- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Rol San Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
323 Spadina AveToronto, ON M5T 2E9
Neighbourhoods: Chinatown, Kensington Market, Downtown Core
(416) 977-1128
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 4 am
- 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:
- Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
112 reviews for Rol San Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Shrimp dumplings are awesome."
(in 11 reviews)
"This Siu Mai was big and plump with pork bits inside."
(in 11 reviews)
"The BBQ PORK BUNS are always a fan favorite, and although..."
(in 4 reviews)
Loading...
112 reviews in English
-
Review from Caelin C.
North York, ON
1/29/2012
Getting a table here was quite an ordeal (at 3 o'clock on a Sunday, too -- not exactly what I'd call a lunch rush) & apart from handing us the dim sum menu, no one ever actually asked us what we wanted (tea was provided so drink-wise this wasn't a big deal, but my lemon tart hopes were somewhat dashed when we were unceremoniously handed the bill).
Overall, though, my complaints pale in comparison to the deliciousness of the food. I'd definitely go there again -- it was worth the wait & the slight disappointments. -
Review from Christian P.
Toronto, ON
2/5/2012
3.5
What is really great in this place is that the dumplings are not all looking or tasting like those usual ones you can eat everywhere (i.e. small, always shaped the same 3 or 4 different types). You will discover unexpected size, shapes, presentation and tastes. Congratulations! That being said, you wil encounter some really weird mixtures in some of these unusual dumplings, which do not allways fit with the basic palate and tastes. So great experience, good quality, but be prepared for unsual tastes, which you may not like sometimes.
Otherwise, they seem to have very nice, good looking and smelling sizzling plates. -
Review from John F.
North York, ON
1/29/2012
The dim sum here was excellent and very fresh. So why am I only giving it two stars?
First, the dim sum menu could be a tad longer, but that is just minor. The main issue was the extremely rude service. When we asked for a soft drink the server did not bring one for quite a while, so when one of our party asked where it was, he mocked him by saying "I will bring it NOW!" with emphasis on the now. When the check was presented, the plate it came on came with a small not about the payment methods they accept. I did not have my reading glasses on and did not notice they only take Visa (not MasterCard for some reason, nor Iterac) and cash. So I put a MasterCard down and the proprietor said no, the only credit card was Visa. I then asked them if they take Iterac and instead of simply saying, "I am sorry, we only take cash and Visa" the hostess shoved the plate with the note in my face. I paid with a Visa but we will not be back. There is no excuse for that kind of rudeness, especially as our bill was quite large. -
Review from Emily C.
1/25/2012
My first dim sum experience in TO!
Honestly there were alot of hits and misses it seemed. But i'll start off with the good stuff .. absolutely loved their sticky rice chicken wrapped in leaves (you know what it's called in cantonese). delicious! the starchy white rice rolls that wrap meat and is covered with soy sauce wasn't bad either. everybody else seemed to love and have this cuttlefish dish that we didn't opt for.
What to NOT go for: the "cha siu so". it's a pastry type baked good with bbq pork inside. awful! they used really cheap and/or fake shortening ... and so when you bite into the thing, it doesn't crumble properly and instead, sticks to the roof of your mouth. super weird. super FATTY! YUCK!
the cha siu was okay though.
so all in all .... very average. i would like to try out other TO dim sum joints to see if there's better. oh, and we ordered a plate of beans fried with beef ... it was ten bucks so the overall bill wasnt' cheap for sure! -
Review from Jacob S.
Woodbridge, ON
2/6/2012
I must say that i have been here on numerous occasions..and although the food is good ..the service here leaves a bit to be desired...and as a quick tip avoid the rush hour periods such as the weekends cause then the service really gets bad...i would only go to this place on a weekday with not much of a crowd cause then i would get decent service....the only saving grace of this restaurant here is the food...
-
Review from Yibing Q.
12/31/2011
This Yum Cha place is legit! The dim sum served is so comparable to the top-notch dim sum places in Hong Kong.
We ordered the following dishes:
- Century Egg Congee - tasty, unlike most congees which are just bland.
- Shiu Maai - they were HUGE and succulent and juicy! Almost the perfect shiu maai! Only if I could have 5 of them in a meal.
- Buddha chow fan - veggie alternative of the typical shrimp chow fan - delicious!
- Fried Turnip Cakes - the cakes had chunks of smoked sausages in them - best turnip cakes ever eaten in my life!
- Shrimp dumplings - TWO GIGANTIC SHRIMPS basking in a chicken-flavoured gravy! I don't think I have encountered haa gao containing more than 1 shrimp in life before!
