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Asian Legend
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
418 Dundas St WToronto, ON M5T 1G7
Neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Downtown Core
(416) 977-3909
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 12 am
Sun 10:30 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
56 reviews for Asian Legend
Review Highlights
"Favorite dishes: The steamed soup filled dumplings were a..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Rolled Onion Pancake with Sliced Beef."
(in 2 reviews)
"Stir Fried Ho Fun w Beef."
(in 3 reviews)
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56 reviews in English
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Review from Asheley R.
Halifax, NS
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
So it isn't unheard of for someone to bash the Halifax, Chinese food scene. With hopes that Chinatown in Toronto would offer some good Chinese eats, the boyfriend and I ventured out after a long day of shopping.
Not familiar with the city, we used our phones as our compass and arrived at Asian Legend a lot of hours after we left. We actually walked right by it as it was neatly tucked away into the rest of the colorful Dundas st.
Needles to say we were tired and hungry. Never a good combo; especially for the boyfriend.
I was more or less expecting a hole in the wall but Asian Legend rather surprised me with a pristine decor and fancy wait staff. My favourite part upon entering was that we must've arrived during all of the cook staff's lunch break. They were all sitting around a table in the seating area, conversing and chowing down on what I can only surmise as their own creations. While I thought it was cool I quickly realized we were left waiting for our food. We had to wait for them to finish their break to serve us. Odd? I kind of thought so. It kind of made up for it though as once we did order, it came out super fast.
Little teapots filled with hot tea were at every table and helped you sift through an extensive menu. I was overwhelmed by the menu and my boyfriend, well he didn't even try and attempt to look at it. Chicken or beef? Sweet or sour? Those were the questions I asked haha.
I've never tried dumplings before so we settled on steamed chicken dumplings, fried cantonese noodles with mixed veggies, and kung pao. We were weirded out by the dumplings and didn't care for them. I have friends who disagree and say they are the best in town. Its the first time I had them so I don't really have anything to compare them to. The fried cantonese noodles though? OH EM GEE. Get them, get them, get them. They were ammmmmmmmazing!! They came in a big serving dish with crunchy noodles underneath and the mixed veggies on top. So the edges of the noodles were crispy and the insides were chewy.
I'm drooling just thinking about them. Do it.
Not your average cheap chinese take out. You're looking at spending a few more dollars but in my mind it's worth it. -
Review from En L.
2/6/2012
Food is always consistently good. One of the cleanest restaurant in Chinatown.
When my parents come visit, they always craved the beef noodle soup (hand made noodle is $1 extra)
Couple of my favourites: Dumplings (the green one), general tao chicken (crispy and sweet), pork chop with spiced salt, green bean, braised eggplant and tofu and moo shu chicken.
Great for big groups too. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
1/9/2012
Although Decent, this location is nowhere near as fantastic as Asian Legand Richmond Hill. Allow me to compare
Was really disappointed that their chili sauce was not mind-blowingly fantastic as other locations. Lacking in both heat and star anise.
The Spice Salt Fish here was not at all the same. Instead of a thin light batter, it was heavily battered and dark brown, more like fish-and-chips than Spice Salt fish. Would have benefited from a toss in sauce, Had me wishing we were at Congee Queen.
The Dry Sauteed Green Beans were good, although oily, and even though we ordered them with the dehydrated baby shrimps, they were noticeably absent.
Dumplings (Dim Sum All Day) were really really good. Comparable to Ding Tai Fung, at least what I ordered.
for Downtown Toronto, this would be my first choice for Chinese food, in comparison with GTA Chinese eats, This wouldn't make the top ten for certain.
Asian Legand generally has good service (compared to other similar- price-point Chinese restaurants) , and this location was no different. We were stuck in a private room in the basement because it was so busy, but we were not forgotten. Service here was definitely more downtown casual and friendly, than stern serious and all business like up North. I did miss the fresh plates/hot tea seriousness though. -
Review from Sara K. P.
Toronto, ON
12/8/2011
Being the Asian xenophobe that I am (which is pretty ridiculous being that I am Asian!) Koreatown, Chinatown, J-town ethnic towns in general tend to unnerve me and sadly as such I don't get to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of Chinatown as often as I should. Well Asian Legend has come to my xenophobic rescue with it's polished post modern trappings, ultra hygenic facilities and of course it's excellent Chinese food.
My Asian Legend cherry was popped this summer thanks to my sister's recommendation to dine here for her birthday. Being the Leonine epicurean she is we ordered nearly EVERYTHING and happily it was all consistently delicious. It was a Chinese feast of Bacchanalian proportions with;
- 3 types of steamed dumplings Pork, Shrimp shu mai and veggie,
- Deluxe seafood soup
- Moo Shu Chicken with pancakes
- Assorted seafood with tofu
- Peking Duck (Superb!!)with pancakes along with the duckmeat chopped up & sauteed with lettuce to wrap
-Spicy Shredded beef
-Sauteed King Mushroom with Snowpea Shoots
-Sauteed Eggplant with House Sauce
It was all fantastic, delicious, and neither too salty or greasy.
