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Crown Princess Fine Dining
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
1033 Bay StreetToronto, ON M5S 3A5
Neighbourhoods: Discovery District, Downtown Core
(416) 923-8784
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
49 reviews for Crown Princess Fine Dining
Review Highlights
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"They have marbles walls, and marble art framed with." In 13 reviews -
"Har gow- lots of shrimp goodness." In 9 reviews -
"...few pointers for dinner: sweet & sour pork is the best I've..." In 3 reviews
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49 reviews in English
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Review from Eric T.
Toronto, ON
5/16/2012
In my books, this is the place to go for refined dim sum in Yorkville area. I'm mean it's not easy to get good food, service and decor with Chinese faire. Let's start with the food. The dim sum is well executed, but not particularly creative and done little flair. I think that's forgivable. The service is very good by Chinese restaurant standards. They're fast, polite and most of their staff speak English, which is no easy feat in our fair city! The most remarkable feature of the resto is definitely the decor. It's tacktastically glorious: chandeliers, marble, gold-gilded teapots is all I can think of. Pull these together and it makes for a nice, fancy dim sum lunch.
It's definitely not cheap. We ended-up paying about $20/person and we had our selection of dishes. The key to keeping the price down is to order less SP (special) and XL (extra-large) dishes. Watch-out for those cuz they could easily add $5-$10 to your total! -
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
3/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Restaurant: Crown Princess Fine Dining
Cuisine: DimSum
Location: Downtown
Address: 1033 Bay St
Price Range: $15~25
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 2
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3
Who doesn't want to check out a restaurant called Crown Princess? When I first heard about this restaurant, I thought it was a joke...I just couldn't picture a Dim Sum spot called Crown Princess. Well it did exist and I was there for some Dim Sum on a Sunday with my family and friends.
I've been to many fancy chinese restaurants back in Vancouver where there is plenty, but I've never been to one this fancy. And I don't mean fancy as in sophisticated...chic...interior decor- I mean it as in over the top sort of tacky fancy. They have chandliers and high ceilings with high tea sets...as well as servers dressed in maid outfits.
Anyways, the restaurant is super clean and the servers were extremely polite which I liked. There were a lot of us at the restaurant so we decided to go crazy with the Dim Sum ordering as well as some Peking duck (for lunch, I know).
Ordered: Roasted Peking Duck
* $52 for 2 course Peking Duck
* They actually had someone stand behind our table and skin the roasted duck
* She was very well skilled and did it in only few minutes
* My favorite part of the 2 course of Peking duck is the skin + wrap + green onion + hoisin sauce
* I always use up all of the green onions so I ask for more
Ordered: Shark Fin Seafood Dumpling in Soup (#1)
* I don't particularly enjoy Shark Fin soup but decided to order it cause of the controversy
* The fact that I wouldn't be able to order it anymore crave it
* Soup was clear and quite refreshing
* You break open the dumpling and eat it with the soup
* Decent amount of sharks fin in the soup
Ordered: Shrimp Dumpling (#2:Har Gow)
* How many times do I have to talk about Har Gow on my blog?
* Dumpling skin was too thick and sticky
* I wouldn't order this again
Ordered: Steamed Scallop & Shrimp Dumpling (#4)
* I didn't get to taste this but my sister told me it tasted exactly same as the Har Gow
Ordered: Sticky Rice with Meat Wrap in Lotus Leaf (#7)
* I didn't have any of this since by the time it came out, I was already full
Ordered: Chicken feet with Chef's Sauce (#8)
* I always prefer red sauce over brown sauce for chicken feet
* Sauce was perfect but it was a tad bit over-cooked
* Chicken feet was falling apart even before I picked it up
Ordered: Beef Tripe with XO Sauce (#12)
* This was a little too bland
* I was looking to order a tendon dish which they didn't have..so I settled with this
* I wouldn't order this again
Ordered: Spare Rib with Black Bean Sauce (#15)
* Spare rib pieces were way too small, they were almost chopped up
* It wasn't very hot when it arrived at the table
* Because it had cooled down, the sauce seemed too oily for me
Ordered: Steamed Baby Squid in Curry Sauce (#20)
* Squid was actually too big to be made into this dish
* Because it was big, it didn't soak up enough of the curry sauce and the meat was tough
* This was really difficult to eat and the curry sauce was not strong enough
Ordered: Fried Octopus Tentacles (#24)
* I liked this because it wasn't covered in batter like every other place
* It was different and less oily which I enjoyed
* But it did lack crispiness for deep fried item
* I would order this again
ordered: Pan Fried Beef Ribs w/ Maggie Sauce (#26)
* 4~5 pieces of spare ribs covered in black bean sauce for
* This was a little too fatty and salty to be eaten by itself
* It would be better if eaten with rice
Ordered: Crispy Jumbo Shrimp with Mayo Sauce (#28)
* I've never seen this served like this
* It was actually quite ginormous and hard to eat
* It was filled with shrimp inside and was served piping hot
* Deep fried and shrimp with mayo sauce? You can't really go wrong with this this
Ordered: Baked BBQ Pork Puff Pastry (#36)
* I personally don't like this dish because I find it to be too dry
* This is one of my sister's favorite dish
Ordered: Pan-fried Snowpea Leaves (#56)
Ordered: Deep fried Wonton with Sour Sauce (#57)
* This dish was a big joke
* I thought it would be real wontons with fillings
* This was basically a bowl of sweet & sour sauce and deep fried dumpling skin
* There was too much sauce I didn't even know what to do with it
* Sauce had some seafood in it but since it was drenched in sweet & sour sauce, it wasn't very tasty
* Would not order again!
Summary: Love the location and service, but food was mediocre and not worth the extra dollar or two per dish. If you are bringing someone that's new to dimsum or wanted a clean bright environment for fancier dimsum- this is the place. But if I am just craving good ol dimsum, I am going to RolSan -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
It is expensive DimSum, but SO lovely!
Besides the fact that you get white linen service and fine china, the dim sum is really really pretty and high quality. Not at all heavy or greasy, and you are not left feeling weighted down afterwards. The Hargow is good, and the mushroom dumplings. Even though I continue to order it , the octopus here is not great. Very chewy.
