Atmosphere: The quick service restaurant was located on the first floor of Dragon Tower at Spadina and Dundas with their own entrance on Dundas St. The layout was reminiscent of any fast food shop with an order counter, self-service utensils, a condiment station and movable square tables. While the restaurant was busy, turnover was quick and I was able to find a seat while Stephen ordered. Additional seating was available inside the lobby of the building.

Service: After placing our order, we were given a buzzer that would ring when it was ready to be picked up. Our baos were ready quickly and hot from the kitchen. Soy sauce, Chinese vinegar and hot sauce were available self serve with little plastic dixie cups. Adding a serving of sliced ginger to each order of baos would be a great addition.

Food: Juicy Dumpling’s menu was simple with an assortment of steamed and fried xiao long baos (listed as mini soup dumplings), dumplings and some traditional Shanghainese snacks. Stephen and I ordered two trays of the steamed pork baos, one order of pan fried juicy buns (their version of sheng jian bao) and a bowl of shrimp wontons with spicy sauce.

The baos were good. The skins were a bit thicker than I prefer but consistently even and the filling well seasoned with a good amount of soup. When picked up, the baos lacked the signature xiao long bao droop. I may have liked the fried version better with crispy bottoms that masked the shortfalls. The pan fried juicy buns were also fine, good filling with a similar skin as the soup dumplings, but not quite sheng jian baos (still a thin wrapper but more yeasty in texture).

I did really like the shrimp wontons, more specifically the chili oil that was super fragrant and sweet without being overly spicy. This was one of the more expensive menu item at $7.99 for 8 pieces. Funny enough, I see lots of online reviews of this dish disliking the very aspects that I liked. Too sweet, not spicy. So to each their own.

Overall, our meal at Juicy Dumpling was satisfying and the value undeniable. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit, but if I was already in the neighbourhood hungry, they’d be a top contender for a meal.

When choosing a quick stop for lunch on weekends, half of the time I opt to re-visit an old favourite and the rest of the time I like to try some place new. Before heading out, The Hubby and I talk about what we’re craving that day and a quick Google search will narrow down our selection. This was how we ended up at Chinese Dumpling House one Saturday after running errands nearby.

Atmosphere: Chinese Dumpling House was a small, mom and pop shop located in a mall with many other Chinese restaurants. Guests walking in were greeted by the sight of cooks making fresh to order dumplings at the front of the restaurant. Decor was bare and the furniture was functional. Many of the tables were filled with older Asian couples, which I interpreted as a good sign.

Service: To me, service was on par with similar restaurants, efficient and no-nonsense.

Food: As is my routine for visiting new Chinese restaurants, I ordered a large hot and sour soup to start. Priced at $3.99 for a regular size and $4.99 for large, the portion size was huge and could have easily fed 4 people. The soup had a strong flavour, in the hot and sour component and also had a savoury chicken base. Each ladle scoop was full of bamboo and egg. Our other appetizer was less impressive. The cold pig ear salad was much more cucumber than pig ear and the flavour was one-dimensional. All I could taste was soy sauce with a mild hint of vinegar. Adding spoonfuls of chili oil, a condiment at the table, helped a lot.

For dumplings, we tried the steamed lamb (15) and pan fried pork and chive dumplings (6). There were only two options for pan-fried dumplings, pork and pork and chive. The steamed dumplings were plump, had a thin chewy skin and strong gamey flavour. Dipped in vinegar and chili oil, these dumplings were delicious and authentic. Meanwhile, the pan fried dumplings were disappointing. There are two things I like about potstickers. First the sauce inside when you bite into one and second, the crispy bottom. At Chinese Dumpling House, there wasn’t much soup in the fried dumplings and the bottoms were unevenly crisp. Some were amazing, and others were only browned around the edge.

Overall, lunch did satisfy our craving that day, with a couple of misses.

