Congee and rice rolls, the kind of comfort food I crave during cold weather, stress, or simply when it’s been awhile. When I noticed Millstone Rice Rolls pop up on Uber Eats this year, I was checking all of those boxes and so ready to order.

Ordering: I ordered via Uber Eats for delivery and it looks like they are available on DoorDash and SkipTheDishes as well. Looking at their website today, it’s also possible to order via Snappy. A popup opens to the order link when you first load the webpage and you can refresh to get the link again. Searching on Google, I also saw the “order pickup” button on their location listing.

Food: For Stephen, Alivia and I, we ordered a Fried Dough Fritter, Street Style Offal and 3 Rice Rolls (BBQ Pork, Special Minced Pork and Pork Liver). If you can, order directly from the restaurant to pick-up to avoid Uber’s $1-$2 markup and service fees. The rice rolls were fantastic, a great texture, seasoned proteins and plenty of sauce on the side. At first glance, the Special Minced Pork didn’t look the most appetizing, but it was our favourite for taste. I liked the pork liver as well and Alivia enjoyed the BBQ pork, a safe toddler friendly option. I loved the texture of the cheung fun, not too thick, not too floury, with the perfect amount of slurp and bite. The style of cheung fun served was scrunched vs rolled with the topping inside, and I really liked it.

The Street Style Offal had a good variety and was on par with our usual dim sum spots. The chili oil that was served with it, amazing. So much heat with lots of spice. Millstone’s dough fritters are fried fresh daily. They were soft and spongy on the inside with a crispy exterior, even with the travel of delivery. Overall, lunch from Millstone was filling and flavourful. I look forward to being able to dine in.

Ordering: Tan Da Ban is located in a food court at Shops on Yonge specializing in sheng jian bao, a pan-fried cousin of xiao long bao, that I personally like more. They are on UberEats but do not have their own website or ordering system. I would recommend calling ahead for pickup and to check availability, but not too far in advance. The first time we tried to pick up baos, we arrived just after they opened and someone had ordered an entire batch, meaning over an hour wait for any new orders. On our second successful visit, I was able to order by phone about 20 minutes before we arrived. They were kind enough to warm up our baos again on the pan, but this made the bottoms a bit oily.

Pickup: There is a limited number of above ground parking at Shops on Yonge and it can get busy. Underground parking is available. If you’re able to run in and out with someone waiting in the car, lots of people park in unmarked spots. Being inside a food court, pickup was straightforward and quick.

Food: For the three of us, we ordered 6 pork baos, 6 pork & shrimp baos and a bowl of Beef Soup with Glass Noodles. The bao skins had a great texture, thin and chewy with a perfect crispy bottom. Each bao was filled with a tablespoon of soup and the pork was well seasoned. With the pork & shrimp baos, a whole shrimp topped each meatball filling. Alivia devoured 3 meatballs and 2 crispy bottoms. I could have easily polished off another 6 baos myself. There are 7 different bao fillings on the menu including a vegetarian option. The 100% meat filling baos can be ordered in multiples of 4 or 6 and the chives, egg & shrimp, and veggie baos in multiples of 6 or 8.

The bowl of Beef Soup with Glass Noodles was a nice way to round out our meal but not a necessity. With tofu puffs, thin slices of beef, vermicelli noodles and a clear beef broth, the bowl was light and simple. It did come with a packet of chili oil that was delicious. Super spicy with tons of flavour. I would get the soup again for that chili sauce.

Overall, the sheng jian baos at Tan Da Ban were quite close to my memories of street stalls in Suzhou. If I lived in the condos above, I would be a regular customer.

I’ve blogged about Phoenix Restaurant before and they are still one of our favourite Hong Kong cafes. Since moving to Richmond Hill, we’re closer to their Bayview location and have picked up takeout a few times during the past year. Basically whenever we’re craving Hainanese chicken.

