Best of Toronto
The Best Dumplings in Toronto
The best dumplings in Toronto aren't found, necessarily, in the finest restaurants or in the most obvious of places. Dumpling connoisseurs seem quite happy to descend into underground holes and frequent desolate Markham strip malls to experience some of the best doughy pockets in the city.
A Chinese specialty and cheap eats staple, dumplings can usually be ordered steamed or pan-fried. The shapes vary, but somehow they all manage to resemble strange and beautiful sea creatures with their translucent skins (a thin, stretchy dough) and visible inner organs (minced meat, veggies, egg etc.).
My suburban early childhood admittedly left me closed-minded to Chinese cuisine, after too much greasy Americanized take-out, frozen egg rolls and VH plum sauce. I formed a sweeping (and unfair) dislike for Chinese food, even after I escaped the suburbs. Years later, I experienced authentic Hot and Sour soup on a bad date (the only good memory from the evening). Next came dim sum, then dumplings and after that I was hooked.
Here's a list of the seven best dumplings in Toronto as voted by readers of this site.
See also: Rats Feast at Dumpling House
Mother's Dumplings
Since re-locating from Huron St., Mother's Dumplings hasn't missed a beat. The new Spadina location encompasses all of the best parts of Chinatown - the vibrancy of red paper lanterns, the energetic bustle and the mingling yummy smells. Just before noon, six kitchen staffers prepare dumplings by hand in the open kitchen. Boiled, steamed or pan-fried, Mother’s dumplings are available in 10 to 24-piece orders. More »
Dumpling King
Located in one of an endless line of strip malls on Midland Avenue in Scarborough, The Dumpling King earns low marks for ambiance. The scuzzy fluorescent-lit space with disinterested staff certainly kill the appeal. But the dumplings don't disappoint. The menu is literally 200 items long, too, including 25 varieties of dumplings and pot-stickers. More »
Ding Tai Fung
Another strip mall location, (this time in Markham) Ding Tai Fung makes more of an effort to be inviting. The layout is a little too open for my liking, and not ideal for dates whatsoever, but the staff is pleasant, attentive and quick. Dumpling here don't skimp on the filling - all are plump and hearty. Try the Hot and Sour soup, too. More »
Chinese Dumpling House
A good bet for take-out, this teeny suburban Chinese resto gets high marks for efficiency, even if the customer service could use some work. The interior, while small, is tidy and actually has decent lunch-hour ambiance. The dumplings are smaller than average, but $4.99 buys you a whopping order of 15! Try the leek and egg variety. More »
Chinese Traditional Buns
Entering this lower level eatery feels like walking into a cold-storage unit through a thick plastic curtain. Employees hand-stretch noodles just inside the front entry, literally in the way of the door. This is how you know the food is fresh. And the dumplings? They're just as good as any on this list (and super cheap!), and owner Linda is wonderfully accommodating. Try the vegetarian Shao Mai, and definitely add a spicy bean curd soup for $1.99. More »
King's Cafe
Kensington vegetarian locale King’s Cafe serves up traditional Asian fusion with a healthy spin. Dishes, including veggie and mushroom dumplings are prepared with natural ingredients and without preservatives or chemicals. Dumplings are boiled or pan-fried, served with a ginger dipping sauce. King’s is a tranquil spa-like space set in the middle of market chaos. More »
Asian Legend
Asian Legend has six locations in the GTA including one on Dundas just east of Spadina. Here they hand-prepare some of the most aesthetically lovely dumplings I’ve seen in the city. Steamed soup-filled dumplings are a favourite, featuring dried scallops, pork and luffa in a gorgeous green-hued dough. This flagship location is a pristine space with intimate private rooms perfect for a shared meal among friends. More »
Discussion
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I'm sure that NO other restaurants in Toronto have rats. Could you imagine what we would see if all kitchens were open and exposed during off-hours like Dumpling House? I'm not saying it wasn't gross, but we're being naive if we believe that Dumpling House is the ONLY place that has had a rat issue.
Rats, schmats - Dumpling House's dumplings taste far better than Mother's. Sorry! It's not a pretty restaurant, but if I got take-out, and gave you a blind taste-test, there is no way you'd pick Mothers.
Sometimes I thought nobody knew about that place besides me!
Both the aforementioned Dumpling House and the OTHER non-affiliated Chinese Dumpling House located on Steeles in Metro Square (also heard there's another location in Richmond Hill) are vastly superior to the one on this list. Hell I have half a mind that people who were voting didn't know they were voting for the Scaborough Chinese Dumpling House.
I think people know what they're eating and whether or not it is good, thanks. I know I certainly do.
Welcome to BlogTO, you must be new.
Also, her best friend is Chinese. Checkmate.
I have to admit, I really enjoy the soup dumplings at Asian Legend.
Hey you mental midget, don't you find it a bit suspect that just about every other Best Of list on this site has more than seven entries? Don't you notice that almost every list has multiples of three in it, making the lists look much nicer esthetically on the page?
Do you REALLY think that every single person who visits this site ONLY voted for THESE seven restaurants, and not a single other one? Based on the other responses to my original comment, clearly I'm not the only one that thinks Dumpling House is suspiciously left off of this list.
I know I voted for Dumpling House, and I'm sure others did. But even if I was the only vote, it should have made the cut, as it's never presented as the "Top Seven Most Popular", is it?
Now go back to eating what you think is good.
I've met people who've moved to Toronto from Europe and other large American cities, such as NYC and they all make the same comment. Toronto residents are angry and a bunch of whiners. If you're going to make snippy comments, you might as well make them entertaining and/or witty.
Mother's Dumplings has them but the shell is too thin and they break once you pick them up = no good.
From my post above. Try Asian Legend.
Though I like their food and have been there more than once, I won't return, not because of the problem but because of the reaction of the owner, who raised her voice at the waitress, insisted we pay for the offending meal, wouldn't speak to me in English, wouldn't look at me, and behaved in a childish manner while I remained calm and polite, offering to pay for the appetizer but not the meal with the band-aid. Not impressed. I like supporting non-chain, locally-owned delicious authentic joints (even if they have had sanitation problems in the past), but the owner's reaction hit me worse than finding a band-aid in my noodles :(
When I asked the owner why this was not outlined on the GroupOn, he said he didn't speak English. A lady sitting beside me explained to him in Mandarin what I was talking about and he just shrugged his shoulders.
When I left, he chased me down the street telling me that I owed him $2.60 in HST (also not stipulated in the GroupOn). He spoke perfect English, btw.
I ate Pork & Dill Steamed Dumplings, which were pretty good, but not as good as Mother's or Ding Tai Fung. Salads were limited to shredded Potato or Bean Sprouts. Hot & Sour Soup was lame.
Overall, had I known about the limited menu, I would not have purchased the GroupOn. GroupOn aside, I still would not eat there again, as there are a number of better places to go for Dumplings.