Must Try Dim Sum Restaurant in China Town – Jade City

A truly hidden gem for some authentic dim sum in Manchester

There are so many good Cantonese restaurants in Manchester that are hidden in China Town. Since they all look similar from the outside or are buried inside old buildings, S only goes to the ones that recommended by her Hong Kongese friends. S has introduced Mei Dim and Happy Seasons before, of which Mei Dim is specialised in dim sum while Happy Seasons is focused on Cantonese roast. However, the one S is introducing now, Jade City, has the best of both worlds!

The entrance on the street is easy to find. However, the restaurant is on the first floor, the elevator is broken and the lighting in the stairwell is dim. Therefore, you might feel the restaurant is a bit dodgy if you visit Jade City for the first time. Once you enter the restaurant, you’ll be welcomed by the roasted duck and the amazing smell from the kitchen.

There are two set of menus in Jade City. If you visit during lunch time and you can read Chinese, the staff will give you the dim sum only menu. If you visit during dinner time, you’ll get a menu book which has common Chinese dishes and some dim sum at the end of the menu. Please note that some dim sum are only available from 12-6pm. If you want a bigger range of dim sum options, you should always visit in the morning or lunch time. S has been to Jade City couple of times and has tried different dishes over many visits, the photos below are the ones S tried so far.

Steamed Dim Sum

Steamed Har Gow (prawn dumplings), Steamed Siu Mei (pork & prawn dumplings) and Steamed Crystal Crab Dumplings were the dishes S had so far. If S has to pick one, S would definitely recommend the Steamed Har Gow. The stuffing of the Steamed Har Gow was super juicy, and it came with a whole prawn inside. The Steamed Crystal Crab Dumplings were also quite delicious if you like the taste of crab. However, S prefers the Steamed Siu Me from Mei Dim because you can see a whole prawn on top of it.

Deep Fried Dim Sum

As for the deep fried dim sum, S had only tried the Deep Fried Won Ton and the Deep Fried Custard Bun. S is not a big fan of deep fried dim sum in general besides the Deep Fried Custard Bun. However, the Deep Fried Won Ton was surprisingly good. The batter was really crispy; it’s a bit like the texture of a fortune cookie but thinner and crisper. The Deep Fried Custard Bun is as amazing as usual, but you will definitely need some tea to go with it.

Other Dim Sum

The BBQ Roast Pork Puff and the Steamed Custard Cream Bun are the must order dim sum for S whenever she visits a dim sum restaurant. You must order some hot tea to go with them, otherwise they might be too dry. Don’t be scared by the chicken feet, the Steamed Chicken Feet with Chu Hou Sauce was actually quite nice. Yet it was just a bit difficult to eat because of the tiny bones in the chicken feet. The Shanghai Pan Fried Dumplings was a surprise to S since she thought it would just be an average dumpling dish. However, the Shanghai Pan Fried Dumplings from Jade City were super amazing with a good portion of stuffing and crispy skin. As for the Deep Fried Dough Cheung Fun, it was quite similar to the one from Mei Dim which was also tasty.

BBQ Roast (Hong Kong Style)

Last but not least, you can’t miss Cantonese roast when you visit a Cantonese restaurant. Some people argue that Jade City has better roast than Happy Seasons. Yet it’s quite difficult to compare both of them. S would say the roast duck from Happy Seasons has more flavour, but the roast from Jade City is also very delicious too. You definitely have to try it for yourself and see which you prefer.

Overall S loves Jade City! It has the best of both worlds while Mei Dim is awesome with dim sum and Happy Seasons is excellent for Cantonese roast. However, it might be a bit difficult for westerners to order food at Jade City, since there’s no pictures on the menu and some translations might be a bit weird. However, don’t be deterred just because of that, you might discover some unexpected surprises if you give it a go!

Restaurant info: 
Address: 1st floor, Connaught Bldg, 58-60 George St, Manchester M1 4HF
Phone: 0161 238 8559
Opening hours: Mon.-Sat. 12-10:30pm; Sun. 12-9:30pm