Royaljelly's Profile
Maple Yip Menu
In addition to what chefhound suggested, our family also likes their birds nest w/ stir fried seafood (shrimps, scallops), the peking duck is decent (nothing stellar), sweet n sour pork is good, small deep fried sliver fish, salted fish and tofu hot pot. They also have a whole crispy chicken stuffed w/ glutinous rice that you need to pre-order a day in advance (lor mie gai is the chinese name of it).
VEGETARIAN CRISPY DUCK IN TORONTO
it's been awhile, but we did have a good duck at Graceful Veg. restaurant up in Market Village (next to Pacific Mall) in Markham. But this was a soy bean version layered to simulate the meat and the top was crispy like the duck skin, cooked in a rich brown sauce. I don't recall it coming with wraps and spring onions like they do with peking duck (but you can call them to confirm).
I couldn't find an online menu though., but I did come across this other 2011 blog about other vegetarian restaurants in TO, might help your other meals.
http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_vegetarian_restaurants_in_toronto/
alternative to asian legend? in markham or richmond hill-
If your whole birthday party is driving up north, then IMHO it's not worthwhile to endure the traffic and pay the cost of gas to go to another asian legend like resto. The whole point of driving out of the downtown TO is to experience the high quality and variety of chinese food the city has to offer.
For Richmond Hill, try a place like Emperor which has excellent service and very nice interior. I think they have a lobster special on sundays (better confirm it w/ Charles Yu first). You could also try Omei's lobster 4 ways for a very unique meal. Best to order off their chinese menu if possible.
In Markham, go for Brilliant's Peking duck or stuffed glutinous rice (pre-order needed). If you want super spicy, maybe Ba She Ren Jia on steeles near pacific mall will numb your taste buds.
All these places should fit your criteria... 1) Good food, 2) busy and 3) up north.
Peking Duck for TWO - Emperor, Brilliant, Other?
Charles, have you tried their friday night roast suckling pork yet? We're thinking of going back for it once before my parents leave.
Peking Duck for TWO - Emperor, Brilliant, Other?
I went to Chung King 2 weeks ago and Emperor tonight, both meals for Peking Duck. The CK one was horrible, skin was listless and not crispy (and had a strange glowing red color to it), meat was dry and flavourless, and sauce was runny as well (I hate runny sauce). The one tonight at Emperor was not only a great deal at $20 (yes Charles, we did get the added $5 veggie wrap like you suggested and loved it), but their ducks skins are very light and crispy, meat was juicy, tender and flavourful, and the sauce was fantastic. The wrapper skins were a bit thick, compared to Brilliant's which has probably has the best wrapper skins in town. Always trying to re-live the great Peking duck meals I had when I visited Beijing awhile back.
Chinese Birthday Dinner in Markham
Brilliant is still very good, try the peking duck or pre-order the glutinous stuffed rice. Don't even bother w/ the peking duck at Chung King, we had a meal there not too long ago and it was just horrible (both food and service).
My parents are in town, I'm planning to take them to Brilliant for a meal, along with Spring Villa as we had dim sum there today and my dad was impressed w/ their set meals for dinner. Dim sum today was pretty darn good and fresh too (I think Charles posted a review on the their dim sum not too long ago as well).
Of course Omei is amazing for the lobster.
Kayagum - new 24 hr Korean restaurant in North York (where else!)
Read about this place on Bayview Post mag and decided to give it a try for lunch today. We got there around 12:45pm tues, it was only about 1/3 full. Free parking in the back, but good luck actually getting a spot.
Large and clean decor with mix of traditional and interesting contemporary designs on the ceiling (a rocket blasting thru the roof, really). Menu is quite large, you can find the full menu photos if you google a recent redflagdeals discussion.
For starters, they gave us a small bowel of corn soup, followed by 5 banchan side dishes. The kim chi was not quite as good as the soon tofu place across the street, and not overly spicy which is good for me. String beans were a bit too salty though. They gave us more side dishes even without asking.
I usually don't order set lunch boxes, but decided to try their Tempura and LA Kalbi. The Kalbi ribs were nicely grilled and well seasoned, not too sweet like some of those other Korean places do. The Tempura was also a pleasant surprise as the batter was very light and crispy. Good portion sizes as well.
