🥟 Event Spotlight: BC Dumpling Festival (Coquitlam)
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Location:
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Town Centre Park, Lafarge Lake (Coquitlam, BC)
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Vendors Tried:
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Goldilocks, Dungan House Central Asian, Manti Authentic Turkish, Magic
Mantu Authentic Afghani, Bao Buns
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Price Range:
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$10.00 for 7 pcs lumpia | $15.00 for 6 pcs manti/mantu | $18.00 for 4
pcs manty & hoshan
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The Verdict:
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A wonderful day of global dumplings in the sun! The Afghani mantu
topped with yogurt sauce and lentils took top honours, finished off
by an incredible pistachio ice cream dessert on fried mantao.
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It was a beautiful Saturday, and we started our morning nice and slow. We took
our time enjoying breakfast at home and easing into the weekend before setting
off on our food adventure. Once we were ready, we walked from our place to VCC
Clark SkyTrain Station and rode the line all the way to the end at Lafarge
Lake for the annual BC Dumpling Festival!
Having visited back in
2023, we knew the drill. Our main priority was lining up under the sunshine and
tasting as many global dumplings as our stomachs could handle.
Lineup Snacks and Central Asian Delights
Our very first target was Dungan House Central Asian, a vendor that had been
on my radar since our
2023 visit
when we ran out of room to try them! We were eager to taste their traditional
Manty and Hoshan. However, standing in line under the hot sun quickly stirred
up our appetites. To curb the hunger, we grabbed a tray of Lumpiang Shanghai
from the Goldilocks booth. The Filipino in me was so happy! For $10, you get 7
crisp spring rolls. While they might not be the single best lumpia in the
region, they were crunch, and satisfied my craving perfectly as we
waited.
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Crispy Lumpiang Shanghai from Goldilocks ($10 for 7 pieces).
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Once we made it to the front of the Dungan House line, we ordered a 4-piece
mix for $18: one steamed chicken, one fried chicken, one steamed beef, and one
fried beef. The verdict? The beef was best when steamed, while the chicken
truly shone when deep-fried. Overall, we loved the rich flavour of the fried
dough wrapper best. The fried chicken variation actually reminded me of the
delicious Afghani momos from
BC Momo!
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Our mixed platter of steamed and fried Central Asian dumplings from
Dungan House ($18).
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Golden, crisp deep-fried hoshan buns.
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Steamed chicken manty with seasoned chicken filling.
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Steamed beef manty, our personal favourite steamed option from Dungan
House.
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Turkish vs. Afghani: The Manti Face-off
Next on our list were two heavy hitters: Manti Authentic Turkish Dumplings and
Magic Mantu Authentic Afghani Dumplings. Both vendors priced their portions at
$15 for 6 pieces. Because our orders from both vendors arrived at nearly the
exact same time, we decided to do a direct taste comparison bite for bite!
On the very first bite, both dumplings felt a touch under-seasoned on their
own and could have used a pinch of salt and pepper. I tried the Afghani mantu
first and found it mild. Then I tried the Turkish manti, which immediately
stood out thanks to its vibrant butter sauce. However, when I circled back
to the Afghani mantu, it grew on me rapidly. The creamy yogurt sauce was
subtle and delicious, and my husband noted that the tender lentils topping
and fresh chopped herbs really elevated the entire dish. In the end, the
Afghani mantu won us over! We had so much fun comparing them and will
seek out local restaurants serving both regional styles.
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Authentic Turkish Manti drizzled with garlic yogurt and spiced chili
sauce ($15 for 6 pieces).
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Magic Mantu Authentic Afghani Dumplings with chickpea topping and yogurt
sauce ($15 for 6 pieces).
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The perfect bite of Afghani mantu with chickpeas and yogurt sauce.
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A Sweet Finish with Pistachio Bao
To end our festival food crawl on a high note, we simply had to visit the
energetic crew at Bao Buns. The team working the stall brings such great
energy and enthusiasm, and their deep-fried sweet mantao buns are incredible.
We selected their event exclusive Pistachio Bao, which features warm fried
sweet buns topped with rich pistachio spread, chopped pistachios, and a scoop
of creamy pistachio ice cream. It was a dreamy, refreshing dessert and the
absolute perfect ending to our food adventure.
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Event exclusive Pistachio Bao from Bao Buns loaded with pistachio ice
cream and drizzle.
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Future Dumpling Wishlist
For my future reference (and for anyone planning ahead for next year), here is
a list of great dumpling vendors we missed on this trip:
Did you attend the BC Dumpling Festival this year? Which vendor had your
ultimate favourite bite? Share your thoughts and food recommendations in the
comments below!
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