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Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond – XLB at Admiralty Centre

I visited this newish xiao long bao (XLB) stall at Admiralty Centre in Richmond after hearing about their story in the Richmond News. Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 is involved in some drama because of their former employee opening up also a stall selling xiao long bao right in the same food court as them and has more visible location.  Their former employee also happens to be the owner of a well-known XLB spot in Vancouver that was closed due to a fire.

Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre

After hearing their story, I decided to give them a try and show them some support.

While they are known for their XLB but they also offer other types of Shanghainese dumplings and wontons.

Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre
Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre
Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre

We ordered the following and here is my honest review:

Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre
  • Combo A of XLB with Shrimp Wonton in Chicken Soup ($13.95)
  • 6 piece Pan Fried Dumplings ($9.95)
  • 6 piece XLB ($8.95)
  • Combo B of XLB with Shanghai Wontons ($13.95)

I thought their food was good in general.  Their XLB was fresh, hot and delicious.  The skin was nice, thin & translucent.  The filling was good but light on flavor.  I thought the broth could have richer but still OK.

Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre
Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre
Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre

The pan fried dumplings were delicious.  

Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 Richmond - XLB at Admiralty Centre

You get a lot of shrimp pieces (15 to be exact) with the combo but I think there was too little filling versus wrap.

The Shanghai wontons I thought fared better.

They have an open kitchen where you can see the dumplings freshly being prepared.  The renovations they did for this stall shows because it looks very modern and clean for a food stall in a Chinese food court.

The food came out in about 10 – 15 minutes which was nice. One thing they do differently is that they do not offer plates for the XLB so you are literally eating out of the steamer. Their trays are also branded with their name.

All in all, everything was reasonable.  Always nice to support a small, local business.

Hao Chi Lai 好吃来 is located at 8700 McKim Way Unit 2078, Richmond.

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