Phoenix Gate Chinese Cuisine – Seven takeout boxes later

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On Beep Beep’s last day in Calgary, we went for dim sum at Phoenix Gate. My previous two visits had been great, so I figured the third would be just as good. Let’s listen to Love and Happiness by Al Green.

I ordered: BBQ Pork Rice Roll ($6.25), BBQ Pork Baked Buns ($6.50),
Sui Mai ($7.50), Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Beef ($15.95), Stir-Fried Turnip Cake in XO Sauce ($7.50), Peanut and Meat Steamed Dumplings ($6.50) and Seafood Fried Chowmein ($18.95). Our feast was too big for our two-seater table. I had to strategically stack the half-eaten bamboo steamers and plates to make room for all the abundance of food.

The fried turnip cake was my favourite. The exterior was crispy and chewy, while the delicate, wobbly middle melted in your mouth. I also loved that hit of fried garlic and punch of XO sauce. I would order this again.

The rice rolls really hit the spot. The soft, delicate wrappers were filled with tasty BBQ shavings. There wasn’t as much filling as the last two times I came, but honestly, we still loved it and would order it again. The rice rolls were my second favourite dish.

The siu mai was enormous, like a meatball topped with a massive crowning of shrimp and tobiko. Unfortunately, the wrapper fell apart when I picked it up, and the filling leaned a little dry. Still, very tasty.

The BBQ bun was huge, but too doughy, like it wasn’t baked long enough. The filling wasn’t too sweet, which I prefer. I brought them to work the next day and baked them in the toaster, which really improved the texture.

One disappointment was the pork and meat steamed dumpling. The wrapper fell apart too easily; it was so moist and fragile that it broke apart with just a touch of my chopsticks.

The stir-fried rice noodles with beef were missing that smoky wok hei aroma, but the bright white bean sprouts added a refreshing crunch against the soft beef slices and slick noodles. Interestingly, when Chew Steel reheated the leftovers the next day, he thought they tasted even better.

The chow mein had scallops, squid, prawns, and glossy bok choy, all intermingled with a clear sauce. The noodles on the side of the plate were crispy, whereas the middle ones were more soaked through. I wanted a little salt or MSG to liven up the flavouring. When Chew Steel ate it later that afternoon, he disagreed, saying it was delicious, though the noodles were very saucy.

There was so much food left over that I had to buy seven takeout boxes. Five went to my mother, Boss Lady, who skipped our invitation at the last minute because she was too busy snoopervising, and the other two boxes went to Chew Steel.

I know I nitpicked a few dishes, but Phoenix Gate still delivers some tasty eats. The portions are generous to a fault, and everything arrives piping hot. Next round, I’m heading back for dinner and going straight for the Peking duck, lobster, and stuffed crab claws. To be continued.

Chinatown · Dim Sum

Central Grand – Dim Sum in Calgary

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My brother Narc was in town! My mother, Boss Lady, immediately called for a family reunion over dim sum. I remembered Judith, one of the owners at Sukiyaki House, once mentioning she dines often at Central Grand. What is good enough for Judith is more than good enough for me! Let’s listen to Kiss by Prince for this post.

We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and snagged one of the last big tables. The moment we sat down, I could feel my anxiety rise. Customers at the table next to us stood to get to their seats, pressing in so close to my nephew, Roblox, that I felt my nerves tighten. I hadn’t even poured the tea yet when my mother rattled off five orders in less than a minute, filling up our table in frightening speeed.

Two minutes in, as I was pouring tea, Boss Lady was already dropping siu mai into Roblox’s dish, which he doesn’t like, while urging us to eat quickly before the food got cold. Narc gently reminded Boss Lady that there’s no need to put food on their plate, the kids will get it themselves.

I have a recent condition that makes it hard for me to eat, so I asked Roblox and Jellybean to help me describe the food I couldn’t try. My niece observed that the rice crepe doughnut wasn’t as fluffy as she was used to, saying it could be more voluminous, but still thought it tasted perfect with the sauce.

Jellybean softly prodded her brother to describe the soup dumplings, to which he responded: “It’s just… soup and dumplings. What is there to say about soup dumplings?” I foresee engineering as a possibility in Roblox’s future.

With that description and hearing everyone around the table devour the dishes, I thought: to hell with it. One siu mai won’t kill me. My first bite filled my mouth with hot juices and large, crunchy goodness. Damn, this was one damn good dumpling!