Be wary of the "daily specials" I went for lunch with a party of 5 and we had Groupons on that occasion. The staff were aware and were (I suspect) trying to upsell us. In the end, they suggested this scallop with X.O. special that was apparently amazing. It was fine and all, but at $11 a head, increased the bill by $55. For a single scallop I would have never paid that much if I knew.
Really yummy dim sum though. If it was cheaper... WOW.Listed in: Associasian Eats
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Review from Catherine W.
5/6/2012
Enjoyed the set dinner for 10. Excellent, courteous service. Very fancy decor and place settings. Standouts were the Peking Duck, Duck meat wrapped in lettuce, snow pea/fish maw dish, mango fried rice. Parking in the attached complex was $5 and convenient.
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Review from Ahalya S.
Toronto, ON
12/14/2011
I have always wanted to try this place so went today for an early lunch. I went by myself but felt comfortable. The service was good.
As far as the food goes, I really liked it. I am not a dim sum expert nor am I a novice - I just order what I like.
1.Fried octopus tentacles - they were really good. I like them chewy.
2. Shrimp & veggie flat noodles - these were very good. Two plump shrimp and the sauce that came with it was yummy.
3. Shrimp shu mai - this is my all time fave dim sum item! I really liked the dish here.
4. Scallop shu mai - loved this dish! There were four dumplings filled with scallops and decorated with black sesame seeds and some fish eggs. YUMMY!
5.Turnip cake - another dish I always order. This was also very good. I hate greasy fried food but this was not greasy at all.
The total with tax and tip (20% tip) came out to $38. It was only for 1 person so it is a bit expensive. The one thing I didn't like was that they charged me for tea! I hate it when they do this/.
Overall I give this a 4 out of 5. It is very close to where I work. So if I am ever craving dim sum early in the day (they open at 10 am!) I will definitely visit Crown Princess. -
Review from Mariko M.
11/27/2011
One of the more 'expensive' dim sum joints in the city.
Mind you, amongst the two dining companions and myself, we ordered $75 worth of food and were stuffed at the end of the meal.
The decor is really fancy (refer to photos of the tea pot and plates).
They supposedly take resos for dim sum, but we were seated right away without being asked for our name.
Some recommendations:
- fried rice (with heaps of seafood, chicken, and pork)
- jumbo fried shrimp (wrapped like a spring roll with mayo)
- Japanese style dumplings
A solid 4 star for dim sum. -
Review from Thomas H.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dinner Recommendations:
- Scallops with green beans and mushrooms
- Sweet and Sour pork. comes with fruits and isn't too soggy
- satay rice noodles w/ beef
Other dishes
- chicken with black bean sauce - not a whole lot of sauce here, and they put too much ginger in it, which overwhelmed the black beans
In 4-5 visits for dinner the food is good, but not amazing. Pretty traditional chinese and nothing terribly exciting. But solid quality, and quite a good price considering the surroundings.
The dining room is immaculately decorated: marble, gold trim, the works. So it's a good place to impress with atmosphere, take pictures, etc. -
Review from Cherry Y.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Finally - authentic chinese food in downtown Toronto, in a fine-dining atmosphere!
Crown Princess merges Chinese cuisine with Victorian-style (?) decor, complete with cute little Victorian teapots. The female servers dress up in pretty french maid uniforms. While the different elements feel a bit forced together, one gets the feeling of what they were going for - the atmosphere of English high tea, but with a dim sum twist. The environment is overall clean and tidy, no complaints.
Originally from Hong Kong, I feel I can authoritatively say that the food there is authentic Chinese. No matter if you are looking for just dim sum or a traditional Chinese dinner, I would recommend this place to all Chinese cuisine enthusiasts .
The service is overall pretty good. I went with a large group of friends for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner last year and despite us taking forever to agree upon which dish to the order, the manager was patient and friendly at all times and joked with us. He was also helpful and knowledgeable. Another time I was there, earlier this summer, their air conditioning system had broken down unfortunately and it was a hot day. The manager was thoughtful and brought us some ice water along with our tea.
While the price lies on the pricey side, I would still say its good value, especially for the quality of food and service. I recommend this place whether you going for a date with your significant other, with a big group of friends, or for family gatherings! -
Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
Crown Princess is just south of one of Toronto's chicest intersections. That may explain why this is no ordinary Chinese restaurant. It's fancy, although personally, I think it's an oxymoron to say fancy Chinese restaurant.
Crown Princess is definitely going for a regal atmosphere. It's rich in gold and purple, with chandeliers. Still, at the end of the day, I don't think ornate decor should translate to ridiculously jacked up prices unless the quality of the food was just as impressive.
Let's see how it fared...
On a stupendously hot Friday I hit Crown Princess for some dim sum. Keep in mind that Chinese food is one of my LEAST favourite foods. Further, I haven't eaten said food for months. I was sort of looking forward to some dim sum.
I arrived sweaty, hungry and slight cranky. I met my buddy there and we took a seat. I quickly cheered up in the comfort of air conditioning and the joy of a Diet Coke. Service was pleasant but rough. The restaurant was clean, as were the chopsticks and plates. (Most Chinese restaurants I've been to require the patron to give their utensils a quick hot tea rubdown.)
We ordered our dim sum and they arrived hot and yummy. Of the many dim sum places downtown, it was definitely less greasy and heavy. We were happily satisfied.
Their dishes also got points for presentation:
We finished with some dessert - the mango pudding arrived in the shape of a fish. That made me giggle.
The bill came to about $50 for two people; that's more than what I'm used to paying but we had a GROUPON. Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray. -
Review from Wendy C.
4/23/2011
The "Princess" leaves the "Casa" (actually, two "Casa") and her "Prince" behind in Markham-dom to venture into a foreign land called downtown.
If you've been to any of the Crown Prince or Casa Imperial or Casa Victoria establishment in northern suburb, this place will look and feel familiar.
Dim Sum Style -- order from a dim sum menu, no push carts.
Food -- same quality and taste as its sister restaurants in Markham and North York, but better presentation.
