Dim sum disciples, you know the drill: Get up on a weekend morning to convene with a group for a dim sum feast at your favourite spot. Traditionally a morning or midday meal, dim sum lovers who want their steamed buns and dumplings in the evening and into the night are typically out of luck.
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Now, however, Vancouver has a new spot that wants to start a new tradition - a break a few "rules" as they go. Little Bird is the just-opened Kitsilano restaurant that is serving up dim sum weeknights and all day and into the night on weekends, too.
Not only are their hours shaking things up, but Little Bird is also changing the game by creating dim sum offerings that are vegan, and serving up delicious craft beers to go with everything.
"Let's face it, dim sum is typically not vegan, but that doesn’t mean we can’t innovate and be inclusive. We have re-invented some dim sum classics with veggie and meat alternatives that you simply can’t get anywhere else," Little Bird explains.
Little Bird's dim sum menu is divided into four categories: Land, Sea, Garden, and Sweet. You'll find dim sum must-haves like pork and shrimp siu mai, chicken feet with black beans and garlic, or fluffy steamed white bao stuffed with bbq pork on the "Land" part of the menu, and things like ha gow (shrimp dumplings), fried garlic squid, or shrimp paté-stuffed eggplant on the "Sea" side.
When it comes to the veggie and vegan options, Little Bird is using ingredients like mushrooms, tofu, and Beyond Meat to make their dim sum dishes - there are about eight vegan options on the regular menu overall. Plus, Little Bird has marked their menu to indicate which items are gluten-free.
For beverages, Little Bird is pouring four B.C. craft beers on tap, with a half-dozen bottles and cans from around the province to round things out. They have a small wine menu that features four B.C. organic wines by the bottle or glass. Not imbibing? No problem. Little Bird also has hot and cold hand-made herbal teas, too.
Little Bird Dim Sum/Facebook
Little Bird took over the space that was previously Yak & Yeti (2958 West 4th Avenue), and have been in their soft launch phase for the last couple of weeks. They are open Tuesday-Sunday from 5-10 p.m. and for brunch from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