Back when Kinka Izakaya first opened, waiting an hour or two for a table was a regular part of dinner. While in line, people often ducked into the small store next door to grab a bite to tide them over. Now, Kinka’s neighbour has turned into a draw of it’s own, the 5th location of Kinton Ramen. I was invited to drop by the latest franchise addition to slurp up a bowl of noodles.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

My usual order at Kinton is the miso pork broth with thick noodles, blowtorched pork belly and a seasoned egg. Lately though, I’ve fallen for Kinton’s chicken breast topping. Cooked sous-vide, the slices of chicken are super tender, juicy and rich in flavour. That night, I added jalapeno paste to be bowl, not too spicy, but added fragrance to the bowl. My friend had the miso ramen, with thin noodles, pork topping (a slice each of pork shoulder and belly), topped with nori and a seasoned egg. Other toppings at Kinton I like are the corn (included with the miso broth) and grated garlic. I usually try not to order the garlic if I’m out with friends because it is potent, a definite immune booster.

Between the pork shoulder and belly, the shoulder was much leaner and a good alternative for anyone who find the belly too fatty. The broth was thick, opaque and savoury.

For drinks, I sipped on the house-made lemonade while my friend ordered the calpico. Both drinks were refreshing, light and a good sidekick to the rich broth. Kinton also offers a small selection of cold and hot tapas, including takoyaki, tako wasabi and karaage. I got to try a new tapas item, the hot karaage. The bite size pieces of juicy fried chicken was coated in a spicy, Korean sauce. This was a delicious twist on one of my favourite dishes at both Kinka and Kinton. Both the takoyaki and tako wasabi were consistent with their other locations.

Like most Kinton locations, the restaurant was packed at dinner time. I would recommend visiting either earlier (5:30pm), later (8pm), or be prepared for a bit of a wait.

I like to believe a growing new Toronto food trend is Chinese hand-pulled noodles, one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. With the success of restaurants like Magic Noodle (despite recent rumblings of a decline in quality and consistency) and Artisan Noodle, I was happy to hear about a fresh China import specializing in Northern Chinese cuisine, Qin Tang Taste.

Atmosphere: Qin Tang Taste is a popular chain of restaurants in Northern China and the Scarborough location is their first North American venture. Even late on a Saturday (9pm), the restaurant had a queue of diners waiting and it took us 30 minutes to get seated at bar seats. The majority of tables were booths for large groups, occupied with families, or small tables for two. Like most busy Chinese restaurants, servers hustled through the dining area and there was a sense of hurriedness. Customers were there to eat, not linger over their meal chatting.

Service: After sitting down, a server came by with tea, cups, utensils and an ordering sheet. Unfortunately, the English translations on the ordering sheet were abysmal (noodles with meat or noodles with meat). I even turned to Instagram attempting to track down the Chinese characters that corresponded to the dishes I wanted to order. In the end, I ordered verbally in Mandarin, which was good because none of the dishes I had marked on the sheet were what I thought they were. Food arrived quickly and with the servers running around, it wasn’t too hard to get someone’s attention. At one point, I watched the servers pour a giant bowl of noodles into a pot someone had brought from home to transport his take-out order.

Food: Between the two of us, The Hubby and I split an order of grilled lamb skewers, bowl of Biang Biang Noodles and grilled mantou with condensed milk. I am a big fan of lamb skewers and the ones at Qin Tang Taste had the perfect seasoning. The meat was lightly charred and tender. Another special menu item was lamb skewers cooked on wooden sticks instead of metal ones; a dish I’m interested to try next time.

The true reason I was there though was to satisfy my craving for Biang Biang Noodles. Normally, I prefer my noodles soupy vs. dry, but the combination of tomatoes, egg, minced pork, Sichuan peppers and chili oil may convert me. At Qin Tang Taste, the thick belt noodles were chewy and satisfying. I did find the pepper and chili oil at Artisan noodle more fragrant but this bowl still hit the spot. When ordering noodles, most bowls come in small or large size, with the large bowls being giant. One large bowl could easily feed 4-5 people.