My sister and her S.O. apparently have hollow legs as they effortlessly ate us all under the table. Hubby was also very pleased and ravenously devoured his food with fork in one hand and chopsticks in the other. I just shake my head at him as the old Chinese folks seated nearby look at him like he's a nutty gweilo. For dessert we ordered the smooth rich mango pudding mmmm :) It was the perfect light yet still decadent way to finish off that epic meal.
The service is the usual Asian stoic, yet shotgun style which I'm used to but the pace can feel very go-go-go! with efficient servers dressed in white button down shirts incidentally with awesome creatively gel spiked hair changing up our hungrily emptied dishes with new hot entrees faster than you can say Dance Dance Revolution.
My one caveat was the uber-lame muzak piping in the background as I swear I must have heard a sterile instrumental version of Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" about 5 times, had this been 1977 and we'd been at a Ponderosa in Georgia that may have sufficed but I'd sooner listen to Traditional Chinese folk music than to this aural pablum.
Upon going to use the facilities, I was hesitant to make my way down to the basement bathroom as I'd had some close encounters of the unhygenic kind in some China/Korea town restos and feared the worst. Well, Asian Legend's WCs are super slick and spotless to boot, housed next to a number of spacious and modern private dining rooms, I saw no gambling, no haggard masseuses, just private diners having a ball singing a Chinese Karaoke version Single Ladies...oh oh oh....
Thank-you Asian Legend for dispelling my absurd and outdated misconceptions about dining in Chinatown...now if ony I can get hubby to stop harpooning his food with chopsticks &_& -
Review from Anni L.
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
We went to this place for our post Friday night brunch to catch up on each other's lives as well as what happened the night before.
I went with two of my guy friends. They had never been there before - it was clear from their lack of knowledge on what to order there. We ordered the "must have" soup pork filled dumplings (#4), the deep fried tofu covered with fresh garlic (#39), and beef noodle soup #120).
This place is well known for its Shanghai breakfast - pork filled dumplings with soup, deep fried dough ($1.95), spicy hot soya milk ($2.95), and green onion pancake wrapped in beef or egg/shrimp. Its also well known for its beef noodle soup, and other noodle/rice dishes. It has a pretty good hot and sour soup as well.
The ambiance and washrooms are quite modern and clean for an establishment located in the Chinatown. Its a great date place given that if a date isn't going well, you can also focus on the food (i don't think i have ever had a bad dish except for the cold noodles with peanut sauce), the conversation at the next table - tables are in too close for comfort proximity next to other patrons, or worse case scenario, the wait staff - we had this twin-xy asian guy sporting a mullet - we speculated that the mullet could strategically be turned into a mohawk with some gel.
Our meal turned out to be $11 each but we were still hungry so we ventured next door to King's Dim Sum for round 2. -
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
11/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Restaurant: Asian Legend
Cuisine: Chinese
Location: Chinatown
Address: 418 Dundas St W
Price Range: $10~15
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Extra information:
*2 floors for seating
*Can seat large groups
*Full online menu
*Dimsum/Dumplings made on site
*VIP system for the restaurant
Asian Legend seems to be one of the less reviewed Chinese restaurants located in Chinatown. Which is surprising because they serve all different types of Chinese food starting from your foodcourt style, hand made dumplings to Shanghainese chicken. This restaurant seems to be fairly new and is managed by younger generations of Chinese assuming from the interior and the restaurant layout. There are 2 floors and the restaurant is very clean
Both times I visited, I sat upstairs and the lighting seems to be an odd issue. Seats closer to the store front has excellent lighting cause of the huge window upfront, but as you walk more into the restaurant, it gets super dark because the ceiling 'lamps' they have are very dim.
They have a paper menu system so you basically write down the number from the menu depending on what you want. This system is convenient because the restaurant is so busy they can't spare time to wait for you as you flip through the pages plus you can take your time browsing the menu.
First thing I noticed even before I got my food is that they actually have very good service. They actually smile at you and are fast and efficient at same time. YAY for friendly asian restaurants found in Chinatown!
Ordered: DRUNKEN CHICKEN SOAKED IN LIQUOR 2/5
*#33 on the menu and a plate for $6.95
*Usually when I order drunken chicken, they are actual chicken pieces with some bone inside
*This one was in round pieces without any bone
*This is a cold chicken dish and you can def smell and taste the liquor
*Drunken chicken usually has this bright yellow skin outside due to the liquor but there was no skin
*I had this with hot sauce, which isn't a good thing in this case because good drunken chicken should be seasoned enough on it's own
*This was almost a little too mushy
*I prefer it done the right way, just regular chicken pieces on bone with the skin (the meat is chewier)
Ordered: SAUTEED SNOWPEA SHOOTS WITH GARLIC 3/5
*#102A on the menu and a large plate for $11.95
*This is a very big dish even for a vegetable
*Overall it had good garlic flavor but it was over cooked and too soft
Ordered: Steamed Shumai with Shrimp & Pork 3/5
*#7 on the menu and 6 pieces for $5.95
*This is the Shanghainese style (not the usual ShuMai you get at DimSum)
*There were lots of seafood inside the ShuMai
*Shredded shrimp and crab meat on top
*Good to share between 3 people
*It was kind of mushy inside and there was no texture
*Tasted good overall but would be better if I could tell whatever was inside
Ordered: STEAMED SOUP DUMPLINGS WITH GROUND PORK 3.5/5
*#3 on the menu for $5.95
*I've had many soup dumplings at different locations but this one had the most soup inside
*It has very thin skin so be careful when you pick it up
*It comes really really hot right out of the steamer
*Vinegar dip could be stronger
Ordered: HOUSE SPECIAL STIR-FRIED NOODLES W/ BBQ PORK & SHRIMP 5/5
*#131 on the menu for $9.95
*Hand made noodles with sweet soy sauce
*Very big portion (can be shared between 2)
*Noodle is thick but super chewy
*Lots of ingredients (pork, squid, shrimp, mushroom, carrot, bean sprouts, green onion, cabbage)
*This was really filling but so delicious
*I would get this dish again for sure!!
