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New Treasure
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
150 Dundas St WToronto, ON M5G 1C6
Neighbourhoods: Discovery District, Downtown Core
(416) 977-3778
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
19 reviews for New Treasure
19 reviews in English
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Review from Shari L.
Toronto, ON
3/2/2012
I have been here twice. The first time, I learned not to come here for dinner. The second time, I went during lunch for dim sum. And that turned things around.
It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn good dim sum for the price ($10-15/full, happy person), and fresher tasting than what I remember of dinner. Sui mai and har gow were decent, as was beef short rib, especially in consideration of the rol-san-like prices (and the quality here is better, with more filling and less rice-wrapper). I do remember that the calamari stood out to me though... I love seafood but don't especially like it deep-fried, and I liked that their calamari was still reminiscent of squid. The friends I came with also enjoyed the food.
Side note: it's underground, so pretty hard to find (probably why it's usually fairly empty). Look for a green sign that goes underground near a Subway on dundas near university.
Also, they charge per pot of tea.
If I am craving cheap dim sum, this is my first stop. -
Review from Gary S.
3/15/2012
Ok maybe I've been spoiled by suburban dim sum but this place was awful!
Feeling under the weather I was looking for some Congee (rice porridge) in the area, so I decided to try this place out since it's one of the few dim sum places in the Financial District.
Wow, first of all, it's in an old dingy basement, there's this weird stuffy feeling inside along with forced air draft coming from overtop. We sat near the cashier who was probably the boss cause she would literally yell at the staff as if no one was around, not a pleasant lunching experience.
On to the food, just to let you know it's carted around old school style, I prefer new school style of ordering from a tick menu so that your food is carted around getting cold. We only tried one dim sum which was tofu wrapped dim sum and normally it's crispy or steamed, but this was nor crispy nor steamed, it was in the middle so texture was weird, taste was bland and I think the bean sprouts were still raw.
Congee was not appetizing either, super watery and the rice was like the size of sand so odd taste and texture once again.
So to summarize, I'm never going back even they pay me. -
Review from Amy Z.
North York, ON
11/25/2011 3 photos
Was taking the greyhound home and craved dim sum so I took yelp's recommendation and tried this place. the basement restaurant is very no-frills but the food makes up for the lack of decor. Service was really good, the lady was super nice and constantly said thank you. We ordered for two:
6 dim sum dishes
Chinese mushroom and tofu hotpot w/ rice
The dim sums were average....note that we went at 5pm so it was order off a menu, I read somewhere that if you go at Lunchtime it's Cartservice. The ones worth mentioning are the curry squid and the BBQ pork buns. Sooo yummy!
The hotpot was tasty too, we couldn't finish but wish we had the stomach!
Overall, would recommend to others looking for a quick and cheap dim sum fix. -
Review from Diane W.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 5/19/2012
Great dim sum at a resonable price. Contrary to a previous review, this place was never closed down for health violations by the city. Spring rolls are great as well as the Deep fried bean curd roll. I also love the Ginger won-ton, which I have never seen at any other restaurant. I love the carts which allow you to eat just what you want and not order too much. The Fried dumplings are huge, but delicious.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/23/2011
This is the best and cheapest dim sum downtown. Packed during the week at lunch, so get here early. Read more »
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Review from James B.
Toronto, ON
5/14/2012
Came during off hours so had to order off menu which is tricky because I am not good with most of the proper names. Food was hot and tasty.
The atmosphere is a little odd. This is the kind of place where clearing the table consists of bundling up the dishes in the plastic table cloth. The location below street level makes it seem a little dingy and depressing. -
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Restaurant: New Treasure
Cuisine: Chinese
Location: Downtown
Address: 150 Dundas St W
Price Range: ~$10
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 2
Service: 4
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3
Extra information:
*Closed on Sundays
*Located underground
*Specialize in DimSum
New Treasure seemed to be the Dim Sum spot to go if you were craving it but didn't want to travel all the way to Chinatown according to some online reviews. It was rainy and I was too lazy to drag myself to my usual spot for DimSum (Rol San) in Chinatown so I decided to check this place out. The restaurant is underground and they don't have elevators so keep that in mind. I arrived around 12o'clock and it was already busy at the restaurant. When we walked in, we were quickly seated at this table covered with white plastic bag.
First thing I noticed here is that the cart ladies are very aggressive here...and I love it! The moment we sat down and as I was taking my jacket off, the cart lady charged at us and asked if I wanted anything from her cart. By the time I sat down, took off my jacket and checked in on Yelp, there were already 4 dishes on our table. If you are not Chinese, I am sure you had moment where you find the system quite intimidating (I did 10years ago, now I am pro!) because the food is covered with silver lid and sometimes you can't really understand what the cart ladies are saying. But not at New Treasure, they open the lid for you even without you asking them to and actually explained each dimsum (not that I needed the info) PLUS they smiled at me which I don't expect from most busy Chinese restaurants.
