Silver Dragon
• 106 - 3 Ave SE | Calgary, AB | T2G 0B6
Average User Rating:
6.97/10
6.97/10
Recommended by:
75%
75%
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"Amazing dim sum"
Henry
March 2012 — "Silver Dragon located in the heart of Chinatown in Calgary is one of my favourite places for dim sum in town due to its high quality and great taste. As a result of their popularity this place is usually packed with people on weekend mornings when families gather to enjoy traditional a traditional Chinese dim sum meal. Dim sum menu runs from when the restaurant opens to about 1pm in the afternoon although it is always a good idea to show up sooner rather than later since the dim sum is fresher the earlier you arrive. Another great thing about Silver Dragon is it is one of the few remaining dim sum restaurants in town that has servers strolling around with carts so you can see exactly you are ordering before it shows up at your table. This is especially convenient for people who are new to dim sum. Expect a long line up however if you plan on visiting during the weekend."
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Bland and Mainstream"
Keith
June 2011 — "My friends and I have dim sum on a fairly regular basis but it had been years since we last gave Silver Dragon - one of Calgary's "historic" Chinese restaurants - a shot.
To be blunt, Silver Dragon has turned into the place you go to for dim sum when you have people in your party who have never tried dim sum and are not particularly adventurous.
What this meant for my friends and I was a meal that had all the "standard" (read: safe) dim sum dishes, but none of the more traditional, yet seemingly "exotic" dishes we know and love. To put into context, while we could and did order steamed chicken feet, the restaurant did not prepare nor carry duck feet (which for many long-time lovers of dim sum is a travesty). Furthermore, the standard items that were on hand were simply boring and overpriced.
On the bright side, when it comes to Chinese restaurants', Silver Dragon probably has the best wait-staff/management in the city. I was able to call ahead and reserve a table (which I highly recommend if you want to eat here on a weekend), and all the servers were very well versed in English.
If you're into dim sum but don't want to order anything too crazy, or are averse to language barriers, give Silver Dragon a shot, but trust me there's better restaurants out there."
User Rating
7/10
7/10
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"Pretty darn good ..."Jason
May 2010 — "The best thing about Silver Dragon is the variety. They seem to have a very large menu and a lot of selections for Dim Sum. And it's nice that not everything is deep fried or fried, but they have plenty of steamed dishes as well, and even a few (gasp) vegetable plates. My personal favourite is the green leafy vegetable (I think it's sort of a Chinese spinach, like Bok Choy, but the name escapes me) Plus the usual really "out there" authentic stuff, like the chicken feet and tripe for those more adventurous diners. They seem to keep the carts rolling well, and the food is usually hot and fresh (although it is Dim Sum, and inherit to the odd cold dish that has been passed over on the cart.) Service is good, but not exceptional. Adequate is the best description. You get your water filled quickly and tea stays full. Could be the staff is just plain busy because it's a tad busy on weekends (as are all Dim Sum places) so arrive early with your feedbag on.
My only major complaint is the price. I find it quite pricey. Compared to less "high end" joints, the price is a bit excessive, so I don't frequent it much, and look at it as a once every 3 months kind of treat, (which is probably a good thing, considering the calorie count in Dim Sum, yikes! ...) I've had brunch there with a group of three that costed as much as Dim Sum at other places for a group of 6 or 7, so it's pricey. Otherwise it's clean, tasty and fresh, so I don't mind paying the premium every once in a while. I'd recommend it for sure."
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Dim Sum Downtown Chinatown"
Mary
October 2009 — "Silver Dragon in Chinatown is a great place to have a dim sum lunch. It is usually super busy and the proportions are pretty big too. The lighting is really bright and the air conditioning is usually on full blast. Remember to bring a jacket or something, just in case you get chilly. Aside from the normal dishes, they do have some special desserts that are pretty good as well. Of course, dim sum is one of those meals where the more people you go with, the more dishes and the more variety you can order. When we went, we had really good service. Even though it was a full house, our teapot was not empty for long before hot water was refilled. Even though you have to take your tab to the front to pay, you don’t have to wait for long and the system is pretty efficient. Their shrimp and dumpling dishes are really good. If you are at a loss for places to go downtown, Silver Dragon is a definite option. "
User Rating
7.50/10
7.50/10
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"Poor Service, Don't Go after 1pm for Dim Sum"
Susan
September 2009 — "I've been a big fan of Silver Dragon in the past but haven't gone back in a long time since Chinatown is a bit out of the way. I finally got a chance to check it out again on a Sunday and it wasn't just a bad dim sum experience, it was the 'worst' dim sum experience ever. The restaurant had a lot of people when we arrived and about half of them left within half hour. I know we arrived a little later for dim sum but if you factor in the amount of people in there, it's not the best excuse. The food was all luke warm to cold but it wasn't just the temperature. The food was horrible. The service was bad. We asked for tea twice and finally on the third round, one of the lady pushing the carts decided to go grab us tea herself. I'm not sure if everything was just extra bad because we arrived after noon but because it was such a horrible experience, I don't think I would go back."
User Rating
3.83/10
3.83/10
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"Excellent Dim Sum"Jason
August 2009 — "I realize I have been on a bit of a dim sum kick lately as I sit in Silver Dragon waiting for the carts to come around. Silver Dragon is in the heart of Chinatown and has long been a fixture on this street. Admittedly, the majority of the clientele here is Caucasian when compared to the other restaurants on this street. They’ve done a good job in opening its doors and attracting a more diverse crowd. It helps to have the level of quality in their food that Silver Dragon has. I’ve been here many, many times and the food is always good. If you come during peak times, you will actually see carts being pushed around with dim sum items stacked up for your choosing. This is the authentic way to eat dim sum but many restaurants have removed this option due to space and staffing constraints. We ordered many items like the spare ribs, shrimp dumplings, rice crepes, spring roll, sticky rice…etc. All are very good. Prices are bit higher when compared to other dim sum establishments, but in my opinion it is still worth it. They range from 3.99 to 5.99 per item."