Ordering: The first time we ordered, I called the restaurant to place my order and referenced their menu online. Since then, Phoenix has set up an online ordering system that serves 3 of their 4 locations for pick up orders. They are also available on delivery apps like Uber Eats, Doordash and Asian apps like CMEOW and F.O.D. Considering their extensive menu, the online ordering tool had lots of photos available and sections for combos similar to the dine-in menu.

Pickup: Parking was plentiful at the Bayview location, although sometimes busy, shared with other restaurants and retailers in the same plaza. While dine in was closed, the restaurant had created a one way route for pickup from one door of the entrance to the other. The area was fully enclosed with plexiglass and there were only a few employees on site. I’m not sure how the layout has changed with dine in open again, however the experience felt very safe the times we’ve visited.

Food: My usual order at Phoenix is the Yunnan Noodle Soup with ho fan noodles, while Stephen gets the Hainanese Chicken (that we share). Our first time getting those dishes for takeout though, I found the fish broth was extra fishy and the noodles didn’t quite hold up in transport even packed separately. The Hainanese chicken was still delicious, tender and flavourful with the perfect fragrant rice. Instead of my noodles, we decided to try the Beef Brisket Malaysian Curry with a side of roti. The brisket was well cooked, had a good chew but still soft, and the curry was rich with just a touch of heat.

The malaysian curry came with a side of rice but the roti was a great upgrade, flakey and soft. Neither of the dishes we ordered were available for a drink combo at the time, which was a bummer as their Hong Kong milk tea is always a treat. While at first glance, the portion of curry looked small, there was plenty of sauce and we had even enough leftovers for another meal.

Overall picking up takeout from Phoenix was a convenient and tasty experience, remaining our go to spot for Hainanese chicken.

Happy 2021! Nearing a year of being in a pandemic is an odd anniversary to approach. It’s a new year, and like previous ones, nothing magically changed when the calendar pages flipped. Stephen and I are still working from home. Alivia is still home with us, with the help of my in-laws, and we’re still searching for some semblance of balance. A year ago, Stephen started baking weekly loaves of bread for us. We didn’t jump on the sourdough starter trend, opting for a no knead recipe instead. This year, we’ve discovered Crust Baking Co., a local bakery that opened near us last year. Their fresh croissants, tarts and sourdough loaves have quickly become a necessity and weekly treat.

Pickup: Crust Baking Co. is located in the lobby of a Condo on Yonge St, south of Major Mackenzie. Commercial parking is available at the back of the condo and there has always been empty spots whenever we go. There is an entrance on Yonge and another through the back of the building, through the condo lobby. Currently, indoor dining is closed in York Region, so only pickup is available. Samples of bread loaves are displayed on shelves and fresh treats are at the counter. We order at the counter and everything is packed in individual paper bags. All regular seating has been stacked and roped off.

Food: In addition to loaves of sourdough bread, a 3 day process to bake, we’ve been enjoying the croissants, pain au chocolat and tarts from Crust Baking Co. So far, we’ve tried their regular croissant, almond croissant, wild blueberry tart, raspberry tart, Boston cream donut and danishes. Every treat has been a delight so far! The croissants flakey and buttery, the fruit tarts decadent without being overly sweet and the bread freshly baked with a perfect crust. Stephen’s grilled cheeses have levelled up considerably. Almond croissants are Stephen’s favourite, not usually my thing, but the ones from Crust have changed my mind. The marzipan filling is plentiful with a great rich, natural flavour!

We usually visit in the morning, but even the croissant I picked up one afternoon had retained its flaky texture. Other menu items I’ve been eyeing are the giant chocolate chip cookies, madeleines and cinnamon sugar donut. Crust also offers fresh espresso beverages, coffee beans for purchase and a selection of sandwiches, salads and quiches. Looking through their social media accounts, I see macarons, but have not encountered them myself yet. Custom cakes are also available to order via email. A photo of fresh sesame bagels was just posted on their Instagram account and I’m eager to get my hands on one.