Decor -- same style as the other royal-sounding restaurants in this group, mega watts of chandeliers, marble everywhere, royal purple plush chair covering. Definitely over the top, not my style, but it has its fans.
Service -- I didn't find it better than at the North York or Markham location. In fact, I recognize a couple of the managers and senior servers who used to work in Markham / North York locations.
Keep this on the to-go list? -- sure, I'd recommend this place for people who live or work downtown. Higher prices plus parking fees, offset by savings in gas and time for not having to trek north. -
Review from Bill T.
3/27/2011
Recommended to try: Foie Gras and Caviar Sui Mai (so that you can understand my point)
This is a funny dim-sum place: a Chinese restaurant with the decor that reminds you of medieval France. Just like its decor, the dishes served here seemed to also have suffered identity crises: even the classics were different from what you would expect, everything was much too tapered to be called dim sum.
It's certainly possible to marry fine-dining and dim-sum, but unfortunately, Crown Princess did not succeed in doing so. They managed to bring a lot of French luxuries onto the plates, but did nothing to infuse them with the main dish itself. I would like to illustrate my point with their famous "Foie Gras and Caviar Sui Mai". The sui mai itself was in fact very good, it had a lot of strong flavours; however, the foie gras and the caviar were literally placed on top of the sui mai, and offered nothing to the dish other than the fact that the dish had two classic French delicacies. Rick Bayless once said: "you can shave truffles over a dish and call it special, but it's not; it's just expensive", and I felt very much the same way with the usage of foie gras and caviar here (and at Morimoto's in fact...).
Everything else was similarly boring and uninteresting. The turnip cakes were almost watery and tasted like detergent.
Service was very good, but quite a few plates and cups had food residues on them, which was surprising given their over-the-top attempt to appear high-end. Also, in contrast with the decor, the customers are the very typical Chinese crowd you would find at a hole-in-a-wall dim-sum joint, so definitely don't bother dressing up.
This is definitely a place that I would bring my white friends who've never had real dim-sum before, but it honestly does not taste very good, and many dishes were lacking focus. Everything had a dim-sum facade, but was missing the soul and essence of HKese cooking.
I recommend Lai Wah Heen for a real fine-dining dim-sum experience. -
Review from Angela L.
4/11/2011
It was the night before our big Chinese New Years dim sum extravaganza that we read in the paper that Crown Princess was canceling their early bird discount. The "Shucks!" that we cried ensemble could have been heard for miles, but then we also collectively let out a sigh of relief immediately when we realized that we were no longer going to wake up extra early in the morning in order to get a big table during an expected busy time at this newly uber-popular dim sum den.
The type of regal decor (complete with cosplay-like but serious uniforms) in this place is what you would only be able to find in suburbs that are 87% populated by Chinese people like Richmond, BC. Although we didn't have to make the trip there, we sure couldn't tell that we weren't there from looking around the room at the clientele.
It's all well and good that Crown Princess feels much cleaner than most Chinese restaurants downtown and even has some serious style, but what is most important here is that the food is darn good. The dumplings, buns, balls, and what-have-yous were all dainty and flavourful as they were meant to be. After the meal, I also didn't feel parched and slightly sick (from the MSG and salt that is liberally added at many other Chinese restaurants in an effort to make up for the quality that is often lacking). Besides, split between the six of us, the bill was comparatively larger than if we had gone somewhere on Spadina, but didn't actually break the bank at all. -
Review from Vivek S.
11/5/2010
I definitely felt like an out-of-place street urchin within the splendour and opulence that is Crown Princess Fine Dining. There are walls lined with onyx, a velveteen damask carpet, fine tablecloths (I'm used to plastic at dim sum), behemoth marble columns and more chandeliers than Casa Loma. With each bite I knew I was on the verge of being thrown out.
But in stark contrast to all this pomp and grandeur, is their stunning dim sum discount (and the reason we all were there). Before 11am items on the menu are between $3.10 to $6 with most things skewing towards the cheap. Not ones to complain about a good deal, me and eleven trusty yelpers cozied around the restaurant's largest table and set to work.
The service is fairly brisk here. Instead of carts, it's a la carte and the food is brought out by waitresses in French maid outfits. I'm not a dim sum expert by any meals, but I loved everything I ate here and even tried some things I've never tried before. The presentation is dramatically wonderful, culminating in the dessert: a mango mousse shaped like a fish. It was an enjoyable experience, everyone was truly stuff and the damage was something like 12.50 per person. Amazing!
Obligatory Title Pun: CROWNing achievement.
Menu Readability: Standard dim sum check-boxes on carbon paper.
Need to mention: We ordered 2.9 items per person and we were stuffed.
What this place teaches me about myself: I should really hold my sweet sixteen at this place. -
Review from Lauren M.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. They cancelled the Early Bird dim sum deal! I am completely gutted. I called to make sure and it's true - early bird no more.
Screw you, Crown Princess! LMAO :) Bring it back, because I can't afford to dine here otherwise!Listed in: Dumpling YO FACE
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/16/2010
Fine, I will be the first to give this place 5 stars! :) (Note - 5 stars for the Early Bird Dim Sum.… Read more »
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Review from Gillian A.
Toronto, ON
2/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was some seriously delicious and also aesthetically pleasing dim sum! My disappointment at the lack of carts being pushed around was definitely forgotten as soon as I saw the fantastic outfits the servers wear, the fine china teapot that we got for our green tea and then most definitely when I got to eat the food.
Things that stand out there are the octopus (cooked perfectly, with a yummy sauce), the dumplings and also the pork buns. Also, our waitress was very helpful when we had questions regarding menu sizes/prices/options. My only disappointment was that we couldn't easily find the vegetables. There did seem to be quite a few vegetarian options, though, which was a treat for our vegetarian companion.
I can honestly say that I have never seen such an insanely ornate dining room for dim sum. Or maybe ever. Perhaps the palace of Versailles had more marble on the walls, but not by much. Who doesn't like a piece of marble, framed by more marble, on a marble wall, with marble pillars?
