Published by Angie. Last Updated on January 21, 2025.
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There are precious few places to get Cantonese dim sum in Pittsburgh, so we were thrilled when Wei Lai Dim Sum opened in Ross Township. With its friendly service and wide variety of dim sum dishes at an affordable price, this spot is one we will gladly return to again and again.
We are not generally fans of McKnight Road or strip malls in general, but we can get behind the recent trend of excellent Asian restaurants opening in these types of areas. Wei Lai is one such place in McIntyre Square, a shopping area in flux with several empty storefronts. Their bright orange sign beckons you to come in for dim sum, and we did just that.
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Reasonably Priced Dim Sum at Wei Lai
As we pondered the huge menu in the bright, cheery interior we soon forgot about the strip mall outside- we were quickly all about the food. Besides dim sum, there are tons of bubble tea options, soups, noodles, main dishes over rice, fried rice, and more.
We wanted to try a mix of things but still focus on dim sum, so we started with some pork sliders and the spicy wontons. The pork sliders had braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and spicy mayo. The meat was tender and savory, and we really liked the tang of the pickled greens on top to balance all the richness.
The spicy wontons were filled with shrimp and served over glass noodles with bok choy, soy sauce, and, of course, a spicy chili oil drizzled all over. The wontons themselves were simple but the chili oil amped up the flavor with its delicious spiciness and mouth-numbing taste.
For dim sum we tried to restrain ourselves but really wanted one of everything – this is definitely the kind of place where it pays to go with a group so you can try more. Luckily there is also a dim sum sampler platter with four different kinds of dumplings (with two dumplings of each kind), which we eagerly ordered.
The sampler has shrimp spinach dumplings, shrimp and pork dumplings, crystal shrimp dumplings, and shrimp shumai. The dumplings were all nicely steamed with tender wrappers and moist, well-seasoned fillings, but we are always especially suckers for shumai. The shrimp spinach dumplings were also fun with their bright green wrappers.
No dim sum meal is complete without a few sweets, so we finished with some coconut milk cake and taro balls. The coconut milk cake was ultra light and delicate, with a prominent creamy coconut flavor that was just sweet enough. We really loved the taro balls, too, with their crispy deep-fried exterior and creamy and starchy purple interior. This was just the ending we needed for our meal!
The service here is very friendly, with our server guiding us through the menu and recommending different dishes. They even remembered one of our friends who is a regular here and were very sweet – we anticipate it's only a matter of time before we are regulars here as well!
All in all, Wei Lai brings a much-needed dim sum spot to an unlikely strip mall. With a huge menu that's affordable and approachable, and friendly service, this is a spot that we will keep coming back to – hopefully with bigger and bigger groups so we can try the whole menu!
Wei Lai Dim Sum is located at 3200 McIntyre Square in Ross Township.
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