Aside from being an opportunity
to gather friends and family, dim sum is also an excuse to gorge and indulge.
Steamer-after-steamer and plate-after-plate of the small bites get placed on
the table… just as quickly, it seems, things disappear. Who can keep track of
what actually gets eaten?
When Dim Sum Queen opened in the
neighbourhood, I had my doubts about its authenticity. From the outside, it
looks nothing like a traditional Chinese restaurant and even the name seemed
dubious. Yet with the limited dim sum options by my place and the fact that
they accept reservations (!), we tried and we conquered (the steamers and
plates that is).
Dim Sum Queen does not offer an
early bird special, instead, dishes are always charged at the same rate: M
($4.50), L ($5.30), and XL ($6.50). While they don’t have any dishes sized as
small, there is a fair selection at the medium range (for example, most of
their buns). I'd opt for the BBQ pork (M) ones over the pan fried pork and vegetable
(M) as the filling is much tastier. While the BBQ pork is stuffed with large
pieces of meat in the traditional sweet sticky sauce, the pan fried buns lacked
flavours and needed more vegetables. Moreover, weren’t fried long enough to
develop a nice crust.
In general, a lot of the pan
fried items could use more time in the pan. Their grilled turnip cake with
preserved meat (M) was actually made really well with tons of ingredients and
big chunks of turnip, but its lukewarm temperature couldn’t do it justice. The
pan fried chicken pot sticker (L) was rather run of the mill, but with the
right crunch against the soft filling, it could have been better. Out of all
these types of dishes, the pan fried chives shrimp & cake (L) was the
tastiest, maybe because its thinner wrapper requires less time on the flattop.
The wrapper on the shrimp
dumpling har gow (L) is thicker than I typically like, but the
shrimp was well-cooked so it retains its sweetness. For tables with odd
numbers, the shrimp and snow pea leaves dumpling (L) may be a better choice as
you get a similar shrimp filling but it’s balanced by the vegetables to give it
an extra texture and flavour element.
While the pork and shrimp
dumpling siu mai (L) doesn't look quite as nice as competitors
(lacking that pop of colour on top), it tastes just as good. Dim Sum Queen is
made for those who don’t eat pork as they also offer siu mai in
tangerine beef (M) and chicken shitake (L) alternatives. The chicken has a
similar texture but milder taste and I rather like the slight earthiness from
the mushroom. Meanwhile, the beef is in a paste form and has a springy texture
– similar to the steamed tangerine beef balls but denser.
Dim sum wouldn’t be the same
without an order of rice rolls, the BBQ pork (L) was tasty and contained enough
filling. For something different, the vegetarian spring roll version (M) uses a
crunchy deep fried spring roll, which makes for such a great contrast against
the soft silky wrapper.
While the steamed sticky rice
with meat in lotus leaf (L) could use more filling, for what was there, it was
flavourful.
A bowl of the shrimp dumpling in soup (L) (sometimes known as
Shanghai dumplings in other restaurants) is also great during the cold weather
as they’re steamed in the bowl arriving piping hot. The plump shrimp are
further enhanced by crunchy black fungus slivers.
Dishes that should be taken off
the menu are the green onion pancake (M) and red bean pancake (M). The dough is
much too dense, especially for a green onion pancake that’s normally known for
the flaky layers. Moreover, the filling in each is so sparse that they really
don’t taste like much.
On the other hand, dishes you
should order are ones consisting of a sticky glutinous flour exterior that’s
deep fried. The sesame seed and lotus paste balls (M) made fresh so they’re
piping hot. What makes them stand out is the glutinous dough – it’s rather
delicate so it’s not too dense but still has a lovely crispy crust. In the
sesame seed ball, you bite through to be greeted with a lotus paste that’s
thinned so it has a silkier texture but still a nice amount of sweetness.
For a savoury version, the deep
fried meat & shrimp dumplings (M; 2 orders shown below) is similar but
instead filled with bits of pork, mushroom, and shrimp.
While I wouldn’t say every dish
at Dim Sum Queen is a hit, what I love that you’re able to visit on a whim and
not have to wait. On busier days (think holidays), they still let you book
reservations so it’s a great option for larger tables. Having been twice, on
busy and slow days, the food and service quality remained consistent.
So, I take back my initial judgment. Maybe their name, signage, and dining room doesn’t look like a typical Chinese restaurant, but their food tastes just as authentic.
So, I take back my initial judgment. Maybe their name, signage, and dining room doesn’t look like a typical Chinese restaurant, but their food tastes just as authentic.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 3241 Yonge Street
Address: 3241 Yonge Street
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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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