- Chicken's feet - I am not a big fan of this dish and so did not try any. My friend who ate the entire platter said they were really good.
Dim Sum fans, this place is a must-visit! -
Review from Juliana H.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2011
I have been going to Rol San it seems like forever. My favourite dish is hands down the spicy chicken with scallops and crispy seaweed. Yes, it did give me food poisoning once many many moons ago, but that was not enough to turn me off of it for long. And their spicy squid is so damn good too. Today I went with my parents for dim sum... as usual I got my lunch favs - the shrimp rice rolls, shrimp and chive cakes, and sesame balls and all were perfect. But I can't say the same about the dining experience.
As anyone who has dined there before knows, there is nothing fancy about this place. The eardrum splitting noise of dishes and cutlery being gathered up in the top layer of the stack of plastic table cloths is constantly jarring. The fact that there seems to be no smaller tables in the front dining room so sometimes two or even three parties are forced to share a large family sized round table. The general noise level is a little maddening. I know all this like the back of my hand, yet I keep coming back.
A lot of people are telling me to give up on Rol San in favour of Asian Legend. I don't know. I guess I'll try it and see what I think. Or I could keep going to Rol San... it just comes to down accepting the fact that I can't go at any time when the majority of the rest of the population wants to eat lunch or dinner. -
Review from Jennifer P.
12/29/2011
Some of the best dim sum I've ever eaten. Everything is moist and tender and flavorful and I wish I could teleport this whole restaurant back to Seattle.
They got pretty rattled when we tried to add an additional sticky rice to our order, first bringing us a sprite, then a bowl of plain rice, then sticky rice about 15 minutes later, but it was crazy busy in there, so I wasn't bent out of shape about it. We were too blissed out after eating most of our meal to lose our patience. -
Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
11/8/2011
Quality Dim Sum served here at Rol San. I've been a patron ever since the beginning of undergrad so it's been 5 or so years. Things have remained pretty consistant.
Everything has always been tasty and satisfying. They have the classics like har gow, shu mai, and bbq buns. Squid tentacles, chickens feet, black bean spare ribs and shrimp in rice rolls are also traditional.
I like the fried shrimp dumplings with salad sauce (miracle whip) and har gow the most. They do both very well here, they don't skimp on the filling or portions.
I can't complain about at Rol San, just that it's always full on Sunday and it's a 20 minute wait on average. Come a little less hungry below starving, you'll reach that point when you get seated. Teapots are accidents ready to happen, it takes technique. -
Review from Simika K.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
My first DimSum restaurant in Toronto, and I was definitely not disappointed. I loved their shrimp dumplings, snow pea leaves, rice roll with crispy donut, their green beans with pork and chicken & mushroom steamed buns the most. We ordered a lot of other dishes that were delicious as well. For a large group, on a Sunday, the wait was less than 20 minutes despite being incredibly busy. Service was prompt and pleasant. Price was extremely reasonable. All in all, a winner!
Listed in: Toronto Awesomeness
-
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Rol San is absolute mayham on a Sunday at noon. Ladies wielding bamboo steamers navigate through the tables and the hungry patrons standing and waiting for tables. Standing, in the middle of the restaurant. Really.
The SO and I managed to score a table after a 20 min or so wait.
We sampled shrimp dumplings, some shrimp and pork, the eggplant with shrimp paste, assorted veggie dumplings, the steamed egg custard and bean curd, sticky rice, fried pork dumplings, tofu with shrimp, squid tentacles and tea. To be honest I was really disappointed that we did not go to Markham. The dim sum was really "meh" - with the veggie options being particularly sub par. The squid tentacles were the standout. Food came fast, but it was also on the pricier side. I was full, definitely, but not really impressed.
And GOD I hate plastic table covers. If you are stuck downtown and need your fix, its alright. Not at all worth the wait however. -
Review from Eric L.
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place has great Dim Sum. Mind you it was my first time having Dim Sum, however I really enjoyed it and my experienced friend said it was pretty good stuff.
There is no lady push cart thing, but this is better because you order exactly what you want and it is made fresh. We ordered a variety of dim sum, such as the shrimp dumplings, pork cakes, etc...
The service was fast and the food piping hot. Only 4 stars because it drives me insane that they use those cheap grocery bag plastic table clothes.Listed in: Yelp 30 Day Challenge - Nov…
-
Review from Chris P.
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
What I love most about Rol San is thier yummy Buddha's Feast dish. Back when I was vegetarian it was a veggie's lovers dream to have all those colourful and just-right steamed veggies heaped on a huge platter. Now that I'm carnivirous again I still do enjoy a vegetarian dish now and again and the Buddha's feast still hits the spot.
