Dumpling Restaurant

Dumpling Restaurant (4385 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough)
 Phone number(416) 293-8321

I only noticed this afterwards, but there is Korean writing on the sign. This was confusing because the staff spoke Mandarin to us and Northern Chinese dishes were on the menu. Renée noted that she also saw Korean offerings like pork bone soup, but I didn't notice that. 

Hot and sour soup with noodles.

I think we could've done without the noodles due to too much food ordered, but it was good. It wasn't extremely spicy, nor sour. 

Pot stickers

I think these are my favourite kind of dumplings, next to the soup-filled kind.

Green onion pancake. Not the best I've eaten, but passable.

Steamed dumplings

We got both the pork and lamb versions. The lamb dumplings were way juicier, with meat juice squirting out at the first bite.

Beef pancake roll

I don't know what it's actually called, but it's basically a thin green onion pancake rolled with slices of beef. 

Would I return? Sure. The food is pretty reasonably priced and decent. There is ample space inside the restaurant. Though the staff may be found on their cell phones, they will multitask and grab your empty teapot with their other hand. Service may be a bit indifferent, but this is by no means a fancy joint. 

Total damage: approximately $15 per person (3 people total) for everything in the pictures (plus an extra steamer of dumplings). 

Mei Nung Beef Noodle House

Mei Nung Beef Noodle House (3229 Highway 7 East, Markham)

905-477-8388

Small beef noodles

Renée and I call this restaurant the beef noodle place, but it should really be called the stinky tofu place. The stench of that trademark dish is the first thing you'll notice when you walk in. If you can stomach the smell, the noodles are worth it. It's the only thing I ever order there. The broth is flavourful, the beef is tender, and the noodles are bouncy and plentiful. A small is enough to fill me up. The noodles are garnished with some pickled vegetables which add some sourness. Wholly satisfying. 

Would I return? Yes. The beef noodles have been consistent every time I visit, and they're delicious and reasonably priced. It is my go to place for beef noodles.

Total damage: under $10 for a bowl of small beef noodles.

Pretty sure I typed "beef noodles" way too many times here.

Sprout

Sprout (5 Northtown Way, North York)

(647) 340-9093

Hours: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. daily

Funky spicy noodles.

This wasn't as "alarmingly yellow" as I expected. More of a brown colour, I'd say. Taste-wise, I thought it was good. Very saucy, and enough to cover the rice noodles. There was a decent amount of seafood. Wasn't as spicy as I was hoping for, but spicy for me is when my nose runs and my face goes red. Funny how spicy symptoms can mimic extreme cold weather alerts.

Renée's order of Classic noodles.

I think it resembles a variation of jajangmyun (ja jeung mein). Again, very saucy. 

The joint is a small space, and I'd say it's more of a take-out place. We were greeted in a very pleasant manner. Menu is simple, and consists of four main noodle options. The noodles are constant, but it sells on the sauces. We both ordered the large bowl (just under or about $10 each), and it was enough for me. I'd be interested in trying the garlic explosion noodles next time.

Between Sprout, Artisan Noodle, Ajisen, Sho Ryu Ken, Kinton, and even jajangmyun at Song Cook, there is no shortage of Asian noodle options in Willowdale. From Xi'an, to Hainan, to ramen, and beyond, you can taste the Asian colours of the wind. Yum!

Artisan Noodle

Artisan Noodle (5421 Yonge Street, North York)

647-345-1155

Hours (from website):

Mon - Thurs: 11:30 - 10:30

Fri: 11:30 - 11:00

Sat - Sun: 12:00 - 11:00

But here's something good to know: they're closed on Tuesdays.

Every time I pass by this place, there is always people in it. During meal times, a line can often be seen out the door. There seems to be hype around this place since it opened not too long ago. Take-out is encouraged by staff to preserve their tiny seating section, I guess. 

They offer Xi'an style food... I'm not going to pretend that I know where that is or what that food is supposed to taste like.

Pork jia mo $3.99.

It was good. The bun is crispy on the outside, and the meat is a good amount. It was leaking meat juices as Monique ate it. Meat juice is always good. Pretty filling.

Yo po biang biang mian $9.99. It's noodles with meat and vegetables with garlic, ginger, and chilli oil sauce.

This is a pretty colourful and exciting dish. There is a good amount of raw garlic and scallions on top, so be sure to mix before eating, and talk less after eating. Monique seemed to like her order.

The "hand-slapped" fat noodles of the yo po biang biang mian.

 Soy stewed beef noodle soup $9.99.

I am a sucker for noodles made by hand. There is a nice bounce to them. Good portion of meat and noodles. The soup definitely had a nice soy sauce flavour to it. Couldn't complain about the meat.