The only thing that wasn't as awesome was the shrimp roll that looked misleadingly like it was a normal shrimp roll, but then it had what can only be described as Miracle Whip with fruit cup fruits inside the coating. It was not the exciting surprise that I was hoping for!
I will be back. Not often because it's a bit pricey, but definitely when I want good dim sum. -
Review from Cindy C.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2010
Wow, it's a good thing this place has good food to compensate, because the decor looks like elton john designed it on crack without his glasses.
I was excited to try this place after the reviews on Yelp. I got the opportunity to today when my friend had suggested that we go there. Sadly, we didn't take advatange of the before 11 AM special because nobody got up early enough after a full night of post-halloween drink-fest.
Anyways, the food was great, one of the best for downtown dim sum, for sure. It is more on the upscale side (more than bright pearl, less than dynasty) but it wasn't as bad as people had said - it's FINE DINING. And they hired ELTON JOHN to decorate it...
We had a little bit of everything. The HAR GOW was steamed to perfection, the BBQ PORK BUNS and PASTRY were sweet and savoury all at once, the SHRIMP ROLLS with SPINACH was divine and different than other dim sum restaurants, and the CHICKEN FEET had wondeful flavourful and succulent right off the bone.
The mediocre things about the food were, the TURNIP CAKES (although tasty), were very flaky. There was a HAR GOW with LEEKS and PEANUT, which for some who like peanut in their food may have enjoyed, but I didn't care for the crunchy texture in my har gow. The STEAMED PORK BONES was fatty, so that was ok. The selection, although the key basics were there, was quite limited to the traditional stuff. They had some variations on some oldies, which we didn't try.
Now, for your personal interest about the decor... all I have to say is, how much did they spend decorating this place??? They have marbles walls, and marble art framed with....marble. Purple velvet walls with bling bling to the max. Beautiful chandeliers (there were like 5 in one room) overdone. Gaugy, tacky, and over-oppulent, made the dining experience a very bright one.
Overall, the food was great, everything had very fresh and distinct flavour. I have enjoyed the best dim sum in Vancouver, and I have to say, this is somewhat comparable.
Now, I hear uptown has some of the best dim sum the GTA has to offer, but in the meantime, I would definately come here again, whether it's before or after 11 AM!Listed in: Must Have Asian Eats - Toronto, Best Brunch - Toronto
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Review from Janna S.
10/19/2010
My opinion has always been heavily biased under the influence of marble walls and crystal chandeliers. Oh yes - even for brunch. Indeed, you can't help but enjoy your meal when you're served and surrounded in opulence.
My favorite dishes were the almond pancakes and meat & veg bun. Overall the dim sum was pretty good but the early bird discount and decor did a lot for this rating. The food is worthy of a repeat visit, but I'm kind of amazed that there are not more pictures on here of the decor, which easily upstages everything else.
Arrive early and enjoy the royal treatment for a pauper's price!Listed in: Best Washrooms in Toronto, Five for Five
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Review from Ken L.
Toronto, ON
11/7/2010
Thanks Vivek for saying what I wanted to say... only better since you have the magic skill :) This place opened in September and it's got Yelper's out in full force. This owner spent $2m renovating this place. It is over the top Hong Kong style so don't be offended and he owns 3 other locations in the GTA with similar designs (my upcoming review is Casa Victoria). I've been here a half dozen times since it opened which is both good and bad. The manager knows me by face so that's nice but probably because I've spent the family fortune. The dim sum is definitely top quality but do go early for best value as pointed out by the recent reviews.
I need to qualify my ratings here. 5 stars is for dim sum quality and value but not for dinner. Dinner quality is 5 stars but value is a 3 and lower as we were over charged on an item when we substituted one of the 8 course meals so make sure you count your items and double check your bill. Average dinner dish is over $20 and the serving size may still leave you hungry when compared to AYCE sushi places. I need to make a confession... I have a fetish for nice washrooms and this one is worthy for my photo hall of fame. I apologize if you happen to be sitting on the throne and my flash startled you.
A few pointers for dinner: sweet & sour pork is the best I've ever had. Don't order the lobster as they claimed the bigger 2 lb size is a better deal for 8 people. It set us back $60 but it was really 1.5 lb size... one nugget for each person. I hate to see the $45 lobster which would have been one morsel per person. We had dinner there twice with a group of 8 (I didn't bring the buffet boys either) and both times the bill ended up over $300... still had room for Cold Stone ice cream after. Stick to the dim sum. -
Review from Isabella L.
Toronto, ON
10/15/2010 7 photos
I absolutely LOVE dim sum with friends, but not my family. Why? My mom orders the SAME dish every. single. time. It goes something like this:
Me: " Omg, this sounds really good! Can we try this??"
Mom: ''-Who's- the one paying?'' or "It's not worth it"
My mind: "WHY do i even bother?" -Sigh-
On the other hand with my friends....
Me: "YO, let's try this!''
Friends: ''YEAHHHH MAN, LET'S GET THAT TOO!''
So, I haven't been to dim sum in awhile now, but I read about this place and I wanted to try it out so me and my two other friends went here at freakin' 9:40 am. NOTE: I have NEVER EVER EVER in my life been to dim sum this early. I -always- go after 12pm, but if you ORDER before 11am, S,M,L dishes are all $3.10. It was really quiet when we got there and my friend hadn't eaten dim sum in awhile either and absolutely loves it so just GUESS how many goddamn dishes we ordered. The bill came out to be $70 with tax and tip. You do the math.
Equation: [(1313-13)/13] - 87 = _ _
I KNOW RIGHT. THAT IS AN INSANE NUMBER OF FOOD TO ORDER BETWEEN ONLY 3 PEOPLE. The waitress literally smiled as she delivered each dish and kept coming back. I bet she was thinking "3 teens ordering that many dishes? Bitches better have enough $$" LOL. So anyway, all the dishes were really light and not full of msgs.
M e m o r a b l e D i s h e s
1. Baked BBQ pork puff pastry - (One of my favorites. The crust is light and flaky and tthe barbeque pork was just flavourful. Perfect little bites.)
2. Tripe - (Classic asian dish and it was light and scrumptious. The texture was delicious, some chewiness accompanied with bursts of juice.)