User Rating
8.17/10
8.17/10
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"Silver Dragon"
Melissa
August 2009 — "My family and I have been going to Silver Dragon for several years for Dim Sum. We recently went on Holiday Monday. Since the tradition of Dim Sum has really caught on in the Western population, you often find long waits to get a table. I recommend getting there around 11 am on a Sunday. Holiday Monday actually seemed to be a good day to go however, as there wasn't the usual line-up down the stairs that you normally encounter on a weekend.
Food was excellent as always. We have found the Silver Dragon to offer the best Dim Sum in Calgary. The food was hot and a great selection. There is a good reason why it is often lined up on weekends. Price for our table of 5 worked out to be about $17 a person.
If you are new to the world of Dim Sum, go in with an open mind, and test out at least 1 item off of each cart. Trust me, it’s worth it!
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User Rating
9/10
9/10
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"My favorite Dim Sum"Mary
May 2009 — "My boyfriend and I went here for lunch the other afternoon. We went for dim sum which, for those who have never been, is a fun and interesting way to dine. The meal is like an Asian buffet on wheels. The waiters are pushing carts with food in small dishes with enough pieces to serve four. That's why it's best to go in groups of four, as it usually works out to one piece each. Me and my boyfriend ordered about 5 dishes, varying from steamed rice, chicken's feet, shrimp crepes, it really becomes a guessing game sometimes as to what you're eating. Each dish costs about $4 so it worked out to just over $30 for the two of us. The servers here are quite efficient always taking plates away as they empty and constantly refilling your water and tea. We've been to quite a few Dim Sum places, I would rate this as one of my top choices. Good place to try if you've never been."
User Rating
8/10
8/10
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"Hard to criticize Silver Dragon "
Ted
October 2007 — "We too are long time Silver Dragon customers, the food is yummy and variety is good. Waiting to get in is sometimes an issue issue yet we have seldom waited for long. A great mix of downtown business people happily munching away during the week and families young and old on the weekends. I always feel very much at home here due to the graciousness of the staff and aanagement. We continue to make it our main dim sum destination. The serving staff have always been great and let me also suggest that your smile and politeness is a universal language and the staff happily will lift the lids to show you what treats are inside the containers. The only thing I can fuss about is that you always have to ask for hot sauce but it arrives eventually.
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User Rating
8/10
8/10
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"Dim Sum Yum!"Sarah
October 2006 — "The Silver Dragon has by far the best dim sum in Calgary. Gather a group of friends or family and head to Chinatown on a Saturday or Sunday, dim sum starts at 9:30 and goes until 2pm. This traditional Chinese brunch is not for the unadventurous type. Carts filled with dumplings, rice, buns and all sorts of other goodies present a plethora of choice that unless previously experienced, may be overwhelming to some. In other words, bring a seasoned dim sum expert with you unless you have no fear. Dishes are shared and usually come with enough for four people. Be careful though, if you don't know what you want you might end up with way too much food! I personally recommend sticky rice, shrimp or pork dumplings, bean curd wraps and salt and pepper squid. Just an added tip, try to go before 11am or after 1pm to avoid the crazy rush."
User Rating
6.33/10
6.33/10
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"Best Dim Sum in the City"Wendi
September 2006 — "My family and I have been going for dim sum at the Silver Dragon for over a decade and it consistenty has fresh and delicious food. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We've always had good service despite the fact that is is always hectic here. If you arrive on Sunday for dimsum and there is a large lineup down the stairs (and there almost always is) make sure you go upstairs up the front desk and ask for a number, otherwise you will be waiting for a long long time. The line always moves pretty fast and it is definately worth the wait. My friend and I ate ourselves silly at spent about $18 each, which is on the pricey side, but we ate a lot of shrimp dishes. It is definately cheaper if you order strictly pork or beef. Oh, I wish I had a dumpling right now! We've had regular Chinese food before on several occassions and it has always been good. There's a reason why this restaurant is always packed despite how large it is!"
User Rating
8/10
8/10
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"Lacks Good Customer Service"Jasmine
August 2006 — "We decided to try out Silver Dragon amongst other restaurants in Calgary as we heard it's an awesome restaurant. We even had to wait about half an hour to get a table. We didn't mind that as long as it'll be worth it in the end but unfortunately it WASN'T. When we were seated at our table, we asked a staff how it works (how we get food, how it's priced, etc). He wasn't very friendly. He answered us like we were very ignorant people. He said "You pick what you like, you pay for it. It's very straightforward." The way he said it was very rude and unfriendly. He didn't even explain how we're supposed to know how much each item is (we later found out through someone else). Some of the staff can't even speak/understand English well. We were asking about the dish they were serving (what it is, what it's made of), they just mumble something, only they can understand. All in all, staff should be more friendly, helpful and more proffesional!"
User Rating
3.50/10
3.50/10
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DescriptionThis Chinatown establishment has been around more than 30 years. There is a traditional menu of 200 items prepared by 15 Hong Kong-trained chefs. Also, tanks of live lobster and crab and the daily dim sum are available. Parties welcome. Private dining room. Monday to Thursday 10:30 am to midnight, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 2 am, Sunday 9:30 am to 10 pm.
Location Information106 - 3 Ave SE
Calgary
AB
T2G 0B6
