Miss out on Toronto’s first dim-sum fest? Tickets for the sequel go on sale today
Miss out on Toronto’s first dim-sum fest? Tickets for the sequel go on sale today
By Caroline Youdan | April 14, 2014
By Caroline Youdan | 04/14/2014
GwaiLo’s Big Mac bun and smoked-meat spring roll (Image: Timothy Franklin)
Dim sum was in the air this weekend. On Friday, Susur Lee marked the one-week anniversary of Luckee, his haute-trolley-service joint at the Soho Met hotel. Then, on Sunday, a few hundred food lovers—the ones who managed to snag tickets before they disappeared—gathered for Yum Cha, Toronto’s first dim-sum festival. As promised, the event delivered all kinds of two-bite snacks, most of which played fast and loose with strict Cantonese dim-sum definitions (beef-heart cold roles from the Canoe team, for instance, or Big Mac buns from GwaiLo’ s Nick Liu ). Food aside, the fest was remarkably civilized, with short lines and bearable crowds. For those who missed out, organizers Suresh Doss and Frank Kocis are already working on a follow-up dim-sum day. Yum Cha 2 will unite a new dream team of dim-sum experts in Toronto’s east end. The vendor list includes some high-profile names, like Momofuku Daisho, The County General and Chantecler (rumour has it that Susur himself might make an appearance). Browse our slideshow of photos from the first edition to get a sense of what’s in store for the sequel.
May 4. $10 (not incl. food and drinks). 36 Wagstaff Dr. (next door to Left Field Brewery), uniiverse.com
269926 The event took place in Chinatown, at the <strong>Chinese Freemasons’ Association</strong> on Dundas (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8747-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8747.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8747.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8747/ gr7a8747 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269928 The <strong>Canoe</strong> team served a trio of mini dishes: a bun stuffed with moose meat, a beef-heart cold roll and a shrimp and scallop dumpling (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8739-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8739.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8739.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8739/ gr7a8739 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269925 (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8749-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8749.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8749.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8749/ gr7a8749 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269921 The crew from <strong>Babi & Co.</strong> (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8756-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8756.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8756.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8756/ gr7a8756 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269914 Babi & Co.’s green-onion egg pancake with Indian-spiced salsa (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8771-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8771.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8771.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8771/ gr7a8771 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269923 (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8753-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8753.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8753.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8753/ gr7a8753 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269918 <strong>Linda Modern Thai</strong> executive chef (and international dim-sum award winner) <strong>Wing Li</strong> (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8759-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8759.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8759.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8759/ gr7a8759 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269920 The Linda team served a trio of snacks: chicken-lemongrass <em>shumai,</em> a prawn and sticky rice roll and chilled pandan custard with dulce de leche (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8757-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8757.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8757.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8757/ gr7a8757 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269911 <strong>GwaiLo</strong> chef <strong>Nick Liu’</strong>s less-than-conventional offerings: a Big Mac-inspired steamed bun and a spring roll stuffed with <strong>Caplansky’s</strong> smoked meat (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8779-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8779.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8779.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8779/ gr7a8779 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
269912 (Image: Timothy Franklin) Yum Cha https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8778-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8778.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GR7A8778.jpg 620 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/toronto-dim-sum-festival-second-event/slide/gr7a8778/ gr7a8778 0 0
(Image: Timothy Franklin)
Maybe this could become a regular thing and advertised more widely. I just found out now about it. I can’t get there today but would love to go another time for a dim sum festival.