3. Chicken Congee - The congee was naturally sweet as the chicken had been sitting in the congee for awhile. This was an excellent dish to warm up in the winter time and the flavours were just naturally enhanced by the chicken and choy.
D O N O T order the Birds Nest Egg Tart. There was a miniscule amount of birds nest. and it was $8.
The rest was really nothing special to be honest. The other restaurant owned by this owner is a lot better I'd say. Located on Steeles and Warden, it's more convenient for parking and we are known as regulars there too. I don't think I'll be returning here. The decor is way too flashy for me. I swear asians have a thing with making it GOLD and expensive looking. I, however, am not a fan. I guess it's nice once in awhile, but like I said, I have had better! Worth a try though.Listed in: Chopsticks
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Review from Erin K.
Toronto, ON
9/10/2010 1 photo
I headed for the Early Bird special - $3.10 per Dim Sum dish before 11AM if you pay in cash. Fantastic presentation, delicious dishes, and great company...I left happy and satisfied. Everything was so pretty - made for excellent food pr0n :P.
Overall, my impressions of Crown Princess Fine Dining are quite positive. Everything came out with great presentation and very fresh. It's easy to order if you don't have a friend who can speak Cantonese - but I am glad my friend was there to talk to the staff as we had to find out which dishes may have eggs or nuts due to an allergy at the table.
The dining area was very impressive - a banquet-sized dining area (you can rent it for weddings), tables outdoors (although it's getting cold...so I don't think I'll be sitting out there anytime soon), a side dining area, and a couple of private wings.
At $3.10 a dish before 11AM, the value felt good for the calibre of the food. I've been to Bright Pearl in downtown Chinatown, which is also a bit cheaper if you're not concerned about presentation and quality. Given it's location, wonderfully decorated dining areas, and delicious dishes I think it's safe to say that Crown Princess will be around for awhile!
Pics: http://cookiesandtomat... -
Review from The Vong Choice I.
Toronto, ON
6/22/2011
Crown Princess is the new high end dim sum kid on the block that opened in mid-September. It joins the list of places I would take my Canadian friends or out of town guests to try out dim sum for their first time. The list contains Dynasty up at Bloor and Avenue Road, Lai Wah Hein at the Metropolitan hotel, Lai Toh Hei -it's sister restaurant up on Mount Pleasant and Cha Liu which is at Yonge and Eg.
Crown Princess does offer a discount to those who will wake up and come before 11am but to me, dim sum is a lunch time activity however I paid the price (pardon the pun). Perhaps I should consider getting off my high horse to get the deal.
Outstanding things on the menu:
Deep fried taro dumplings
Shrimp rice rolls which come with spinach inside it
Chicken feet- OK folks - don't be grossed out. I like them and don't usually have the opportunity to eat them and they were de-lish-cious.
Har Gaw
Deep fried Octopus -
Review from Tong J.
We heard some mixed reviews about this new place but we decided to see for ourselves. Usually we go for dim sum at Rol San in chinatown but this restaurant is walking distance from home.
What we ordered:
Har Gow ($5.30) - 4 Large pieces. Shrimp had a hint of ginger, perhaps?They didn't wow us although they were fresh and came out steaming hot, which is a must.
Scallop Dumpling ($5.30) - 3 Large pieces. Dumplings were filled with scallop and shrimp, very delicate and tasty. Much better than the Har Gow.
Vegetable Pork Dumpling ($4.30) - 4 Medium Pieces. This one was our favorite. Filled with minced pork, chives, water chestnut and peanut. Very different from anything we ever had. Beautifully seasoned and loved the crunchy texture from the water chestnut and peanut.
Pan Fried Turnip Cake ($4.30) - 4 Pieces. We probably won't order this again, usually bacon makes everything good but in this case it was still kinda blah.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($5.30) - 3 Pieces. Pastry was quite lovely and not mushy. There wasn't a lot of BBQ Pork inside the pastry.
FYI - Think twice before requesting another tea, it's not complimentary.
Crown Princess is a nice restaurant. The decor is a bit over the top, in my opinion. Beautiful washroom. It is huge inside, with different dining rooms, amenable for large gatherings. Would be good for a business lunch or a special occasion.
Service was excellent. Floor staff were very attentive and polite.Listed in: Asia On My Mind
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Review from E. W.
Updated - 12/25/2010
Okay, so we still like the dim sum at Crown Princess, and we're still having our wedding reception there, but we discovered this week to our great dismay that:
THERE IS NO MORE DIM SUM DISCOUNT BEFORE 11AM !!
There was no sign or any mention from the wait staff that the special had been discounted, so we only found out when we got our bill. It was, shall we say, an unpleasant surprise. My friend put up a real fuss, explaining to the manager that we were going to be spending many thousands of dollars there for the wedding, and that they should have posted a sign or notice to alert prior customers of the elimination of the special. Eventually he persuaded the manager to give us a 10% discount if we paid cash, but the whole process was terribly awkward and uncomfortable. We tipped minimally but it still came to $23 per person for the 5 of us.
Of course $25 a person (if one tips properly) is not an outrageous price for tasty dim sum in a luxurious setting with attentive service, but it's definitely not the amazing deal we've all been raving about here on Yelp. What I'm hoping is that Crown Princess will come up with a compromise -- revive the pre 11am special, but just on weekdays. That way those of us on a budget with flexible schedules can keep their tables full during off-peak hours, while they can still turn a big profit during peak hours. Otherwise, if you're on a budget and content to have tasty dim sum without the elegant ambiance, you're better off at Rol San.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2010
When Bright Pearl closed we had to find a new venue for our wedding reception. We've been checking… Read more »
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Review from Jen C.
11/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
With Dynasty having just closed its doors, Crown Princess is poised to take on dim-sum hungry patrons.
If you've visited the sister (brother?) restaurant, Crown Prince up in North York, then you'll have an idea what to expect, visually, when you step through the doors (both of them). Yes, the trend of over-decorating from the Casa and Crown groups up North of the city has made its inaugural stamp downtown. With marble everywhere and crystal dripping from both chandelier and wall, some might deem it opulent. I find it all a bit... overwrought. (There's a link to a panoramicish view of the space from the blog).
