I always get hesitant when a place opens to great fanfare. Usually, it's overrated. I came in already anticipating the high prices others have complained about. What I wanted to see is if the vibe was as exciting as others said.
Our bartender was like a school girl who wouldn't settle for anything less than an A on a science project. She was meticulous and an absolute perfectionist when it came the drink order. Although it took a while, she produced 3 solid cocktails (my favorite was the Tom Yum booze).
As a whole, the food was good. My biggest complaints were the hakka brown dumplings which were a sloppy uninspired mess and the sugar cake dessert with was sticky rice sitting atop an undercaramelized sauce and garnished with sea buckthorn and lime leaf (I don't think either one worked). I also found spiciness of each dish to be almost exactly the same and soon became a bit predictable and monotonous.
It is loud and boisterous but has a good vibe in general, all of which are key components in the foodie blueprint regardless of the cost of the food and drink. It's a bit slow though. In the end, a solid contributor to the College Street food scene. It should have some longevity as a key player in Toronto's small plate movement.