Jellybean enjoyed the coconut buns, which looked to me like they were baked in-house. She loved the fluffiness of the bun and noted the sweetness of the coconut filling. Roblox noticed a hair in the remaining bun—or a hair bun, if you will. These things happen. I flagged down a server. He offered to get me a new one, but the place was so busy he must have forgotten. It was fine as we were already getting too full.

Boss Lady selected more dishes, and then she began her shuffle of food onto plates to make room for even more food. She then asked Roblox if he wanted lobster or crab. Roblox’s eyes lit up. Narc interrupted their conversation and stated that dim sum was enough, then encouraged me to try the beef tripe, which he said had good seasoning. He would have preferred a slightly chewier texture, but was happy with it overall.

We tried two types of squid. Everyone preferred the tentacle version over the sweet, battered strips. The tentacle version was served hot, and the coating was crispier. This was Narc’s favourite dish.

I loved my mother’s go-to dish, a meat and vegetable steamed dumpling. The saucy filling was steaming hot and generously portioned, punctuated with crunchy peanuts. Best of all, the wrapping was chewy and tender, not oversteamed. I’d get this again.

Another winner was the rice noodles with soy sauce. It didn’t look like much, but once you picked one up, you could dig into these big, thin rice sheets.

Ludwig’s favourite dish was the gai lan, which had to be ordered from the kitchen. Boss Lady critically gazed at the gai lan and announced that we got premium pieces. I could smell the garlic. Ludwig and Boss Lady both agreed the gai lan was perfectly crunchy—better, they said, than the one at U and Me.

The price for all this food was more than reasonable, at around $20 per person. Central Grand is also one of the few places that still offers cart service. I have to give props to the staff. They worked hard and were always around to help with any requests. And despite the lineups outside, we got plenty of tea refills and all the side sauces without even asking. Hitting the Sauce gives Central Grand two phat thumbs up.

Cheap Eats · Chinese · Dim Sum

Phoenix Gate – Dim Sum in Calgary

February 25, 2024April 27, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

I haven’t lunched with Ms. Biz for the last two years, and since then, I’ve stopped eating out for dim sum. She had a way of ordering food that elevated the mediocre Chinese scene eked out in Cowtown. Now I can thank my friend Truth Serum for recommending a new gem, Phoenix Gate. For this post, let’s listen to “Pink” by Lizzo.

The first dish to arrive was the Sui Mai ($6.99). Mama mia! Check out the size of the steamed dumplings. The sui mai was three times the size of Phoenix Gate’s competitors. The pork filling was juicy, and the generous shrimp topping was toothsome. The red tobiko provided a nice little crunch to the sausage heavy dumpling. I would order this again.

The shrimp in the Ha Gow ($6.99) was steaming hot and twice as big as other dim sum joints. I liked how the dumpling wrapper was dry and still had a bite. It’s a pet peeve of mine when the rice wrapper is too gummy after being over steamed. The shrimp itself was plump with a nice crunch to it.

The wrapper on the Deep-Fried Shrimp Dumpling ($6.99) was so crunchy it was almost cracker-like. The shrimp inside was more of a spongy mousse, similar to shrimp paste at a Vietnamese restaurant, than the crunchy goodness of a whole shrimp.

I picked the Stir-Fried Turnip Cake X.O. sauce ($6.99). The turnip cubes were lightly crisp on the exterior yet hot and jiggly on the inside. This dish is a winner, and I would order it again. I tried the chili oil, which I found too hot, as you could only taste the overwhelming spicy heat and not any other aromatics. Next time, I would skip the chili oil, as the food is flavourful enough.

Also tied for best dish was the Shrimp & BBQ Rice Crepe ($6.99). This dish comes with both shrimp and BBQ pork rice rolls. Hot diggety dog! What I loved about this dish was the folds and folds of the silky soft rice roll and the generous amount of shaved pork. I enjoyed the squishy and quavery texture of the noodles in my mouth.

Truth Serum told me that sometimes the kitchen makes mistakes and cooks the wrong dish, then come out and offer it to customers at a discount. Moments later, our server came out to show us an order of seafood chowmein and spoke to her in Chinese. Truth Serum translated that the chef made the wrong dish and asked us if we wanted the seafood dish. She politely but firmly declined the accidental substitution.

The Meat and Seafood Chowmein ($16.99) is enough to feed a family of six. The noodles were swimming with pieces of BBQ pork, squid, scallops, shrimp, fish and chicken, Chinese mushrooms and bok choy.

