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China House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
925 Eglinton Avenue WestToronto, ON M6C 2C3
(416) 781-9121
- Hours:
Tue-Wed, Sun 3 pm - 10:30 pm
Thu-Sat 3 pm - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
8 reviews for China House
8 reviews in English
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Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
7/12/2011
China House
I'm lucky that to this point, I've never had to write a eulogy. So here goes nothing.
I write this note days before the scheduled closing of China House, a 53 year veteran of the Bathurst and Eglinton strip. Following the demise of Ken Fong last year, it seems as though House of Chan will be the only old-school Chinese-Canadian establishment left standing in this neck of the woods, which is not entirely fair, since HoC made it's reputation on steak, not Szechuan.
For that matter, China House was never much for spice. As my colleagues below have pointed out, China House specializes in Westernized Cantonese food in all it's deep-fried, corn-starch-slurried glory. A 'secret menu' with more authentic fare was once available to Chinese customers, but an intrepid Joanne Kates outed it, and in so doing mainstreamed many of the dishes that we take for granted today. Many of the dishes that she described have made their way onto the regular menu, while most of the dine-in traffic has fled to even more 'authentic' haunts along Spadina, Gerrard, and the untamed jungle of Markham.
China House's greatest disappointments lie in it's attempts to venture outside it's traditional Cantonese formula. Hot and sour soup tasted like thickened egg-drop soaked in vinegar and sriracha, while General Tso's chicken saw crumbly yellow breading soak up sauce that was far more sweet than heat (despite a request to ditch the sugar for the sake of a diabetic diner). We had yet to try the new, healthier options, including Greg's ice cream for dessert. I regret the latter; Greg's sells some of my favorite ice cream.
Our China House experience boils down to a few routinely excellent dishes: The Dop Voy Won Ton soup is possibly the best thing on the menu. soft dumplings, assorted meats and veg in a light chicken stock. Served communally, and accented with a hit of soya sauce and a fistful of little orange noodles, it's a meal in itself. Spring rolls are competent, egg rolls are greasily good, especially when dunked in sinus-clearing mustard and iridescent plum sauce.
Deep fried butterflied shrimp are fantastic. Cut almost all the way though, they arrive as perfectly done rings of shrimpy goodness. Shrimp in Lobster sauce is similarly well-done; sauteed shrimp under a blanked to ground pork and black bean sauce. it demands an order of yang chow fried rice (more shrimp, please!) to soak up the sauce.
Moo shoo pork is also good, if on the sweet side. The meat is tender, and there's plenty of black mushroom and scrambled egg. The use of bean sprouts instead of cabbage makes plain ol' chop suey redundant, but you can feel good about ordering either. Almond Soo Guy is another deep-fried delight. We order stir-fried vegetables, if only for appearance's sake.
Other dishes feature a range of proteins and univeg accompanied by indistinguishable sauces. Cantonese chow mein replicates the wonton soup's success, although its gravy is sweeter than most. This last reason may be why we didn't go as often as we used to, despite new ownership's best efforts (and they do deserve a lot of credit for breathing life into the space). As the neighbourhood's tastes have changed, and health issues have grown, China House kept a heavy hand in the sugar bowl. It became an occasional treat rather than a regular option.
Soon, China House will be demolished in favour of a condo development. The neighbourhood's biggest loss may be the decor, with it's bridge and pond and indoor trees. I hear that management is looking for a new home. May I humbly suggest Forest Hill Village, where I can guarantee it will be packed, at least on Christmas Day?Listed in: Have Yourself a Freilechen…
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Review from Anthony D.
Burlington, ON
1/19/2011
An absolute institution when it comes to kitschy old school Chinese. The decor is indeed a time warp, and has not changed in 50 years. From the artwork, to the black lacquer walls and down to the red velvet, this place drips with character.
The food is good old school Chinese and the Peking duck is still the best in the city.
The establishment is under new ownership as of a year ago, so anyone who may have come before that could have had a negative experience. The cleanliness and vibe has done a complete 180 in the last little while so those of you who may not like the place, I suggest you give it another try.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Alida S.
Toronto, ON
10/22/2010
I don't understand the reviews for this place. It seems you either love it or hate it. Either way, you are bound to leave this place with a strong opinion!
As for me, I've never had a good meal at this place, and I been there countless times. Why do I keep going? I guess I'm a masochist. I keep thinking: "This is going to be the day that China House surprises me with a plate of delicious food". Well, it hasn't happened yet, and I don't think it will ever happen. I've learned my lesson, China House!
The food is watery, bland, and soggy. Most of their dishes taste like they've been sitting in the sun for days. To make matters worse, the food is ridiculously over-priced, and the portions are meager. If you order any of the meat dishes, you'll soon discover that meat is almost non-existent. I dare you to order the Cashew Chicken and find the meat. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack!
If there is a buffet in hell, it is probably catered by China House. The flavors are a complete nightmare. Yes, it's that bad. Avoid this place like the plague. -
Review from Jane T.
Toronto, ON
5/27/2011
Let's not talk about the food. The only thing worth noting is the remarkable sheen on the vegetables, one that I haven't seen since falling face-first on the freshly waxed gymnasium floor back in grade seven. My asparagus was glistening! Even the noodles looked freshly shellacked.
If we're going to speak in glowing terms, let's talk about the top-notch service, snazzy décor, and delightful cocktails. My Cosmopolitan, served by a wonderfully attentive waiter, was a work of art. Frosty and delicious, it sat proudly on it's little tray, the perfect shade of pale pink, frosty droplets forming on the outside of the glass. It was exquisite.