My one gripe is that the whole place seats about ten people in pretty squished arrangement. It's hard to get to the bench along the wall without knocking or moving a table. There's a mural featuring cartoon people making noodles, all with a look that I can only describe as maniacal laughter face. It's a little funny and kind of scary at the same time. On another wall, a light-projected logo spins and spins and spins. The table legs are made of pipes; they look cool, but try not to hit them with your shins.

Would I return? Yup! I quite enjoyed the pork jia mo and soy stewed beef noodle soup, and I would be interested in trying out the other noodles they offer, too. The prices are fair, and portions are happily filling. Also, I am a bit of a noodle monster. It's not a fancy place (water is given out of styrofoam cups, and we used disposable chopsticks to eat), but it's comfy enough. I'd probably do take-out next time anyway because I'm not a fan of cramped spaces full of people.

Top four photos taken by Monique. Thanks to her for checking this place out with me! Go Mandarin-speaking friends who order for me!

Rosewood Chinese Cuisine

Rosewood Chinese Cuisine (463 Dundas West, Toronto)

416-593-9998

Momo found this place with their special dim sum pricing of $1.88 per dish, available Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. This applies to any size dish. 

We were greeted in Mandarin, but as we were led upstairs, I noticed that the staff also spoke Cantonese. We were given a dim sum menu that had two columns with Chinese headers. 

Momo tries to decipher the words.

This is but a fraction of what we ordered and ate.

Overall, the place is surprisingly clean for Chinatown - at least the upstairs was; I didn't quite get a good look at the downstairs area. There are four large screens put together for karaoke, which was not going on when we went to eat there. 

Would I return? Yes. I enjoyed the food. Most of it tasted like the real deal. I was just a bit disappointed at the cha siu chaan bao because it wasn't the sticky, glazed top kind. Other than that, the stuff we ordered tasted as expected. There is a tea charge, but the price per plate (during the early bird pricing) was very fair. 

Total damage: approximately $15 each. With the leftovers, this was more like two meals for the price of one. 

Phoenix

Phoenix Restaurant (8190 Bayview Avenue, Thornhill, Ontario)

905-886-1113

A02: Fish bean curd and Yunnan noodles in soup... or something like that.

I can't really remember what it's called. I like the soft bean curd poufs. I switched the standard noodles for other noodles, but I'm not sure what I switched it for because Jo ordered it for me in Chinese. Overall, it's very plentiful, and could probably feed two people. Other soup noodles of this variety can come in combo form with a drink. Renée got the fish slices in soup noodles and I'll admit that it tasted better than it sounded. The fish was peppery and not super bland.

Would I return? Sure. Jo likes their cold Hong Kong style milk tea, and the prices are cheap enough. They've repackaged their menu into a nicer bound book with lots of pictures. We also saw a staff member wiping down menus with steaming water later in the night. I was impressed and it's good to know that they're cleaned.

Total damage: approximately $7. Jo had a receipt from before which gave us 10% off our meal. I don't know how long that promotion is going to last.

Marathon Donuts & Coffee

Marathon Donuts & Coffee (unit 32, 3300 Midland Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario)

416-299-9511

Google maps hint: don't type in Scarborough when searching. It will lead you to somewhere else.

The place looks like a coffee shop that could have been around longer than I have. The menu looks extensive, but we really just wanted to try their Hong Kong style milk tea. Jo has been saying that it came in third place in some sort of North American milk tea competition. 

The milk teas came in paper cups, but they definitely weren't watered down. Renée got the iced version and though it wasn't bad, we decided that the hot version was superior. Jo and Renée still like the cold milk tea at Phoenix better (they chill it and serve it with no ice, so the flavour is more intense).

Would I return? I would if someone drove me. It's a bit out of the way in this whatever Chinese plaza. The milk tea is good though. The staff is pretty friendly and non-threatening. We stayed there for a good while just hanging out and watching the Chinese game show that was on their TV without any hassle.

Total damage: $1.60.

Phoenix Restaurant

Phoenix Restaurant (8190 Bayview Avenue, Thornhill, Ontario)

905-886-1113

Satay beef sandwich

I just wanted a light snack instead of a full second dinner. Jo and Renée laughed at me when I ordered it. Jo said it sounded like something I would make. Maybe that's why I liked it. It tastes like... meat that belongs on rice but is stuck between two pieces of white bread. Works for me! Beef was flavourful (not necessarily very satay) and not overcooked.

Jo ordered a way fancier course meal:

It started with a warm, toasted, buttered to the max mini croissant and spinach soup. Jo pointed out the fancy sprinkling of herbs that we wouldn't have expected from a place like this.

Next was the escargots that came on puffs of mashed potato. I'm pretty sure they were from a can, but at least they were full of garlic flavour. 

Jo's main course was fried chicken Japanese style.

That chicken was good. And there was so much. Jo kept cutting pieces and shoving it at my plate. 