Truth Serum mixed all the noodles with the sauce, so the crispy bits were already saturated in the gravy. I thought there was too much sauce, which made the dish soupy. I also would have preferred a little more crunch to the noodles. Truth Serum suspected the chef threw the seafood chowmein back into the wok and just added the missing meats.

Guess how much this feast cost us? A mere $55 bucks! Hip, hip, hooray! I can’t wait to check Phoenix Gate for dinner, as I hear the shrimp balls and other seafood dishes are good bets. Hitting the Sauce gives this little gem two phat thumbs up.

Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Chinese · Dim Sum · Restaurants

Golden Sands – Best dim sum in Calgary

April 4, 2022April 9, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

On Sunday morning, Beep Beep and I went shopping at Calgary Farmers’ Market. We picked up a cappuccino and chai latte from Analog and walked around the market. After I finished showing her around my favourite vendors, she told me there was a shop she wanted to check out. I was curious where she wanted to go, as she didn’t say a peep when I gave her my tour. Let’s listen to “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye for this post.

“Where is this place?” I asked. She spun around and said, “Right here.” I looked around and noticed several displays of crystals. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that this is where she was most interested in shopping. I must have stood around for half an hour while she cradled different rocks in her palm, feeling their energy. I overheard her talking to the staff about a green crystal that grew within another crystal. I felt like L, but without his patience. While waiting for her to pick a suitable rock, I called Golden Sands and made a reservation for 11:30 a.m.

Getting a table here during peak hours is stressful. There was a long line-up when we arrived at the restaurant. The host was surrounded by customers, who were constantly badgering him for a table. I bugged him several times because I was worried we would be overlooked due to my inability to speak Cantonese or Mandarin. The host was polite and professional, and I have to say, adept at calming the angry. This was a tough crowd. Beep Beep could sense my anxiety rising with each passing minute. I started to wish she brought in her healing crystal. She passed me a menu to distract me. When I apologized to her for waiting at a crowded entrance, she said not to worry, and she knew the food would be good because it was so busy. I’m telling you, getting into a club in Vegas is easier than eating at Golden Sands. I even considered slipping the host a twenty-dollar bill, but I figured the other customers would eat me alive. Half an hour later, when the host gave us a table, I was so happy I wanted to hug him. I imagine that social display of affection during COVID would have gotten me kicked out of the restaurant.

We ordered the Steamed Scallop w/ Black Truffle ($8.88), Deep-Fried Minced Pork Dumplings ($6.50), Pan Fried Turnip Cake ($6.50), Special Seafood Rice Crepe ($7.50), and Lemongrass Pork Chop ($9.88). I tried to order the Crystal Noodles with Beef Brisket & Tendon and Salty Fish with Scallop, Tofu and Eggplant Hot Pot. However, the kitchen was out of beef brisket, and the hot pot was only available at dinner.

The wait was worth it. The steamed scallop dumpling arrived piping hot. The shrimp was large and crunchy. The scallop was silky smooth and sweet. The truffle wasn’t overpowering. Beep Beep mentioned that she’s never seen this dish in Vancouver. I told her the chef is from Vancouver, which is why Golden Sands is better than what we expect in Calgary. I hate to say this but Vancouver/Richmond has a much higher standard when it comes to Chinese cuisine.

The best dish was the seafood rice crepe. The rice crepe was similar to a wrapperless shrimp spring roll. The shrimp center was filled with a large cylinder of toothsome, bouncy shrimp. The noodle itself was glossy and silky, hot and gooey. Beep Beep mentioned she thought the seafood rice roll was unique and tasted fresh. I would order this again.

The lemongrass pork chop was covered in a salty, pungent orange sauce. The batter was soft, puffy and sticky. I found the meat fatty and chewy. I liked the addition of the onions and seaweed-like garnish.

The turnip cake was lightly fried. The cake itself was soft and fluffy, and the texture was smooth. I would have preferred if the radish cake was served at a warmer temperature. No biggie, as I still enjoyed it.

Beep Beep enjoyed the minced pork dumplings. The pork filling was saucy and hot. She liked that the dumplings were shaped and coloured like a carrot. I found the dough sweet, and still sizzling from the fryer.

Service at Golden Sands is excellent and far better than what I experience in Vancouver or Richmond. I found everyone friendly and helpful, despite how busy it was. I plan to go back for dinner to try the other dishes Miss Foodie recommended. Hitting the Sauce gives Golden Sands two fat thumbs up.

