Congee Queen

Having just landed in TO and having to drop off our stuff at the hotel, then needing to make the Jann Arden concert at Massey Hall, we decided to go simple for dinner.  On our way walking to Massey Hall, we considered a few options, but ultimately went to an ol' Toronto Cantonese standby in Congee Queen on Yonge Street.  This local chain sports 9 locations and dishes up large portions of Cantonese classics at reasonable prices.  They aren't known for their service, but hey, I got mostly decent servers on both visits.

Yep, we came here twice with the first time, we had to get their namesake.  We went for the classic in the Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee.  At first, I was a bit skeptical of how they diced the egg.  It was in little bits strewn throughout the congee.  The same could be said about the pork.  However, that meant each spoonful was loaded with both components.  That ensured we had the umaminess of the egg with the saltiness of the pork at full effect.  The congee itself was really good being thick, but not too thick, until the last drop.  It was well-seasoned too without being salty.

Going for another classic, we had the Wonton Noodles.  This was quite good with the wontons being plump and large.  The shrimp filling was meaty and had good brininess and sweetness.  There was enough seasoning and a touch of sesame oil.  Nice firm snap texture from the shrimp that was appealing.  The wonton noodles were bouncy with a nice chew.  The one part that could've been better was the soup as it was not as complex and aromatic as Wonton Hut.

Arriving as a huge pile, the Stir-Fried Vermicelli with minced beef and chives in XO sauce was really good.  Despite being so light and almost fluffy, there was barely any greasiness.  That was the result of good wok hei where things were cooked quickly at high heat.  There was some smokiness and definitely caramelization.  Seasoning was on point with some brininess and spice.  Textures were all there too including the chewy noodles, tender meat and crispy veggies.

We ended up with one more item in the Crispy Deep Fried Tofu Bites.  Another properly executed dish where the silken tofu was deep fried without falling apart (these are rather delicate).  Beyond the appealingly crispy exterior, the inside was classic silky and soft tofu.  There was enough seasoning on the outside in terms of salty pepperiness that we really didn't need to dip it into the side of mayo.  In fact, I'm not sure if the mayo was really needed at all.

Near the end of the trip, we went back to try a few more dishes including the Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice.  Once again, it was an enormous portion.  Even though the rice was beautifully wok-fried with a nice nuttiness and slight smokiness, the texture was not as chewy as I would've liked.  Despite that, it was still solid and none too greasy.  One thing that could've been better was the seasoning as the rice was not as salty as we would've expected.

With another rice dish, we had the Roast Pork and BBQ Duck on steamed rice.  Gotta say that the BBQ meats were quite solid.  This was especially true with the Roast Pork as it was the belly and hence was super buttery and tender.  It was well-salted and ate well on its own.  The crackling was crispy and not overly hard.  One of the best versions of this I've had in awhile.  As for the duck, it featured crispy lacquered skin that had fairly well-rendered fat.  The meat was tender and moist.

Our last dish was the classic Sweet and Sour Pork.  The portion size was somewhat normal here, but each chunk of pork was not.  Look at the size of those things!  Also, since this fried from raw, the meat remained moist and tender.  Some places par-fry the meat and the second go around yields something too fried and dry.  The sauce was balanced with equal parts sweet and sour.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the food at Congee Queen.  It came in large portions and was reasonably-priced.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Service is hit and miss

Upstairs Hot Pot

I'm sure most people have noticed the "pick your own ingredients" and get it weighed hot pot craze.  That started with Big Way Hot Pot locally and places like Malatown in California.  But before that, it was just traditional hot pot where we would order things to cook in a communal pot.  Then, in more recent times, we found the AYCE concept where we could order as much as we could eat at one inclusive price.  In between all this, we also had pre-constructed personal hot pots at various price points at places like Boiling Point.  That type of hot pot restaurant has gotten lost in the shuffle and it was quite the surprise when I found out about Upstairs Hot Pot in Richmond.

To stand out in the crowded hot pot landscape, Upstairs hot pot focuses on healthier broths that are naturally flavoured and not reliant on artificial seasoning or excess salt or MSG.  Furthermore, they specialize in Chongqing noodles and also bring some of those influences their hot pots.  However, the best thing about Upstairs Hot Pot is their pricing.  Their Green Sichaun Pepper Pot is on special for only $9.99.  Yes, places like Big Way are sexier but you might find it hard to get a meal for that price, unless you are get the lightest ingredients.  Really enjoyed this slow-cooked broth made from chicken, beef and pork bones.  The green chili offered up some brightness and mild spice.  Good amount of varied components that were not overcooked, especially the veggies.