But! There's food to be had, and in a grungy or a gorgeous atmosphere, it all comes down to "was it good?" in the end...
Har Gow
Hadn't been expecting anything from this dish, but really, the har gow was probably the best I've had in recent memory. While not particularly punchy on the flavour, I was really impressed by the texture of the skin. And to me, har gow is all about the skin. Hope that they maintain the quality of this item, as I would return to eat good har gow alone.
Char Siu Bao
Like the har gow, char siu bao tends to be a staple order. In general, I don't particularly like these steamed buns, but somehow, they always show up on the table. Often, they're dry or bland, so I was surprised at how good these were. The bun was moist and slightly sweet; the pork filling was both rich and generous. Good stuff.
Chrysanthemum and Lychee jelly
The milk tart and/or egg tart is always on the top of my list, but it was the chrysanthemum jelly with lychee that won my sweet tooth that day. While I prefer this dessert with the crunch of water chestnut, I didn't particularly miss it as I enjoyed the firmness of the jelly with the floral notes of chrysanthemum.
We also had a few other dishes we thought were okay, but not re-orders: tripe with xo sauce, rice roll with shrimp and vegetable, sticky rice in lotus leaf, corn and pumpkin congee, and the aforementioned milk tart. Notably missing from the line up was sui mai... simply because it wasn't really sui mai with the goose liver and caviar. Would have preferred to have had a more traditional presentation of that dish. Will try next time maybe.
I have a couple of peeves at dim sum. In particular, gargantuan dumplings, and teapots that don't pour. Both of which Crown Princess seemed to have side-stepped nicely. They currently have a happy hour where all the non-special dishes are $3.10 before 11am, but please check, as I didn't even try to make it in time. While we don't eat dim sum very often, it's nice to have a solid place to go nearby!
(Check the blog for accompanying photos and menus) -
Review from Ashleigh G.
Toronto, ON
11/7/2010
The decor is luxe almost to the point of comedy. Golden doors, jewel studded purple velvet walls, massive chandeliers, and more marble than you've ever seen.
The food delivers though - and while pricier than your usual chinatown dim sum, it's far cheaper than you'd expect (especially if you make it there in time to take advantage of the before 11am deals). The har gao is delicious! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
10/4/2010 12 photos
3 stars for dim sum + 0.5 star for services and deco + 0.5 star for Early Bird Special.
My experience of Crown Princess Fine Dining is based on the $3.10 Early Bird Dim Sum Special. I am quite value driven so I am happy to pay $3.10 for the dim sums S/M/L sizes but if I would have pay full prices then it will be a much harsher review.
I have to say that the deco and the services here are both excellent! The waitstaffs are everywhere. There are even at least 4 managers working on the floor to make sure everything run smoothly.
Hot water always refilled for the teapot, dishes always cleared right after we finish eating, the waitstaffs are all nice/young/polite.
The dim sums we ordered are all good (comparable to the dim sum quality at Richmond Hill/Markham) and nicely presented. We enjoyed everything we ordered, except the Deep Fried Fresh Fruit Dumplings - Not only it is way too oily (dripping in oil, we have to use our napkins to soak it up before we dare to eat that) and it is stuffed with bananna, apple and mayo.. hmmm yuck!
I would suggest making a reservations if you do come and it is so nice to able to make a reservations instead of waiting in line for a table.
Parking are free on Sundays, just bring your parking slips they will stamp it for you!
If you want the dim sum specials, you need to order before 11:00 AM Monday-Sunday and is Cash only!
If you are in the area, I would suggest you drop by but making a special trip from the Suburbs may not be worth it! -
Review from Alex K.
Toronto, ON
6/13/2011 9 photos
4 and a half stars really.
Every other review I've ever read about this place was focussed on dim sum...I didn't have dim sum, so I can't comment on that.
However, I was here on the weekend and had a 10 course banquet dinner. Awesome. Every dish was great, starting with the Peking Duck (yum!).
Service was top notch, décor was great and being located at Bay and Bloor made getting there easy. The entire meal did take about 2 hours, so it's by no means "fast food", but that's not always a bad thing in my opinion.
I would have given this 5 stars if not for the price. It is a little on the pricey side. However, if you're celebrating a special occasion or if money isn't a concern, I would definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2010
Crown Princess, congratulations on giving me the most hilarious dining experience of my life.
I took my boyfriend here after reading plenty of reviews stating its opulence and general greatness. So on a rainy, Tuesday night I decide to come here for something warm and comforting. We walk in and are the only people there. We open the menu, it's quite expensive! But we kind of felt bad leaving and it was too soon to brave the rain again. It doesn't take long for one to realize that this is no ordinary Chinese restaurant.
We had so many people waiting on us! Helping us order, bringing out the food (in a maid outfit), another person to serve the food to us. It was madness! But hilarious madness, because literally being the only patrons, university kids at that, it means everyone is kind of amused by us too. Everything from the pillars, slabs of marble upon marble to the gold plated place setting- great. We were confused at times as to what was the polite way of doing things but gave up by the end of the meal.
To start, we had some Chinese beer that was excellently poured right in front of us, no tilt of the cup, no foam. Next came some spring rolls (hot, delicious, crunchy) and minced chicken and corn soup (balanced, yummy and just what we needed). Like I said, sometimes I didn't know what to do with myself or the plates but whatever. The main course we shared was a show stopper! Crab and wrapped vegetables came plated SO fancily! There was a whole head of perfectly cooked broccoli with the most tender crab meat all silky on top. Surrounding that offering were at least six bundles of veggies of asparagus and various mushrooms. We were the first people to have ordered this off the menu so they say. It was a very impressive dish and each time our plate was clean, a person would come over and refill.
Note: You have to ask for the check; they will not just bring it to you. It made our exit a little awkward but eventually I worked up the courage to ask for it. As I signed off the bill (we take turns), I told them it was the bf's b-day (it wasn't) just to add to the hilarity. They were very sweet to us and wished us well. I want to come back and try the dim sum and then venue out with some more peeps around! -
Review from Steph L.