My wife had the Jaeyuk (marinated pork stir fry) set and she wasn't as impressed, perhaps the spice level wasn't up to her standards.
Overall I liked it more than my wife did. Very fresh ingredients, quick service and reasonable prices (total bill $30). Yet another place to try if you are bored with the many other Korean places on that strip, plus open 24 hrs would be a bonus for those night owls.
Kayagum Restaurant
5460 Yonge St
North York, ON
M2N 6K7
647-340-8086
North York restaurant recommendations
thx for the reco about the foodonthego site, now I can get a bit more variety for our company lunches every friday. Getting a bit sick of Pusateri's and Taro's all the time.
LCBO spring beer release - finally a good release
after the initial post here, I went to a few LCBOs and bought 1-2 of each to try over the next few weeks.
Normally I hate IPAs, but the Unearthly is quite nice. Frothy, smooth on the palate, great fragrance. Bang on with the reviews from beeradvocate's ratings.
Best siu yuk / 烧肉 - Chinese Crispy Roast Pork?
I had both the pork and duck at Shark's fin city a few weeks back for a quick lunch, still good, but not worth a special trip if you're not in the area.
My wife still frequents Jade at Finch and Birchmount on her way home from work (so does my chinese optometrist friend, who goes there weekly). They also have a "teenage" version of a suckling pig, which is a little less fatty and pricey.
Don't forget that if you get take out to eat at home, or buy it later in the day, you need to reheat at least the skins a bit in a mini oven for a few minutes under the broiler to render it crunchy again (line w/ tin foil or use a plate to catch the drippings).
Confucian Restauarant - new Northern Chinese worth trying
My wife forgot to add the resto's address in her post. They just opened in mid January and it's hard to find on google.
Confucian Restaurant
250 Alton Towers, Scarborough (Milliken Wells shopping centre)
M1V 3Z4
416-291-8282
It's the strip mall at Alton Towers, on McCowan just south of Steeles. It's the south side of the strip mall. Same mall as the Oriental Food Mart.
Bier Markt - Review (King St. W.)
I guess our fondue tonight at the Don Mills location was the miss, because it was just plain bad. The so called Brie & Lobster had a few flecks of actual lobster in it, and the cheese tasted like bland cheddar.
The mushroom soup was barely warm, and loaded with sediment from unproperly washed mushrooms. My wife's Ahi Tuna was flavourless. The only decent dish was my Kobe beef burger, done perfectly to med rare. Too bad the frites were limp and soggy.
I was hoping the 6 small glass sampler tray had more unique beers that you can't get at local stores, but most of them I had already tried from the LCBO just down the block.
Their Grimbergen was a thing of beauty (first time trying it). Can't remember if it was the Optimo Bruno or Dubbel?
Dim Sum
We've been there a few times already and find the dim sum to be decent, especially if you like the stuff you can get a Crown Prince. We usually like to go to Premiere with the family, since I hate the long lineups at Crown Prince after 10am. Don't expect the surroundings to be as fancy as Crown Prince though, it's more like sitting in a big banquet hall.
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Crown Princess
1033 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3A5, CA
Gourmet Garden / Gourmet Malaysia
Do they have some good dishes that are not spicy? I tried it once and the few dishes we ordered were pretty spicy for my buds (I'm a spice wimp), plus my little ones can't eat the spicy stuff at all. I guess that's part of the authenticity of the place.
Hong Kong or Cantonese Stir-Fry or "Wok-Hay" Restaurants
Hi Charles, wow I didn't realize Tan Chi Kee closed up already. I think we were there not too long ago, must've went just before they closed. How quickly they fall.
Brilliant Chinese Restaurant - Different dishes, equally enjoyable!
We've had the glutinous rice stuffed chicken a few times, both before and after the chef change and it's not as good now as before.
Peking duck is still good as usual.
Hong Kong or Cantonese Stir-Fry or "Wok-Hay" Restaurants
For starters, you could try Tan Chi Kee in Richmond Hill, Sun Star in North York and Maple Yip in Scarborough.
The Very Best Chinese Restaurants in Scarborough?