Now you cannot do anything Chongqing without some Mala right?  Their Signature Spicy Pot is exactly that and can be had in a variety of spice levels.  They gave us a mediumish version since Mijune was with me and they didn't want to give a pregnant lady the max spice level.  LOL.  This was still flavourful though.  It was earthy with a low-rumbling heat and rich fragrance.  We could choose the main protein and selected marbled beef slices.  It also came with a variety of veggies and other meat products.  Definitely hearty and reasonably-priced for $14.99.

With any hot pot place, there will be the standard Rich Pork Bone Broth.  Perfect for those who do not like spice and just want something soothing and clean.  This one was definitely clean with a milky white appearance.  There was definitely a silkiness to it due to the collagen.  Seasoning was mild and it wasn't too salty nor sweet. It was just right.  We had the tender pork slices for this one and added (for an extra $4.50) some fatty beef slices too.  There was some clams by default in this and it provided a subtle sweet brininess.

Excuse this picture of the Tomato Beef Hot Pot as it seemed to focus on Mijune's tummy rather than the beef.  Anyways, this was our favourite being naturally flavourful without the saltiness sometimes associated with tomato broth.  It was tangy and richly flavoured due to the use of fermented tomatoes.  The beef was the best part as they used collagen-rich pieces that were cooked slowly, rendering the fat and ensuring the meat and tendon were melt-in-our-mouths tender.  

Now that was our favourite hot pot, but the best thing we ate was the Chongqing Noodles.  These handmade noodles had such a nice texture to them.  They weren't firm, yet they weren't too soft either.  Rather, they were silky with a gentle chew to them.  On top we found some braised pork as well as some mashed peas.  Once again, the spice level was fairly mild-to-medium with a certain smokiness and savouriness.  Really delicious and I urge you to go try this!  Overall, the food at Upstairs Hot Pot is prepared carefully and the ingredients are good quality.  Pricing is super reasonable and the portion sizes are enough for most appetites.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Clean broths that are not overseasoned

- Quality ingredients

- Those Chongqing noodles!

The Bad:

- The parking lot is usually packed and the time limit is too short for most of the spaces

- Dumplings are average

Jing Tan Grill House

I've had my eye on Jing Tan Grill House for quite some time.  Looking over their 3-tiered AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) menu, it seemed like the Deluxe for $39.85 looked like the sweet spot.  You basically have everything you would want except for Wagyu Beef, Lobster, Lamb, Scallops and Oysters.  However, upon sitting down and eyeing the menu, I decided I needed to do the Supreme (with the aforementioned items) for $68.85.  They use charcoal grills here without the benefit of temperature control.  However, nothing cooks like charcoal as it really chars meats better than gas.  Ventilation is quite good, so it wasn't smoky at all in the restaurant.

In addition to the AYCE menu, there is a self-service bar that features Potato Salad, Wakame Salad, Tofu Skin Salad, Woodear Salad, Edamame, Fruit, Spring Rolls, Fried Dumplings, Shrimp Chips, Fries and Dungeness Crab.  I actually enjoyed all the salads.  Good flavour and texture.  I didn't try the potato salad though.  I was a little surprised to find crab there, but it was "okay".  Not live crab for sure, but it wasn't mushy though.  Was overcooked a touch.  Would've liked to see the fried food kept warm somehow.

So the Supreme menu has certain items that may make you rethink whether you want to spend more money (like me...).  The A5 Miyazaki Wagyu was absolutely buttery and delicious.  They did limit this to only 1 order per person.  We also found SRF Wagyu which was obviously less buttery, but still tender.  Yep, they also had whole Ribeye Steak that was limited to 1 per person.  This was only average as the meat was tender, but not marbled enough (despite having lots of fat around the edges.

We actually got another order of the SRF Wagyu (max 3 per person) along with the Premium Boneless Shortribs (also max 3 orders per person).  I thought these short ribs were quite fatty and if you like the fat, this is for you.  I tried eating multiple pieces with all the fat, but it was just too heavy.  We actually preferred the regular short ribs in the Deluxe menu.  On the bottom, there was some Wagyu Beef Tongue.  The trick to these was to cook them for a long time to help activate the fats (as in rendering it), so the meat would be tender enough to eat, rather than being chewy.

We had some other meats from all parts of the menu including Marinated Pork Shoulder, Pork Neck, Lamb Rack and Beef Short Ribs.  Really enjoyed the tender and flavourful pork, especially the sweet pineapple.  The pork neck was at its bouncy best with great marbling.  The lamb rack chops were pretty good, as long as you don't overcooked it.  Now for the aforementioned short ribs.  They were tender with the classic short rib chew.  Nice sweet and savoury marinade on them.

