A couple of weeks ago, some restaurants in British Columbia start re-opening for dine-in service. Many of us wondered how this was going to happen in a way that keeps both workers and customers safe. The pandemic isn’t over, but BC has done a good job at “flattening the curve.” We hesitated for a while, and justifiably so, but we finally decided to eat at a restaurant for the first time in about three months. And for this “return to normal,” we opted for dim sum at Happy Valley Seafood Restaurant.

social distancing sign

Of course, everyone has a different comfort level with this sort of thing. Some people are continuing to stay home as much as possible, and that’s okay. For our part, we definitely won’t be eating out nearly as often as we did during the before times. But, we may go out to eat now and then, particularly for food that just isn’t the same when we try to make it at home or get it as takeout. Dim sum is a prime example.

social distancing restaurant
covid19 contact tracing sheet

Some restaurants (and other businesses) have installed plexiglass dividers between tables. Happy Valley did not. There are signs as you enter reminding you to maintain six feet of distance whenever possible. The tables are also reasonably spaced out, the staff are all wearing masks, and they gave us this short form to fill out for contact tracing purposes.

We felt safe while we were there on Saturday, especially because there were so few tables of customers. A friend messaged me the next day (Sunday) and said that it looked like “business as usual” and “no one was social distancing.” So, your mileage may vary.

dim sum order sheet

To the best of my recollection, Happy Valley has always used paper order sheets for dim sum. This order sheet seems to have a smaller selection of dishes than normal. I don’t know whether they’ve replaced their regular dinner menu with single use order sheets too.

So, how was the food? We ordered a total of 8 dishes.

steamed rice rolls
  • Steamed Beef Balls ($6.50): Seen in the top image, the beef balls had a good consistency to them and arrived piping hot. Good stuff if perhaps a touch under-seasoned.
  • Rice Rolls with Chinese Donut ($6.25): This is usually my favorite rice roll variation, especially if they’re generous with the pork floss. Unfortunately, the Chinese donut here was chewy rather than crispy, which ruined the experience.
  • Steamed Rice Rolls with Prawns ($6.75): This one was better with a generous helping of chunky shrimp meat on the inside.
beef tendon and chicken feet dim sum
  • Beef Tendon ($6.75): Don’t be fooled into thinking this whole thing was full of beef tendon. Understandably, they bulked this up with some tofu puffs. The tendon itself was very tender and rich in flavor, though I would have preferred if it were spicier. I also prefer the mixed beef organs over just tendon, where available.
  • Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce ($6.25): This is one of those dim sum dishes that is really best enjoyed piping hot and fresh from the kitchen. Good sized pieces and lots of sauce for flavor.
  • shrimp egg rolls
  • har gow shrimp dumplings
  • steamed sweet egg yolk bun
  • Deep Fried Spring Rolls with Shrimp ($6.25): I don’t normally order this, but I’m glad we did. It’s the same kind of shrimp as you find in the rice rolls. The fried spring roll skin was wonderfully light and crispy, perfect with just a small dab of Worcestershire sauce.
  • Steamed Prawn Dumplings ($6.95): Nothing really to write home about here. That’s honestly a good thing, though. Plump dumplings with a slight chew to the skin. A dim sum staple.
  • Steamed Sweet Egg Yolk Bun ($6.25): I’ve come to prefer these bursting buns of piping hot egg yolk over the more standard sweet custard buns. You’ll want to be careful, of course. The bun itself had just a bit of chew to it, which I like, and the sweet egg yolk really hit the spot for dessert.
Happy Valley Restaurant

Maybe it’s because it’s been several months since we last went out for dim sum. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Whatever the reason, we thought that the dim sum at Happy Valley had improved since the last time we visited. It was a solid experience with consistently good food at an affordable (though not particularly cheap) price. I just hope that they’re able to keep up with the safe practices.

Happy Valley Seafood Restaurant is located at 3432 Lougheed Highway in Vancouver, between Rupert Street and Boundary Road. To the best of my knowledge, they’re open daily for dim sum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more dim sum, check out my review of Pelican Seafood Restaurant. It’s got a similar kind of old school vibe to it.