There are plenty of cheap and cheerful dim sum options downtown and throughout the suburbs, but when the occasion calls for something a little more than "the usual", this spot in Richmond Hill consistently delivers.

Read my review of Ambassador Chinese Cuisine in the restaurants section.

With Rob Ford's plans to improve transit access to Scarborough, it might be that much easier for downtown dwellers to discover some of the area's hidden restaurant gems. Among them is this easy to miss dumpling destination that specializes in both North Chinese and Korean eats.

Read my review of Dumpling Village in the restaurants section.

In business for more than 14 years, this Scarborough Chinese restaurant may look no frills but the food coming out of the kitchen always satisfies. On the menu are popular Shanghai delicacies as well as spicy concoctions typical of Southwestern China.

Read my review of Great Shanghai Szechuan Restaurant in the restaurants section.

With 55 varieties of congee on the menu, this suburban restaurant knows a thing or two about the deceptively plain looking dish. But it's not just congee that the kitchen shows mastery of. Ox-tongue pastry, Singaporean fried chili turnip patties and an overwhelming number of other options come fresh, fast and (mostly) cheap.

Read my review of Congee Wong in the restaurants section.