Disregard the Wagyu beef tongue in this picture as it was a repeat, but below, we had some Chicken Knees and New Orleans Chicken Wings.  I thought the chicken knees could've benefited from some better trimming as there was more than cartilage in each bite.  We had unchewable pieces of bone.  The wings were split and cooked quickly as a result.  The meat was juicy and tender from the savoury marinade.  The Unagi was fantastic, but was hard to cook on the grill as it stuck to it.  It was buttery and well-sauced.  The Abalone was the typical small ones you'd find at the supermarket.  With that being said, they were nice texturally having that dense squishy chewiness.  Added some Shrimp for good measure.  They were your typical frozen white shrimp.

As part of the Supreme menu, we could order the Lobster Tails (limit one per person).  These were par-cooked and needed to be finished on the grill.  We found them already fully done from the kitchen, so warming them up on the grill overcooked them.  Still nice to have some lobster!  The Oysters were also par-cooked, so it didn't take too long to finish them off on the grill.  They were buttery and briny with some sweetness.  A bit of sweetened soy on top added some saltiness and the garlic did its aromatic thing.

We got some shellfish in the form of White Wine Mussels, Clam Vermicelli and Scallops with Garlic. All of them were par-cooked as well and needed to be finished on the grill.  The problem with these is that they take up a lot of real estate on the grill and take some time to warm up.  Since there is a 2-hour limit, you might want to order these only once.  They were good though with fresh shellfish that were all the right textures.  Good flavour for all of them as they were topped with garlic and sauce.

As you can see, the amount of space on the grill is typical, so you need to cooked strategically.  Also, since it is charcoal, there was some hotspots and some coldspots.  Needed to move things around to get some char or to prevent burning.  When done right, the stuff is delicious.  We ended off with some complimentary Ice Cream which was more icy than creamy.  But whatever, it was included and helped cool our mouths from the barrage of hot food off the grill.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the experience at Jing Tan as the charcoal grill produced some great searing.  Also, the food quality was above average while the service was fantastic.  Would come back.

The Good:
- Above-average food quality
- Surprisingly good service
- Real charcoal grill

The Bad:
- Grill size is average, but some of the items take up a lot of room and slows the cooking down
- Limited parking spots

Wonton Hut

After an average wonton experience at the ol' skool Swatow, we made our way to the Downtown location of Wonton Hut.  Sure, the name seems to indicate that "these are the wontons you're looking for".   Well apparently, they were indeed what I was looking for, but not for everyone else because this spot is now permanently closed.  However, I'm still going to do this post as their original Markham location still exists.  So that also means I have to head out to Markham next time I'm in town for my wonton fix!

So before we get to the wontons, we had to try some of their other offerings too right?  We went for the Braised Brisket Noodle Soup with round noodles.  This could be had as a lo mein as well.  We thought the soup was quite good with plenty of natural umaminess from the beef as well as the braising juices.  Hence there was also background licorice notes from the star anise.  The brisket (or beef finger meat in this case) was super tender and somewhat fatty.  Noodles were al dente.

The same couldn't be said about the Bun Rieu though.  Yes, I realize that this is not a Vietnamese restaurant, so I should go easy on them right?  Well, I'm going to do that here, but I'm not sure why they were offering this when it wasn't done right.  Okay, let's get to the positives first.  So the broth was their own take on things being more of a tomato broth with not enough brininess.  It was good in a vacuum though where there was tang and depth.  The biggest issue was the pork and crab meatballs.  They were more like just pork meatballs that were far too firm.  Okay bowl of noodles but not a Bun Rieu.

So everything was good in the world again when we had the Wonton Noodles.  I've had many a bowl in my lifetime and this could be described as legit.  The broth itself was a bit briny, nutty and full of umami.  This was quite concentrated, hence it also lightly flavoured the noodles.  About those noodles, they were firmly al dente with that desired chew and rebound.  This was achieve by the use of lye water.  As for the wontons, they were mainly shrimp and huge.  Sweet and briny, the shrimp had a juicy bounce texture.

Just because the wontons were so delicious as they came didn't mean further enhancement wasn't necessary.  For me, I love to douse them in a bit of Chili Oil Sauce.  The one provided at the table was pretty good with noted spiciness, nuttiness and smokiness.  It really did compliment the briny and sweetness of the wontons.  Since I don't live in TO, I'm not one to declare anything, but I would say these are very good wontons.  Spoiler alert, I did visit Congee Queen a few months later and no, they weren't as good (but still very acceptable).  So too bad this location is closed because one needs to travel to Markham for these wontons.  In that case, if you want to remain in the area, Congee Queen is a good substitute.

