The Best Dumplings in Toronto

Heaps of dumplings find their way into grateful mouths at this spare Chinatown go-to. Despite a full menu, it's the signature dish you'll spy on every table. Made throughout the day, they're available with pork and chives, beef and celery, chicken and mushroom and myriad other flavourful combinations. 

Serving soup-filled xiao long bao bursting with succulent fillings, the team at this casual Chinatown spot ensures its menu lives up to its billing. Steamed or pan-fried, and served at record speed, their mini soup dumplings house a fragrant filling of pork or pork and crab. 

Recently renovated and refreshed, this refined Yonge & Dundas destination serves dumplings that catch the eye before exciting the palate. Influenced by Cantonese traditions, offerings range from chichi lobster har gow to scallop and prawn dumplings bearing a startling resemblance to koi. 

Watch the efficient team prep, fill, and pleat dumplings before settling in to eat at this Chinatown fixture. Appetite primed, you'll devour rounds of savoury snacks bursting with shrimp and pork, seasoned chicken, lamb and more. Though steamed is available, it's the lacy, golden skirt of the team's pan-fried dumplings that you're really after.

This understated Chinatown address is home to a tempting roster of dumplings that are made to order and served piping hot. A variety that's impossible to tackle in a single visit, it includes morsels fattened with beef, shrimp, mutton and chicken seasoned with dill, chives, carrots and other potent aromatics. 

Despite a name change (this Markham spot was formerly known as Ding Tai Fung), the menu of Shanghai-style dumplings and noodles at this family-friendly restaurant has remained untouched. Tumble through an entire meal of doughy delights, from xiao long bao to steamed siu mai, with sesame dumplings as a mandatory sweet finale. 

Collagen-rich and meaty, the chubby soup buns served at this local chain (with locations in Yonge & Bloor and North York) tempt diners with a yen for explosive eats. Packed with seasoned meat and gelatinized broth, house-made wrappers are fried on one side, then steamed. Crisp and supple, savoury and satisfying, they're habit-forming nourishment, whether ordered with pork, curry beef, shrimp or crab.

Specializing in Tibetan fare, this petite Parkdale restaurant has been turning out tender momos since 2012. Steamed or fried, they reflect tradition with deftly seasoned fillings and wrappers persuaded into impossibly neat pleats. A drizzle of the team's house hot sauce is a must. 

Handmade Shanghainese wontons attract diners to this tidy shop, in Little Italy and the Annex. From a concise menu, they choose a filling, from lobster chive to beef celery, then a preparation, such as a chili oil shower or seaweed soup bath. Available across the GTA, the team's frozen dumplings and prepared sauces keep cravings at bay between visits.