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“With over 800 restaurants in Richmond, dining choices can be overwhelming,” says Tracy Lakeman, CEO of Tourism Richmond. “We’ve selected 15 eateries with some of the best dumplings from upscale restaurants to hidden gems and food court stalls.” The trail is a walkable, bikable self-guided route.

I did a mini tour — along with a food blogger and food editor — led by Colin Wong and Joyce Chiang of Tourism Richmond. They suggest doing the Dumpling Trail in groups of four or more to be able to order a lot of different dumplings. “You could do it by yourself, in theory,” says Wong, adding, “if you are suicidal.”

Wong has fond dumpling recollections from childhood and thinks of it as comfort food. “My mom and aunts would make it and it was always a treat. Dumplings take time and my sister still talks about when she was small and helping make them, pinching them off. It was a family affair.”

I visited five restaurants, ranging from upscale (Empire Seafood Restaurant and Golden Sichuan) to a modest café (Samsoonie Noodle and Rice, a Korean restaurant), to two fast-food outlets (R & H Chinese Food) and Xi’an Cuisine (Richmond Public Market).

At the first stop, Empire Seafood Restaurant (London Plaza, 5951 No. 3 Rd.), it was fight or flight. It was 10 a.m. and there were enough dumplings to do me in — five different types, as well as a custard tart that Chiang and Wong said I must try because it’s so good. My plan to eat a bite of each went laughing into oblivion. I finished all five and the tart, too, simply because, as they said, it was so good. The dumplings were refined and not at all oily, so it took its place quietly in my stomach. The standouts were a scallop and shrimp dumpling wrapped, like a shawl, with a rice wrapper. The steamed egg cream bun was amazing.And wu gok was a revelation, with its haywire exterior resembling a Brillo pad.