City Inn Chinese Cuisine (next door to PMall)

[sunnybono]

Okay, so I've never eaten authentic chinese food before. I've tried the Western Chinese places like Mandarin and the like. However on Saturday the wife and I decide to take a look at P Mall. Other than the 5 million Cell phone stores, I don't see what's so special. Anyways we were a bit hungary so we ventured off to the Market, which is next door to PMall. There we had lunch at City Inn Chinese Cuisine. Now we started ordering from the menu and the guy that came around with the cart. After all that food, which was very tastey by the way, to my surprise the bill after taxes was only $34 for the 2 of us.

So my question to all of you Asians out there, how would you rate this restaurant from a scale of 1 to 10.

We enjoyed ourselves a lot, can you suggest any other restaurants similar to City Inn Chinese Cuisine???

[molala]

I used to love City Inn's dim dum but I found their dim sum shrunk in size over the years so I gave up on them. Not sure what you ordered but $34 for two person......sounds like you could get better one. On a scale from 1 to 10..I would give them 6...they are just really average...

The one that I've been going to regularly and can't really find a comparable one for that price range is Commerce Gate Dynasty on the 2nd floor of Commerce Gate on Hwy 7/Commerce Valley (a block west of Leslie on Hwy 7). You enter from the entrance besides Queen's Patisserie and there's stairs and elevator that could take you up to the 2nd floor. I just had dim sum there today which only came out to $27 for three of use with leftovers...

[sunnybono]

thanx for the feedback Molala.

Anyone else care to comment or advise????

sk

[M-e-X-x]

if u head outside, near the mongolian grill place, there's a restaurant that's really good... always packed and consistent...

don't know the name of it in english, but it's to the left of the mongolian grill, right at the corner

city inn is average as molala had mentioned

[thelefteyeguy]

awesome...no wait time for my family to go to our fav Dim Sum place.

keep up with the neg reviews :cheesygri

[molala]

City Inn is good for non-Chinese customers because the staff usually know how to speak English. Their food is good for people who are health conscious. I found their dinner dishes to be less salty and less oily. Some people might complain that the food tastes bland since it is less salty.

I'd have to disagree with the health conscious part..they might use less salt and oil but they are really generous with their msg...I always get thirsty after I had dim sum there...and the same story with the whole Ambassador Group (Ambassador, La Rosa, etc.)..but hey...every dim sum you go to, they always add msg esp. the vegetarian ones


other restaurants to try:

http://www.grandlakecuisine.com/

-

Judy Cuisine
550 Hwy 7 East,
Richmond Hill, ON
L4B 3Z4
905-762-1888

http://www.qqeat.ca/search/show.php?id=346
-

http://www.asianlegend.ca
505 Highway 7 E (Commerce Gate)
Richmond Hill, ON --

http://www.restoranmalaysia.com

-

Bayview Court Chinese Restaurant
1070 Major MacKenzie Dr E,
Richmond Hill, ON
905-770-8623
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Ding Tai Fung Shanghai Dim Sum
3235 Hwy 7 (outside First Markham Place mall)
Unionville, ON
L3R 0J5
905-943-9880
:arrow:


But these are not dim sum restaurants

[slouie]

if u head outside, near the mongolian grill place, there's a restaurant that's really good... always packed and consistent...

don't know the name of it in english, but it's to the left of the mongolian grill, right at the corner

city inn is average as molala had mentioned


Its called Ginger and Onion. I find City Inn to be a touch classier (atmosphere) than Ginger and Onion although G&O is about the same taste and a bit cheaper.

[M-e-X-x]

Its called Ginger and Onion. I find City Inn to be a touch classier (atmosphere) than Ginger and Onion although G&O is about the same taste and a bit cheaper.

lol not really.. they're both loud haha...

[Dash]

the name reminds me of South Park's "City Wok". :lol:

[sunnybono]

I'd have to disagree with the health conscious part..they might use less salt and oil but they are really generous with their msg...I always get thirsty after I had dim sum there...and the same story with the whole Ambassador Group (Ambassador, La Rosa, etc.)..but hey...every dim sum you go to, they always add msg esp. the vegetarian ones




But these are not dim sum restaurants

Wow, that explains why I was so thirsty for a few hours afterwards!!!!!

sk

[teknoluv]

I used to patronize City Inn on a regular basis (as frequent as DAILY). The place is "not bad", and yes, a bit pricey (taken into consideration their quality), as there are OTHER Chinese restaurants which actually charge less but with better food.

I was there a couple of weeks ago for dinner, and their quality (of both food and service) has dropped quite a bit. The shark's fin was messed up with an overdose of cornstarch (instead of just broth), and the abalone was a little bit overdone, not to say that the designated server actually spoke very poor English. (The manager was okay, but you know he couldn't be around all the time.) Disappointed, if you ask me.

[thelefteyeguy]

Wow, that explains why I was so thirsty for a few hours afterwards!!!!!

sk


I'd say 99% of restaurants use MSG. Nothing to be surprised about.

[molala]

I'd say 99% of restaurants use MSG. Nothing to be surprised about.

Some restaurants use more quantity than other...I usedd to know someone who worked at Ding Tai Fung (the place that Kenafan suggested) told me they add a bowl of msg in their dishes....

When I go to Commerce Dynasty for dim sum, I'm not as thirsty as I went to retaurants from the Ambassador Group

[thelefteyeguy]

Some restaurants use more quantity than other...I usedd to know someone who worked at Ding Tai Fung (the place that Kenafan suggested) told me they add a bowl of msg in their dishes....

When I go to Commcer Dynasty for dim sum, I'm not as thirsty as I went to retaurants from the Ambassador Group


you could prob say that to each chef in each restaurant or a chef at any time during the day can use diff quantity of msg.

there are no measuring cups in the kitchen :lol:

some chinese chefs will taste the food prior to serving...most won't cause it's like a conveyor belt in there, everything is a rush.

[wszeto28]

I prefer icook dimsum buffet

It's about $2.50/dish and $1 for all you can drink which includes pop and chrysanthemum tea (cold)

[Azbaby]

just to tell you an insider secret. since i worked in a dim sum place with my dad for like 5 yrs i can tell u that yes we add msg to everything cause that is how chinese chefs were taught, u can't blame them when their recipes have it as an ingerdient.



BUT ALL CHINESE DIMSUM PLACES THAT SELL DIMSUM AT 1.40-2.30 per plate during afternoon tea GETS IT FROM A DISTRIBUTOR

in order words we don't make any of the stuff served during then except for Rice rolls and the fried items, Cause honestly when i was working as the steam guy with my dad in HK it was painful watching my pops making sui mai from scratch ever 20 mins..