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| - The battle of the dim sum between Vancouver and Toronto continues...
If you are in Toronto for some of the best dim sums outside of Asia, your choices are close to numerous. But there is one place that you have to go once -- just so that you've been there!
Casa Imperial. It's a one-of-a-kind Chinese restaurant that's housed in a Victorian style mansion. Read the reviews and you'll see terms like gaudy, over-the-top, showy, Victorian, European, Colonial, historical, classy, elegant, opulent, fine dining, expensive, luxurious, etc. Choose the adjectives that appeal to you... or turn you off...
I actually enjoyed the experience as it is quite certain that this cannot be found anywhere in the United States. I don't think places like this exist even in Hong Kong anymore, although they probably existed during the height of British colonialism.
I usually go to these places with a reasonably low expectation for the food, but the dim sums turned out to be really good.
I particularly liked a few of their unique creations:
CRISPY BEAN CURD RICE NOODLE ROLL: The rice noodle was literally paper thin and very smooth, and was definitely up to par with even the toughest Hong Kong standard. It was filled with a freshly fried and crispy bean curd skin, which was stuffed with pork and shrimp (versus a fish paste in a more common recipe). It was served with a yummy and somewhat sweet soy sauce that came in a cute sake wine bottle.
EGG ROLL WITH TARO: It has to be one of my most favorite egg rolls as it was stuffed with thinly shredded taro (among chicken, pork, and other goodies) which added a completely unique and delicious dimension to the egg roll. The flavors were quite rich and could be salty for some people, but it was perfect for my palate.
MUSHROOM AND ZUCCHINI DUMPLING: A very creative, refreshing, and tasty item that is much needed in the dim sum scene. The skin was probably exactly the same as that of a har gow (shrimp dumpling) skin. The fillings were made with thinly diced sautéed mushroom and zucchini which were moist and juicy. It was very flavorful for a vegetarian dish and I was impressed.
Vancouver versus Toronto. Dead heat.
Which means I have to visit both cities for more dim sum again... LOL...
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