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Name: Lucky Red
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Contact Info: 318 Spadina Ave., 416-792-8628, luckyredshop.com
Previous Tenant: Vietnamese sandwich shop Cali Banh Mi & Che
Owners/Chefs: David, Phil and Peter Chau, the fraternal trio behind Banh Mi Boys
The Food: Thirteen different bao-style sandwiches, each served on a steamed-milk or egg-baked bun. Fillings range from relatively typical (XO-doused fried oysters, five-spice barbecue pork) to decidedly nontraditional (beef brisket slathered in ballpark mustard, marshmallow s’more). For the bao averse, there are also lo-mein bowls topped with pork belly or barbecue chicken.
The Drinks: Homemade lemonades (one with yuzu, another with lychee) and Vietnamese coffees.
The Place: The exterior—with its bulb-studded sign and faux-antique Chinese doors—almost blends into the Chinatown surroundings. Inside, there’s a farm-meets-factory vibe thanks to decorative steel siding and lots of raw pine. A huge graffiti mural depicts the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
280857 <strong>Lucky Red</strong> is located at 318 Spadina Avenue, in the middle of the Chinatown strip. The 1,500-square-foot space was previously occupied by a banh-mi joint called <strong>Banh Mi & Che Cali</strong> (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-03/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280855 Toronto artist <strong>Uber 5000</strong> created the Chinese-zodiac mural that dominates the space<br />
(Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-01/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280858 <strong>Banh Mi Boys</strong> will continue to sell its lineup of signature baos, none of which will appear on the menu at Lucky Red<br />
(Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-04/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280864 Cornmeal-crusted oysters doused with house XO sauce, mayo and shredded iceberg on a steamed milk bao ($5) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-10/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-10 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280866 Braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, mayo, cilantro and peanuts ($4) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-12/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-12 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280863 Smoked brisket and ballpark mustard on a baked-egg bun ($4.50) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-09/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-09 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280861 Five spice–rubbed barbecue pork belly lo mein with pork crackling, pickled corn and cilantro ($7) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-07/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-07 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280867 Milk-tea ice cream on a fried bao bun ($3.50) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-13/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-13 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280869 S’more fillings on a fried bao bun ($3) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-15.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-15/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-15 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280859 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-05/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-05 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
280860 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Lucky Red https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/lucky-red-toronto-restaurants/slide/lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-06/ lucky-red-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
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