Kirin is recognized for fine Chinese cuisine, attentive service, and elegant décor by their long list of awards and accolades. Whether you’re in Richmond, Downtown Vancouver, Vancouver West, or Coquitlam, they have locations there waiting to satisfy your taste buds. Residents of New Westminster are in luck with the newest addition at the Starlight Casino.  With Alaskan king crab in season, what a perfect time to try out the new Kirin location! Although many Chinese restaurants are busy during the Alaskan king crab season with prices ranging from $10-$15 per pound, I chose Kirin. Being a Kirin regular and having experienced their fine cuisine and service, little can go wrong. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I was surprised to see the contemporary yet elegant décor. The waiting area was generously sized as well as the main dining room. The layout of the main dining room was open view with no obstructions which make it perfect for weddings and banquets.

Attentive service was already in action as soon as we were brought to our table. We were immediately offered a choice of teas by another staff as we were sitting down. The teapot was placed over a lit candle to keep it hot. Other restaurants you would wait a while after being seated before a staff would offer you a choice of teas and it would not be placed over a candle. Since we knew what we were there for, we took no time in deciding what to order. Kirin’s Alaskan king crab market price was $14.80/lb with your choice of how you’d like it prepared into 3 courses. Our first course we chose to have it steamed with egg whites and hua diao wine, second course was to have it deep fried and tossed in salt and pepper with chilli peppers, and third course was to use the reserved sauce from the first course to make a rice or noodle dish. We also ordered roasted squab and snake potage.

The food arrived and it was time to roll the sleeves up and get down and dirty. The king crab was steamed to perfection. Each bite of the tender juicy meat was full of flavour as well as a slight hint of the fragrant yet not overpowering hua diao wine. The second course required scissors and a bit more effort but it was worth it. The king crab was perfectly and evenly coated with batter and salt and pepper. Although deep fried, it was not oozing with oil at all and the meat was still juicy. The third course we chose to have noodle. Although I’m a very picky eater and usually reject bland dishes, I actually found it acceptable since it had the fragrant hua diao flavour as well as the king crab’s flavour. In addition to hot wet towels, throughout dinner our plates were frequently changed by the staff to make our lives easier with less mess in front of us. Our choice of complimentary dessert was hot red bean soup or chilled coconut tapioca soup. We all chose the latter which was delicious and refreshing.

For a newly opened location, Kirin maintained its high level of attentive service and quality and once again made my dining experience a pleasure. I recommend giving them a try especially while the Alaskan king crab is in season and take advantage of the affordable seasonal price.

Steamed with egg whites and wine

Deep fried salt & pepper king crab

Course #3