By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

There was a 10-course reasonably priced tasting menu. We were started off with a pair of Marina's Gold Oysters with cedar-aged vinegar and horseradish. The oyster itself was creamy and delicate. The Winter Greens Salad with soba crackers, pickled grapes, and miso dressing was good. Beyond the sweet tanginess, there was a pointed fermented taste that was akin to kombucha.

Accompanied by toasted bread, sunchoke, carrots and radish, the Chicken Liver Pate was creamy and aromatic and a bit sweet. However, on its own, the silky-smooth pate was a great compliment to the earthy sunchokes. They had a generous portion size of the pate. The Curry Pork Dumplings with vegetables were firm and tightly wrapped which kept the filling from being too loose. The meat was tender while the veggies weren't overdone. Loved the thin dumpling skin as it was delicate with an appealing elasticity.

The Steamed Ling Cod with XO sauce was buttery and soft, perfectly prepared. Beyond the usual savoury soy notes, the XO was pretty low-key, but the spice and brininess were not overly strong. The Homemade Zaru Soba’s noodles were excellent maintaining a firm chewiness. The side of dipping sauce was mild and balanced.

For dessert, we had Coconut Mochi with red bean and Quince Vanilla Pudding. The mochi had a nice texture with a bit of chewiness to go with fluffiness. Unexpected was the little nuggets of the quice vanilla pudding. The pudding was rich and creamy. Not too sweet either.

All-in-all, the food we tried at Ugly Dumpling was pretty solid. Yes, nothing was fairly typical for Asian fare. But prices are fair and service is good. Worth a try.

Ugly Dumpling

1590 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC 

The Good:

• Reasonably-priced with all things considered

• Solid eats

• Servers seem to really care

The Bad:

• For some, the food is nothing ground-breaking

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.