The Good:
- Legit Wontons
- Good noodles too
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Well, the menu is different than the Markham location, but I'd stick to the stuff they are good at

Juicy Dumpling

Walking up and down Spadina for a whole week meant I would be passing by Juicy Dumpling on a daily basis.  Although there are rave reviews of the place on the internet, I was a bit skeptical.  But the place seemed busy most of the time.  Also, the lure of the $2.99 XLBs prominently on their window (with minimum purchase of $10.00), I just couldn't help myself.  Despite already finishing off some tacos from Seven Lives, we stopped by for another quick bite.

So let's get right to the mini-sized Xiao Long Bao shall we?  At first glance, these did not look all that impressive with its deflated shape and also the thick top twirl.  Despite having a good amount of soup in these, the actual dumpling wrapper was a bit too doughy for my tastes.  That was mainly the top of the dumpling though as the bottom was appreciably thinner.  I would've liked to see more elasticity though.  The pork filling itself was decent being tender, if not a touch gritty.  Soup was mostly sweet with some savoury elements.  Interestingly, we had to ask for vinegar as the default sauce that came with these was hot sauce.

To get to the minimum spend for the XLB special, we got a few more items including the Pan-Fried Dumplings.  These were aggressively-seared on the bottom resulting in crunchy parts that were nutty and smoky.  The dumpling skin as a whole was medium-thick and had a chew to it.  I thought it was a bit stiff, yet it did have some elasticity.  Inside, the pork and cabbage filling was not overly dense being tender with some soup mixed with fat.

I couldn't pass up the Spicy Wontons as that is one of my favourite things to eat.  These were not bad where the filling was juicy and bouncy while mildly seasoned.  These were cooked just enough where the wrapper was delicate and buttery without being to soft and falling apart.  As for the chili oil "sauce" it wasn't too spicy where it was more nutty and smoky than anything else.  Other than those flavours, we found a bit of saltiness and mild sweetness.

Last item was the Salty Donut which had quite a bit of girth (okay, let the jokes fly here...).  Anyways, this was good where the outside was crunchy and not too greasy (despite it soaking up a decent amount of oil).  Inside, it was fluffy with some salty chewiness.  I only wish there was some congee or salted soy milk for me to dip this into!  Overall, the stuff from Juicy Dumpling is serviceable.  Not a huge fan of the XLBs despite being cheap.  I guess it is fine for those who want an inexpensive meal or something for late night eats.

The Good:

- Cheap

- Open late

- Salty donut was great

The Bad:

- Dumplings are serviceable but not memorable

Pearl Harbourfront Chinese

After our first Downtown Toronto Dim Sum experience at Rol San, it was fine but we were wanting something a bit more.   We were willing to pay a bit more for a bit of atmosphere, hopefully attentive service and of course higher food quality.  Since we were staying not far from the lake front, we ended up at Pearl Harbourfront Chinese located in Queens Quay Terminal.  Since we were early, we snagged a beautiful window seat with a nice view of the water.  

We tried to cover as much of the menu as we could with only 2 of us.  The very first dish to arrive was the Beef Rice Noodle Roll.  As you can see, it was carefully prepared where the noodles were delicate and soft with some elasticity.  Inside, the whipped beef was at its bouncy best with a nice rebound texture.  It was mildly seasoned with only a minimal amount of cilantro.  With a touch of sweetened soy, this tasted good and the texture was right.

We didn't have to wait too long to get the most important dish of the meal.  Yep, the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) is normally seen as the benchmark for any Dim Sum service.  Thankfully, these steamed dumplings passed the test as the skin was medium-thick while being tender with a chew.  Inside, the shrimp filling was buttery with a snap.  It was seasoned enough so that there was flavour to compliment the natural sweetness of the shrimp.

Of course, when you have Ha Gau, you must also order the Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling).  This is the ying to the yang or partner in crime.  Now these dumplings did not really look the part when we first laid eyes on them.  The wrapper was loose and the dumplings looked out of sorts.  Well, thankfully, they ate much better than they appeared.  The pork filling was bouncy and well seasoned.  The whole shrimp on top was not only for aesthetics as it had a buttery crunch.  Flavourwise it could've been seasoned a bit more aggressively.

