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UPDATE (Feb 2011): Sadly, the Crown Princess no longer offers their Early Bird Dim Sum special before 11am. Best to make the trek up north and visit sister restaurant Crown Prince which still runs the deal and offers more variety.
Everyone knows really good dim sum is found way uptown, like in Markham or Scarborough. Cause if you’re looking for dim sum in downtown Toronto, there’s only been two choices: 1) Tasty, upscale dim sum like Lai Wah Heen or Dynasty with their high price points, or 2) Run-of-the-mill, dirt-cheap restaurants where quality is always below average. Finally, there’s an option that merges the two. The Crown Princess (1033 Bay St.) has delicious shared dishes that are reasonably priced, but of course, there’s a catch: You must order before 11a.m.
It’s the place to be for dinosaurs, artifacts and treasures, but who knew the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is also worth a visit for weekday lunch. I visited the Food Studio in the ROM’s basement (27 steps below street level, to be exact) thanks to a recommendation from illustrious editor and ROM Member Kerry Davie. I expected a mediocre tourist-trap of a cafeteria, so imagine my surprise when I fell in love with this casual and affordable subterranean cafe.
People are always asking me for the best dim sum place in Toronto and I always have one simple answer: You have to go uptown (usually north of Steeles Ave). While there are many places downtown, most are sub-parand the couple good ones are overpriced. So trip north to Crown Prince Fine Dining and Banquet (3600 Victoria Park Ave. at McNicoll) is definitely in order, where most of their superb dishes are a mere $2.80 if you place your order before 11am.
Meet Christine Clarke. She’s a friend of the Double P’s and the person who introduced me to Mother’s Dumplings when it was located on Huron Street. Specializing in steamed, boiled and pan-fried parcels of goodness, the restaurant has since relocated to a new spot on Spadina Ave, south of College St. While the space is much larger, there are plenty of gripes on Chowhound about slow service, sold-out items and long line-ups. Despite the poor reviews, Christine and I decided to check it out and agree there’s still one very good thing about this mutha.
What makes this Mother better than all the rest? Read on for the goods.
Tags: Chinese