Service is always fast here and the staff doesn't always waste time with peasentries, I think that is partly due to a language barrier. I think its kinda cool how they gather up all the used dishes on the table in the white plastic covering sheets and then just toss it on the dish cart. Its both efficient and lazy at the same time!
The other good point Rol San has is there late hours, this is a plus when you have a best friend who gets off work at midnight and wants to go out for some chow mein.Listed in: Movember Yelp Style!
-
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
11/5/2011
Thank you yelp for helping me find a good place for dim sum in the heart of downtown china town. I'm never sure what's good... especially when every restaurants seems to serve dim sum, and this one in particular has a giant sign, which leads me to believe that they need more business!!!!!
I walked in on a Friday to make reservations on Sunday - yes they do take reservations. I was thinking thank goodness because the restaurant seemed pretty small and not too many large tables.
Walking promptly in at 11am, they didn't really care that i had a reservation but advised i go to the back to get a table... the back???
yes there is a back of the restaurant.. looked like a completely different atmosphere. much louder, more crowded, definitely a good crowd.
I scanned the entire dim sum sheet, noticing a lot of the usuals, but also some new items i've never tried..... we put in our order and the goodness begins to happen. food starts coming out within minutes, piping hot like it was made to order. I watch the waitors and waitresses on the pass - they are very careful with finishing each dish with the proper fixing, the proper sauce that I was pleasantly surprised at how committed they were. The service was attentive and people were speedy. Some straggling items look a little longer to arrive, but it gave my stomach a bit of a break. Everything got eaten and I really could not say which one was my favourite.
My standouts - the usual shrimp dumpling - clean and large, the sesame pastries - a little bit oily, but oh so tasty. the short ribs smelled so good and my brother and husband scarfed it down.
and the grand total for 7 people........... $50 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
Review from Lilliane G.
Toronto, ON
10/23/2011 1 photo
I went here on Saturday morning with Lauren M. for a late breakfast after wandering around and shopping St. Lawrence Market earlier.
We ordered a small selection of their dim sum offerings...shrimp and chive dumplings, fried eggplant, deep fried crabcakes, vegetable dumplings and apple and pork puff pastry.
Everything was delicious, however the apple and pork puff pastry was ridiculously delicious. That one dish alone is enough for the 3 stars I'm giving this place. I've had better dim sum in this city but that particular dish is probably the best I've ever had.
The restaurant itself is fairly modern when compared to others on the strip. It's clean, the service was fast and the prices were right.
I liked it and I will definitely return. -
Review from Fern H.
9/28/2011
I've had both dim sum and many dinners at Rol San. There aren't a lot of options for decent dim sum in Chinatown so when we're meeting friends that can't drive to Markham or Scarberia, we suggest Rol San because of it's easy accessible location.
We'll generally try to go a bit earlier than prime dim sum hours but on this particular Saturday, we arrived right at noon. We were directed to the back room and given a number. Surprisingly a table for 3 became available after only 10 min. of waiting.
I like the check-list style of dim sum because all the food arrives hot and fresh. I did have to keep an eye on dishes coming to the table because I've noticed that there's an issue with bringing either the wrong dishes ordered or not bringing them at all. So we counted up the number of dishes we were expecting and mentally made note of how many arrive.
We usually order 9-12 of the common dim sum dishes. Price comes out to roughly $40 with taxes and tip. -
Review from C D.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2012
Went here for the first time today. It's quite the busy place! The food was good, we were served relatively quickly and it's reasonably priced. One thing - when you ask for water at a table, it usually means the entire table wants it! How many times do you have to ask for a glass of water? Other than that: the only drawback - they don't accept debit cards. What's up with that?
-
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
Restaurant: Rol San Restaurant
Cuisine: Chinese
Location: Chinatown
Address: 323 Spadina Ave
Price Range: ~$10
1: Poor
2: OK
3: Good
4: Very Good
5: Excellent
Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3
Extra information:
*Heart of Chinatown
*All day DimSum
*Visa only over $20 order and up
Rol San Restaurant is in heart of Chinatown and they serve Dim Sum all day (perfect for those who wants Dim Sum but can't wake up early!). They get very busy even after peak lunch hour and the line can get really long. The restaurant is quite big but there is no waiting area so everyone is squished together.
Each table is covered in plastic sheets and once people are done eating, they just wrap up everything (including the plates and cultleries) into a bag and take it away. This makes cleaning so quick and efficient for everyone.
Condiments already provided on the table are, Hot sauce, Red Vinegar and Soy sauce. I only ended up using Hot sauce from here.