For dessert, the grilled mantou with condensed milk was a little greasy, but delicious. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and who can resist condensed milk? I also liked seeing a dessert item on the menu at a Chinese restaurant.

My visit to Kanga Pies was short and far too rushed. I was supposed to meet friends there for a quick bite before we caught a movie, but I left work late and my scheduled hour dinner was cut down to just 15 mins. Luckily, my friends were more prompt and got to enjoy a peaceful meal and pre-order my pie for me.

Kanga Pies was a small shop on Duncan street, off of Queen, specializing in Australian meat pies. Open daily until 9pm, Kanga offered take-away, delivery, boxes of frozen pies to bring home and a handful of seats for dine-in customers. Since this was my first visit, I stuck to ordering the Traditional Aussie pie that was filled with minced beef, gravy and a hint of vegemite. From their menu though, a lot of the pies sounded delicious including the Canadian (steak and bacon) and Butter Chix (chicken curry in a tomato sauce). I was really tempted to order a second pie to go.

My Aussie pie was savoury and saucey. I’d never had vegemite before and didn’t taste anything particular. I did find the filling a bit earthy (like a good chilli), was that the vegemite? Either way, it was delicious and encased in a super buttery and flakey pastry. For a side, I had the Aussie salad which was a hefty portion of baby spinach, arugula, shredded beetroot, candied walnuts and goat’s cheese with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. All of the ingredients were fresh and worked well with each other to create a filling salad. My greens were very heavily dressed though and I left a puddle of vinaigrette at the bottom of my carton.

Overall, Kanga Pies is great stop to grab a pie (or two, or box) to go for lunch or dinner.

Tito Ron’s began in 2015 as a pop-up for Chef Tristen to share her love of lumpia, a filipino spring roll, with Toronto. Run by Chef Tristan and her fiance Michael, Tito Ron’s combines Caribbean flavours with traditional Filipino comfort food. After a year at food festivals and their recent successful Kickstarter campaign, Tristen and Michael have found a permanent home in Kensington market to continue developing their recipes and sharing the delicious results. I was invited Tito Ron’s new digs for an intimate lumpia tasting.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Tito Ron’s has moved into the shared space of 214 Augusta Ave, where many other Kensington Market favourites had their start like Seven Lives. The space was cosy with a handful of seats near the back. A chalkboard sign listed the daily menu behind the custom, hand-painted counter. Michael hosted and introduced us to each dish, while Tristen put together each tasty bite. In general, all of the lumpia were crispy with thin wrappers and not too oily. I did prefer the sweet fillings over the savoury ones.

Jerk Chicken Adobo Lumpia – Filling of chicken thighs marinated in jerk seasoning, cooked in a Filipino adobo sauce, served with house hot sauce and achara (pickled pineapple slaw). I would say this was the safest choice on the menu with milder flavours. For me, I enjoyed the lumpia with an added dollop of hot sauce.

Channa Lumpia – Vegetarian friendly filling of chickpea mixed with Caribbean curry, served topped with sweet tamarind bbq sauce and achara. The tamarind flavour in the sauce was strong and went well with the seasoned chickpeas.

Tocino – Sliced pork shoulder, marinated with a combination of pineapple juice and soy sauce to create a wonderful balance of sweet and salty. The pork shoulder was then fried and served as sliders on a Caribbean Tennis Roll. Delicious. The tocino can also be ordered on rice.

Lechon Kawali – Tito Ron’s version of Lechon includes double frying the pork belly skin to maximizes crispiness. Pictured below is a half portion of the Lechon (we had lots of samples to get through).

Purple Plantain Lumpia – Filled with Ube Halaya (a Filipino dessert made with purple yam) and topped with mango condensed milk and plantain chip butter crumble. The filling was sweet, earth and similar to taro. While the topping was a handful to say, it was crunchy, buttery with a hint of the plantain taste. I was reminded of a caramel brittle. While the tropical ingredients were hard to discern, it was amazing.

