562264 Sat Oct 04 06:04:00 -0700 2008 12 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 4081100 Had dim sum lunch at Maison Kam Fung in Chinatown before going to the science museum. I'd never had a dim sum lunch before, and it was an experiment for me. I liked nearly everything we tried, but my husband wasn't so fond of it. I kept hoping for a pork dumpling he'd like, but there really weren't many or if there were, we couldn't figure them out. Language was a bit of an issue. The place was loud and it was hard to understand what the women were saying (I know I sound very American when I say that, but I can't help it, I couldn't understand them well, hard as I tried). Nearly everything had shrimp, which I love, but also cilantro (coriander) which I don't (tastes like soap to me). So it was a mixed bag. There were a few things I enjoyed a lot, but my husband didn't have much he liked. Even the spare ribs were too gristly for him (he's not fond of gristle, makes him gag a little). The quality certainly seemed high to me. Everything tasted freshly made, the fried things weren't greasy or bitter, and the flavours were good. So all in all, I'd say it's very likely a good place but I'm not the best person to judge that. :) I at least liked most of what I had, and really loved a fried shrimp thing that I had, and the won ton soup was nummy. My husband isn't overly fond of Chinese food to begin with, so we hadn't gone in with high expections for him, this lunch was for me. If I had it to do over, I'd see if it was possible to order off the regular menu for him and get him something I'd know he'd like, while I tried the dim sum for myself, but I didn't know how things worked when we went in there, so I didn't try to find out if we could do that. :) So for what little my recommendation might be worth, I do recommend this place. :) Sat Oct 04 06:04:01 -0700 2008 119275 Morganna 1 4081450 Kam Fung is realy good for dim sum, but the first time you go for dim sum you really have to go with someone who is familiar with it. Don't sweat the language thing. I frequently go with a couple of friends who always ask me if I speak Chinese as they cannot understand the ladies who come around with the carts. Sat Oct 04 09:51:40 -0700 2008 4081100 13143 souschef 1 4089687 Language an issue The place was loud Hard to understand the women These are all part of the fun of dim sum ;-/) I guess if its your first time, it can be bewildering, but you just gotta go with it. There have been threads on Montreal's best dim sum, and the places were different, based on personal preferance as well as week to week. Too bad your husband wasn't totally into it. It seems like you're up from Vermont, enjoying various restos in MTL, but I will make a general suggestion; try to go to dim sum with a bit more of a gang. When its just the wife and I, we get pretty full pretty fast. When there are maybe 6 of us, we can sample more plates with nibbles and get a wider experience. I also found cilantro 'sopay tasting', but it can be an acquired taste, as I love it now... Tue Oct 07 20:54:02 -0700 2008 4081100 176627 porker 2 4090650 I know that usually it's better getting dim sum with more folks, that just isn't an option for us. As far as I know, there's no dim sum places of note in the Central Vermont or Burlington Vermont areas, and we're not planning on going back to Montreal any time soon, so I guess this is another sort of thing that will just go on the back burner again until I can, maybe, get a group going to Boston for something. Wed Oct 08 09:56:23 -0700 2008 4089687 119275 Morganna 3 4090817 There is, in fact, a place to go to for dim sum in Burlington. It's at the Five Spice Café, on Church Street. Before I became a slave to Smokejacks, I always made it a point to go to Five Spice. However, it *has* been over 5 years since my last visit (to 5 spice), so call ahead. Also, if you do go, bring a sweater. It's a tad chilly there. Wed Oct 08 10:54:41 -0700 2008 4090650 42903 rillettes 4 4090834 Oh, never mind. I just read that it went up in flames. Shame, really. Wed Oct 08 10:58:17 -0700 2008 4090817 42903 rillettes 5 4091390 I'm sorry to have to tell you Smokejacks is gone too. Wed Oct 08 13:58:49 -0700 2008 4090834 10715 rcianci 6 4091403 Really? We were there only a few weeks ago. Wed Oct 08 14:03:46 -0700 2008 4091390 42903 rillettes 7 4091424 Afraid so. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/561669 Wed Oct 08 14:09:54 -0700 2008 4091403 10715 rcianci 1 4090825 Went there for lunch today; with some people who never went ... As fun as always!! Wed Oct 08 10:55:43 -0700 2008 4081100 11828 Maximilien 1 5162973 MAISON KAM FUNG (chinatown) I want to start off my review by saying this is only for the dinner, i do not know how good the dim sum is but after trying them for dinner i would deffinetly not return for dim sum I visited la maison kam fung in china town and i have to say i was gravely dissapointed, especially with such high reviews by everyone. I got the combo meal A figuring i would get my money's worth and taste a bit of things. I found that none of the food tasted like much, im sure there was a ton of msg in the food but it still did not taste good. In addition the food was greasy and the service was extremely bad. The waiters never gave us much attention until we were about to pay Combo A Won ton soup watery without much flavor, was brought to us with broth sitting in the serving plate below it spring rolls standard appearance but the fillings were cheap and generic, i found noodles inside of mine, thick noodles obviously to substitute for a higher grade ingredients general tao chicken very greasy, not much flavor, probably the best thing i tasted of the night, but still not very good ginger beef greasy once again, a melange of strips of beef without much flavor, the only thing that tasted like anythign at all on the plate was a large strip of ginger that i got. shrimp with mix vegetables Once again flavorless, still greasy but the lesser greasy of the bunch pork something... flavorless, gross appearance (red strips of assorted pieces of pork) OVERALL: tasteless, greasy food worse chinese food i have ever eaten by far DO NOT GO TO MAISON KAM FUNG Sat Nov 07 06:07:59 -0800 2009 4081100 1122144 Kacid 2 5163093 Any particular reason why you elected to go with the combo menus? They're generally "sucker bets" Sat Nov 07 07:35:49 -0800 2009 5162973 196486 wattacetti 3 5163220 From experience, KF used to be capable of quality cooking in the evening (maybe not top-notch, but decent), so it's too bad that they either can't do it anymore or don't put the same effort into the "tourist dishes" as into everything else. But I have to agree that a combo menu such as that would not inspire confidence, no matter what the restaurant. You're going into a Cantonese restaurant and ordering food-court fare... it's not right that they respond like they don't care, but you've already told them you're not really interested in their best dishes, so it's somewhat understandable. Sat Nov 07 08:35:22 -0800 2009 5163093 13325 Mr F