toronto dim sum
 

staying downtown at Marriott Courtyard on Yonge St. Are we close to Chinatown (walking?) and if so, recommendations for good Sunday dim sum? We have theatre at 2pm that day. Thx

From what I could see on the Marriott website, your hotel is on Yonge Street just north of College. Chinatown is at approximately Dundas and Bay, which would be perhaps a 15-20 minute walk or less. I'd suggest New Treasure, which is on the north side of Dundas about 2 blocks west of Bay. They have wonderful dim sum. If you want something a little more upscale, Lai Wah Heen is also excellent - it's on Chestnut Street, I think (they have a website) very close to New Treasure.

Forget Chintatown. The food in general there isn't that great. The place for dim sum in Toronro is Lai Wah Heen. At the Metroploitan Hotel. Expensive though

Nothing's easy, bashful. but here is accurate dim sum info.

Lai Wah Heen is, yes, expensive, but it is very, very good, too. Formal atmosphere, expensive restaurant, very nice, and a short walk, by Toronto's definitions of short and long walks.

Leave the Marriott Courtyard and walk to Yonge Street. (just a short part of a block) turn left/south and walk south a few blocks (four or five, depending on how you count) to Dundas Street. You'll be at the north end of the Eaton Centre shopping mall.

Turn right/west and walk a long blcok to Bay, cross over, and two more blocks to Chestnut. Turn left/south and walk half a block and you are there.

This is in the Bay and Dundas Chinatown, but this Chinatown is dumpy and almost all gone.

BUT...

If you want really good Dim Sum, at much lower prices, in a much more informal yet dignified, clean, sophisticated atmosphere, walk over to Chinatown on Spadina Avenue.

THE ROUTE: (It's longer)

South from the hotel to College Street (it has two names; College west of Yonge and Carlton east of Yonge, and College Park is on the corner of College and Yonge)

Turn right/west and walk a dozen blocks west past Bay Street, past University Avenue, past buildings of the University of Toronto, to Spadina Avenue.

Spadina is extra-wide, has dedicated streetcar tracks in the middle, you can't miss it.

Turn left/south and walk a couple of blocks to St. Andrew where, on the west side, you'll see Bright Pearl. That is your destination.

I took about 40 poeple from the USA (Louisiana, New York City, San FRan, more) South Africa, London, various Candadian cities there last summer and everyone loved it. We used up five tables, and each person spent around $10-12. It'll be more for a couple, probably.

And they thought it well worth the walk.

You could take a College Street car, $2.25 cash per person, from Yonge and College to Spadina if you wanted.

BAK

BAK, I'm interested in your recommendation for Bright Pearl. Have you ever been to New Treasure? We've always gone there and found it to be exceptionally good; I'm wondering how it would compare with Bright Pearl.

I've never compared.

All I know for sure is that for several days after the Bright Pearl visit, people came up to me to say they enjyed their meal there.

BAK

Chinatown is an experience that surpasses just dim sum. I love to just walk around the area and feel the people. For me it is a pilgrimmage. I go there every time I am in TO. I like it more than Chinatowns in Van or SF. It is so unpretentious.

Thanks BAK for the tip on where to go. Up until now we have just relied on people on the street giving us a recommendation.... this has been good and bad... lots of times they send white people to marginal establishments with boring selections!

The food in Chinatown ranges from mediocre to abysmal . It you want to play tourist, go to Chinatown. If you want good Chinese food, avoid it. The good places are where the new immigrants live, up in Markham and Agincourt. Unfortunately, it's usually Hong Kong cooking. As far as I know, there is no place in Toronto get good regional cooking, like Hunan or Nanking.