Honey Chinese brings a taste of Chinatown to King Street West, with a menu that spans crispy-skin Peking duck to late-night dim sum. 

The neighbourhood's only Chinese restaurant, it occupies the third floor of Portland Square, a new multi-level dining venue with four distinct experiences under one roof, including Italian-American hotspot Primadonna and country-western bar Rodeo Dive.

"Portland Square marks an exciting new chapter for King West, right at its hottest intersection," says Charles Khabouth, CEO and Founder of INK Entertainment.

"Every detail, from the carefully sourced ingredients on each menu to the striking murals and interiors, has been thoughtfully curated to create an atmosphere that feels bold, fresh, fun, and distinctly King West."

Inspired by the golden age of 1960s Asian cinema, think Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love, Honey Chinese is moody and glamorous, brought to life by award-winning design studio NIVEK REMAS.

Red lanterns, paper umbrellas, lacquered tables, velvet seating, and low lighting come together to create a space that feels entirely transportive.

The cocktail program takes its cues from the game of Mahjong, with six imaginative drinks that each offer layers of complexity.

The One Day in Mei ($22) is a delicate, floral blend of Patron, bright plum wine, warm ginger liqueur, and rosehip-hibiscus tea.

A riff on the lychee martini, the First Bloom ($21) mixes vodka, lychee, orange blossom, and yuzu honey tea for something sweet and citrusy.

Carrying equally subtle sweet notes, the Qi Time ($19) offers a refreshing combination of gin, chrysanthemum, white peach, chamomile tea, and Chinese honeydew melon.

With drinks this pretty, it's tempting to linger at the bar, though the food, with its selection of Singapore-style noodles and Chinese BBQ, is equally as enticing.

Executive Chef Marc Cheng (Primadonna, Animl, Clio) describes the concept as Chinese-Canadian, leaning into the nostalgic charm of Chinatown classics like spring rolls, fried rice, and sweet-and-sour chicken in its signature neon-orange sauce. That nostalgia carries through to the menu itself, which features takeout-style photos of select dishes.

Made to satisfy late-night cravings, there's a spread of Cantonese-style dim sum, including pork and shrimp Siu Mai ($12), delicate shrimp Har Gow ($14), and steamy Xiao Long Bao ($12), filled with tender, savoury pork and a pocket of hot broth. 

With cold cucumber salads seemingly everywhere right now, it's only fitting that Honey's has its own. A nod to Cheng's Southeast Asian heritage, the Cucumber Pomelo Salad ($16) combines citrusy pomelo segments with crunchy cucumber tossed in plenty of vinegar, chili, and sesame.

The Mongolian Beef ($32) features thinly sliced beef in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce built from dried Chinese chilis and chili paste. Stir-fried with onion, scallion, and carrot, it delivers heat and depth in equal measure and is best paired with a side of Steamed Rice ($3.50) to soak up the sauce.

Ideal for celebratory occasions, the Honey Peking Duck ($110) is served two ways, drawing from both Cantonese and Beijing cooking traditions. The bird is first pumped with air beneath its skin (using a bike pump, no less) before being marinated, air-dried for several days, and roasted until the skin turns golden brown and crisp. 

The first serving follows the classic presentation. Slices of savoury duck with skin so crisp it crackles, wrapped in paper-thin Mandarin pancakes with julienned cucumber, scallion, and the chef's hoisin-based sauce. 

The second turns any remaining meat into a stir-fry, tucked into crunchy lettuce cups so that nothing goes to waste.

Chopsticks that seem to levitate midair, suspended in a swirl of noodles, signal the arrival of Honey's Special Chow Mein ($29). Beneath the spectacle lies a mix of beef, pork, shrimp, baby scallops, broccoli, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a glossy, sweet sauce that ties everything together.

For dessert, sticky toffee is reimagined in the Jujube Sticky Toffee Pudding ($12). Made with red Chinese dates, the cake has a light, tender crumb and a sweet, caramel-like flavour that gets complemented by a nutty sesame-seed tuile and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Finally, the Fragrant Flower and Lychee Cheesecake ($12) layers floral osmanthus jelly over a lychee-infused filling, set on a buttery cookie crust for a light and creamy finish.

Honey Chinese is located on the third floor at 600 King Street West.