Summary: Overall I enjoyed all the dishes I ordered at the restaurant, especially the House Special Fried Noodles. The noodles were so chewy and it comes with seafood, meat and veggies. After my first visit, I went back the second time to try their noodle in soup and eggplant dish and they were both really good. I would go back to this place just for their stir fried noodles alone. This is a good find in Chinatown considering it's location, food, service and cleanliness. -
Review from geraldine g.
Toronto, ON
9/29/2011
Gosh, ya know, I love dim sum. So when I had an opportunity to go, I sure as heck jumped at the chance. Sadly, very disappointed by everything except the restaurant design.
Each dish just had no zest, no flavour. Whether it was the shu mai, steam filled dumplings, the tofu and the overly dry rolled onion pancake with beef.
I did not try anything from the menu that wasn't dim sum but to be honest I was full and very disheartened at what I had already eaten. Rather than order more, I ended up just eating the rice with the tofu sauce. -
Review from Mel C.
10/14/2011
This is one of my favourite place for Chinese food. It's a bit pricey (compared to other Chinese restaurants) but I love the selection. The best thing about this restaurant is that they have the same menu all the time but I can always find something interesting and new to try. This isn't one of those boring restaurants where you always have to order the same thing just to play it safe.
Be careful of the spice level on some of the dishes. I can't handle much heat so I lean towards non spicy food here.
If you come here for dinner, you should get a complimentary dessert which is a bonus! -
Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
7/22/2011
Came here with a fairly large group of people with 4 kids under the age of 2 but over the age of 1 and one newborn ...
We came specifically for the peking duck since we heard from a friend that it was quite tasty here. The peking duck that is served here is simply the duck dish with the wraps - there is no soup or fried rice/ noodle dish that has often accompanied "peking duck" when I have ordered it at other restaurants.
So, the duck itself is quite good ... not the best that I've tasted and it didn't blow my husband's socks off as he had hoped ... but it wasn't bad.
We also ordered some sort of green onion beef pancake wrapped in foil ... it was okay ... not my favourite ... a little on the salty side.
We ordered another whack load of dishes that I can't remember. We ordered so much that night - an insane amount of food.
It was all fairly good but it really didn't wow me like I had hoped.
And as for the service ... the servers seemed a little/ hella annoyed at us. We had 4 kids who were a little noisy and a little rambunctious and sometimes a little naughty :( And I can see how the servers could be annoyed but we were trying to control them ... we really were...
Its a nice looking modern restaurant that is very easy to miss if you are just walking by.
Decor is sleek and very trendy looking.
I'd suggest making reservations since I did see quite a few people waiting for tables. -
Review from Yi Qing S.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2011
Asian Legend is the real deal when it comes to authenticity. And trust me, I lived in China for nine years so I know my shit yo.
I ALWAYS get the #3 (steamed soup filled dumplings with ground pork) whenever I come because it tastes exactly like the kind that you get in China. When I'm in the mood, also the #4 (steamed shrimp dumplings), #16 (pan-fried green onion pancake) and some kind of fried rice.
But you know what? Just order whatever the hell you like because EVERYTHING FUCKING TASTES GOOD HERE. If I were less of a picky eater, this would probably be a huge problem since I would always get the urge to order the entire menu. But fortunately that is not the case, because it's such a pain having to buy new clothes when you go up a size. Or ten. Which will probably happen twenty years later when I have a higher disposable income and I care much less about how I look.
And the service ain't bad either. They're pretty attentive, and actually SCAN the customers to see if they need anything (and not just act like they have blinkers on while walking from place to place). They're great for takeout too, and make sure to package everything nicely so that it doesn't spill/leak.
The only reason why I'm not giving this five stars is their seating. I suppose it's all good if you come in a large group and elect to sit at one of the large round tables, but if it's just the two of you, you will probably be subject to the conversation of the couple next to you. And also have to sit uncomfortably close to them, which gives the entire dining experience a somewhat more unpleasant feel, for those of you who know what I mean. -
Review from N. Q.
