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| - My dim sum journey continues in the Greater Toronto Area.
We were there on a Saturday morning at 8:30, half an hour before they opened, and were number 4 in line. By the time they opened their doors the line had formed an "L" shape along the parking lot. The restaurant was completely full minutes after opening.
This is one of many restaurants in the GTA that offers morning tea discount on weekends. Generally, to qualify for the discount, where L, M and S dim sums are all priced as S, the order ticket must be received by 11am and you have to pay in cash.
Therefore, the dim sum scenes at many restaurants can get rather chaotic at times, especially on weekend mornings. The best way to avoid the chaos is to arrive before they open.
Most of the staples were great. The SIU MAI was made with high quality ingredients and had a refined texture. The BEEF BALLS had a good balance between softness and springiness. The black bean sauce that accompanied the PORK SPARE RIBS was rich in flavors and aroma.
Other than the usual stuff, I was particularly impressed with two items that were quite creative and cannot be found in most places in So Cal.
STUFFED "COLORFUL" PEPPERS: They were stuffed with minced pork (rather than the typical fish paste) and pan-fried to perfection. It came with two pieces of green pepper, a piece of yellow pepper and another piece of red pepper (hence colorful). It was served with a delicious black bean sauce on the side.
PUMPKIN and CORN CONGEE: A creative, healthy and refreshing item that was a much welcomed companion to accompany an indulgence of greasy dim sums and fried foods. It was full of natural sweetness and flavor, although I found the seasoning and saltiness a bit on the lighter side.
In the dim sum battle of Toronto versus Vancouver, Crown Prince is definitely comparable to some of the best in Vancouver, such as Kirin or Sun Shui Wah. For me at this time, it's a dead heat.
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