Shanghai Shaomai - 上海燒麥館 — Restaurant in Markham

This dumpling spot in Pacific Mall is a super-solid choice. It’s one of the few places that tug at my heartstrings, especially when I see the old ladies making dumplings during quieter times. It reminds me so much of my time living in China. That nostalgic feeling is so strong that I’d be happy even if they just served me a cup of water. The dumplings here bring back all those good memories. The Shanghai Shaomai is my favorite, striking the perfect balance between juicy and meaty. The texture is just right, not too chewy, dense, or tender. It hits the sweet spot every time, providing a comforting, home-like experience even though I’m not Chinese. How many restaurants can create such magic? This place does,...

Overall, it wasn't bad. I had the Sticky Rice Red Beans and Dates. I've been wanting to try a red bean stick rice and I'm so glad I got it here - it wasn't overly sweet or overly bland. For me, it was the right amount of sweetness - I'm not a big fan of very sweet dessert, so if you like sweet things, this sticky rice is not for you. I found out the dates are in the center 😀. I was slightly disappointed with the Shanghainese Meat Balls - it wasn't flavorful, like I've had at another place that was a large restaurant. These Meat Balls only had a single, flat flavor - unfortunately, I'm not certain what it is, but if I had to guess, I would say a strong...

4 stars for atmosphere simply because it's in the Pacific Mall so it was super noisy and busy, nothing the merchant can do. Other than that, the 烧麦 was amazing that my wife gave a 9/10 which I think is the highest she has rated a restaurant, and I whole heartedly agree. The duck blood noodle soup was amazing too but honestly I would just the 烧麦...