What’s on the menu at Green Tea, Chinatown’s new place for Hangzhou-style dishes
Name: Green Tea
Contact: 261 Spadina Ave., 416-519-1073, @greenteacanada
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Previously: Dim Sum Plus
Owner: Celine Zhang
The food
“I think we’re the first restaurant to bring real Southern Chinese food to Toronto,” says Celine Zhang, who also co-owns Canada’s only other Green Tea franchise, located in Markham (there are 80 locations in China, however). Green Tea is part of the new crop of mainland Chinese chains that have set their expansion sights on the Canadian market. It specializes in Hangzhou-style food, which is known for its ingredient-forward dishes that aren’t overly spicy or greasy: it’s a fresh, light cuisine. “A lot of the dishes are a little sweet, too,” says Zhang. “We add sugar to almost everything to bring out the flavour.”
The drinks
Despite being called Green Tea Restaurant, the focus here is on the fresh-made juices, which include watermelon and pear, along with blends popular in China like cogongrass root and sugar cane. The one tea on offer is longjing, a pan-roasted green tea from Hangzhou.
The space
Zhang took what was previously a bare-bones dim sum place and brought it to life with Southern Chinese–inspired décor, decorative blonde wood and wall murals depicting traditional buildings commonly found in Zhejiang province. “I wanted the space to feel young so it would appeal to students and young professionals,” says Zhang, who says their Markham location abides by a more traditional Chinese aesthetic, which she thinks is a bit dark and heavy.
. Green Tea is part of the new crop of mainland Chinese chains that have set their expansion sights on the Canadian market. It specializes in Hangzhou-style food, which is known for its ingredient-forward dishes that aren’t overly spicy or greasy: it’s a fresh, light cuisine. “A lot of the dishes are a little sweet, too,” says Zhang. “We add sugar to almost everything to bring out the flavour.”
[caption id="attachment_482599" align="aligncenter" width="3648"] This barbecued pork belly is marinated for six hours in a blend of Chinese five spice, soy sauce, hoisin and among another dozen or so herbs and spices the chefs refused to divulge. $17.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482595" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] Here’s a plate of quail eggs, dongpo pork and fresh abalone. The abalone is cooked for over three hours in a chicken-duck-pork bone soup, while the dongpo pork (a Hangzhou classic) is a fatty cut of skin-on pork belly that’s boiled twice, browned, then braised in a sugar-soy-wine sauce before being steamed. $37.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482588" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] The barbecued chicken arrives on a sizzling grill with three sauces: pumpkin, chili-salt and sweet chili. $19.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482600" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] This delicate soup is a traditional winter dish in Hangzhou. The broth might be light, but this soup is heavy: the bowl is packed with chicken, shrimp, fried pig skin, bamboo roots, pork belly, pork meatballs and bok choi. $28.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482596" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] One of the few fusion dishes that was created specifically for Green Tea’s downtown location is this curry chicken pot pie topped with a butter pastry. An order takes 30 minutes to prepare because the pastry is made in-house. $23.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482598" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] Here's a look inside.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482594" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] Co-owner Celine Zhang.[/caption]
The drinks
Despite being called Green Tea Restaurant, the focus here is on the fresh-made juices, which include watermelon and pear, along with blends popular in China like cogongrass root and sugar cane. The one tea on offer is longjing, a pan-roasted green tea from Hangzhou.
[caption id="attachment_482602" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] Here's the tea.[/caption]
The space
Zhang took what was previously a bare-bones dim sum place and brought it to life with Southern Chinese–inspired décor, decorative blonde wood and wall murals depicting traditional buildings commonly found in Zhejiang province. “I wanted the space to feel young so it would appeal to students and young professionals,” says Zhang, who says their Markham location abides by a more traditional Chinese aesthetic, which she thinks is a bit dark and heavy.
[caption id="attachment_482587" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] Here's the main-level dining room.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482593" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] The second level can be turned into a private dining room for groups of 10 or more. There’s a special round table that gets wheeled in.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_482590" align="aligncenter" width="4000"] These linen lanterns were brought over from China.[/caption]
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