Wing Lee Bakery

Recommended by my sister to order a chicken bun jumbo size for a $ 1.80 which contain chicken, eggs, mushroom, Chinese sausage, and boy let me tell you that’s my lunch. It tastes awesome, that’s my go to spot after my post workout at the gym! I would recommend anybody and everybody to go and try this place out, they also have restaurant right next door on the corner which is cheap.

This place has AMAZING steamed BBQ pork buns.
I first came in here because it was the first dim sum place I found in the area. While I was still deciding what to order, I overhead the lady in front of me tell the cashier she will eat 2 of the BBQ pork buns at once. I figured I would try one, even though I was skeptical since the buns didn’t really look like the ones I’ve had at other dim sum places. Best decision that day. I love bread and the bun was really soft and chewy. The meat was really good too. I will admit that after leaving the store and checking out the other dim sum places in the area, I came back and ordered a second one.

Good is good and fresh for sure! And it’s clean!!! Also staff are super nice and helpful! They look happy at work! Some of the dimsum places on this street, staff can be really demanding and pushy I’ll come back!

Good quick n easy place. No nonsense or frills, but fast, very cheap, and pretty tasty. Most items are pretty greasy but I appreciate that the fillings aren’t just the cheapest meat slurry they can pack in there — there are items with crispy veggies and even somewhat subtle ingredients. I like the pork bun (not crazy sweet) and the chicken combo bun, veggie dumplings, and if they have the sesame ball dessert you should def get it.

Decent, cheap buns in an interesting shop. A fun place to try if you’re exploring the area, like we were.

Everything you want for fast food Dim Sum:
Quick, tasty, and fulfilling.
And of course, cheap.
If you go here everyday, you don’t need to cook.
$ 15 – 18 will take care of you for 3 meals.
Give it a try!

We shop on clement 2 to 3 times a week and buy dim sum from various bakeries. However the food here is consistently medicore at best. I dont usually give 1 star but this one deserves one. Let me explain. We bought 3 egg tarts. We shared one on the way to another shop. As I took a small nibble, the crust left a bitter after taste. I HAVE NEVER experienced such a taste from any baked goods before. I love bitter melon but not bitter egg tart. I decided to bring it back to inform them of my discovery. They just replied back «thats how it is». Didnt apologize, no thank you, no offer of any refund whatsoever. I left the two eggtarts on the counter and walked out.

One of my FAV dim sum shops.
Shrimp har gow
Sesame balls
Sticky rice — no mai gai or jung
Congee — typically sells out early
Baked and steam pork buns
Meat sui mai
Bean curd roll
The list goes on and it well worth a stop by if you are wanting Good dim sum.
Prices are very reasonable considering quality, costs, and portion plus stomach «fillability».
Yummy!

Weekday, 1:30 PM — 4 people
Quick in and out — what else can you expect from a takeout dim sum place? We were on the way back to the office, so we stopped in here to get a sampling of what they had. First thing we noticed was English on the menus! This is a big plus — some places in Chinatown don’t bother doing this, and although I know what is being offered (from living in Asia for years), most people are probably confused and left to point aimlessly at what looks appetizing. My choices were the go-​to orders at this type of place, because unfortunately they were lacking on the flaky pastries (char siu so, for example). I saw egg tarts tucked away in one corner under a heating lamp, but they didn’t look very good.
+Steamed BBQ Pork bun — good amount of meat, less fat/​gristle than other places I’ve visited in Chinatown
+Banana cake — great flavor, kind of disintegrated in my hands. Banana flavor really came through and not overly sweet
+Steamed Chicken bun — could actually see the chunks of chicken meat, as opposed to congealed chicken parts mush I’ve seen in other areas of the city
+Steamed Egg Custard Bun — good flavor, not the best, not the worst.
I paid $ 3.30 total for my 3 steamed buns, and I tried someone else’s banana cake. Good value for what I got. Overall a nice takeout dim sum experience (you have to distinguish between takeout and sit-​down dim sum — VERY different). If you live in the Western half, and you don’t feel like going to Chinatown, this is a great alternative.

I’ve tried so many to-​go dim sum joints on Clement and they’re all pretty much the same: 1) one order consists of three pieces of dumplings for $ 2 that hits the spot for lunch hangry stomach 2) know what you want before you order or you’ll get even extra rude customer service 3) for westernized palates, know the difference between steam vs baked bun, hargow vs suimai, and don’t expect your vegetarian dumplings to be meat free or not tainted by meat pans or kitchen appliances 4) don’t try to peak into the kitchen and try to avoid looking at the floor
I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the reviews here were mistaken for another cliché dim sum place on Clement. My coworker and I are always arguing about which dim sum place we go to with some yellow awning.
Four stars for $ 4 lunches!

Small little hole-​in-​the-​wall in the Richmond, with it’s more meat-​heavy dishes being served in the take-​out restaurant directly next to it.
They have decent shortbread crust dan-​tats, although they’re a little too buttery for my taste, and the filling is more like a bland, creamy custard.
Cash only!