Overall, I’m very happy to have Crust Baking Co. so close to us and look forward to exploring more of their menu.

Cha Kee has been on my list of restaurants to try since their Richmond Hill location opened last year, but the tales of long lines always deterred us from visiting. With a new wave of restrictions and lockdowns rolling over Ontario, ordering takeout has become an attractive alternative.

Ordering: As always, I look for a way to order directly from the restaurant and Cha Kee has an online ordering system set up on their website! The interface is simple and easy to use. The default language for me is Chinese, there’s a language option in the menu. All the menu items (except french fries) had a photo and the usual customization options when adding to cart (ie. rice or noodles). The majority of the menu items also include a free drink, so don’t forget to add that to your cart separately. During checkout, there’s the ability to select whether to pick up ASAP with a time estimate or to schedule a later time on the same day. There is an option to pay online or at the store with a 10% discount for cash payment at the store.

Pickup: We picked up this order when indoor dining was still open in York region, so half of the tables inside were occupied. A portion of the dining space had been converted to service pick up orders only and Stephen was in and out. Being a small restaurant, there is only one entrance and not enough space to create a one way racetrack. We paid online, which made the pickup process faster with minimal contact.

Food: We were cautioned by Cha Kee regulars not to order anything fried for takeout as it may not stay crispy during the drive home. With that in mind, we decided on the Curry Beef Brisket with rice and Baked Pork Chop, Portugese Style with rice. One thing I’ve really missed about going to Hong Kong cafes is the milk tea and Cha Kee’s hit the spot. As for our mains, Stephen and I both preferred the pork chop, while Alivia ate a ton of the brisket. The pork chop was tender and cheesy, the sauce was delicious and I really enjoyed the seasoned rice underneath. As for the brisket, I liked that it was mild enough for Alivia’s tastebuds and the meat was quite tender. The texture of the rice was a bit on the mushy side, too soft for my preference and the potato was lacklustre.

Portions for both dishes were large and we had enough leftovers for a whole other meal. I would love to try their Crispy Chicken and all the gooey egg dishes one day.

Overall, our experience at Cha Kee was a moderate success. Stephen’s been inspired to recreate their Portugese Pork Chop at home and I’m looking forward to tasting more of their menu items dine-in post pandemic.

December 1st, 2020 and I officially cannot remember the last time Stephen and I enjoyed a meal inside a restaurant (I looked it up, it was October 2019). Eating out was such an integral part of my day to day routine and something I’ve missed dearly this year. The continuous announcements of Toronto restaurant closures have been disheartening and a constant reminder to support local businesses. Stephen and I have been trying to order takeout at least once a week from local spots since the summer and I’m eager to start sharing our food adventures again, albeit with a 2020 lens. First up is Yu Seafood, our new go to dimsum restaurant, which surprisingly we had never been to pre-pandemic.

Ordering: My preference is to order pickup directly from restaurants, avoiding any third party apps and additional fees for myself and the restaurant. Lots of restaurants have set up their own online ordering platforms, which greatly increases the ease of placing an order. Yu Seafood uses Snappy, a platform also used by Chatime and many Chinese restaurants in the GTA. The menu is English and Chinese. There are no photos so the first few times I ordered, lots of time was spent Google translating the Chinese menu names. Now that we’ve ordered from them several times, it’s not an issue to distinguish BBQ Pork Bun Pastry with Baked BBQ Pork Bun Pastry. Your order history is also stored for reference. We try to place our order during off peak times, weekday lunch or early weekend lunch time, to avoid any delays. I have heard of very long order times during events like Mother’s day but we’ve had no issues so far.

Pickup: Once your order is ready for pickup, a text message is sent for notification. Our house is a 15-20 minutes drive to Yu Seafood and we place our order right before we leave. 4/5 times, the order is ready by the time we arrive. Masks are required for entry and your temperature is checked by a gate using your wrist. You do have to walk through the dining area to the cash to pick up (now that indoor dining is allowed there are people at the tables) but it is a one way track to the exit through a side door. Overall the pickup experiences we’ve had have all been quick and felt safe. We do purposefully avoid peak times.

