Cold Tea – Modern Dim Sum Experience in Downtown Vancouver

Cold Tea Restaurant is a modern Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant that has taken over the former space of Tsui Hang Village Restaurant in Downtown Vancouver. Cold Tea aims to create a modern dim sum experience with a Vietnamese twist. Due to the current pandemic, they have had some struggles opening, but they are now officially open for dine-in service. I was invited to try a sampling of their dishes earlier this week.

Modern Interior with Touches of Tradition

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The restaurant interior is a beautiful balance of industrial chic and upscale modernity. There are several thoughtful accents throughout the restaurant that add to it’s charm. They have retained several decorative pieces from the original Tsui Hang (like the chandelier!) but have added a great modern flair with trendy murals and bird cage lights.

Well Balanced and Visually Stunning Cocktails

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We started our meal off with two cocktails from their impressive drinks and wine list. I went with the fruitier Garden Fizz ($15.00). It features Hendricks Gin, Pimms No. 1, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. Visually it was a stunning drink. It had strong herbaceous notes and a nice tart finish. The other drink we sampled was the Lucky Cosmo ($14.00). It features Absolut vodka, triple sec, hibiscus-apple juice, lime juice, and rose water atomizer. This drink was a lovely pink colour and what I’d call a ‘dangerous’ cocktail. It was light on alcohol taste with a very crisp finish. You could have several of these and not realize how much alcohol you’re drinking!

The drinks are nuanced and every component had a purpose – as is expected from co-owner Joe Cheng who worked at Minami Restaurant previously

Main Menu – Shares and From the Wok

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The menu at Cold Tea is divided into several sections – Banh Mi & Bao, Shares, Mains, From the Wok, and From the Grill. The menu has very clear Vietnamese influences interspersed throughout. The first dish we tried was the Lai Fun Carbonara ($15.oo). This dish features Lai fun noodles, 5 spiced cured bacon, cream, sous vide egg, Parmesan, green onion, and chili threads. Lai Fun noodles are thick rice noodles and very common in Chinese cooking. The sous vide egg added an extra layer of richness to the sauce. The noodles were slippery (as they should be) and the overall dish was rich, indulgent and so luscious.

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Next, we sampled a couple dishes from the wok section. The Wok Squid ($14.00) and Spicy Beans ($9.00). The Wok Squid had tender pieces of squid dressed in garlic, chilies, sambal and cilantro. The sriracha mayo served on the side was a nice creamy component but not necessary. This dish was extremely flavourful and would be a great accompaniment with beer. It was a stand out dish for me! The spicy beans didn’t shy on flavour. These beans were beautifully blistered and evenly coated in a spicy Szechuan sauce.

Main Menu – Salads, Bowls and Soups

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Our final dish was the most substantial dish and can be a meal on its own. The Roast Pork Belly on Rice with Egg ($14.00 + $3.00) features crispy roast pork belly, rice, and bok choy. The skin on this was crispy. It was such a delight to eat – the crunchy skin gave way to an unctuous fat layer and tender pork.

Cold Tea has a similar vibe to Blossom Dim Sum & Grill on Robson. However, based on my experience I found the food to be executed at a much higher level. Their dishes have a great ‘wok hey’ and overall balance of flavours. It reminded me of the traditional dim sum I used to eat with my parents but elevated. Cold Tea definitely delivered on the ‘modern dim sum experience’. Overall, I enjoyed my experience very much. The food was delicious and the vibe was inviting and trendy.