9/1/2011
Modern, Western(?)-looking Chinese restaurant with dish prices in the teens. Overpriced considering the area. Service was OK. The usual efficient, not attentive Chinese restaurant service. Ate the house special noodles, which were stir fried with calamari, small pieces of bbq pork, veggies, and a slightly sweet brown sauce. Cooked well but the taste was nothing special. The braised beef with bok choy, on the other hand, was a different story. Tender beef chunks, dressed in a dark five-spice/ginger/soy gravy, had more meat than tendon/gristle--which is what we prefer. Very flavorful.
Would've given this place two stars; beef pushed up the rating. -
Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
I'm partial to the one on Dundas, just west of Beverley, but there are about five more locations to serve you.
Asian Legend is one of the few chains I adore. It's simply well-made, reasonably priced, tasty asian eats. They specialize in Northern Chinese cooking, which means they have two of my favourite Chinese treats: soup dumplings and green onion beef pancake wraps. These dumplings are 'to die for'. They are delicious mixtures of meat and vegetable with broth all wrapped up and steamed. Damn.
AL puts a modern spin on all their restaurants, so the décor is tasteful and consistent. Staff are all uniformed and generally polite.
One of my favourite buddies (I suppose I should tell you his name now since he's come up several times. Everybody, meet Onre, pronounced "Henri") and I met up this weekend.
We did what we do best together - talk and eat. Normally we would have gotten Peking Duck, but I just started a new workout regimen, and eating delicious fatty duck just wasn't in the cards.
There were two of us, and we ordered all of this: soup dumplings, pancake, surimi with broccoli, spare ribs, and fried rice. We didn't get my other favourite AL dish: green beans. They're not your average green bean. I would consider being a vegetarian if I could eat this everyday.
Onre and I rolled out, pretty proud of ourselves for eating so much. Course the table next to us gave us a run for our money. Two youthful looking boys and about two dishes more than we had. Beasts. Ha, kettle meet black. -
Review from Wilbert O.
11/8/2011
This Chinatown restaurant is not big. My friend here in Toronto recommended to me, saying that it is popular and has several chain restaurant in this area. We ordered a fish and some veges. The vege was ok, but I found that the fish was great disappointed. It is not fresh. We joked that why it took so long to serve because of defreasing.
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Review from Alice T.
3/12/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I imagine ordering at Asian Legend for the first time is kind of like casting out a fishing net and seeing what you get...
They do some of the pseudo Chinese dishes though it's not their specialty, so if you're looking for Chicken w Cashews, Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour, etc, you may not be impressed.
But they do some "Northern" Chinese dishes consistently well which is hard to find in the city, even one as multicultural as Toronto. I say "Northern" Chinese but to me this type of food has always just been Chinese food but with so many different styles of Chinese food I guess they've had to define it as "Northern". Northern in this case I assume refers to Beijing though they have a wide selection of traditional Chinese dishes.
Now I'll be honest, I've had better food in Asia and if you're a purist then I'm afraid you'll not find a adequate substitute here but I've taken many people here from all cultures and they've always been happy with the food.
Plus they're one of the cleaner places in Chinatown which helps if you're entertaining and it's a fun place to bring larger groups and eat family style affordably. Tables of 10 welcome!
If you're looking for things to order here are my recommendations in order of amazingness:
Steamed pork soup dumplings (we usually come here just for this dish)
Rolled Onion Pancake with Sliced Beef
Sauteed Green Beans with Dried Shrimp (but I always ask for garlic instead of dried shrimp, I think they've actually changed it to garlic but haven't updated the menu)
Stir Fried Ho Fun w Beef
Moo Shu Chicken
Shredded Pork w Sweet Peking Sauce
Fried Tofu
And they do a decent peking duck which is always fun if you're with larger groups.
These are super safe dishes for those who are new to Chinese food. I'd imagine that if you're not, you'll probably know what to order on your own.
I've just realized that I usually go with non-Chinese people so I've actually not tried some of my favourite Chinese dishes like Dong Po Pork, Shredded Chicken w Noodles, Beef Noodle Soup, and Braised or Sauteed Eggplant.
I'll have to make a point to try them next time and update accordingly... stay tuned... -
Review from Monsters K.
Toronto, ON
7/13/2011
Soup dumplings! And the green onion pancakes are excellent.
I preferr the a'la cart styles to menu ordering, but the quality was excellent and price fair -
Review from Manuel C.
7/9/2011
While in Toronto, I stopped by in Chinatown for dim sum. I ordered many of the steamed soup filled dumplings and the steamed dumplings.
Everything was very tasty and I would definitely come back. I am used to Cantonese dim sum with waiters pushing tray carts and dumplings made to order. Being from Los Angeles, I am quite particular and spoiled about dim sum.
I wish I had more time in Toronto. I would have visited other Chinese restaurants for variety. I am glad I found this place. -
Review from Lynn C.
2/19/2011
I think Asian Legend made a very smart business decision when they decided to pander their $15 discount card in their restaurants, because every time someone asked me to go eat in an asian place, we'd end up at Asian Legend, as they get the discount.