Food: Prices per dish range from $3.60 to $6.30, quite reasonable for the quality and serving size. Our bill totals ~$80 each meal for Stephen, myself, Alivia and a set of grandparents with plenty of leftovers. Each dish is packed in a leak proof takeout container, which we wash to reuse and have now amassed quite the collection.

By now, I’ve tired 90% of their dim sum menu and all of the items are fresh, delicious and flavourful. The classics, har gow and siu mai, both transport great. Meat dishes like chicken feet, steamed tripe and steamed spare ribs also stay warm and don’t lose much of the experience with takeout. Similarly the baked and steamed buns still taste great at home. I do find the texture on the rice rolls can get a bit chewy once the dish cools and the fried dishes are not as crispy compared to fresh at a restaurant.

Some of our new staple dishes from Yu Garden are their BBQ Pork Puff Pastry, so flakey, and Deep Fried Durian Puff Pastry for Stephen, so fragrant. Alivia loves their Steamed Sweet Egg Yolk Layer Cake that’s soft and airy, and always asks if we ordered the black buns (Bamboo Charcoal & Egg Yolk Bun). We’ve also tried their Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling with Foie Gras Paste, but prefer the normal steamed shrimp dumplings. The foie gras was subtle.

Overall, pickup from Yu Seafood has been a delicious treat this year and has become our new way of satisfying those dim sum cravings.

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.

After moving into a new neighbourhood, my usual MO is to try all well reviewed restaurants nearby. In North York, this was a daunting task. In Richmond Hill, the list of places to try was shorter but more planning was required, especially with Alivia in tow. One of our first stops was 3 Coins Open Kitchen, an all-day breakfast diner on Yonge north of Major Mackenzie.

Atmosphere: 3 Coins was a quintessential diner with lots of primary colours, bar seating and cozy leather booths, mini jukeboxes included. Each booth also had its own coat hook, which was a great touch. The diner had two seating areas and a lot more tables than it appeared from the outside. Most tables were occupied with families and groups of friends. There was one other baby while we were there.

Service: Parking was available behind the restaurant off Arnold Cres, one benefit of the suburbs that I will not tire of. Our server was friendly, brought us over a high chair and even wiped it off for us. So far in my experience dining out with Alivia, this is not a common occurrence and I really appreciated the extra attention. Plates arrived quickly and our coffees were refilled before they were empty.

Food: Stephen ordered the classic 3 eggs special with bacon, home fries and toast while I ordered my usual, eggs benedict with bacon for protein and a side of home fries. We added a side order of breakfast sausages, a plate of 4, that we had trouble finishing. Stephen’s plate was solid and a filling meal for under $10. His over-easy eggs were cooked well with runny yolks and the toast well buttered. The cook on the bacon was a tad crispier than how we fry it at home, but no complaints. I really liked their home made hash, which was well seasoned and crispy.

My eggs benedict had perfectly poached eggs (makes me want to ask what mould they’re using) and a creamy, lemony yellow hollandaise sauce. This was A+ sauce in terms of the smooth texture and rich flavour. Overall our breakfast at 3 Coins Open Kitchen was comforting and homey.

Ai Sushi’s Richmond Hill location has become my go to for whenever a sushi craving hits, which means we stop by pretty much every other week. Stephen and I have our usual order, #705, but I’ve also tried their chirashis and larger platters. Their quality and price are hard to beat but I have noticed a few competitors popping up in the neighbourhood. While our last meal at their Markham location was lacklustre, I have my fingers crossed that the Richmond Hill location remains consistent.