Ordered: SPRING ROLL 1/5
*2 large pieces
*they pour soy sauce for you on top so make sure to ask it on the side if you don't want it
*Crispy outside but can't really tell what's inside
*It wasn't very hot and the inside was kind of mushy
Ordered: SHU MAI 2/5
*4 pieces
*Pork Shu Mai (no shrimp or seafood inside)
*It came luke warm
*Nothing Special
*It was very bouncy for some reason..
Ordered: HAR GOW 2.5/5
*Small in size
*Shrimps inside and it was decent
*Thin dumpling skin
Ordered: DEEP FRIED SHRIMP DUMPLINGS 3/5
*4 pieces in total
*Luke warm again
*Served with mayo under the dumplings
*This was my fav dish out of everything
Ordered: CHICKEN FEET 4/5
*Sweet Red sauce
*Very juicy and plump
*Was actually one of the best chicken feet I've had so far
*Would have been better if it was served hot
*Everytime I eat this I am freaked out by the feet...but it's so good
Ordered: STICKY RICE 3/5
*Unlike other places, this was not wrapped in Bamboo leaf
*There were 2 pieces of sausage on top and some meat inside
New Treasure didn't impress me with their food, mostly because it was served luke warm. Which is unfortunate because their food was decent with good flavor but it just didn't feel very fresh or right out of the kitchen. It would have been awesome if there food was served steaming hot cause they are so conveniently located!
However, the service at New Treasure impressed me very much even for a Chinese restaurant where they are usually known to have quick efficient service. There were 2 older managers, 1 younger manager, 2 young busser and 3-4 cart ladies. They were all about quick service and the moment you look up, they were there to notice you and approach you. They even checked our teapot even before we asked and refilled our ice water as well. I was actually looking around the restaurant to count how many people were working there in total and the one of the managers noticed me and asked me if i needed anything.
Summary: New Treasure is the spot for quick, cheap dimsum if you don't have time to go all the way to Chinatown. -
Review from Michael L.
Richmond Hill, ON
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great little joint, the veggie chow mein had a great assortment and quantity of fungi and Asian vegetables! Got some bean curd pork and shrimp rolls which were a good addition to the noodles. This place has a cozy feel during off hours as its location is out of the way and the owners (old Asian couple) are very polite and make it feel truly like I'm eating at home =)
The food itself while good is not exceptional enough to earn anything over the average 3 star level as competition from Richmond Hill, Markham, and Chinatown make for a high standard to breach. Nonetheless I would definitely go back especially for lunch as the specials are a great price!! -
Review from Esther A.
Etobicoke, ON
11/14/2011
How did this place get rated so high?
This place is horrible. It's so dirty. It's been shut down by public health several times.
I went here once several years ago. Food quality was horrible. There was a larvae on the sautéed vegetables. Disgusting! -
Review from N. Q.
8/31/2011
Thank you, Yelpers. I wouldn't have tried this place if it hadn't been for your reviews. Came here for a quick dinner with my husband. Ordered off the specials menu; prices in the $5-$6/dish range. Had the green beans with ground pork, chicken wings, and singapore rice noodles. Chicken wings were average. Everything else was tasty and hit the spot.
Service was surprisingly friendly (I never expect Chinese restaurants to have good service--I can say that b/c I'm part Chinese). Highly recommend to anyone looking for good, reasonably priced Chinese food in this part of town. -
Review from Cindy C.
Toronto, ON
6/12/2011
Good price for dum sum and service. Not so great in food quality.
As an avid Yelper, I needed to try out some new dim sum places. I like my dinges and dives but this place needed a renovation, bad. The classic har gow and siu mai were small and disappointing. The shrimp wasn't properly cleaned - 'nuff said. The BBQ pork buns were ok.
All in all, great prices, around $2.50 per dish. And the service was super speedy and friendly. They had the stir-fried snow peas, which were excellent.
All in all, not my fav in Toronto for dim sum. There are better, for sure. -
Review from Rj P.
3/3/2011
Dim Sum? Yessum!!!!!!
New Treasure is probably my favorite dim sum restaurant in town. Food is fresh, served on carts and of high quality - what more can a dim sum craving person ask for? (plastic table cloths of course - but they have those too!)
I go for lunch during the work week and it gets busy around 11:45 AM - be sure to get there before hand or you will wait. -
Review from Danny W.
Toronto, ON
4/4/2011
This is one of those restaurants that you could easily overlook but shouldn't. Me and my friend are regulars here partly because it's really close to my home but also because it's also a genuinely good place to go to.
Being regulars we also have our regular menu items, if you go dim sum it's almost mandatory to order the Har Gow and Siu Mai and there version it's simple, nothing fancy but still satisfying. Curry squid most of the time is good and perfectly cooked with a nice curry sauce but it could be more consistent (last time we went the sauce was on the watery side). Beef tripe, which may not be too everyones liking, is a favourite and doesn't disappoint with a nice garlic sauce that's just strong enough. The big reason we go there, however, is the deep fried wontons, quite possibly the best I've tried in the city. The New Treasure version is just stuffed with meaty goodness and bigger then what you normally find anywhere else. But again, the last time I went they seemed to have cut down on the meat and it's closer to the typical wontons you find elsewhere.
