Whenever I am in Toronto, dim sum at one of the many suburban Chinatown restaurants is generally on the menu. This time around, with afternoon activities planned at Rogers Centre and at Ripley's Aquarium, a nearby restaurant would be more convenient. And lucky for us, Luckee is that restaurant. Located on the ground level of the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel, Luckee offers a different take on the traditional dim sum. First off, instead of push carts, guests order from a well-curated menu, although servers do circulate with daily specials offered. Also, the open kitchen provides a view of chefs at work, while Plexiglass keeps heat and noise to a minimum. There are many spaces within the restaurant, all of them decorated with rich colors and Chinese-inspired designs. Rotating screens with the characters ??? proclaim the delicious meal to be had.
We shared numerous small plates, each with 2-4 pieces for sharing.
The good:
* Har Gow - the flavorful dumplings included rough-chop shrimp in butternut squash skins and were served with wood ear mushrooms.
* Shrimp Cheung Fun - served with a sweet soy sauce, the dish was simply outstanding, exceeding similar dishes that I had previously tasted.
* Siu Mai - the Chicken and shrimp dumplings were topped with a thinly sliced scallop and shaved truffles were yummy.
* Braised Black Pepper Beef Buns - were exquisite. Crispy but fluffy buns were filled with a peppery beef mixture.
* Crispy Taro and Turnip Cakes - were in a word, amazing. I am so glad we ordered them. Typically, they look like a deck of cards and are filled with diced Chinese sausages and dried shrimp. Here, however, they bear little resemblance to other offerings.
The average:
* Lobster and Asparagus Dumplings was topped with edamame was okay.
* Spring Rolls - were similar to those found at other restaurants.
Did not care for:
* Steamed Barbecue Buns - the diced barbecue pork (char siu) were steamed in a fluffy, though slightly dry, sweet bun.
* Fried Rice - unfortunately, lacked flavor.
Too full to try:
* Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf - sticky rice filled with sliced Chinese sausages, chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms.
* Xiao Long Bao - dumplings filled with broth and pork.
The servers were attentive. Since we were a large group gathered around a long table, I appreciated that the restaurant split up the dishes so that there was minimal reaching (except for when I was taking pictures).