I've been exposed to a dumpling-load of praise for the original Mother's Dumplings location at Chinatown. So when a second location popped up on my side of the Don River, I took it upon myself to find out what the buzz's worth.
Maybe or maybe not that was a good idea because one gets exposed to potential opening week jitters (maybe that's what it really was).
There are some items you can feed yourself a couple for cheap (like their rather watery $1.50 congee), but the dumplings themselves weren't exactly steaming with packed flavour as I'd had hoped. Yes, they're made fresh to order--and they're quick about it. At between $6 and 9 for a plate of 10 dumplings, they're not as dirt cheap as a bowl of congee, but not very pricey either. I suppose you could get away with a filling meal under $10 if you play your cards right and am not entirely hungry.
The interior is respectably clean and orderly and simple, with a mix of tables and booth seating. You can expect the same kind of attentive service as you would with most other Chinese eateries.
{TTC: Mother's is smacked in the middle between Pape and Donlands station on the Danforth. If you find yourself on the 83 bus, just get off at Danforth and head west to Woodycrest.}