regularly refilled, and extras like red and yellow mustard, takeout boxes (25 cents each), and a bag arrived promptly when needed. The food was hot, fresh, and well-priced. It’s easy to see why U & Me remains popular with my parents and the downtown office crowd.
Looking for more restaurants and longtime Calgary favourites? I keep a running list of spots worth revisiting.
Hitting the Sauce 