This was my first time at the downtown location. I was pleasantly surprised by the English service, which is non-existent up in Markham and North York. The pleasant hostess led me down to the basement eating area, which was well decorated in the typical Asian Legend fashion. Our service was mediocre, the food was typical.
I didn't like how loud all the patrons were, from tiny children to obnoxious mid to late 20s.Listed in: Toronto's Chinatown
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Review from Alex L.
Calgary, AB
5/9/2011
Siu Long Bao (pork dumplings with soup within the dumpling). That is what Asian legends is all about. If you miss it, you miss the point of going. These are quick difficult to make as can be attested to by the number of northern chinese "restaurants" that fail to maintain the soup in the dumpling.
All of the dishes I have tried (various dumplings, noodles and rice dishes) were average or above average. As other reviewers have noted, this is a clean and orderly chinese restaurant good for non-asian co-workers, family & friends.
Some of the most fun is having each person randomly choosing a dish that sounds great to them and seeing what the end results are. Prices are reasonable enough that you can actually do this and no be terrified of the bill at the end of the meal. -
Review from Tong J.
Updated - 1/13/2011 6 photos
Snap Judgement: We love this place!
When the question of where to host an informal celebratory dinner with friends and family came up, the answer was easy, Asian Legend. Good food. Nice, clean space. Lovely private rooms.
From my experience, Asian Legend has been consistently good. I knew I could count on them to deliver a great dinning experience and set the tones of the rest of the evening. They were right on.
The entire dinner has been pre-ordered ahead of time [Thank you, you know who you are]. So when the entourage arrived and was seated, the staff brought out each course without a hitch.
One dish that stood out was the Peking Duck. It was Peking-Delicious! The crispy skin and tender meat were so good. It looked so tasty that one of our vegetarian guests ALMOST jumped off the wagon to join in! Thumbs up from all around the table.
The lobster dishes with Szechuan and Ginger & Green Onion sauce were also a hit. They were freshly and properly prepared. Our dad didn't say a word after the lobster dishes arrived. You wonder why? Both dishes stayed right in front of him most of the time.
We love and appreciate that the meals came out fresh and hot from the kitchen like they should. And in terms of tastiness, you know that everything must be mouthwatering good, when there are no photos attached to this review. No time for snapping photos when you are dinning with my group of people. You snooze, you lose!
Overall, I could not ask for a more fun and delightful evening at Asian Legend. Even the staff, who usually look stern, cracked smiles...or was it the promise of the automatic gratuity that brought out those bright smiles?Listed in: Asia On My Mind
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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Review from Ken L.
Toronto, ON
11/24/2010
A few years ago, I went to Shanghai, China and was introduced to some Shanghai dumplings (yes, being a "banana" means I don't really know everything about my culture including all the foods). You have not eaten proper steamed dumplings until you've been to Shanghai. Upon returning I went on a quest for these dumplings in my home city and with the help from my relatives, I was rewarded here at Asian Legend. I'm embarrassed to say so but they've been around since 1988 and I've never been? They have expanded to half a dozen locations in the GTA and their food is consistent. This is one of the nicer/cleaner Chinese restaurants in the downtown that won't break the bank (compared to the Crown Princess which I reviewed recently).
For Shanghai dumplings, hands down, the closest you will find to the real deal but if you want the authentic one's to compare you'll need to get your passport validated and make your way to China. The secret to good dumplings is thin layer of dough holding the soup inside. That requires special cooking skills as it will likely break during the steaming process unless you make it thick skin (which tastes like too much dough and is what you will typically find at other restaurants here). The only issue is they rather small and cost almost $6 a basket... I can eat these by the truck load.
In China, they have these dumpling kiosks everywhere like we have Tim Hortons and they're only 8 RMB for 8 pieces (that's about $1 CAD). Other dishes you should try is the beef brisket noodles in soup and general tao chicken (fried and crispy but yummy). Their other rice, noodle dishes are reasonably priced, decent portions and average quality or better. 4 stars if you order the right items and they do take out plus delivery :) I usually go with family or friends as I hate dining alone but the place doesn't hold large groups but there are rooms in the dungeon downstairs for small groups. Avoid during lunch or dinner rush cos you'll be in a line up. -
Review from Thompson L.
6/5/2011
The soup dumplings are on par with Din Tai Fong and the sliced beef scallion pancakes were pretty good. I also really liked the beef noodle soup... I haven't had such tender beef cubes before and I was really surprised. I would give it 5 stars for the food but had a very big problem with their tableware. I'm not sure how they wash their dishes but I smelled bleach on all my plates/chopsticks/cups. It was nauseating and had to make them switch it out. My advice is to do it HK style and give everything a quick tea rinse with before using it.
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Review from Kelly C.
11/14/2010
You know that a Chinese restaurant is pretty good and authentic when 90% of the people eating there are Chinese. I would never say that the food is healthy, but my goodness it's tasty!
The ambiance is simple but nice enough for a date night and comfortable enough for lunch time. The service is prompt but not very interactive in terms of conversation. You even write down on a piece of paper your order to avoid unnecessary communication (however this also ensures that your order is accurate).