The level of service is great, the owner is very friendly and welcoming and the wait staff are very attentive, and prices are reasonable with the bill for 2 people (7 dishes) coming out to $25 once you factor in tax and tip. Plus this place is fast, we usually order from the menu and the food is out in 5 minutes. I recommend you go during lunch and avoid dinner if you want dim sum. We went for dinner once and the food tasted like it had been reheated.
Overall I very much recommend this place, especially if you work in the area and need a place to stop by quickly to satisfy your lunchtime cravings. -
Review from Vivek S.
This (literally) underground Chinese joint is my top pick for Dim Sum in the city. Great service, lots of seating, and good for groups. The plates are served scorchingly fresh and fast, and they pride themselves on having a lot of options. If you like steamed pork buns, theirs are the best. You can order off carts or off the menu and the prices are reasonable. Definitely a winner.
Obligatory Title Pun: Hidden TREASURE on Dundas.
Menu Readability: In both Chinese and English.
Need to mention: Unlike some other places they don't get maddenly busy on the weekends.
What this place teaches me about myself: I'm a sucker for food on wheels.Listed in: Yet Another Good for Groups…, Dim Sum and then Sum
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Review from Tammy Y.
3/2/2010
This New Treasure is a reliable dim sum place at Bay/Dundas, a ways away from the manic scramble of the dim sum rush on Spadina. I've been here during the lunch crunch where every table is filled with business-looking type professionals, and also during much slower hours (as in 3pm).
A compare and contrast:
During the busy lunch hour - hustling and bustling, and occasionally a short line appears. Carts (yes, take that Rol San!) circle the underground resto with a range of your basic dim sum goodies, plus some seriously good dumplings. The atmosphere is lively (for a place without windows), food is abundant and tasty, and satisfying to have dim sum without the added stress.
At 3 o'clock pm - the place is empty, and I have to stick my head in the kitchen to call for someone. However, when she arrived she was a jolly smiling Chinese woman and I felt like I was having dim sum in an old family joint as she chatted away with her Mandarin-speaking friend in the corner. Dishes ordered on a form (no carts, alas), but came nicely altogether. Stuffed. Wish the soy sauce was light, not dark.
Recommendations: sticky rice
Do not recommend: fried calamari -
Review from Eve H.
Toronto, ON
10/2/2011
Very reasonably priced and extremely friendly service. We got there lateish and interrupted the staff lunch, but they still made us feel welcome. Dim sum was ordered off the sheet because we were too late for carts. Our selection: sticky rice, cheung fun, har gow, sui mai, barbeque pork buns, shark fin dumplings...all arriving hot and fresh. Best was the shark fin dumplings. No real shark fin in it, of course...it only references the shape of the dumpling (and I refuse to eat real shark fin for obvious reasons), but tiny nuggets of shitake mushrooms make it yummy.
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Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2008 1 photo
The trick of dim sum, tapas, or any appetizer-based meal is knowing what you're ordering. Thankfully whenever I go to New Treasure, I'm either armed with Chinese people, or am in the company of people who know what we ordered last time. It's a fantastic way to shake things up in the brunching hour when you find yourself getting tired of sunny-side eggs and strip bacon.
Right at Dundas and University, New Treasure lives up to its name. It's hidden. Well, down below street level, but you do have to keep an eye out for it. Once you enter, you could not find a plainer setting. Once you past the lobster and crab tank, a single room opens to you housing several round tables with plastic tablecloths (you'll know why when it happens) and several place settings. Once seated, a perusal of the menu ensues. Unless you know exactly what you want, this can take some time. But as such, enjoy it.
Tea is brought about rapidly from excruciatingly efficient wait staff, and once prepared, the dishes hit the table with lightning speed. Dumplings, pork buns, rolls, meats and vegetables show up steaming hot and ready to attack. In the same manner that the décor is unassuming, the meal commands attention and is above all inexpensive, filling, and tasty. -
Review from Andrew L.
6/16/2011
If you are a fan of real Chinese food and dim sum, this is the place to go. I can eat Har Gow all day and they do it good here. Also ordered some regular items off the menu. Everything was good, the Pan fried noodles were great and I also really liked the Chicken in black bean sauce. Definitely a place to check out.
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Review from Thom H.
4/19/2010
The only thing I don't like about this place is that it is in a basement. Excellent dim sum served by very nice people. Decor is actually not bad and the place is quite comfortable. Extremely consistent. Reasonably priced.
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Review from Marek W.
Toronto, ON
2/10/2010
This place used to be terrific in the 1980s. Not so great now. It has been surpassed by many other places in Toronto. They do have a good soup-in-noodle.
