Dinesty on Robson
Dinesty Shanghai restaurant that boasts a clean, graceful interior design and friendly service. From 2010-2012 they have won Diner's Choice "Best Dining Environment", "Best Shanghainese Restaurant" and "Best Xiao Long Bao (soup dumpling)" awards. Today they have 5 locations across BC in Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby.
The Robson location is one we always find ourselves coming back to. Finding acceptable Chinese in the West End is difficult and Dinesty fills the void for us. Affordable Chinese food in BC is average to terrible usually. There is almost always a line up here, and a good amount of non-Chinese customers. Andrew prefers dive like Chinese restaurants. Usually these types of places will only have Chinese customers as the service is pretty bad and interior looks outdated or dirty. We think Dinesty is popular because of the clean interior space, open concept kitchen, and images of every menu item. After we gave it a try, it was much better than expected. We have been repeat customers for the past 2 years. If you've eaten a lot of Chinese food in your life, then Dinesty's food is average at best. They have line ups as there is really no competition for them in the West End and the pricing is affordable. They also do take-out which we do often. We usually call ahead 15-20 minutes before arriving to pick up our takeout.
WHAT WE TRIED:
Simmer Chicken w/ Basil & Triple Sauce (debone) | $15.95
House Special Tofu on Iron Plate | $12.95
Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings | $6.50
Steamed Vegetable & Pork Dumplings | $6.95 |
Pan Fried Pork Buns | $3.95
Pan Fried Pork Pot Stickers | $6.95
Pan Fried Chinese Green Onion Pancake | $4.50
Pan Fried Chive Dumplings | $3.95
Pan Fried Pork Buns | $3.95
Pan Fried Marinated Beef Wraps | $6.95
Steamed Red Bean Sponge Cake Slice | $2.75
Hot & Sour Soup Small | $5.50
Tofu Soup with Minced Beef & Parsley | $8.95
Chinese Spinach Soup with Tofu & Shredded Pork
Noodle Soup with Beef | $9.50
Spicy Noodle with Minced Pork & Mushroom | $7.95
Shanghai Fried Noodles (Pork)| $9.50
Stir Fried Rice Cake Shanghai Style (Pork)| $10.95
Fried Rice with Deep Fried Pork Chop | $11.95
Fried Rice with Dry Scallops & Egg White | $11.95
Glutinous Rice Roll (Salty) | $4.50
Pan Fried Radish Slice Cake | $4.25
Soft Tofu with Spicy Meat Sauce (Mabo Tofu) | $10.95
Spicy String Beans with Minced Pork | $14.95
Stir Fried Bamboo Shoots w/ -house Soy Sauce | $10.95
SPECIAL DEALS:
Super Wednesday
Every Wednesday from 11 A.M. - 10 P.M. Beef Noodle Soup plus Pan Fried Pork Pot Stickers for $9.50Business Meals:
Every weekend from 11 A.M. - 3 P.M. 10 unique business meal specials for $14.50 each.Dumpling Bonus:
Free Steamed Pork Soup Dumpling for every 10 points collected on a Dinesty free dumpling points card. (points accepted by all Dinesty locations)
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF DINESTY:
Although Dinesty won many awards, we wouldn't recommend going out of your way to go here. They are average at best, but in the West End, they fill the void for acceptable Chinese food. It's a decent option for those who live in the area and don't want to make a trip far. It's very friendly to customers new to Chinese food as there are photos for every menu item and the interior is very clean. There is usually a wait for a table but it shouldn't take too long as tables are in and out pretty fast. If there are any dishes you love at Dinesty and think we should try it next time, feel free to contact us!
The Bad:
- Cash and Debit on orders less than $20
- They won a lot of awards but food is average
The Good:
- Fairly authentic take on Chinese food
- Food comes fast and taste is acceptable
Rating: 7.25/10
DETAILS:
Facebook: DinestyGroup
Twitter: DinestyGroup
Website: Dinesty.ca