Favorite dishes: The steamed soup filled dumplings were a nice treat top with the fresh ginger. The crispy chicken was also very good with a side of green beans. I'd love to go back and just have a dumpling meal and also try the soup dishes. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
8/22/2010
The food is good. It's pretty standard Shanghai-nese food with dim sum, and main dishes and dessert.
I like that the quality stays thru all the locations and it's very standardized.
Service wise, it's a chinese restaurant. We don't have type for politeness. Just wave em down and get to business.
The downtown location gets a 3 star because of the venue itself.
It's loud and noisy. And cramped. Sitting on the bench (no cushion) we were really close to the next table. Everyone can hear my conversation and I can here there. You glance sideways, and suddenly you're talking to the next table. People talk loud, and poor acoustics make it louder. Not the best place after a morning hangover
They also have 4-5 rooms downstairs you can book for bigger group.Listed in: Great for Groups!, My Fail Safes, Chinatown - land of cheap eats
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Review from Sonia P.
Toronto, ON
8/23/2011
First off the positives - the soup dumplings are delicious. We tried 2 different versions. very good.
The rest of the food was average. General Tao chicken was ok and the Eggplant dish wasn't too great either. Maybe we should have stuck to the dumplings!
Also, the service was very poor. The server took forever to bring the eggplant dish. We were finished with our meal, so we took it to go instead.
While walking out, we noticed a Toronto Public Health sign that had given it a Conditional Pass!! I wish we had noticed that before we walked in. Haha -
Review from Carla D.
Toronto, ON
8/9/2010
I had read about their pork floss in glutinous rice roll and had glimpsed their austere interiors on a couple of sites (this included). Service was slow on a mid-afternoon with only a few other tables occupied.
The much anticipated pork floss with fried donut and glutinous rice roll arrived and was met with some dissapointment upon inspection. The rice roll was not at all glutinous, rather was sticky and packed tight against the rest of the dish, which ended up falling apart anyway on your plate.
The two other dimsum dishes were acceptable but forgettable. I'm not sure I'd return to try any of their dishes.
Extra points however for having possibly some of the cleanest and most well-designed washrooms in Chinatown. -
Review from JulieJuli A.
7/13/2010
Julie
Whew... had a feast at this spot last night. Needed some good Chinese food and spotted lots of items on their menu that I wanted to have so headed over and here's a list of what we had......
Apps....
1) Juicy Buns of course... Xiao Lun Bao. Had the pork only.. Good 3***
2) Pork and Crabmeat version of Xiao Lun Bao. Much better than the pork only version and top item on the menu for me. 4****
3) Steamed Glutinous Rice. Typical and nothing special. 3***
3a) Beef stuffed in sesame biscuit was tasty 4****
Cold Apps
4) Beef Shank was ok 3***
5) Jelly Fish was pretty good 4****
6) Wheat Gluten (Kau Fu) was terrible. This is one of my things to get at a Shanghainese restaurant so I know what to look for and this place made it taste like a sponge 1*
Soup
7) Hot and Sour with Chicken. No real flavor and forgettable 2**
Entree
8) Peking Duck was served with one plate of the good meat and skin and one plate of the cut up bone parts. Never seen it this way but I guess they want to make sure you get the whole duck. The meat was a bit fatty but overall, not too bad. The cucumber are cut way too thick and messes with the taste when you put it in the wrap. 3***
9) Steamed Whole Bass was ok. Didn't do it for me as the fish just didn't taste fresh... 2**
10) Pork Chop with Honey Garlic Sauce was too sweet and meat was not tender. I tried to get them to do it peking style and they stared at me like I was crazy. 2**
11) Dry Sauteed String Beans flavorful and well made 4****
12) Yang Zhou Fried Rice was fine. You can't really screw this one up. 3***
Desserts
13) Crispy Deep Fried Bananas. Terrible. The banana was basically caramelized and smothered with the chewy and overly sweet covering making it almost inedible. 1*
14) Mango Pudding. Not good either.. Bland and almost a bit bitter. What up??? 1*
15) Sweet Rice Dumpling with Sesame Filling. Finally a dessert that was worthy. The rice balls were excellent in a soup with taro and tapioca and definitely the thing to get. 4****
Overall, the experience was average. Food is decent. The wait staff is NOT attentive and hard to get their attention. I had to ask for new plates and for things to be taken away. You walk in and the restaurant feels very contemporary but you end up getting the typical Chinatown bad service experience. I'm just overly picky but the rest of my party REALLLY enjoyed themselves.... -
Review from Randy F.
3/9/2009 3 photos
I had recalled that Asian cuisine in Toronto was top notch from a trip during school over 10 years ago. On this return trip, I was happy to see it was still the case.
Asian Legend, located in the Chinatown area of Toronto is a perfect example of this top notch cuisine. Having eaten in Hong Kong, China, Vancouver, San Francisco, and LA, I have certain expectations when it comes to Chinese food and flavor. Asian Legend met them and in some cases exceeded those expectations.
The decor is modern and really belies it's Chinatown location. But the diverse menu, friendly prices, and casual service remind you that this gem really is in Chinatown next to many 1 star locales.