The décor is also quite splendid, and will fulfill any desires you've ever had to be in a scene from a 1960's movie in a Chinese restuarant. The colour scheme (obviously) is red and gold, with occasional ornamental money-cats, and rounded doorways. Once we crossed the tiny bridge into the dining area, we were seated under a giant Bonsai tree to enjoy our meal.
And enjoy our meal we did. The food was tasty & attractive... albeit a little expensive.
Service? Top-notch, and befitting of a place that puts so much effort into the perfect martini. The staff appeared at exactly the right moments, offering gentle menu suggestions, discreetly offering forks, and removing silver domes with a subtle flourish.
Would we care for another round of drinks? Why thank you! And yes, we will come again. -
Review from Nathan W.
Toronto, ON
1/27/2010 2 photos
Authentic is one of those foodie buzzwords that tend to be tossed around with alarming frequency. Usually, it denotes a standard of excellence. To me, authenticity is not an end goal with food (my end goal being taste) but a possible step along the way to achieving said goal.
Which brings me to China House. A glowing, neon red time capsule, duly pumping out the same pseudo Cantonese based cuisine that was so successful back in the 1960s. Your parents loved this stuff when their parents took them out on a Friday night for dinner. You probably love it too. Authentic, it is surely not. Tasty, it is.
So leaving your Scarborough dim sum memories behind, journey over the magical bridge of wishful loonie dreams and make sure you get a seat in the main room. If you are lucky, you'll be seated under the artificial tree in one of the prime round tables.
A waiter will immediately plunk down fried chow mein noodles, electric red sweet and sour sauce and nasal blasting yellow mustard. These "little fried worms" are to be added to your meal, but I've never seen it happen. But then, we never order the chow mein either. Dip them instead into the sauces and eat, like some fusiony, Asian version of salsa and tortillas.
Said waiter will return a few minutes later with tea and to take your order. He will be anywhere between 50 and 183 years of age. He will be wearing a uniform of red jacket, bow tie and black pants. If you're lucky, his name tag will say "Tom". At China House, there has always been a "Tom". Those familiar with the operations of the Overlook Hotel will understand.
Take one part Borscht Belt Comedian, one part smirking Bill Murray and one part trickster mythos and that would give you an idea of Tom's charms. His whole demeanor is one of impish delight. His body language saying, "Let's do this order thing again" as he whips out his pad with a flourish. "I've literally watched the finish wear off these plates over the past thirty years, yet I still enjoy my job". Many of the city's young, bored and disaffected "servers" could learn a lesson from Tom.
While you wait for your food, enjoy the room. People watch, because you are not going to find a group like this in many rooms around town. If you went to central casting it could not be more perfect. Notice also that China House does a regular take away business that clearly keeps the joint running.
As stated, the food is more pseudo Cantonese then pseudo Sichuan, so those looking for serious or even casual heat should look elsewhere (mostly at that excellent mustard sauce). Never you mind, your Bubbie can't digest those chili peppers anyway.
The classics are executed with panache. Egg rolls are crispy and light; won ton soup with consommé is clean and satisfying. Spareribs are sticky sweet, redolent of 5-spice mix with a nice chew and rich pork hit. This is probably one of the better ribs in the city, if rib fanatics are willing to look outside the category of smoked/grilled western style. It's an appetizer portion so order double if you care for more.
After that, it's a hit parade of faves like Kung Pao Shrimp, Sautéed Seafood, Vegetable Delight: basically, properly stir fried vegetables in light sauces. You'll find none of the all-purpose onion and carrot heavy utility veg mixes that happen in most Canadian/Chinese take out. The "protein" additions of chicken, seafood and pork are also of good quality. I'm not too fond of the beef here, and that may be my only complaint.
Once done with your meal, enjoy fortune cookies that actually taste good, possessing a nice, sweet almond flavoured crunch. Try to avoid the charms of the Phoenix Room on your way out. The bathrooms have seen better days.
The same could be said of China House, but I would say "not so!" A more authentic experience of mid 20th century westernized Chinese food cannot be had in Toronto. It's a slowly fading memory that won't be replicated again. Visit it soon and keep the tradition alive. -
Review from gary c.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2011
This is for Alida - I have never had chicken chow mein anywhere that compares to China House.
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Review from Natasha E.
Markham, ON
10/6/2010
You know it is bad news, when the ONLY Asians in the house are the wait staff. Even the front of the house manager, is a 80's dressed white guy.
Tiny portions and high prices ($13 for Beef Broccoli size of McCain's frozen entree?) never helps.
But worse, it is the flavours makes me want to never come back. It tastes like Chinese food that your college roommate would attempt to make. Yep. All soy sauce, soggy vegetables and weirdly seasoned food (why do I taste all spice in every single dish?).
It appears that this place caters to unassuming upper income families that are afraid to travel to downtown or even Markham.
Ok. Enough. My mom said if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
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Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
4/11/2010
A. Fucking. Time. Warp.
The last thing I want to see when I first enter a Chinese restaurant is some gwai lo greeting us in his accent-less English. Seriously, who wants this? That should have been a warning sign or maybe the 70's style wall paper, carpets, or staff uniforms should have screamed "WARNING".
But whatever, it's all about the food, right? Damn, even their food is outdated. Picture walking into a Chinese restaurant in Barrie in the 1980's. Then picture red sauce, yellow sauce, and deep fried.
Clearly this business model still works because this resto has been there forever. It doesn't mean I can't blacklist it.
Sidenotes: deep fried shrimps were pretty good. Everything else? Meh. Staff was exceptionally nice, saving this place from a one-star review.Listed in: Neil's Blacklist