Although the starch-thickened sauce was goopy and clung onto the Steamed Chicken Feet like glue, it did taste really good.  Nice balance of sweet, garlicky and a touch of spice.  As for those deep fried, braised and then steamed chicken feet, the texture on them was on point.  They were plump with soft cartilage and fat underneath.  Hence, all of it came off the bone really easily but wasn't complete melted off either.  

Another solid dish was the Steamed Beef Meatballs.  Numbering 3, the fairly large meatballs were whipped enough that the meat was bouncy and super tender.  However, they left enough natural meat texture bits that there was some contrast.  The mix was mostly meat with very little in the way of greens within it.  Hence, this might've lacked a bit of brightness, yet at the same time, it was properly seasoned being umami and savoury.

Went for another typical Dim Sum item in the Steamed Pork Spareribs.  Once again, this was a fairly large portion with a mix of rib and cartilage pieces.  I liked how there wasn't a lot of fat attached either.  At the same time, the meat wasn't dry or chewy since it had been marinated properly.  It had the signature rebound texture.  Seasoning was great too with ample salty garlickiness intertwined with bell pepper.

Had a few non-steamed items with the Spring Spring Rolls and the Pan-Fried Taro Cake.  I found the spring rolls to be crispy and not wound too tightly.  Inside, the shrimp was buttery and well-seasoned.  Whenever I see taro cake on the menu, I order it.  Reason being is that it is much more rare to find that on a menu than the daikon radish cake.  These were nicely crispy and nutty on the outside while the inside was somewhat firm, but had the aromatics of taro and the saltiness of Chinese cured sausage.

We ended this off with the usual Baked Egg Tarts.  Even though the puffed pastry was not particularly browned, it was still nutty, crispy and aromatic.  Inside, the egg filling was silky and sweet.  A very competent version of the dessert.  Overall, the meal at Pearl Harbourfront was good and not as expensive as one would think.  Service was attentive where the staff had a good attitude.  Loved the water views since we were sitting by the window.

The Good:

- Solid Dim Sum

- Good service

- Great views

The Bad:

- Dim Sum menu is not as diverse as other places

- Of course you can get better in Markham/Richmond Hill, but pretty good for Downtown

Dessert Artisanaux

Although there are a decent amount of Chinese dessert spots in town, I feel there aren't that many that truly stand out.  I guess Snackshot would be one that is fairly memorable partly due to their unique-looking desserts (such as the Mahjong one).  There is Blackball, which I've been to many times before.  It is fine and I have no problem going there too.  One of the busier spots is Tina Cakes on Kingsway, which I've been to twice without blogging about it (not sure why I haven't), but there is a newer spot nearby called Dessert Artisanaux.  They are constantly busy and their stuff ain't cheap.  Well, I drop by 2 times and yes, I'll blog about it!

The thing to get here is the Mochi Pistachio Paste.  I've had this twice and it is so texturally pleasing due to the soft spoonable mochi.  It is super delicate and has a great mouth-feel.  Beyond that, the bright green pistachio paste is nutty, sweet and aromatic.  It compliments the mochi well since it is not overpowering.  It allows the natural sweetness of the mochi to come through.  Some chopped pistachios add some crunch and extra nuttiness.

They have a pretty solid Pomelo Mango Sago here.  It is lightly creamy, purposefully sweet and refreshing.  Now that gets kicked up a few notches with the Coconut Jelly Noodles and Mini Glutinous Rice Balls with Mango Pomelo Sago.  Yes, that is a mouthful, but when eaten, it is truly a mouthful!  Beyond the good parts of the basic version, this one has the creamy coconut jelly noodles.  This adds aromatics and more sweetness.

If you think that is a mouthful, try the Taro ball, Taro, Coconut Jelly Noodles,Sago,Peach Gum,Mini Glutinous Rice Balls with Coconut Milk.  Yah, this has everything but the kitchen sink and well, it is quite good mainly due to the creamy and nutty taro paste.  Combining it with the aromatic coconut noodles, we have a lot of flavours going on.  The chewiness of the mochi balls and peach gum add more texture and believe it or not, this isn't all that sweet either.

The Taro with Coconut Milk Black Glutinous Rice is also aromatic with the same creamy taro paste and sweet coconut milk.  We have chewy black glutinous rice that offers up its own sweetness and texture.  You can order anything in a takeout container if you wish, so you can take anything you don't finish home.  We did that because we order lots!  Overall, the desserts here are good and there are many choices on the menu.  Prices are on the higher side though, but as you can see, I have been here more than once.  That means, I will be coming back for more...

The Good:
- Lots of choice
- Above average
- Not too sweet

The Bad:
- A bit expensive
- Needs more servers
- Parking is a bit difficult at times