Sweet Potato Pudding Lumpia – Filled with sweet potato and topped with a spiced coconut caramel drizzle and plantain chip butter crumble. Again, the topping was complex, but similarly mouthwatering. I liked how the lumpia itself wasn’t too sweet, creating a great base for the topping.
In addition to the food, I loved the fresh cantaloup juice, served with a frozen cantaloupe ice cube. Tristen continues to expand and refine Tito Ron’s menu and I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with. Filipino food is still one cuisine that’s beginning to come to life in Toronto and as an eater, I’m eager to learn more about it.

Hanoi is famed for their street food. Walking through old town,I was drooling at all the fried foods and pots of boiling broth. The vendors were also serious, sometimes packing their entire setup on a bicycle to get around. Setup including the normal plastic stools and tables, but also stoves, pots and pails of ingredients. Our guide took us on a night tour through Hanoi’s streets and into hidden cafes to visit the spots where locals go.

Chicken Pho – Unlike in North America where beef pho reigns supreme, Hanoi’s preferred protein was chicken, which turned out to be 10x more flavourful than 99% of the broths I’ve had in Toronto (except of Pho Dau Bo!). Another regional difference was just how much lime juice they use, and the little wedges were so fragrant. Adding the sharp acidity to the broth really made the flavours pop. The first bowl of pho we had was topped with hand-shredded chicken and fresh chives. Despite the sweltering weather, The Hubby and I both slurped up the hot broth, wiping sweat in between bites.

Banh Mi – Banh Mi sandwich stalls were located on almost every block. Our tour guide brought us to one setup in an alleyway with a long line and we split a sandwich filled with pickled vegetables and various meats. The sandwich was good, but the best Banh Mi we had in Vietnam was at Banh Mi Huynh Hoa in Ho Chi Minh City. That sandwich was filled with 6 different kinds of meat including pate, terrine and pork floss. Locals picked up sandwiches by the dozen and some were even dropped off by taxi to wait in line.

Beef Pho – We did try the beef pho in Hanoi and the chicken was far superior. Our guide explained that chicken was much more accessible in Vietnam than beef, but many North American tourists are only used to beed. The bowl was served with a plate of fried dough fritters and sliced chili peppers. Again, our guide recommended generous squeeze of lime juice and then to dip the fritters in the broth. Broth soaked fritters were the best part of the meal.

Wormwood Egg Omelette – Made with fresh wormwood leaves and eggs, a lady fried up the omelette for us using a propane camper stove. The eggs had a strong natural taste that heavy in yolk. I couldn’t really make out the flavour of the wormwood, which should have been bitter, but I only tasted a hint of liquorice.

Vietnamese Egg Coffee – Made with whipped egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and coffee, the espresso cup sized drink was a creamy dream. We enjoyed the coffee at one of Hanoi’s famed hidden rooftop cafes. Walking through a souvenir shop to the space in between buildings, we climbed up 4 flights of a narrow, winding staircase that led to a rooftop terrace with a stunning view of Hoan Kiem Lake lit by the neon signs of buildings around us. The thick froth was sweet and the coffee was strong. Watching the sun set over the lake was a great way to spend the evening.

Swan Pho – Our last stop of the night was one more bowl of pho. Originally, our guide wanted to bring us to a duck pho street stall but evert plastic stool was taken. Plan B was swan pho. We sat down at a table on the street as the vendor assembled our order. The swan tasted gamier than chicken and closer to duck. There was a big chunk of blood included that was savoury but mild. The broth’s key flavour was bamboo, which I loved. IF you like bamboo, I would highly recommend stopping by (although I wouldn’t be able to find the stall again on my own).

In addition to pho and banh mi, Hanoi has a variety of delicious street foods to offer. I’d recommend being adventurous and to give exotic ingredients a chance.

