Had the opportunity to revisit Dumplings restaurant, this time with my husband in tow. Hong Yan, the owner, said business is doing great, and she’s noticing return customers which is always a good sign. The menu is still small, but the flavor and quality of the food is still b-i-g, big.

The green onion cake (which she makes herself, of course), was fluffy, delicate and flavourful with the accompanying sauce a blend of sweet and hot. This will be one of our regular dishes, I can tell.

The ginger beef was tender and cooked perfectly…remember, there are no preservatives or food colouring or MSG in the dishes which really becomes apparent not only in the taste, but the texture as well. We ordered the pork sticky rice in lotus leaves, with dumplings on the side. The sticky rice had a pungent flavouring that took some getting used to, and the dumplings were as tasty as they were the first time I stopped by a few weeks ago. The Sichuan Noodle salad had gobs of flavours blending together: cucumber, cilantro, sesame, pork, peanut…super-tasty and good for you too. Loved this dish.

Next door at Real Deal Meats (2435 Ellwood Drive), I had a chance to talk with Alicia and Darcy about them possibly carrying Alberta Yak. Keep your fingers crossed. The Yak Angus-cross beef is rich tasting yet delicate in flavor—not gamey at all. It’s also high in protein and omega 3, and low in fat and cholesterol. So if RDM brings it in, make sure you rush over to pick up a couple of steaks.

Real Deal Meats is having a Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday September 25th and the barbecue will be fired up and loaded with in-house made smokies, burgers and hot dogs. Make sure you stop by between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to meet Darcy and the crew and sample some of their products. I highly recommend the bacon; it’s some of the best around. You can also enter to win a year’s supply of beef jerky! Who wouldn’t love that?

Remember, at Real Deal, all the products are gluten, wheat and MSG free. They also have Halal certified AAA Angus beef, lamb and goat and a large selection of organic and free range products. Plus, this is a business run by passionate people who really care about their product…kinda like the butchers of the good ol’ days.

My original blog postings on Dumplings can be found here, and for Real Deal Meats, click here.