Restaurants
Nothing Better than Mother's Dumplings
It was a Tuesday night and I was being led down the stairs of 79 Huron Street by friends who swore I was about to try the best dumplings in Toronto.
The spot, Mother's Dumpling's, is a tiny little Chinese comfort food kitchen hiding mere steps from busy Dundas Street. Simple decor and a simple menu keep the focus on home made food... and I was definitely up for some home cookin' that didn't include a surprise course of, "So when you gonna get-ah marry?"
(You know what I mean?)
Dumplings at Mother's fall into boiled, steamed and pan-fried varieties, so we pick from each, trying Pork & Dill (boiled), Chicken & Mushroom (boiled), Vegetarian (steamed), and Pork & Bak Choi (pan-fried) - all around $5 for 10 pieces.
We also order up a big bowl of Tomato Soup ($4.79 for a large), Steamed Buns ($1.25), a Beef-Onion Roll ($5.49) and the highly recommended, Green-Onion Pancake ($2.99).
Once everything had arrived, we had a little trouble remembering what was what, but it hardly mattered as everything was equally wonderful. Left-overs were non-existent as this little spot truly lived up to all expectations.
Stand-out wonder-dishes were:
Pork & Dill Dumplings -generous amounts of dill make for a unique and zesty flavour. I even bought a bag of these to make myself (frozen packages of 30 available!).
Tomato Soup - Unlike the canned variety, this soup is filled with tasty real tomatoes, and prepared almost hot-&-sour-like with chives and egg.
Green-Onion Pancake - The crowd favourite, this pancake is thicker than most and crispy on the outside... that's Mother's touch.
Discussion
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With all that yummy food, it's a miracle that you are not 300 pounds...I gained 3 pounds just by reading your' article: - )
I was up at the Danforth last weekend, I was hoping to see or meet ya' while there, (just to introduce myself and say "hi" as an admirer of your' work). I was looking around at anyone snapping photos: - )
Jack - You'll have to ask when you stop in!
while i find them pretty tasty, sometimes i need a good mix of the black vinegar, sugar, chili flakes and soy sauce to really get it going.
next time you go back, definitely try the da lu noodles. probably the BEST thing there. there's a photo of them <a href="http://tongueandcheek.ca/2007/07/31/home-away-from-home/";>here</a>.
I'll make sure I get a bowl of those noodles. They look GOOD.
I only just noticed the star rating system too ... wicked.
the guy at pacific mall, suns, does a great job of entertaining (you can hear the "whap" noises of the noodles as he hand pulls them) but his soup bases lack much descerable depth. i'd pick mother's over his any day. the da lu noodles have more of a stew quality because of the thickness of the broth and density of meat toppings. it has however been getting noticeably saltier, unfortunately!
i am really curious about the recent addition of a dessert on their menu. tapioca i believe.... for the ridiculous price of $.88. who the heck sells anything under a dollar these days?
Great pictures! Sorry about the increased saltiness of the Dalu noodles. We will look into it.
Rick and Zhen
As for Mother's, not bad. However, there have been better in this city, and there are certainly better in other cities like NYC. There, not only is the food better, but so are the prices! Dumpling House on Eldridge St - 5 pan fried dumplings for $1.00; beef filled pancakes - $1.50; hot and source soup - $1.00. What is with Canada that the prices for food are so much higher??? Anyway, like with most of my shopping, I'll wait until I'm back in the good ole USA before I spend my hard earned money.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&;source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=421+Spadina+Ave,+Toronto,+ON,+Canada&sll=43.766115,-79.41011&sspn=0.012862,0.033023&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=421+Spadina+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario,+Canada&z=17
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if it would be maybe 60-70% of the current price, i would still consider going again but the way it is - not a second time for me.
Everything I have ever eaten from here is outstanding. Sure, the service is kinda slow sometimes but the staff are stretched thin. Who cares when the food tastes this good?