Charles, the 4 chilies fish hotpot is quite unique and even for a spice whimp like myself, it's totally addictive. The fish is very tender after sitting in that bowl of hot savoury oil. They give you a tiny ladle to scoop out the chilis if you like. The only better version I had was in Beijing at a restaurant called Spicy Mama.
I think that is the same pork pancake in your photo that Iron Buddha (aka, my wife) mentioned.
The Very Best Chinese Restaurants in Scarborough?
We haven't been to Sun Star in ages, not that they are bad now, but just felt lately they slipped a bit as well (maybe the head chef is a little too comfy now that his place is "established". Even my dentist foodie friend who recommended the place to me initially, doesn't go there much either anymore. I keep running into him at Maple Yip.
Googs, just curious why you are so convinced that there is something better than Maple Yip? Was it a bad experience that you had there before, or their style of chinese cooking not to your liking? We usually go there just before their staff eat (weekend 4pm) and just from listening to how the staff talk, they sound like they all enjoy working there, that sense where it's like a family business and standards are consistently upheld. Maybe that, or else they just like to talk loud and eat with us when the place is nearly empty.
On a side note, my wife was at Jade BBQ yesterday to pickup some meats after her shift, and noted that they BBQ your turkey for you (can't remember how much, $10/lb?), with 2 days advance notice you just drop off your own bird. Just wondering if anyone has tried such a thing at a Chinese BBQ before and what the taste is like?
The Very Best Chinese Restaurants in Scarborough?
My dentist is quite the foody guy too, so before he unleashes his wrath of pain on my mouth, I pick his brains on which food places he's tried lately.
I think I found that BBQ place's name, it's Jade BBQ house (northwest corner of finch and birchmount). I believe they do whole suckling pig too if you pre-order.
Jade BBQ House
2950 Birchmount Rd
416-502-2882
The Very Best Chinese Restaurants in Scarborough?
For Chinese Halal we usually go to the one in North York as it's closer to home, but supposed to be the same owners as the Scarborough location.
knusprig, If all 3 of your dishes tasted the same and overly spicy, then it's probably just bad luck that you ordered dishes w/ similar chili levels. We've had a few dishes that are pretty mild in spice level as well, like their lamb soup w/ noodles, Lamb or beef pancake, lamb wontons, even the lamb grilled skewers I don't find overly hot (and I'm a wimp in terms of heat). They also have 2 kinds of noodles that I like. One is a thicker white noodle that has a nice chewy consistency to it, goes nice w/ the fatty lamb and rich broth. Another is a cold clear wide noodle that's served w/ a spicy chilly oil sauce topped w/ some herbs.
There's some photos (not mine) here that might help you pick some dishes if you want to give them another try.
http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/oH3V-79Cldz_6sWXi0yuoQ?select=H71fI1qsa2kLpw50qUXpnw
The Very Best Chinese Restaurants in Scarborough?
If Casa Imperial is on your list (i.e. Markham), then I'd include Xinjiang Restaurant at Metro Mall 3636 Steeles East (next to IBM) for some pretty good Uyghur Chinese Muslim food. Try their lamb skewers, very nicely seasoned.
If you crave more Muslim Chinese food, there's also Chinese Halal Restuarant at 668 Silver Star Blvd.
Yau Kee noodle house at 5651 Steeles E for pretty good noodles, dumplings, fish balls, etc.
We always go back to Yunnan Cross Bridge Rice Noodle restaurant at 19 Milliken Blvd (unit 3) for their very authentic cross bridge noodles. We also like their style of thinly fried breaded pork, and the kids always fight over their corn pancakes (slightly sweet).
Not really a restaurant, but Ho Ho BBQ at 3833 Midland for BBQ meats. My dentist also found a small gem at the corner of Finch and Birchmount (don't know their name though). They rely more natural meat flavours and less sauce, which I tend to prefer (some places add too much honey glaze on their cha siu aka John's).
BTW, has anyone tried The Royal Chinese after they moved to their new location at 3587 Sheppard E? We used to go to their old location quite often, but migrated over to Maple Yip and never went back. We tried to go once awhile back, but couldn't get a table and left with hungry kids.
(Yonge & Finch) The Parents are coming, Where should we eat?
