The Lower Mainland is notoriously difficult for finding restaurants that are open late. The pandemic certainly didn’t help things. There are of course a few places open late around town like No. 9, Breka Bakery and Duffins, but those are few and far between. Enter the latest late night restaurant on the scene – Gong. Gong is located in Richmond in front of Yue Restaurant. The vibe is reminiscent of the long gone ‘dai pai dongs’ of Hong Kong. If you’re looking for late night eats with a great vibe you need to add Gong for late night dim sum to your list!
What is a Dai Pai Dong
In a nutshell, a dai pai dong is an open air food stall. They were extremely popular and prevalent in Hong Kong when I was growing up. However, in recent years, there has been a big crack down on these nostalgic spots. A dai pai dong usually has an unkempt air around it, and you’re essentially eating on rickety stools with extremely hot humid air. It is extremely no frills, but there is definitely a certain charm to it.
Gong Richmond – Late Night Dim Sum and Small Plates
While they market themselves as late night dim sum, I found their dim sum selection to be lacking. There was only 5 actual dim sum dishes on the menu. There are however a lot of other smaller plates that are great for drinks. Another important thing to note is that almost half the food menu is unavailable after 8:30 PM so you’re pretty limited in your choices.
That being said, the food we did try was top notch. The dim sum was very tasty and prepared well. We had 3 out of the 5 dim sum dishes available – shrimp dumpling (har gao), siu mai, and BBQ pork bun.
To supplement the dim sum dishes we also had a few snacks – jelly fish, shrimp spring rolls, honey garlic chicken wings, curry poutine and mozzarella sticks. The stand out was the honey garlic chicken wings and shrimp spring rolls. They were so crispy and flavourful – I would definitely order these again.
Trendy Vita Cocktails and Beer
These cocktails are newly trending in Vancouver and Gong has so many different variations. Essentially they take a Vita box (various flavours like Lemon Tea, Lychee, Mango etc) and flip a mickey of hard liquor inside. It’s a cute way to make a cocktail and it makes for very easy drinking.
Is Gong Richmond Worth a Try?
Yes! Although it is on the pricier side (dishes start at $8 and go up to almost $45 for a rack of beef ribs), the experience itself is worth it! Do note that Gong Richmond is only open on Friday and Saturdays from 5 pm to 12 am. They were completely packed and it is impossible to get a seat without a reservation. Reservations can be made via their Instagram over DM. Gong Richmond is only open when the weather is good, so definitely give them a follow to keep up to date on their schedule.