Chinese · Dim Sum · Restaurants · Vancouver/Richmond

Richmond, BC: Shi-Art’s Dim Sum

November 24, 2019April 12, 2026 Hitting the Sauce1 Comment

To celebrate L’s birthday, I took him to Vancouver. My parents picked us up at the airport. When we exited her car, I mentioned to Boss Lady that she drives like Mario in Mario Kart. She rolled her eyes and retorted, “I know where I’m going. People just need to get out of my way.” For this post, let’s listen to “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne.

I wanted to eat at Chef’s Tony or Continental Seafood Restaurant but Boss Lady vetoed my suggestions. She wanted Shi-Art Chinese Cuisine because there is plenty of parking. I informed Boss Lady that if we ordered before 11:00 a.m., we would receive 20% off our bill. She looked unimpressed and said she didn’t care about the discount.

One of the best dishes we tried was the Mushroom and Scallop Congee ($12.99). The scallops were plump and soft. The mushrooms were mild in flavour and silky in texture.

scallop

The congee was simple and delicious, cooked to a thick smooth consistency, lightly seasoned with salt. I added white pepper because it gives the soup a prominent peppery zip.

shrimp roll piece

My least favourite dish was the Steamed Shrimp Roll ($7.99). There was plenty of large shrimp in the roll, but the shrimp lacked a crunch to it. The noodles, even with the soy sauce, were bland.

I requested Beef Tendon Rice Rolls ($21.99). The beef was soft but parts of it were dry or fatty. L disagreed and said the beef was delicious. I enjoyed the rice rolls, which were seared on the edges with a noticeable charred wok hei aroma. The tendon was so gelatinous I didn’t have to chew. I prefer tendon with more of a chew to it.

tend piece.jpg

My mother mentioned several times that the beef tendon wasn’t as good as the other variation she normally orders at Shi-Art, the Braised Beef Brisket and Beef Tendon in Noodles ($21.99). She wrinkled her nose and added that she’s glad she tried this version as I requested it, but her dish was better.

pumplin

Our favourite dish was the Pan Fried Pumpkin with Spicy Salt ($12.99). Ludwig and Boss Lady mentioned this dish isn’t served at many Chinese restaurants. The pumpkin was lightly battered and crisp. Boss Lady enjoyed nibbling on the spicy seasoning of shrimp, fried garlic, green onions and hot peppers. I’d order this again.

shrimp balls

The House Steamed Shrimp Dumplings ($7.39) were tasty. The wrapper was dry and not overly steamed. The shrimp itself was large and plump. Far better than what I can get in Calgary.

roll

We all enjoyed the Preserved and Dried Meat on Chinese Donut Rice Rolls ($7.99). I liked the crunchiness of the deep-fried donut against the softness of the rice wrapper.

efu

L and Ludwig raved about the Seafood E-Fu Noodle ($18.99). The noodles were piping hot and lightly sauced. The fish, prawns, scallops and squid were nicely cooked. I’d order this again.

single haw gow.jpg

Doug, who appeared to be the day time manager, was chatting up a storm with a customer sitting across from us. My mother interrupted his conversation to ask for some more tea. He didn’t like that one bit and he waved her away with his hand. He took a few steps away, reluctantly turned around and grabbed our tea pot. I saw him dawdle at the tea section and walked slowly back to our table. My father sat up erectly and politely thanked the Doug for the tea. I opened the lid to make sure there was no sign of tampering, like spit.

My mother was pissed. She said the manager is always rude to her and why is he always talking instead of working? I was surprised when ten minutes later, Boss Lady interrupted his conversation again to ask for the bill. Why didn’t she wave someone else over? Doug completely ignored her. Lucky for us, another server got us our bill. L jumped in and snatched the bill before my mother could pay. Our server was impressed. She said it’s rare that young men display such excellent manners. My parents both beamed with pride and chatted with our friendly server for a bit. Boss Lady asked L to ensure we received the 20% discount. With the discount, our bill was around $80.

L and I thought Shi-Art used a lot of MSG because we were both incredibly thirsty after eating there. L enjoyed the food. For the most part, the dishes were fresh, hot and tasty. I wouldn’t return. I want a dim sum experience without the theatrics. Perhaps the next visit, Boss Lady will permit me to pick the restaurant.