chat bar north york

Chat Bar

Chat Bar is a Chinese barbecue spot specializing in skewered up eats and skewer hot pot. 

The first restaurant in the city to focus solely on this traditionally northern Chinese street food to Toronto, Chat Bar already has locations in Scarborough and Unionville.

This bustling two-floor location is the flagship spot. It's three times the size of the other locations, but the first level is usually packed by dinnertime, with guests spilling upward as the night goes on. 

chat bar torontoBarbecued skewer culture, or chuan'r (pronounced 'chwar'), is synonymous with social drinking culture in China, so there's a bar-like vibe here, supplemented by the sounds of Chinese rap and the smell of cumin in the air. 

chat bar torontoThrough the kitchen window, you can watch the nonstop flipping of skewers overtop charcoal flames. 

chat bar torontoThe menu offers 60 different types of meats, seafood, and veggies to choose from. The server will stack your orders on a small heated plate with candles underneath. 

chat bar torontoA must-order are the Fanny Bay oysters (6 for $20.95), sourced from Scarborough's Diana's Seafood.

The signature garlic mixture that goes on top, which is made in-house, is ridiculously addictive.

chat bar torontoThat same garlic sauce goes on the scallops (5 for $19.95), which are hidden underneath a pile of rice noodles.

chat bar torontoLamb skewers (4 for $6.95) come from New Zealand and are marinated overnight with an incredibly tasty secret recipe of over 30 ingredients.

chat bar torontoThere are tons of adventurous bites, like beef heart artery or intestines-wrapped garlic, mixed with more common items like chicken wings for less adventurous palates. They usually all come with four piece per order.

chat bar torontoMaster Han's rice cakes ($4.99) are a pretty reliable crowd pleaser. 

chat bar torontoYou also can't go wrong with a plate of gooey cheese and corn for $6.95. 

chat bar torontoAnother way to eat your skewers is in a cauldron-sized pot of boiling chicken and pork bone soup ($20.95), which includes five items from a list.

chat bar torontoThe beef, cuttlefish, and fish balls are probably the best way to go here, though the veggie options like seaweed and lotus root are tasty as well. 

chat bar torontoFinish it off with something sweet, like skewered pineapple or banana slices. 

chat bar toronto

Photos by

Fareen Karim


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