Craving dim sum in Calgary, my family (and Mack) hit up T. Pot China Bistro on Felicia’s recommendation. I was a bit leery if not only because of the name (any Chinese restaurant that attaches “bistro” at the end of it wouldn’t appear to be the most economical).

Though we had an idea that the restaurant was in northwest Calgary, we didn’t realize just how far north until the drive. We were nearly into Airdrie when we hit the small retail area that contained, among other shops, a T & T.

T. Pot is not much to look at from the outside, being a generic big box. But it was quite lovely on the inside, with beaded curtains, crystal chandeliers and cushy high-backed chairs. And while their dim sum wasn’t the fun push cart kind, a few staff members wielded plastic trays as their push cart-equivalent, and offered us plates of food from their arms.

Interior

The area to the back of the restaurant where we were placed steadily filled up during our visit, but was never completely packed, unlike the other dining area separated from us by a median. Items were priced from $3.99 to $5.99, which are above the norm, but once the dishes started to arrive, we understood why: we were either given double the quantity normally provided, or items were twice the size of those commonly seen. Case in point, the steamed shrimp dumplings ($4.99):

Shrimp Dumplings

Standout dishes for me included Chinese doughnut wrapped with rice crepe and the pan-fried pork dumplings. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the quality of the dishes. Here are just a few of the plates we ordered:

Chinese Doughnut Wrapped with Rice Crepe (served on one side with some oddly paired peanut sauce)

Rice Crepe with BBQ Pork

Bean Curd

Coconut Buns

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Pan-fried Dumplings (beautifully arranged to boot!)

Deep Fried Pork Dumplings

Needless to say, we all ate until we nearly burst, and still ended up with leftovers. Ordering by paper always seems to have that effect – T. Pot China Bistro: 1, Yeo Family and Mack: 0

I’m glad we had the opportunity to try out the restaurant – I’d recommend it for dim sum off the beaten path in Calgary!

T. Pot China Bistro
100, 9650 Harvest Hills Blvd. NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 532-3982