The first stop on my South East Asia honeymoon was 5 days in beautiful Bali. One of the best perks of The Hubby travelling for work all the time is the hotel points he racks up. Using these points we stayed at the St. Regis resort in Nusa Dua and had the budget to hire a private driver to take us around the island, which I highly recommend. Having a driver allowed us to explore all areas of Bali with ease. We could just name a popular restaurant or attraction and our driver typically knew the best route, where to find the entrance and/or buy tickets. Another perk was air conditioning inside the SUV and built in naps while on the road.

We spent our first day near Ubud, exploring rice fields, sampling luwak coffee and hanging out with the free roaming monkeys at the Sacred Monkey Forest. Aggressive, people friendly monkeys. We were advised to not bring in any food and keep all bags zipped up. The monkeys would happily jump on you at the whiff of anything edible, they could also open zippers to get to hidden treats. One monkey latched onto The Hubby right as we walked in and ripped a small bottle of antibacterial handwash right off his back back zipper. Later on, another monkey jumped on me, unzipped my backpack and proceeded to rummage around inside before getting bored. Aside from the involuntary monkey interaction, visitors could also buy bananas from villagers tending the park to feed them. Holding the bananas up in the air, monkeys climbed onto your shoulder and snacked away. This was fun but also a tad terrifying when the banana attracted multiple climbers.

Before all that excitement, we stopped by Naughty Nuri’s Warung for lunch. Famous for their BBQ pork ribs and being tourist friendly, our meal did not disappoint. The grill was set up roadside, tempting passersby with smokey goodness. We sat at a wooden picnic table under an awning near the grill so we could watch the ribs being cooked. Being the middle of the afternoon, only a few tables were taken and the atmosphere was laid back. Naughty Nuri has multiple locations in Bali and the one in Ubud was designed to be like a traditional warung, a small, roadside stall.

An English menu was available but with limited descriptions. We ended up ordering fried noodles, mie goreng, and of course ribs. While simple in ingredients, the flavour of the noodles were balanced with lots of vegetables and sauce. The ribs were phenomenal. Smokey, charred and fall off the bone, we licked every rib clean. Our meal was super satisfying. Naughty Nuri’s is also well known for their martinis but we passed on the heavy day drinking opportunity. Instead we stuck to splitting a large bottle of Bintang beer to cool us in the hot afternoon.

Dumpling house on Spadina near Dundas has been an institution in Chinatown for as long as I remember. Walking by, I’d always pause at the store window and watch the ladies expertly roll out wrappers and fold dumplings at a lightning pace. Today, there’s a handful of new dumpling restaurants in Chinatown but I still like like the classic.

Decor: I was surprised walking into Dumpling house. The restaurant looked quite different, with a modern facelift since my last visit years ago. Walls were decorated with Chinese opera masks and mirrors. Bright red accents filled the room from the tables to the ceilings and created a distinctly Asian feel (along with the hanging chilis and rope knot pendants). The space was cramped but clean. Most of the tables were set up for groups of 2 or 4 and our party occupied the single large round table.

Service: Coming with 6 people, I was worried about getting a table at lunch on a Saturday. We arrived just before noon and was seated while still missing 2 people. I didn’t feel rushed to order by the servers, but with the general hectic vibe in the restaurant, I did feel guilty holding onto a table. We ended up placing our order before everyone had arrived, with the possibility of adding more dumplings if needed. Plates of food arrived quickly. Near the end of our meal, the restaurant had reached capacity and there were diners waiting at the door. The manager/owner began yelling at her staff loudly in Mandarin to settle bills and clear tables faster. It was jarring and a bit uncomfortable, the one sour note to the meal but not directly related to service. Dumpling House Restaurant is a good stop to get a meal, but not the venue to linger and chat.

Food: In addition to dumplings, Dumpling House does serve typical Chinese dishes like fried rice and stir fried beef and broccoli. The restaurant also offers noodle bowls and a good selection of Chinese side dishes (cold salads typically with a chili/sesame/garlic/vinegar dressing). We were there though for the dumplings. While walking to our table, I did pass a bowl of hot and sour soup and couldn’t resist. For only $4, the order of soup was filled with ingredients, made with savoury chicken broth, had a great balance of flavours and was a huge portion. There was enough in one serving for everyone to slurp a small bowl or two.