11/28/2010
*trumpet sounds* I crown you, my favorite dim sum spot in the hood!
Compared to Dynasty on Bloor, the prices at Crown Princess are a bit cheaper, the food is better, so now I don't have to go to Dynasty ever again!
When you open the large wooden doors, you step into an elegantly decorated dining room. Sparkling chandeliers and marble, definitely one of the nicer dim sum spots downtown.
They use decorative teapots and cups with handles! The servers are decked out in maid uniforms and were very attentive and friendly, smiling and greeting me as I walked in.
Usually, when I want dim sum, I have to drive uptown. The issue I have with Chinatown is that the dim sum never tastes quite as fresh. ...And I've seen one too many chefs picking their noses as they cooked. Anyways....
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food at Crown Princess.
* The hai gow and siu mai was hot and delicious.
* BBQ pork rice noodle rolls were my favorite item that we ordered.
* Sticky rice come in little rectangles. Tasty but super small.
* Octopus was good... a whole lot of tentacles in a fried batter nest bowl.
* Curried tendon was okay, but could have been more tender.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here. None of the items were particularly inventive but they were all tasty!
If you don't want to make the trek north, the dim sum here is some of the best I've had downtown.
If only I could wake up early enough for the early bird special!!! -
Review from Calvin S.
Markham, ON
1/26/2011
Good place, but lacking in dim sum options.
Generally I like variety in the dim sum menu. This place doesn't have that luxury, hence the 4 stars. Still delicious though, although I don't like the siu mai as much...the caviar is too mushy.
Also, the place is MUCH smaller than I thought. Looking from outside, it seems like it's quite big. NOPE! Hence why one has to wait after 11:30am or so.Listed in: Dim Sum Delight
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Review from Andrea S.
Toronto, ON
1/16/2011
oooopppps
Made the mistake of thinking that I would be able to have dim sum for dinner here - not the case, dim sum ends at 4 or 5. O well, I'll just have to go back again.
1) I like that the space is divided so families can have there own space without disturbing smaller groups.
2) Nice decor - it is a little sparkly and may have a rather surprising number of chandeliers, but really this felt like a nice way to bridge expectations of high-end decor.
3) bring a group - eat family-style, try many different things and for those of us still experimenting with Chinese cuisine you'll have an adventure :)
4) the service was very attentive, perhaps because the main dinning room was quiet on a Saturday night - not sure this would be the case during the day when dim sum is available (will report back on this).
5) HUGE dinner menu - this isn't actually surprising, but if you are looking for delicacies or "standard fair" you can find it here. Our server was good at giving us some direction about what to combine since we didn't feel like going for one of the set menus
6) Everything seemed fresh - the vegetables were nice and crisp, the meat was nicely cooked.
7) The servings were generous - for four people we started with soup (a variety available) and then order two meat dishes, a mixed vegetable, and a fried rice for those a little intimidated. We kept things on the low end of the price scale, so the main dishes were on average $20.
8) Enjoyed the complementary red-bean cookies for dessert -
Review from Tammy L.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2010 6 Check-ins Here
This place rocks for Dim Sum. Excellent quality, and if you go before 11:00 a.m., the value is unbeatable. My partner and I have been twice, once just on our own, and then several weeks later with our families. Everyone enjoyed it, and my mother liked it so much, she decided to try it for dinner the next day with us.
Our favs for dim sum:
Turnip cake - this is the real deal. You can actually taste the turnip (a rarity) and it was seasoned perfectly. My favorite on the menu.
Vegetarian Dumpling - awesome. Vegetables remained crunchy despite being steamed. Not bland as one would expect. On top of it all, a very interesting Chinese name for this dish.
Bean Curd Sheet rolls - this dish went fast. It was so good, we ordered seconds. Loved how the outside was soft and the insides crunchy. Just the way it should be.
Shrimp dumplings - surprisingly good for something so "normal". However, the dumpling skin seemed to be variable as it was a little over cooked the first time we went resulting in slight mushiness.
Dumpling in soup with scallop and shark fin - OK, so I splurged on this dish. Felt a little bad about ordering shark fin, but just had to do it once. It was excellent. The broth was sweet and there really was scallop and shark fin in the dumpling! Expensive dish, which I will probably order only once.
Thousand layer cake - yum yum yum. An old fashioned favorite (it even says so in the Chinese name) - an excellent finishing touch.
We had a few very small issues with the food. I felt the tea was consistently weak, which seemed a little unacceptable to me in a Chinese restaurant. There was also no true vegetarian option for the steamed rolls, which is a shame. I am still looking for a restaurant that serves good pure veggie steamed rolls.
Dinner was also good, but pricey. I would recommend: (1) the sweet and sour pork for the fact that it was not battered to death and their use of fresh pineapples and grapes, (2) the crab meat and fish maw soup for the crunchy texture of the fish maw and (3) the bean curd sheets with veggies for its clean and fresh taste.
Service can be spotty with some waiters making the extra effort and some indifferent. The restaurant also seemed to attract "Princess" clientele. We watched a prima donna customer say some nasty things about the food to one of the waiters, who took it in stride. I don't know what he was talking about since the food was way above average. I am definitely going to be back! -
Review from Patty H.
North York, ON
9/2/2010 2 photos
Hidden gem in downtown Toronto. Delicious and quality Dim Sum that I have trouble to find in Downtown Toronto.
This restaurant is brand new, the decor is very French and Victorian-ish. The price is on the high-end side. Lunch special runs from $15 and up.
Most of the regular menu runs from $10 to $20 per dish.
I was there for this before 11am Dim Sum promotion. Dim Sum size S,M, L are all $3.10 per dish. I really can't imaging what's the regular price after 11am. The food is definitely speaks of quality.
I would definitely come back here again.. before 11am :) -
Review from Tammy Y.
12/12/2010
4 stars for their dim sum (especially if you can get there before 11am for the special discount!) - I whistle the same dim-sum-happy tune as the rest of my fellow reviewers: a great, refined dim sum twist for us downtowners with unique dishes, quality food, and fancy-schmancy dishes.
Reservations are not accepted before 11am, though if you can drag yourself out of bed early enough, you can generally be seated without a wait if you are there before 10am.
