Robson Public Market rests on the corner of Robson and Cardero Street. Once bustling with fresh produce stalls, specialty shops and small eateries, it opened in 1985 under a glass arched façade that was likely considered forward-looking for the time. Now, that same architecture recalls the sunlit chlorinated haze of a community swimming pool atrium or the glass solariums that capped fast-food restaurants in the 1990s.
The market’s online presence is as faded as its halls. Its official website leads only to a 404 error. Inside, the space is a collage of remaining tenants: a vape shop, a barber, an insurance agency, and a scattering of vending machines and photo booths. The overall impression is one of neglect rather than curated nostalgia.
A Hole-in-the-Wall Dumpling Stall
A staircase with a bright yellow bannister rises to the second-floor food court, where Nine Dumplings Vancouver operates under the whirr of ceiling fans. From entering Robson Public Market to stepping onto the landing above, it is easy to question whether this is the right place, or even the right decade. At the top waits one of the city’s finest dumpling kitchens in a place already abundant with Chinese food, announced by a sign that reads “Nine Dumplings – Handmade.”
The Art of the Nine Dumplings Sampler
Here, the specialty is in the name. The menu features nine distinct varieties of handmade dumplings, each wrapped in a naturally dyed skin. Spinach yields green, squid ink produces a deep black, beetroot offers a ruby hue, and butterfly pea flower turns dough a soft blue. The effect, when the bamboo lid is lifted, is of opening a jewellery box filled with precious gems. The colours make the dumplings perfectly Instagrammable, yet it’s doubtful that is the point.
Half the menu focuses on pork, matched with cabbage, cilantro, green pepper or kimchi. The rest steps into unexpected pairings such as lamb and zucchini, squid with pork and chive, scallop with fish, and a vegan mix of carrots, cabbage, cilantro, sesame and vermicelli.
The dumplings can be ordered in groups of six of the same flavour, though visitors are wise to choose the sampler platter of all nine for the full experience.
Nine Dumplings, Dozens of Dishes
The menu reaches well beyond dumplings, offering small plates and noodle dishes that show the same care. A vegan-friendly clear-noodle salad comes laced with Szechuan spice, while a King Qianlong cabbage salad balances sweet, sour and sesame. Dan dan noodles appear in both vegan and non-vegan versions, their peanut sauce layered with just enough heat. There is Beijing-style beef noodle soup, Szechuan mala boiling fish with rice, and stir-fried noodles with green beans, pork, garlic and black vinegar.
For drinks – one can help themselves to a cooler of canned pops or water. The perfect pairing being a Diet Coke in many people’s opinion. Prices stay measured, a reminder that the intention is to feed, not to posture.
The Story Behind the Steam at Nine Dumplings Vancouver
Nine Dumplings Vancouver is run by Yue Shen, who moved from Beijing to Vancouver in 1999 with his wife and daughter. They opened the Robson Public Market location in the winter of 2020, joining an earlier stall in City Square Shopping Centre. Both locations share the same curious backdrop of dated glass architecture, half-forgotten foot traffic and the slow fade of a once-thriving space. Yet , if it works, it works.
Much like Robson Public Market, the restaurant keeps no website. Their Instagram link leads to Yue’s personal account, which appears to be hacked, now advertising a foot massage parlour. In the current era of relentless food photography, this unintentional invisibility makes the discovery of Nine Dumplings Vancouver even more special. There is no army of influencers, no street presence, no online presence – Nine Dumplings withstands solely based on the merit of delicious, authentic, handmade food.
A Highly Decorated Hidden Gem
Despite Nine Dumplings being what some would call a ‘hidden gem’, that doesn’t mean it has gone unnoticed.
The tiled wall outside holds framed awards from the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards and the Chinese Restaurant Awards, naming Nine Dumplings Vancouver among the best in multiple categories including Best Casual Chinese (Bronze) and Critic’s Choice for their steamed dumpling sampler.
The public agrees, giving it near-perfect ratings online including a rare 4.8 stars on Google. Common terms to describe Nine Dumplings Vancouver include – generous portions, worth the trip and extremely underrated.
Why Nine Dumplings Vancouver Stays With You
Fluorescent light falls across the tables. Chairs scrape softly against the tiled floor. Steam rises from baskets, carrying the scent of chive, sesame and rich broth.
This is not a restaurant one visits for curated ambiance. It is a place that turns an unremarkable setting into an unexpected culinary experience. Oddly, it’s a place where you may have some of the best dumplings of your life, while waiting for your cell phone to be repaired.
Nine Dumplings Vancouver is the kind of place that lingers after the last bite, not because of where it is, but because of what it makes you forget. The faded market outside, the quiet corridors, the sense of having wandered somewhere half-forgotten only to find something worth remembering.