If you want to impress the parents, then you don't want to take them to any run down looking places for dim sum (eg. O Mei). Maybe try the more upscale places like Crown Prince on Vic Park, south of Steeles, Yangs on Bayview north of Hwy 7 or Casa Victoria at Warden/Hwy 7. You should be able to eat well for under $40 per person (even better if you can hit their early bird times). All have plenty of parking and full english menus. Some of these places may be very busy after 11am on weekends, so be prepared to wait in line if you go during those times. Most places are order off menu nowadays, so don't expect the ones where they push food around on carts (unless that is specifically what your mom wants).
I haven't tried Ambassador or Legend Chinese lately, so can't comment on those ones.
Great Korean BBQ in Willowdale area (Yonge/Finch-Steeles) and for young kids?
we used to go all the time to a place called Han il House on north side of steeles, just east of Yonge (across from the Cdn Tire, in the plaza next to the Td bank). Last time we drove up to it, the name had changed and we didn't go in to try it. It used to have private rooms where the kids could move around in, and the BBQ, banchans were decent and prices ok.
Supposedly best Shanghainese food in Toronto - Forgettable!!!!!
also Shanghai Dim Sum at 4401 Sheppard Ave E (west of Brimley), not much better than Ala Kitchen
O-Mei or Brilliant?
we went to both O'Mei and Brilliant last week when I sister was in town.
If you go to O'Mei on a weeknight, you won't need a reservation. They usually have enough lobsters. We had 4 adults, 2 small kids, and ordered the lobster 4 ways (6-7lbs), plus a stir fried veggie dish and a sweet and sour pork for the kids, and it was plenty of food. They give you 3 desserts as well, guaranteed you won't leave hungry.
From Brilliant, we pre-ordered the stuffed glutinous rice chicken, but the last 2 times I had that dish, I'm finding it not as good as before (had it a total of 6 times thus far). I did like their supreme soy stir fried shrimps. Instead of the extra large shrimps that they charged $7 each, we went with their medium shrimps. I like how they allow you to do little changes to the orders (presuming they aren't busy).
LF: Roast suckling piglet on non-weekend dinner night
My sister's going to be in Toronto and she wants some Roast suckling piglet, but she's only here from Mon-Wed. Most places only serve it on weekends (Peaktop, etc). Aside from Crown Prince (which I had once before), does anyone else know of other places that serve it for dinner on a non-weekend night without pre-ordering?
Dim Sum at Shangri-la
Shangri-la must be operated by the same group as Diamond Banquet Hall in First Markham Place, since I saw at least 2 of the same head waiters who used to work at Diamond now at Shangri-la.
As for the dim sum, we had the early bird special today and mostly just ok. Agree w/ a few others that the shrimp cheung fun (noodle) was pretty good. We actually had a better dim sum at Diamond a few wks back.
We usually drink Iron Buddha tea and we swear we got Shou Mei instead (taste & color was off). When I asked the waitress to change it for me, she had a quick look into the teapot and said it was Iron Buddha, and walked away. Then they had a gall to charge my 3 and 5 yr old kids both for tea as well.
We'll probably end up going to either Diamond or Premiere the next time instead of Shangri-la if we want to have some wide open banquet hall dim sum.
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Shangri-la
50 Esna Park Drive, Markham, ON L3R 1E1, CA
KING CRAB NOW!!! (late june -i know its super late/off season)
We were visiting Vancouver and tried a 9lb king crab at Red Star this past saturday at approx $32/lb. The quality was top notch and it was very well prepared. First serving was topped w/ cooked garlic/wine (see photo), second was a lightly battered/spicy deep fried version, and last was the fried rice Portugese style w/ the brains. Pricey, but darn good.
A nice way to end our BC trip, after buying so much fresh local seafood from small shops on Vancouver island and eating it raw.
Which LCBO has the best beer selection?
I haven't been too impressed w/ the specialty beer selection at Bayview Village, and I go often on the Vintages release saturdays with a stroll thru the beer section on my way out.
I've actually found better beer selection at Lawrence and Don Mills location (on my way to pickup my son from school). My son is always asking why dad is late picking him up. A couple weeks back I decided to grab a whole bunch of specialty beers for my buddy's birthday gift, and bought most of my stuff from them (went to both LCBO locations).
I haven't been to the wilson-dufferin location yet.
