Wei Lai Dim Sum 

Overview:

Wei Lai is a traditional Chinese dim sum restaurant located in the McIntyre Square shopping center, right off McKnight Rd. It is open Friday and Saturday from 11 to 9:30. 12-9 on Sunday, and 11-9 Tuesday through Thursday. At Wei Lai, you can get classic dim sum dishes like pork ribs, bao buns, radish cakes, and steamed shumai. They also offer bigger dishes like homemade soups, noodle dishes, and fried rice. The soups are very similar to ramen but have customary Chinese ingredients such as white pepper, radish, and bok choy. 

Wei Lai offers many different ways to enjoy their food including traditional sit down inside the spacious dining room. If you are in a hurry or want to eat out they offer online order and pickup. For delivery, you can order from Uber Eats, Doordash, or Grubhub. 

The Food:

Pork Soup Dumplings 

When ordering dinner, our group was very confused by the large menu Wei Lai had. It took a long time to pick everything we wanted. However, it was also the first time most of the people I went with tried dim sum, so it was tricky to find something for everyone. 

The first appetizer we ate was the pork soup dumplings. These are wonton dumplings filled with pork and soup broth which are supposed to be eaten on a spoon. You can add some of the sour dipping sauce which tastes like ponzu and vinegar.

Steamed Pork Ribs w/ Black Bean Sauce

The second appetizer I ordered for the table was the steamed pork ribs with a black bean sauce. Most of the people did not eat the ribs but I enjoyed them. They were tender spare ribs with a little bit of meat on each bone. At first, I could not guess what the sauce was but it tasted like it had lots of garlic in it. 

Golden Tofu

Our last appetizer for the table was the golden tofu. This is just simple tofu fried up with a sweet and sour sauce. Almost everyone including myself liked the tofu. It was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. 

Beef & Beef Tendon Noodle Soup

One of the people in our party ordered beef and beef tendon noodle soup. They did say they enjoyed it and I was able to try the broth which was tasty. This dish includes beef broth, braised beef, beef tendon, bok choy, radish, scallion, and cilantro. I think the colors in this dish were great as the bok choy and scallion stood out against the darker beef and broth. 

Taiwanese Dan Zai Noodle Soup

I ordered the Taiwanese dan zai noodle soup for dinner and I was blown away by the different flavors in the bowl. It had beef and chicken broth, braised ground pork, shrimp, braised egg, bean sprouts, fried onion, and cilantro. I liked the chewiness of the noodles with the braised pork and shrimp. The star of the dish for me was the braised egg which had a great umami flavor. 

Service:

When we got to Wei Lai we decided to eat in the dining room because we were ordering dim sum dishes. The service was pretty good as our waitress was friendly and let us take our time deciphering the menu. When we did order, our food came out in quick succession with the apps coming out first, and then the main dishes followed after. 

Atmosphere:

Dim Sum Offerings 

Wei Lai has very minimal decorations inside or outside the restaurant. I noticed this menu sign on the window by the door which displays some of the dim sum they serve. The inside of the dining room is very plain with solid-colored walls and brick design. I also thought the tables were just plain with utensils and plates on them. 

Dining Room

Rating: Average |⭐⭐⭐✩✩|

Wei Lai Dim Sum restaurant is a decent place in the North Hills to get dim sum. They offer many time-honored dishes that anyone would recognize if they have tried dim sum before. However, they also have dishes that people who are less adventurous while eating would like such as noodle soups, fried rice, and many drinks they have. I enjoyed my food and thought the service was pretty quick and on point. My main gripe is that the prices are high for just about everything they serve, especially the dim sum. My party spent almost $100 for our meal and did not think the amount of food justified the price. However, this may not be an issue, especially if you get something here just for yourself. Additionally the ambience was very dull and the restaurant was not decorated. I would recommend the noodle soup dishes over anything else here.