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| - Good dim sum is a rarity south of the 401, and especially in the east end of downtown. Even with old Chinatown, it's hard to find a decent place. When Ha Gow recently opened on Danforth & Donlands, showing some promise with its cute signage and welcoming discounts (15% off if you pay with cash), I half-heartedly hoped it would change the tides of a very culinarily disjointed neighbourhood.
The premise of my review was purely for their all-day dim sum, since cheap Chinese food can be found everywhere in the area. I ordered traditional items: ha gow, siu mai, lo bak go (turnip cake, or otherwise known as my litmus test for good dim sum) and steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce. I was slightly disappointed at the lack of chung feng (steamed rice sheets rolled with shrimp or pork or beef) as it's one of my favourites, but it's a difficult item to make so that may be the reason for its omission. Prices range from $2.70 - $3.30 (small, med, large dishes) which is average and there is a dim sum combo for $8.99.
Dim sum aside, they also offer a full typical Chinese menu and lunch specials (shanghai noodles, chicken sticky rice bun, braised beef noodle) that include a spring roll and pop, and are available from 11am - 3pm.
The taste of the food was mediocre, on par with greasy Markham foodcourts. I did like the ha gow, because there was a subtle hint of white pepper. On second thought, that may have been used to mask shrimp that was not exceedingly fresh. Siu mai was kind of rubbery and they overcooked the lo bak go to the point that it seemed fried. I had to drink an excess of tea to wash everything down.
Everything also came in a styrofoam take-out container despite my plea that I was eating in, which peeved me slightly. There is complimentary self-serve jasmine tea and an assortment of soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce and chili oil packaged in tiny take-out plastic containers. No mustard was available though.
The generous space is only populated by a window bar and three 4-person tables with a lonely table of 2 along the other wall. It would seem that the owners intended to cater to the take-out crowd, rather than a nice dim sum atmosphere with loud conversations and elbow rubbing seating. That would probably be too much of a culture shock for people around these parts. The restaurant was definitely generating a buzz for those unfamiliar with dim sum, or Chinese food in general, so that made me smile. I must have heard sticky rice explained three times, each time met with curiosity and healthy appreciation.
Check it out if you are in the area and need of a serious dim sum fix, but don't expect too much. If you've never tried dim sum or want to get to know the dishes better, I would recommend going in. The owners (family with two sons) are very friendly and would gladly help you out with the menu.
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