Atmosphere: By now, Stephen and I have eaten at Ai Sushi as often as we’ve ordered platters to go. The shop has three wooden bar height tables that can seat 4 people, a few bar seats along the front windows and one large communal live edge table that could comfortably sit around 14 people. Orders are taken at the counter and diners seat themselves. Typically when we visit at lunch on the weekend, the dining area has been mostly empty with the majority of customers taking out. On our last visit though, every seat was taken. Luckily one couple was just leaving. The menu specials were drawn up on a chalkboard wall and a handful of chefs are always working behind the sushi bar.

Service: When we’re eating in, once we place our order and take a seat, someone comes by with soy sauce, a cup of water, cutlery and a complimentary bowl of miso soup. Aside from that, service is fairly minimal. Servers were quick to clear tables and we’ve never had to wait long for our order. Wooden high chairs were available and platters are cash only. If possible, I would recommend ordering ahead of time, even the day before, on long weekends or holidays.

Food: Our usual order is a small sushi, sashimi and roll platter that comes with 40 pieces for the two of us. The platter has 3 rolls, including one spicy salmon or tuna, and a california roll topped with tobiko. Pairs of nigiri sushi and an assortment of sashimi pieces completes the tray. There are usually a few slices of scallop sashimi but no uni, ikura or sweet shrimp. The quality of the fish has always been fresh and flavourful. I especially enjoy the fatty salmon and surf clam. The tuna was also great quality.

Sashimi only platters do come with sweet shrimp and herring roe. Slices of squid sashimi were presented wrapped around thinly sliced cucumber and tobiko, a great combination of textures and taste. The rolls were well made with a thin layer of rice and plentiful fillings. Ordered individually regular and special rolls are priced from $3.99 to $5.99 each, a good deal for those with bigger appetites.

So far, I’ve tried the Deluxe Kaisendon and Unadon. The Unadon was a very generous portion of bbq eel on steamed rice. Delicious and a good choice for anyone who doesn’t eat raw sushi. My Kaisendon was topped with 12 different pieces of sashimi and so good. There was ikura, sweet shrimp, a bite of uni salmon belly and scallop. After tax, the bowl was around $18 and worth the price. I still have to try out their non deluxe chirashi bowls to compare the value.

Overall, Ai Sushi’s Richmond Hill location offers excellent quality sushi at a very reasonable price point.

Sansotei opened their Richmond Hill location last year, while we were still renovating the house and spending our weekends building kitchen cabinets. I was very excited for the new arrival to our neighbourhood. Stephen and I stopped by within the first week we moved and I visited again with a friend in May. While Sansotei’s downtown location has consistently served up delicious bowls everytime I visit, I’m finding that not to be the case at their other locations.

Atmosphere: On both visits I arrived just after 5pm before the dinner rush and was greeted with an empty restaurant. I only saw tables for couples or groups of four. There were two corner booths at the front of the restaurant, but they would still only seat 3-4 people comfortably. Larger groups would have to be split between a few tables. Decor was modern and similar to their other locations with a decorative rope wall, lots of natural wood and shiny brass pendants. By 6pm, every table was full.

Service: Service was friendly and quick, even during my first visit when they had recently opened. We were greeted right away and offered one of the booth tables as I was 9 month pregnant at the time. The extra space was welcomed. On my first visit, our bowls arrived quickly and hot from the kitchen. On my second visit, it took some time for my bowl to come out and I found the broth lukewarm.

Food: On our first visit, Stephen and I both ordered the Tonkotsu Black while my brother chose the regular Tonkotsu. The broth was rich, milky, flavourful and had a great sheen of oil on top. A healthy amount of black garlic oil added umami to each slurp. I choose thin noodles, which were firm and had a great chew. My toppings were also as delicious as ever with two slices of rolled chashu, a soft boiled egg and black fungus. Overall, exactly as I had expected.

On my second visit, I ordered the Miso Black that ended up being quite lacklustre. The noodles and toppings were great, but the broth wasn’t piping hot, and there was barely enough to cover the noodles. Overall an ok bowl, but not the amazing one I expected, especially being their most expensive menu item.

Based on one good and one meh dinner, I guess I need one more visit to break the tie.