Weekly Lunch Pick: a weekday feast for two at Chinatown’s newest dim sum restaurant
Up on the third floor of an old Chinese mall on the south side of Dundas sits Dim Sum King, a new Chinatown spot that serves excellent renditions of steamed, fried, boiled, baked and braised classics at reasonable prices. The large, open room is filled with the usual cacophony of chopsticks clicking against dishes and waiters circulating around linen-covered tables with old-school trolleys. Although daily midday specials are available for $5.99, the better deal on weekday lunches is to order by the plate, since all sizes—small, medium and large—go for $2. The steamed shrimp and scallop dumplings, always crowd-pleasers, are as big as a baby’s fist, while aromatic chive and shrimp dumplings are more delicate, loosely tucked inside thick crystalline wrappers. Standard lighter offerings include springy tripe and silky rice rolls stuffed with pea shoots and shredded king oyster mushrooms, but the made-to-order baby bok choy ($4.50) and the pan-fried bean curd rolls are really worth the 10-minute wait (they’re cooked in a stall on the dining room floor). Sweet soy-marinated beef short ribs are covered in a thin, addictive fried crust; the meat inside nearly melts in the mouth. For more adventurous diners, the gelatinous and sticky beef tendon marinated in chu hou paste (a lip-smackingly good crimson sauce made of sweet fermented soy beans, garlic, sesame and bean curd), is excellent. Fans of chicken feet should order them later in the afternoon, after they’ve had a chance to get a good braise in ground ginger to get them slippery and tender. A heaping bowl piled with silky tofu pudding provides a light finish to an indulgent winter lunchtime feast that won’t break the bank.
The time: 42 minutes.
The cost: $33, including tax and tip for two hungry diners
Dim Sum King Seafood Restaurant, 421 Dundas St. W. (third floor), 416-551-3366
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Up on the third floor of an old Chinese mall on the south side of Dundas sits Dim Sum King, a new Chinatown spot that serves excellent renditions of steamed, fried, boiled, baked and braised classics at reasonable prices. The large, open room is filled with the usual cacophony of chopsticks clicking against dishes and waiters circulating around linen-covered tables with old-school trolleys. Although daily midday specials are available for $5.99, the better deal on weekday lunches is to order by the plate, since all sizes—small, medium and large—go for $2. The steamed shrimp and scallop dumplings, always crowd-pleasers, are as big as a baby’s fist, while aromatic chive and shrimp dumplings are more delicate, loosely tucked inside thick crystalline wrappers. Standard lighter offerings include springy tripe and silky rice rolls stuffed with pea shoots and shredded king oyster mushrooms, but the made-to-order baby bok choy ($4.50) and the pan-fried bean curd rolls are really worth the 10-minute wait (they’re cooked in a stall on the dining room floor). Sweet soy-marinated beef short ribs are covered in a thin, addictive fried crust; the meat inside nearly melts in the mouth. For more adventurous diners, the gelatinous and sticky beef tendon marinated in chu hou paste (a lip-smackingly good crimson sauce made of sweet fermented soy beans, garlic, sesame and bean curd), is excellent. Fans of chicken feet should order them later in the afternoon, after they’ve had a chance to get a good braise in ground ginger to get them slippery and tender. A heaping bowl piled with silky tofu pudding provides a light finish to an indulgent winter lunchtime feast that won’t break the bank.
The time: 42 minutes.
The cost: $33, including tax and tip for two hungry diners
Dim Sum King Seafood Restaurant, 421 Dundas St. W. (third floor), 416-551-3366){kind=link}
The review didn’t mention the expertise of the the in house publicist. This glowing review makes it all sound like the best dim sum since sliced bread. I tried it out the last time the publicist shot the wad to the press. Big lumpy skins on not bad fillings, incredibly sour staff and a rickety elevator that shakes and scares you to the third floor. Why can’t a city the size of Toronto support a modest priced dim summery with decent quality and friendly staff?
I have been to this Dim Sum King about 3-4 times. This is not the best dim sum place in the world, and not in Toronto, but for sure they by far serve the best dim sum in Chinatown and best dim sum in the City of Toronto for price at <$25/person. If one is looking for good service, Chinatown generally is not the area to go to, try Lei Wa Heen, Crown Prince, The Grand or Dynasty.
I’m sorry people but when was the last time you went to a Chinese restaurant and had excellent service without paying through the — (insert most sensitive orifice you’ve got)? I’m a regular at some of the places in Chinatown and even without the familiarity with some of the wait staff, I’ve mostly had decent to good service but many places don’t offer this luxury. Mind you, I am not a difficult diner and don’t ask for the moon and the stars as I try to be more considerate, but I can’t blame them for their crustiness when I see the ridiculous requests and behaviour of some customers, while on the other hand sometimes the sullenness (is that a word?) is a bit much. Consider it part of the experience, if you will.
I’ve seen plenty of non-Chinese places that give nasty service but people still go FOR THE FOOD. Next time you’re at dimsum, look around at the hairied pace of some of these restos–yes, the food industry is all about the service but if it’s that much of a problem for you and you can’t bring yourself to put yourself in some of these ppls’ shoes, don’t eat at places where you feel the service is bad. But then don’t go around being those diners who go around acting like they’re paying to eat there and are entitled to a footrub, meanwhile they order next to nothing, occupy the table for way beyond a reasonable time and then tip with their cmall pocket change and lint acting like they’re king.