Cheap, mass produced dim sum that hits the spot for those looking for a quick meal. Great for take out.
Ordered:
Shrimp Har Gow — Texture is a bit jelly feeling due to being oversteamed, should be more fim. Shrimp taste is okay.
Pork shiu mai — Large pieces, acceptable, reminds me of 99 ranch dim sum to go. steamed a bit too long
Beef shiu mai — Also large pieces, got some of that beef flavor in it, bit oversteamed probably due to sitting around longer, not being as popular as the pork version.
While I wouldn’t be really looking for quality dim sum in a «to go» place, if you’re nearby and want something fulfilling & cheap, Wing Lee fulfills that niche.

Quick, cheap, and good.
If you’re craving for dim sum (take out) in the Richmond, I highly suggest coming here — but make sure you know what you want before you order because the workers here don’t have any patience.
I usually get the Shu Mai, Pot stickers, BBQ Pork bun, Chinese Donut, Sweet Rice Cake, and the Red Bean Sesame balls. The portion size are pretty huge, you definitely get what you pay for here and it’s super quick. I think most of the dim sum sells 3 at $ 1.90 or somewhere around that range, which isn’t bad.
Highly recommend. Also, I believe it’s cash only! So make sure to have some on hand. And, don’t feel flustered when ordering, it may seem intimating at first but they tend to get you the correct dim sum if you order confidently.

I will drive hours to eat here! The staff isn’t always the friendliest, but that might be because of a language barrier, but the food!!! I have yet to have something here I didn’t like. Obviously the pork buns are AMAZING! I can’t decide which ones I like the most, the baked or steamed. Just tried their beef curry baked bun, holy cow, flavor EXPLOSION! Deliciously tender beef with Chinese curry spice and onions. So good. The onion pan cakes are simple and divine with a light crisp on the edges and delicious onion flavor throughout. Don’t forget the dim sum! Totally affordable, and delicious! Did I say delicious??? It’s delicious!

Not the cleanest nor are the ladies behind the counter friendly, their har gao and shrimp & leek dim sum were pretty good and their chicken skewers were delicious.
They lose points because their char siu bao, while *huge, were not good: The bao was fluffy but a little too sweet and the pork inside was a strangely disparate combination of fattiness and mealiness as well as being too sweet.
The BBQ pork’s sauce was strange, too, it having no other flavor besides overly sweet and being an unnatural color of sienna red.
I’d recommend Wing Lee in a pinch but only for the steamed dim sum and chicken skewers.

Chicken buns is a solid go to here, rarely does it disappoint
They don’t shy away from portion or seasoning =)
Overall Thoughts
Come hungry and just know you won’t leave paying more that $ 7 for a satisfying snack/​meal

There are so many places to go for dim sum on the street. I find Wing Lee to be one of the cleaner ones with the most variety.
What puts it over the top is the freshness of the product and for me the jook and «yow tiew» otherwise known as Chinese doughnut. It is like soul food for me and comes at a very modest price.
There is only one lady to avoid as she is nit very nice and likes to get mad at you if you don’t order correctly «only 3 in order, so i give you more». There are usually three ladies behind the counter so kids like to call it 3 card monte for dim sum ladies.
Other favorites include the baked Char-​Siew bow, ha gow, sesame balls, and pot stickers.
Next door they also have a hot plate restaurant for ordering Chow Mien and Chow Fun.

Having access to dim sum was purely taken for granted when I lived in San Francisco and San Jose. Now I live in Santa Cruz and I can say that I am deprived. #firstworldproblems
A day in the city w/​my kids and my best friend frolicking around hitting up our many bookmarks. I wasn’t hungry but I knew I needed to get my fix because I have been craving it daily.
I stepped in because Unilocal had good ratings and the items looked sinfully delicious from the window. I did not see banh cuon but I was thrilled when they said they have it. They’re rice rolls… I had shiu mai and har gow which are essentially steamed dumplings.
Poor service but wonderful and cheap food.
Santa Cruz, please take notes.

So I decided to go on a dim sum hunt in Richmond today. I started at Wing Lee on Clement street.
*Note* I am basing all of my dim sum reviews on the following three items (as they are my favorites): Baked bbq pork bun, Har gao and Siu Mai.
Bao — The bun was rather dry. The filling was decent but lacked flavor although it did have decent size chunks of pork which is something I look for.
Har gao — While this was fairly moist compared to the other items I got, there were almost no shrimp in it and those it did have were tiny little bay shrimps! Unacceptable.
Siu mai — The pork filling again lacked flavor and the whole thing was rather dry, both inside and out.
So far, this was one of my least favorite dim sum shops. I will not be returning to this one.

I love this dim sum establishment! The food is always fresh since there are so many customers, especially during breakfast and lunchtime! There are a couple of servers, but customers always take their time when they choose out their dim sum so it takes awhile.
My favorite is the shrimp dumpling (ha-​gow)! It has the right amount of crunch and the skin is perfect. It won’t break apart and drop the shrimp halfway while eating. They also have different varieties that other stores do not usually carry such as the shrimp with corn dumpling.
I can’t ever seem to leave this place without spending $ 15 – 20 worth of dim sum! It’s so good, but packed with loads of calories… The egg tarts here are pretty good and they always seem to run out when I try to get some towards the end of the day.
There are tables in the back where you can sit and enjoy your dim sum with a cup of coffee which is perfect.
The servers are really nice and they don’t care if you can’t speak Chinese. (Unlike other places that look down on you if you can’t name your dim sum in Chinese especially if you’re Chinese) They are extremely helpful when you want recommendations on what’s good also.