This place does an excellent job living up to heightened standards for Hong Kong cafes in Toronto. That's probably why the general public is quite agreeable with adding to their success - resulting in them opening a lot more pop up shops. When I think of Hong Kong cafes in Toronto that are common, generally in every district there almost always seems to be a Phoenix.
What makes them so great is their unique approach to trying to perfect a dish or not trying to make it done by complacent standards like some other places may actually do. What made me want to write a review that conveys this place so highly was their pork cutlet breaded in oats with bonito flakes that I had gotten as a combo special with their complementary HK milk tea. There are not many dishes that were so accurate in heightening my overall standards of what I was gonna expect from it. Don't get me wrong though.. I feel like there are some missing variables that could add value to some of their other dishes, but this 1 has been an exception to that standard.
At 1st I was hesitant towards giving them a 5.. but because of all the other missing variables on the other dishes I am reluctant to give them a 4. I suggest this dish occassionally however as it can be quite a bit to take in at 1 instance. For me this dish will only be good if I'm really feeling it. Unfortunately that nauseous feeling you get from eating too sinks in and makes it harder for you to want things too often regardless of how good it may have been.
Oh yeah and my counterparty got a Malaysian curry, the Cantonese way of making those thin slivers of beef I am not a fan of since its chewer and not that good to me so I would look down on this dish, but I did find that the seasoning/flavor was quite decent though.