I’ve been meaning to try U & Me for dim sum for a long time, and we just haven’t gotten to it as it was always “out of the way”. Chinatown parking isn’t the easiest or the cheapest, so we like to go on Sundays… but, parking then is difficult as there’s Chinese school and other activities that go on. But, U & Me does have a few parking spots that they dedicate to their customers – which is great, but when we got there, it was full on this Saturday morning.
We just paid the parking in a paid lot as we didn’t want to waste our time and energy finding a spot. We made it to U & Me and what appeared to be a back door. It was interesting, but we got seated quite quickly and into a back room. The place was already starting to get packed!
We were seated by the window which was quite nice. Our tea, and slips to mark off which dim sum we wanted came instantaneously! So, we just marked a few items, and waited. The wait time wasn’t bad at all, and the food was really good!
We ordered the Shrimp & Scallop Tart since it was something we’ve never heard of or tried, and it came out in a bamboo basket but the dumpling of shrimp sat inside of a tart made of the Chinese white buns! It was really unique and it looked great too! A fairly large piece of scallop sat on top of the tart and it was very exquisite!
From there, we tried another dish we’ve never tried before, and it’s the Pan Friend Country Fish Cake which was actually deep fried in my opinion – and not pan fried! It was fried to perfection as the colouring was perfect, the crunch was intense and the food inside the dumpling wasn’t over or under cooked! Inside the deep fried wonton wrap was fish paste and it was seasoned wonderfully and it tasted great! This was a hit dish for me! I really enjoyed it!
From there, we went to things we like that is more typical. Of course, I ordered my favourite Steamed Beef Tripe with Ginger & Onion as I do at any dim sum place I go to (unless it wasn’t good one too many times). They made this decent, but it wasn’t my favourite. The flavours seemed to be a little watered down and it just didn’t feel like it was freshly steamed. I am afraid to say it, but I think it was a left over from the day before and they just steamed it back up! The texture of the tripe was tender, but it was dry and hard along the edges – which steaming food doesn’t normally do that!
As another common item – the popular and famous Steamed Shrimp Dumplings which everyone who goes to dim sum knows how to order “Ha-Gow”! So, we ordered it as well, as many people say they’re delicious here! Guess what? They were delicious! Inside the steam basket was 4 large shrimp dumplings and 1 smaller one in the center – probably for visual interest, and it was spectacular! The shrimp was sweet, and it wasn’t mushy at all! It was very succulent, and the skin was quite thin! I wouldn’t go as far as calling it the thinnest or anything, but compared to many places, it was quite translucent! So, well done on the shrimp dumplings!
The last savoury dish we enjoyed was something I loved as a child and rarely see it done the same way anymore. The dish I’m talking about is Steamed Cuttlefish in Curry Sauce. I know, gross you may think – but don’t mock anything till you try it. Most of the things I like does have either an acquired taste or texture, and I think that’s why I like it! It’s not the same as everything else! But, these cuttlefishes was large enough where there’s lots of texture to it. It was soft and tender and the curry sauce was perfect. The consistency of the sauce coats the cuttlefish perfectly – and this was one of my favourite dishes of the visit!
Then, we end with a sweet dish for dessert, the Steamed Cream Custard Cake which is something I order often. It’s an eggy dish as some would say, but it’s basically a steamed sponge cake made into layers and held together with cream custard. It’s really good and they’re never overly sweet. The cake is filling but it’s really light.
U & Me offers a huge selection of dim sum throughout the day which is unique on it’s own. The dim sum and sweets are excellent, in fact it is one of the best dim sum in the city! This is a location I will definitely consider going back to as the selection, taste, and price was all exceptional!
The dessert after hours (around 8pm to 10pm) and food is wonderful too! Be sure to try out late night snacks at U & Me!
U & Me Restaurant
223 Centre St S
Calgary, AB T2G
(403) 264-5988