Our choices:
Crab meat and pork soup dumplings - excellent. The crab meat and pork were both very distinct and very fresh. The dumpling skins were a tad thicker than many places, but there was plenty of soup in each one.
Crab meat and fish maw soup - a large bowl of soup came out piping hot. Not as much crab meat as I expected, but reasonable given the low price.
Lobster e fu mein - a huge lobster accompanied the e-fu noodles. At least three large claws were present and the flavor was wonderful. The noodles were a bit dry though and could have used more lobster sauce. Overall, a huge portion for the price.
Asian Legend accepts credit cards, but not American Express. -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
2/19/2010
I didn't want to like this place. Too fancy for Chinatown and the prices oh so slightly more than the other holes-in-the-walls in the hood. After reading reviews on the soup dumplings, I had to go.
Random Notes:
1. Pork soup dumplings - pretty damned good but it's no 'Joe's Shanghai' in NY. Only six (smaller) dumplings to an order (most places have eight) and more than $1 per. Quality was quite good, but not as soupy as I like. Still, very good.
2. Kung Pao chicken did not illicit a reaction nearly as memorable as George's from Seinfeld, but was a tasty dish nonetheless. I suspect the peppers were either flash deep fried or cooked in a lot of oil.
3. They actually serve the dan-dan noodle. They tasted like they could be house made. That being said, they're not very flavorful. This dish is forgettable but not regrettable.
4. Thursday at 9:30pm = empty.
5. Good -- seeing a lot of good service from Asian places lately, this scares me.
I like this place a lot. Going to try dim sum there soon. Maybe even try a UYE on for size!Listed in: Gettin' My Eat on in Slanty…
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Review from Vivek S.
4/20/2009
In spite of everything I've heard about Asian Legend, I was less-than-impressed with my experience here. We got a mango chicken dish with bok choy and pork. Pretty underwhelming especially considering our monster wait time. I was told my experience was due largely to the fact that I didn't bring Asian friends. That doesn't make any G-D sense.
Obligatory Title Pun: LEGENDARY let down.
Menu readability: I honestly can't remember.
Need to mention: Cool decor and atmosphere. The only let down was the food.
What this place teaches me about myself: I need more Asian friends.Listed in: Chinatown
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Review from Jenny T.
6/14/2010
See, the first time I went here we went here for a different "northern style" dim sum experience. Their dim sum selections were quite small and although it was a different dim sum experience than your traditional "har gow", "siu mai" kind - it was quite expensive. They had similar dim-sum type foods but they were just different kinds of meat. The best part however, was the soup-filled dumplings! I found myself craving that all the time after coming here.
I was reluctant to go back to a chain-type restaurant for Chinese food, but when we went for a friend's birthday, I had to admit that the food was well worth the price. It is not at all comparable to chain-type restaurant, Spring Rolls and I'm more than willing to pay a small premium for the cleanliness and atmosphere that the place has.
What I highly recommend here is their roasted duck skin wraps! They do up a whole roasted duck, and they cut the outter crispy skin of the duck off, which is eaten with a flour-like wrap (DIY). Then you can choose what dish you'd like the rest of the duck made into - I recommend the DIY lettuce wraps! -
Review from Crystal L.
2/20/2009 4 photos
Let me first tell you the determination it took for me to eat here. The night before my boyfriend told me he wanted to leave early the next morning to drive home so I tried looking up the restaurant hours online and it could not be found so I figured most restaurants open after 10am. We got there exactly at 10am the next morning and it was still closed as were most of the other restaurants in Chinatown. I wasn't giving up without eating dim sum in Toronto before driving back so I walked up and down the street asking random chinese people what time most restaurants open on sundays using my elementary level chinese skills :)
No one seemed to know so I went to the internet cafe across the street to speak to the employee on duty and he also did not know what time it opened and was extremely puzzled why someone would have to eat specifically at Asian Legend when he could recommend other restaurants down the street that were opened. I wanted to call Asian Legend hoping the hours would be recorded on the answering machine but my phone internet doesn't work in Canada so asked if I could buy like 5 min internet time at the internet cafe. The guy was really nice and let me use his own computer and when I called Asian Legend they picked up and told me they were opened?! I was like umm I was just outside and he told me he was on the way to open the door as we speak.
So now that I've wasted a half hour and my boyfriend is irritated waiting in the car we go inside and my boyfriend is expecting this place better be no less than amazing. I ordered soup dumplings, jelly fish, deep fried tofu, red bean pancake and the waiter recommended this onion/beef fried pancake which was very good. The fried tofu and pancakes were my favorite picks and we had some pancakes leftover for our long drive back.
My boyfriend and I were both very happy we got to eat here. -
Review from Rao R.
Brampton, ON
5/9/2011
Asian Legend is huge Chain of restaurants that run around in the GTA. This one is the best one in all of the restaurants. The food is undeniably the reason why it is the best. The food is fresh and always hot. It has lots of flavors and the portion sizes are just right. The food arrives fast while maintaining good quality in their food. The service is very friendly and always trying to serve your needs. The atmosphere is nice and comfortable. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone.
