It was a Tuesday night and I was being led to this spot by friends who swore I was about to try the best dumplings in Toronto.

The spot, Mother's Dumplings , has 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. Leftovers 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.

Image by Fareen Karim.