Celebrate the Year of the Snake (and year-round) with authentic dim sum inspired by the cuisine of Guangdong, Hong Kong and beyond.
Dim sum was a non-negotiable Sunday morning ritual for my Cantonese grandparents, who lived near downtown Chinatown. Fun fact: Cantonese people don’t call it dim sum, even in English. It’s “yum cha,” as in, “Let’s Go Yum Cha.”
Traditionally, waitstaff push carts laden with dumplings, congee and other dim sum around the tables, calling out what’s on their trolley. Nowadays, numbered menus with photos and English descriptions alongside order pads you fill in yourself are more common.
Dim sum culture in Toronto
Tea is a vital part of dim sum tradition. Sip it black: the hot acidity helps you digest the richer, deep-fried brunch foods.
Insider tip: It is a gracious gesture to pour everyone’s tea if the server places the teapot closest to you. (Though if you’re curious, customarily the youngest diner pours tea, serving the eldest first.) If you run out of tea, set the teapot lid open or ajar, and an eagle-eyed host will refresh it for you.
Be aware that if you visit a busy, old-school dim sum restaurant, you may end up being seated at a banquet-sized table with strangers. (All the better to survey what everyone else is eating!).
Ready to explore Toronto’s dim sum scene? Here are 20 yummy yum cha options in Toronto’s multiple Chinatowns and beyond.
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Dim sum in downtown Chinatown
Veggie markets, jewelry and houseware shops, souvenir stands and tons of authentic restaurants make Toronto’s biggest Chinatown (located around the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West) a treasured part of the city’s history.
Dim Sum King
Dim Sum King is an institution for locals (and where I spent every Sunday as a kid!), tucked up on the third floor of a commercial building. Dim sum classics like congee, steamed buns and siu mai make their rounds the traditional way, on pushcarts.
Rosewood Asian Cuisine
At Rosewood Asian Cuisine, you can order a la carte or AYCE. Beyond standards like pan-fried dumplings and rice noodle rolls, there’s a fun selection of desserts like green tea and mango pudding.
Sue Fung’s Dim Sum
You can’t go wrong with the steamed dumpling sampler at Sue Fung’s Dim Sum Canteen. For yum cha pros, there are unexpected twists like spareribs with taro and pickled olives.
Rol San
Topping many a Toronto foodie’s fave dim sum list is Rol San. It’s famed for its har gow and squid tentacles dim sum offerings, as well as Sichuan classics like spicy eggplant.
Wok Theory
Alongside traditional dim sum offerings like deep-fried rice dumplings and noodle soups, Wok Theory offers an array of pretty drinks, such as orange creamsicle floats or Hong Kong–style iced lemon tea.
Sky Dragon Chinese Restaurant
Sky Dragon Chinese Restaurant, on the fifth floor of Dragon City Mall, offers all the classics like congee, deep-fried seafood and dumplings. Bonus: full-colour photo menus make it easy for dim sum newbies to pick dishes.
Dim sum in East Chinatown
East Chinatown is centred around Gerrard and Broadview Streets, not far from Riverdale Park East. It offers much of the variety of downtown Chinatown in a compact format that’s a bit more chill—much like the east end itself.
Dine & Dim
Dine & Dim is the spot for classic dim sum picks like savoury turnip cake, chicken feet and beef tripe. It also has a huge seafood, lobster and noodles menu.
Lee’s Dumpling House
Love flaky spring onion pancakes? Or looking for halal chicken options? Try Lee’s Dumpling House, which also has a North York outpost. New on the menu: mini soup-filled pork dumplings.
Dim sum in Scarborough Chinatown
Not to be confused with east-end Chinatown, even further east you’ll find Scarborough Chinatown. Located around the intersection of Sheppard and Midland streets, it has a distinctive suburban plaza feel, with plenty of parking, that helped fuel its growth starting in the mid-1980s.
Perfect Chinese Restaurant
If you’re on the hunt for a 24-hour dim sum spot and/or a towering seafood feast, Perfect Chinese Restaurant is the place for you. (It’s such a Scarborough legend that the restaurant did a merch collab with Uniqlo.)
Grandeur Palace
With an expansive, banquet-table setting, all the traditional dim sum offerings and a truly huge menu, Grandeur Palace is the place to indulge in an old-school dim sum experience.
Jiangnan Handmade Dim Sum
For a different region’s twist on the dim sum tradition (Jiangnan is just north of Guangdong) there’s Jiangnan Handmade Dim Sum, which includes lotus root and smashed cucumber salads and dumplings with crispy bottoms.
Ding Tai Fung
Not to be confused with Din Tai Fung, the huge Taiwanese chain, Ding Tai Fung is a no-frills restaurant with lots of Shanghai-style dim sum offerings, including wontons in spicy sauce, pan-fried buns and classic xiao long bao.
Casa Imperial
Situated in a beautiful red-brick heritage house, elegant Casa Imperial is a fave for an elevated, authentic experience. All the traditional dim sum picks are here, plus house specialties like rice noodle rolls in XO sauce or bitter melon with salted egg yolk.
Dim Sum in central Toronto
Whether you’re shopping at the Toronto Eaton Centre, ice skating or people watching at Nathan Phillips Square or sightseeing along the Waterfront, you’re never far from dim sum in the heart of the city.
Congee Queen
Congee, the savoury, silky rice porridge Cantonese call jook, is the obvious specialty at Congee Queen, located on downtown Yonge Street, a short walk north of the Eaton Centre. But this much-loved Cantonese chain is also known for its chow mein, lo mein and other authentic dishes.
Moon Palace
An elevated presentation and an emphasis on seafood make Moon Palace a downtown dim sum favourite. The gorgeous pink-hued lobster, shrimp and asparagus dumplings are worthy of your appetite and your Instagram feed.
Pearl Harbourfront
Lovely Lake Ontario views and an upscale dim sum experience have made Pearl Harbourfront a longtime special-occasion favourite for Cantonese diaspora families. The “thick soups” made for sharing are delicious, like cream corn and chicken or seafood with fish maw.
Dynasty Chinese Cuisine
The elegant neighbourhood of Yorkville is host to Dynasty Chinese Cuisine, known for its char siu bao (steamed pork buns), steamed scallop and bok choy dumplings, and flaky egg tarts.
Dim sum in North York
North of busy downtown but easy to get to via public transit, North York is full of top-notch spots to eat and explore.
Yu Seafood
Set down your Prada shopping bags and settle in for an exquisite dim sum experience at Yu Seafood, located in Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
This subway-accessible indoor mall is Toronto’s premier luxury shopping destination and has an excellent lineup of restaurants and cafés. The dim sum here is so photogenic (think crispy eel puff pastries resembling black swans) you almost won’t want to eat it.
Joyous Chinese Cuisine
Joyous Chinese Cuisine is approved by my auntie from Hong Kong as a top-tier spot for authentic everyday dim sum staples, but also fun sweets like Durian puff pastry and “steamed longevity lifelike peach buns.”
Delicacy Kitchen
Although not a dedicated dim sum restaurant, the basic, well-executed dim sum menu makes Delicacy Kitchen a cozy standout. Also, on the menu are Canadian Chinese faves like General Tao chicken and black bean beef rice noodles.