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Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 6/6/2009
I have to do another top notch review because i went here again and i STILL love it. I lov eit so much I would even go alone and order an unrealistic amount of food just so I could take it home.
For those of you who dont' realize, this is the ONLY good chinese food I have ever had in Toronto- and that's sayin' SOMEthin cuz I come from Vancouver.
there is nothing bad on the menu and this is the only place I trust to take any friends who are in the mood for chinese food. Everyone I bring here adores the food and then comes back time and time again to introduce it to other people.
soooo good. -
Review from Jonathan W.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 3/5/2010
So this is really my consistent go-to for downtown Chinese food even though it principally violates a few fundamental Chinese restaurant rules, one - more expensive than average, two - you pay for the service and decor, three, certain dishes are over oiled and over garliced in the non-Asian style.
But, you have to admit that there really aren't many options downtown where a venture to the bathroom makes you feel dirtier after you've done the deed.
The soup dumplings are pretty darn good quality, especially the ones with crab meat - option #1. Also, they have a decent selection of veggies and tofu dishes. The pork belly is delicious is cooked properly. Still, the service seems spottier especially when there is a crowd and having to wait 30 mins for rice when all your other dishes have arrived is ridiculous.
Nevertheless, I'll keep coming back. Just wish there was somewhere else to go.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/8/2009
Okay...so being Chinese it is tough to admit a chain place can produce some quality food but I'm… Read more »
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Review from Sharky L.
Toronto, ON
6/18/2010
Friend took me to this place today. Pretty good food, my family went to Asian Legend once in Scarborough and we were very impressed, food wasn't typical Chinese fair, it had a lot better presentation as well as the decor is nice.
Food was really good and the prices are decent. Nice place to go back to. -
Review from Bijan V.
8/12/2008 3 Check-ins Here
I have been to Asian Legend many times (mostly at their Hwy 7 and Leslie location) and have never been dissapointed. Their food is different than most chinese restaurants you will go to and I find that their food can be described as a bit of `modern chinese` (this coming from a gwai-loh so I might not know what I`m talking about haha)
The atmosphere of the restaurant is always lively and they have a lot of waiters to take care of your needs. Going in big groups is always recommended as that way you can share and sample a lot of their food (they have a lot of food selection).
Must Have`s:
- Soup-filled dumplings - absolutely amazing!
- Most of their soups, I generally don`t like soup but they just have such unique tastes
ABSOLUTE must-have:
- Red bean Pancake - one of the best desserts ever!!
All in all, I don`t think you will be dissapointed with what Asian Legend will serve you, they have a lot of locations all around Toronto so definitely try them out. They have started to grow a lot recently and it is obvious why. -
Review from Ferdinand H.
10/20/2008
Wait!
We can review in Canada!!! Yay! I wonder if I can start reviewing in the UK...
Asian Legend Rocks... It's definitely got a more northern flair, compared to the ubiquitous cantonese dimsum in Toronto. For a chinese restaurant to survive in Toronto, you've got to be relatively good -- none of that, "I moved to north america and need to make ends meet, so I'll just fire up a wok, and use internet recipes --"
So, try out the XLBs, the chive dumplings, the dan dan noodles. Shanghai chic in North America. Come to think of it... I need to go A.S.A.P! -
Review from Terry P.
8/9/2010
Asian Legend, despite the tacky name, is actually a chinese food restaurant without the tackiness. No "chicken balls" on the menu here - Asian Legend serves what I'm guessing is reasonably authentic chinese food at equally reasonable prices.
This is the kind of place where the bigger the group you go in, the better the experience, because you can try more things and share them out. As a group of three, we were able to polish off an order of steamed dumplings (delicious), an onion pancake wrapped with beef (greasy and fantastic - I would love to be able to buy these from a cart on the street late on a Saturday night), moo shu pork, and kung pao chicken with steamed rice. The kung pao was disappointing in that it lacked any kick at all - this is supposed to be a spicy dish but yet I didn't even need my glass of water - very strange.
The restaurant is large, with nice decor. Our server was void of smiles, pleasantries, or anything resembling conversation, but he was never less than efficient. -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
10/20/2009
I go here at least once a month so I'm not new to this restaurant. I love thier steamed pork soup dumplings, they're always made fresh and come out steaming hot so watch out, or they'll burn your lips!! They're always so juicy and flavourful! I love this restaurant! Good food and quick service! They even have a see through screen that shows people making the dumplings fresh. I also love their chunky beef noodles!! It's soo tasty!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this restaurant!Listed in: My Dumplings ;)
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Review from Dexter T.
Toronto, ON
11/22/2010
I'm a full Chinese(-Canadian) and grew up with my parents who often ate out at the best Chinese restaurants in Ottawa.
Asian Legend was introduced to me by my grandmother. This place is the best Chinese restaurant in TO. Service is excellent. Our server was more accurately described as a "servant" bc he didnt even speak and he was totally perfect in his job! Memorable stuff.
Food left nothing to be desired. Totally genuine Northern Chinese cuisine, done right consistently. I think we had beef noodle soup but definitely had green onion pancakes.