Dessert was also more than expected. The presentation was nice, and Jo and I both thought she'd simply get a bowl of ice cream. The middle ball is a frozen cream puff. The cube on the right is frozen cheesecake. It was a little too frozen to eat immediately.

Would I return? Sure. Where else can I get things like satay beef sandwich? Their milk tea is also decent. Their thick toasts also look pretty exciting as I saw one go by us.

Total damage: $7 for my milk tea and sandwich. Jo's meal was something like $16 + tax + tip.

Leslie Cafe

Leslie Cafe (140 Ravel Road, Toronto, Ontario)
416-493-4933

Renée wanted some cheapo morning congee. Before 11:30 a.m. (I think... can't remember if it was 11:30 or 12:30) on a weekday, this place has some pretty cheap combos. 

Combos come with a drink, and I almost always get milk tea nowadays.

Rice noodle rolls and fried dough sticks.

Renée's meal.

Would I return? Yes. Food is super cheap and student friendly. It's not gourmet, but you get what you pay for. Congee is super plain (I don't even think there was msg), fried dough sticks aren't super fresh, and rice noodle rolls could've used some sauce. But you know... cheap and filling. It can be satisfying in the morning, and it was good enough for me. I'm pretty sure Renée and I could've split one combo as neither of us could finish our meals. That would have been ridiculously cheap.

Total damage: $4.50

Rol San

Rol San (323 Spadina Avenue, Toronto)

In Chinatown, there are two dim sum places that are right across the street from each other. One is said to be rather mediocre, so naturally we went to the other one for some all day dim sum. On a weekday morning, it was just us and some elderly Chinese folk. Derek had been there before, but me and Monique had low expectations for Chinatown dim sum. I'm more a fan of that strip of Chinese restaurants on highway 7 sometimes called Chinatown North. They seem slightly cleaner and the food seems to be of higher quality. 

Some har gow (steamed shrimp dumpling) and har cheung (shrimp rice noodle roll).

They weren't bad! The shrimp were pretty large. The skin on the har gow was a bit thick, but it was edible.

Fried octopus and siu mai.

There were three of these fried radish block thingies before I took the pic.

It could've used a little more fried outside, but I liked 'em. 

Chicken feet.

Black sesame balls and milk egg tarts.

The sesame balls were really hot and fresh. We all quite enjoyed them, though I know that Jo would complain about how thick the outer shell was.

Taro spring rolls. Monique was trying to order something else, but this came out. 

That was kind of new to me. It was okay, but the taro would've gone better with the flakier stuff that Monique was attempting to order.

Would I return? Yeah. With my aforementioned low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by how edible everything was. Some stuff was even good! I like how they even had the authentic dim sum standard white plastic table cloth. Since their dim sum is offered all day, I wouldn't have to wake up early to get it. That's a win to me! However, if given the choice between Rol San and uptown dim sum, I'd pick uptown. But you know... it's still okay for downtown dim sum.

Total damage: $14 per person. Three is a good number of people for dim sum because most of the food comes in portions of three or four. 

Richmond Court Buns

Richmond Court (550 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

905-709-1628

To my surprise, Mel, Renée, and Jo came by and dropped off some Chinese buns and some lozenges for my cough.

The buns were from Richmond Court and they had shiny tops!

One of my favourites is the hot dog bun. Simple and satisfying. The dough is slightly sweet and the meat is slightly salty. 

This bun trio was new to me.

In the first one, there was a soft, yellow filling. I think it was "milk yellow" filling. That's my crappy Chingrish translation by the way, and I could be totally wrong with that.

The second one had a red bean filling. That's when I started to understand that these were dessert buns.

The last one had the coconut-textured stuff. I think this type of bun translates to "chicken end bun". I don't know if that's right, but I'm pretty sure there's no chicken in it. :p

Yay for Chinese buns! And for awesome friends who bring over food and pills (not pictured) when I'm sick. Cheers to that and cheers to them!

Casa Victoria

Casa-Victoria Fine Dining and Banquet (8601 Warden Avenue, Markham, Ontario)

905-948-1618

info@casavictoria.ca

So here's another post that should have been up a long time ago. 

There are black sesame seeds in the wraps! There's too much meat, and not enough crispy skin in that left piece.

Chandelier!

Fancy teapot.

More fancy lights! My eyes! =_=

Would I return? Maybe if someone else were paying. Everything was cooked well, but not super amazing. There's quality and freshness in the dishes, but you're totally (over)paying for it. I think we visited this place last year before summer, and I remember the restaurant being really hot inside. Also, blinding bling everywhere! 

I appreciated the servers portioning each platter, but this style of eating Chinese food is better suited for a (bling!) wedding than a casual get-together. 

The desserts were pretty cool. 

Total damage: $32.75 per person. I think this is the most expensive Chinese food I've ever had to pay for. BLING! =_=

Check out Professor Crunchy's take on this place.