The traditional fare is worth ordering - har gow, rice rolls, fried octopus (which is in fact what I suspect is squid, and note - not battered). However, it's worth adventuring into their more distinctive dishes, like the pumpkin congee or layered cake dessert.
We also tried the place for dinner, which is not nearly as busy as it is during dim sum hours. The prices are quite high, and while the manager is happy to deliver quality service and recommendations, I have yet to be convinced that the price delivers. Dinner food is good, but not necessarily better than other joints that offer similar fare for half the price (and the fresh scallops were undercooked). For that experience, a wavering 2 stars.
But who cares!?!?!
Dim sum!! -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
12/4/2010
Crown Princess is very good. The food is elegant, fresh and you can feel the attention paid in every dish. It has a stunning interior with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a marble/granite décor. Dim sum was fantastic where creative new items raised the bar for quality. I wish I could say I came for the early bird special..... but I didn't, so bill was a bit pricier - you're looking at about $5 per dish. Service was terrific, where staff anticipates your needs in 1950s formal wear attire.
Overall, Crown Princess left a positive impression on me. Everything came out with great presentation and very fresh. Crown Princess will be around for awhile! -
Review from Aurora L.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2011
We purchased a $25 for $50 dinner Groupon and thus it was our first occasion at this restaurant. Dinner was scheduled for 5 pm. and upon arrival, we found no one! Turns out there was a wedding sectioned off and when we went to the smaller general dining section, not a single staff member was there! After locating a staff member, we were seated. The decor was very fancy...very much like English high tea. It was a very interesting fusion of Chinese cuisine in a classy European restaurant.
We ordered the lobster with ginger and green onion, sweet and sour pork, Cantonese chow mein, shrimp balls and steamed rice. Unfortunately, the order in which the items came out was terrible! Our lobster was first...so with no steamed rice, it just sat there for 10 mins., getting colder and more unappetizing. Then our shrimp balls arrived and boy did we devour it down as we were so unimpressed with the delayed service! Then came the sweet and sour pork...again, no steamed rice in sight...so it just sat there. Finally, after asking a staff member about our rice, it came!...alongside the Cantonese chow mein. We couldn't figure out why steamed rice would take so long but meh, we were just famished by then! Overall, the food was true Chinese cuisine. The portions were a bit modest, especially given the pricing!
The service was interesting. Every dish required two staff members in French-maid uniform to serve. The presentation of our Cantonese chow mein was most impressive, with the fried noodles completely on its side; a staff member mixed the dish, portioned and served it.
Overall, the food was quite acceptable but not overwhelming either. The prices are at least double what it would be in a typical Chinese restaurant...I suppose you are paying for the decor, ambiance and location as well. We had complimentary dessert (sweet papaya soup and two cookies) which was nice. The service was mindful although a bit slow. If we did not have a Groupon, it would have been ridiculously expensive but still with the discount, it was not really worth it. We would recommend it for a one-time experience but not as a usual dining experience. -
Review from Josh A.
Toronto, ON
10/10/2010
Based on 1) the earlier reviews 2) I love Dim Sum, and 3) the fact that I pass this place everyday I decided to check it out.
I'm not an expert on Dim Sum but I thought this was pretty good. Based on the advice of others I arrived at the restaurant at 9:30 AM which was pretty good timing. No line ups and a table was available right away. Also took advantage of the 3.10 special before 11 on everything. In the end we got about 13 different dishes. Total per person worked out to 20 bucks total including tax and a good tip. You need to pay in cash if you want the early special.
The food didn't disappoint and the service was excellent.
Options were typical Dim Sum type of options but they did have a few really cool Pumpkin Dim Sum options that I'd never had before (which did taste amazing). Maybe due to the fall season?
The background music was abit too much but was soon drowned away by the chatter of the packed house by about 10:15. Nice decor. As someone has mentioned Tea was extra but we had about 3 pots and it only came out to about 4 dollars. Ask for water as they don't serve it up front.
I will definately be back. It was a very good experience.
A 2 minute walk from either Wellsley or Bay Station -
Review from David B.
Toronto, ON
9/18/2011
Overall, too pricey for what you get and that's hit or miss dim sum with mediocre portions but quality ingredients. Very ncie atmosphere though. Food breakdown below:
Good:
The jumbo size sticky rice. It wasn't really that jumbo but it was still good.
Har gow- lots of shrimp goodness
Shrimp rice roll- lots of shrimp and some spinach as well. Pretty good.
Okay:
BBQ Pork rice roll- Meh. Typical.
Beef balls- Typical.
Shrimp and scallop dumpling. Quality ingredients but bland taste.
Avoid:
Chrysanthemum and Lychee jelly - too sweet and lacking qualtiy ingredients. Yuck.
Chicken congee- I feel as if they prepared it in a blender. I'm not sure who their target audience but it's surely not people looking for authentic chinese.
Vegetable and pork chiu chow dumpling- just didn't taste like anything special. Typical fair. Love it or hate it kind of food. -
Review from Elvis A.
I think this one of the best dim sum places in downtown area for now (barring Lai Wah Heen which due to its price point is already out of my budget for dim sum).
Service is good and most of the servers try to engage in a conversation and check on you time to time.
We had the regular mix of steamed/baked/fried items Har Gow, Sticky Rice with meat, Vegetable pork dumpling, beef ball, veggie bean curd roll, pan fried beef ribs, fried sticky dumpling, shrimp and vegetable in rice noodle.
This was way overboard for two people as I stay away from pork and my buddy luvs it.
The yardstick for Dim Sum Ha Gau was good (The last few trips I think it was better) so were the shrimp and vegetable in rice noodle. Other items were acceptable.
We over ordered for two people but it was still less than $$ which is great. I would rate it over Rol San and Pearl for sure.
One will need to venture out to the suburbs to find better dim sum. -
Review from Tony F.
Updated - 1/26/2011
I hear the cheap dim sum deal is done. *tear*
Listed in: Meh!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/16/2010
Early dim-sum here is pretty kick-ass! It's a really good choice, especially if you want to avoid… Read more »
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