Dumplings were ordered steamed ($7.59 for 15) or pan-fried ($7.99 for 12). With each cooking style, you could mix three filling flavours on a plate for an extra $1. I like to order 1 plate of dumplings/person. Both steamed and pan-fried dumplings have their selling points. Generally, with steamed dumplings I like fillings that are partially meat and strongly seasoned, to be dipped in chilli oil, soy sauce and vinegar. With pan-fried dumplings, I like fillings that are all meat and fattier, which fills the dumpling with savoury oily soup when cooked.

We ordered one plate of pork and chive steamed dumplings, one pan-fried beef, one pan-fried lamb, one pan-fried shrimp and pork, and one pan-fried pork dumpling. Each plate of dumplings is fried in a single pan and served upside down to show off their crispy, golden brown bottoms. Almost better than the dumplings, the crispy fried bits in between the dumplings. This lattice of goodness is formed from the flour-water mixture used to steam the dumplings in the pan before they crisp up.

The steamed dumplings were plump, juicy and the wrappers were thin but wonderfully chewy. The pan-fried dumplings had the perfect bottoms and each filling was rich and meaty. I found the lamb dumplings very gamey, which The Hubby loved. Overall, Dumpling House Restaurant’s handmade dumplings are still one of my favourite meals in Chinatown at a very affordable price. While I’m getting better at making steamed/boiled dumplings at home, I have a long ways to go before even coming close to their pan-fried ones.

One2 Snacks was recommend to The Hubby and I by one of his co-workers and described as serving the best Malaysian food in Toronto. We were warned about the small shop and very limited seating, One2 Snacks was less a restaurant and more a take-out place. Both The Hubby and I wanted to try eating in if possible, so we aimed to visit at an off-peak hour. Even then, we weren’t prepared for the crowd and just how small the venue was.

Located in a Scarborough strip mall, One2 Snacks was basically a 10 ft square feet with a deli counter and 8 seats squeezed in. A high bar was set up along the front window and low counters outlined the counter and one wall. Diners waiting for takeout, either hung out outside, or jammed against the back of those eating in. It was a tight fit. Each menu items with a photo was displayed on the wall, including desserts only available on weekends. One2 Snacks is open only Thursday-Sunday.

For the two of us, we ordered the Nasi Lemak (weekend only) with chicken curry, Char Kway Teow and Curry Puffs. After placing our order at the cash, we managed to snag two seats at the window. This was great, because we ended up having to wait 45 minutes before anything arrived. Even though we stopped by at 2pm, what we thought was off-peak, the phone at One2 Snacks did not stop ringing. It felt like take-out/phone orders were given priority to dine-in ones, or the volume of orders was just so high that it took that long for our food to move up in the queue. Either way, next time I’ll be calling ahead, or arriving not too hungry. The shop is also notorious for selling out of popular dishes and desserts.

As for the food, it was worth the wait. The Nasi Lemak has a great texture and each grain of rice was infused with coconut flavour. The chicken curry was rice with spices, thick and oily (flavour!) but not greasy. Pretty much delicious. Chunks of potatoes soaked up the curry and drumsticks had meat falling off the bone. The container of Char Kway Teow was filled to bursting with thick fried noodles and lots of smokiness. This was the best Char Kway Teow I’ve had in Toronto so far in terms of taste and texture. The curry puffs reminded me of samosas, deep fried pastry filled with a thick curry sauce (of potatoes?). They weren’t too greasy and there was a bit of heat with each bite, these could be addictive.

One2 Snacks served up mouthwatering, home cooked Malaysian cuisine with no flair and a bit of a wait. Service was friendly and as efficient as possible, given the high demand. I’ll be much more prepared on my next visit and will definitely be ordering the laksa.