The Dumpling House
328 Spadina Avenue
416-596-8898
Dinner for two with all taxes and tip: $24

As the Chinatown traffic flows by, the area’s markets and restaurants also flow with traffic of their own - and right in the middle of it all sits a small eatery called The Dumpling House. Almost as a spectacle, two ladies stand at the restaurant window diligently making dumplings; one rolls out the dough, while the other fills and presses that dough into the final product. The dumplings are made tremendously fast, with hundreds if not thousands created every day. They are prepared in a variety of flavours, from the classic pork and chive, the tasteful (and my personal favourite) pork and fennel, to the more unusual sour cabbage. In total there are 23 kinds of dumplings, each with a chewy-soft shell and a powerfully flavourful inside.

Continue reading More Than Dumplings at The Dumpling House »

La Cocina De Dona Luz
807 Saint Clair Avenue West
416-652-7430
Buffet for two with all taxes, tip, fresh fruit juice and Peruvian soda: $68

From the outside of the restaurant I didn’t think it was Peruvian, or even Latin American for that matter. The sign only said ‘international food,’ and being in Canada that could mean anything, since almost every style of food Canadians eat is ‘international.’ Despite the vague descriptors I decided to go in, because it seemed to permeate a quiet charm.

Inside there was nothing more than a few tables, and some customers quietly talking in Spanish. People were eating from a buffet laid out like a small cornucopia on two foldable tables. I decided to stay and try the buffet and while waiting for service, I began to notice some of finer points of the restaurant; Latin American folk music softly playing in the background; pictures, paintings and artefacts mostly from Peru; and the quiet staff behind the restaurant’s small bar, all looking like a single family.

Continue reading La Cocina De Dona Luz: A Peruvian Buffet »

The Big Ragu
1338 Lansdowne Avenue
416-654-7248
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and soda: $73

Recently, on one of those steaming hot summer days, I found myself walking down The Corsa Italia on St. Clair Avenue. When I hit Lansdowne I was tempted to go home, because the strip appeared to be over. Then from the corner of my eye I saw a tiny little restaurant across the way called The Big Ragu. It was unassuming and quaint, not the type of place that I would normally notice.

Be it fate or luck I noticed this one, and for some reason was compelled to try it. The interior was dark and well kept. It felt clean and cool and was an oasis from the sweltering summer heat.

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Paldo Gangsan
694 Bloor Street West
416-536-7517
Dinner with all taxes, tip and soju: $72

This Mom and Pop restaurant makes no claims with its décor or fare. One night at dusk I was walking in the neighbourhood and it caught my eye. It looked quaint and honest so I decided to try it. The inside was simple and organized, with closed off booths on one side and tables on the other. I was seated at a table, and given a big jug of water to start.

The interior was simple, with off-white walls adorned with posters promoting Korean beer and liquor. It had a slightly grimy look, as if over the years it had not been well-kept.

The menu, written in both Korean and English was crumpled and hard to read. The English descriptions were bland at best, and it was hard to come up with things I wanted to order, so I decided to go for some old favourites.

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Keung’s Delight
7030 Warden Ave East, Markham
905-948-9000
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and beverages: $43

Chinese food is a staple of the Canadian palate. From the smallest town, to the largest city, surely a Chinese restaurant is near by. In these restaurants there are two types of people – the people in the know and those ‘not’ in the know.

For most of my life, I can safely say that I have not been in the know. What is the know? It is awareness of an ancient and diverse culinary tradition that stretches back thousands of years. When you consume good Chinese food, it is like consuming a piece of history that has been passed down for countless generations to the point where it reaches your table.

Continue reading The Delight of Keung’s Delight »

What is it about coffee? There is nothing like the perfectly-made espresso or a latte that is rich and creamy, but for some reason it is hard to find. I often ask myself, in a market with so much competition, why is it that a vast majority of coffee produced and consumed is not great coffee?

The most logical explanation would be that people don’t really care about what coffee they drink, as long as it does the job. I’d like to believe this explanation, however every time I go to an artisan café that is centred on quality products and craftsmanship, I hear the same reactions from customers, ‘This coffee is great!’ So now I am led to believe that it is not about what people like, it’s rather they just don’t know what great coffee is.

It is simple; great coffee is like great wine - with different styles, flavours and methods of preparation. In Toronto, a few cafés are starting to produce world-class coffee, and these two are definitely worth a try.

Continue reading Crazy About Coffee »