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| - Dim sum in the heart of Yorkville, honestly coming from Richmond Hill (read: right beside Markham!) I wasn't expecting much. I expected average, bland tasting classics like har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siu mai (steamed pork bites wrapped in wonton-like skin). We arrived as a table of 7 on a weekday and the place was fairly empty - understandable, dim sum usually is a longer meal not favoured for a workday lunch hour. We ordered a bit of everything and some of us were looking for specific items - everyone found what they were looking for! There were a decent variety and many classics on the menu - some that aren't often found even in Markham because they're complex to make and don't sell for high prices.
The highlights were the fritter wrapped in rice roll, the osmanthus cake, and the mini octopus in curry sauce. Often the rice rolls are squishy and lack texture, but this one was a good consistency that complemented the crunchy (not chewy!) dough fritter. The osmanthus cake came with a base layer of coconut milk, providing additional flavour and texture that agreed with the table's demands for desserts that're not too sweet but still *something*. We also ordered steamed sponge cake - it was soft and fluffy, steaming hot. The realization the sponge cake was steamed baffled some, and the softness and light flavour was well received. It could've had more of the signature taste, but it was a decent attempt at the classic.
Overall for the location I was pleasantly surprised, and prices were aligned to the area as well. Unfortunately from a dim sum in Toronto perspective, I didn't feel like it was anywhere close to great and it definitely wasn't worth the price paid. Service was good and accommodating to the non-Chinese speakers, but translations were odd and made it more difficult to understand what things were in some cases. I'll be back for team lunches looking for exotic options and a group feeling because we're all at a round table, but aside that I'll stick with my suburb options.
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