Cheap Eats Vancouver: Nine Dumplings

Is there any bite-sized vehicle for food more perfect than the dumpling?

This multicultural dish is uniquely satisfying, endlessly customizable, and in no short supply throughout Greater Vancouver.

While most city dwellers will have their own favourite spot to grab a quick dumpling (or 12), some restaurants require a little bit of insider knowledge.

Enter Nine Dumplings, a small spot inside the humble Robson Public Market in Vancouver’s West End.

Up a small flight of stairs in the market’s miniature food court, this unpretentious stall promises what it delivers: nine different types of dumplings served in a variety of ways including steamed, boiled, or ladled in hot soup.

It also offers several alternatives for non-dumpling lovers — though we’ve never met any — including dan dan noodles and stir-fried prawns.

But when you name your establishment Nine Dumplings, you’d better believe we’re going to be trying all nine.

We decided to order the “sample,” which cost just $11.99 and provided a taste of each of the stall’s dumpling creations.

While we were intrigued by the Sichuan spicy option, we decided to go simple: served non-spicy, steamed traditionally.

Each dumpling came uniformly sized, featuring dough dyed with everything from spinach and red cabbage to squid ink and turmeric.

While the majority featured pork with different combinations, Nine Dumplings also offers a vegan option with mung bean, two different seafood choices, and a particularly creative lamb and zucchini.

You really can’t go wrong with any of these choices, but our personal favourites were the pork with cilantro, pork with kimchi, squid and pork, and lamb and zucchini, the latter of which was among the more ambitious dumplings we’ve tried in the city.

Those with a slightly smaller appetite should opt for the competitive six-dumpling deal, which will cost you only $7.99.

The West End is no stranger to great Asian food and great dumplings, and Nine Dumplings is one of its most underrated gems.

It’s easy to completely miss when walking through the area, so consider yourself officially in the know.

Nine Dumplings (Nine Dishes)

Address: Robson Public Market — 204-1610 Robson Street, Vancouver
Phone: 778-246-1199