Once you sit down, they give you this sheet and a pencil. Basically you write in how many of you want in the box beside that specific dimsum dish. I find this system to be quite convenient since I can order at my own pace. There were 4 of us and we ended up ordering around 8 dishes.
Ordered: SIU MAI, 4 pieces ($3.98) This is standard when you go for DimSum, it's always safe and usually yummy. This Siu Mai was big and plump with pork bits inside. There put bit of cod roe on top and this was delicious with the hot sauce.
Ordered: HAR GOW, 4 pieces ($4.28) This is my sister's favorite DimSum. Sadly, this specific HarGow had really thick and dry skin and it felt tough in my mouth. It was probably one of the worst HarGows I've ever tasted and I would not get this again.
Ordered: STIR FRIED SNOWPEA LEAF(Regular menu, $10.99) We just ordered this off of a regular menu because we wanted some veggies. This dish is pretty big and it had lots of garlic in it which is always good! This was good without any extra sauce.
Ordered: FRIED EGGPLANT WITH SHRIMP PASTE, 3 pieces ($2.88) This wasn't very good, there wasn't much shrimp paste inside and the eggplant was really tough. The sweet soy sauce poured over the eggplant was good but that's about it.
Ordered: DEEP FRIED SHRIMP DUMPLING WITH SALAD SAUCE, 4 pieces ($4.28) This came so hot and fresh out of the fryer. The wonton skin is very thin and it's filled with lots of shrimp. This was really good with the salad sauce (sweet mayo) that comes with the dish. I would def get this again.
Ordered: DEEP FRIED SQUID TENTACLE ($4.28)If you eat squid tentacles (just like calamari!), this is a must get dish. For $4.28, you get lots of deep fried squid and this was good with the salad sauce that came with my shrimp dumpling.
Ordered: CHINESE DONUT IN RICE ROLL ($4.28) I wanted to order this last time when I went to Spadina Garden but didn't get to so I jumped at the chance that I could. This dish was really big compared to other DimSum dishes. The donut was fresh and chewy and the rice roll was tasty with the sweet soy sauce and peanut sauce. I love this dish!
Ordered: DEEP FRIED SHRIMP ROLL, 4 pieces ($4.28) I didn't eat this because I was so stuffed by the time this came, but everyone who did told me it was really good. It's basically a shrimp spring roll. They told me the skin was really crispy and it was good with the sweet&sour sauce that came with the dish.
The bill came to $62.77 for 4 people. Everyone was so stuffed and couldn't eat another bite.
SUMMARY:Their service is quick and efficient and I really enjoyed their food. I recommend going a little early or later in the afternoon to beat the crazy lineups. Also, most of the dishes are served with 4 pieces so it would be better if you can find group of 4 to visit this place.
*chomp chomp* -
Review from Gaelan D.
Toronto, ON
12/30/2011
Really enjoy their fried calamari. Didn't enjoy their baked milk tart, the pastry dominated the filling.
-
Review from Emily K.
Toronto, ON
8/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
After craving dim sum for quite some time now, we finally made our way over to Rol San. I could not remember (based on the name) whether or not I had dined here before. I knew there were all kinds of all-day dim sum restaurants on Spadina, but was not recalling the names of all the ones I had frequented. I did, however, recall enjoying one place in particular and my husband was insistent that it was Rol San. He was right!
We came here for dinner, so we managed to avoid the crazy lineups I've read so much about. It was after 8:00, and the dining room was emptying out, but there were still a few groups of people there, many families, and some with kids running around. I've come to expect this kind of behaviour when dining at establishments that welcome families and children and I have just decided to not let it bother me.
While arriving a bit later did get us seated right away, it did also mean that some of my favourite menu items were no longer available including the rice noodle rolls. That being said I really did enjoy all the other favourites that we ordered. We maybe went a bit overboard, and had to take some food home with us, but I have no regrets.
The food came out quickly, it was all really hot, almost too hot to eat at first. My favourite dish of the night was the grilled eggplant.
My only complaint if I had one...and I know this is something very common in many Toronto restaurants (particularly in Chinatown)...they don't take Mastercard, or Debit. Only cash or VISA.
I will definitely go back! -
Review from jocelyn l.
10/7/2011
Cheap and good dimsum.
We had the har gou, xiu mai, wrapped noodles (with shrimp), sticky rice with chicken wrapped in lotus, deep fried calamari, deep fried shrimp, deep fried sesame balls stuffed with red bean, crab and shrimp dumpling in soup...
packed during lunch but fairly fast turnaround -
Review from Ian H.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2012
Super busy on a Saturday at noon, but they had us seated within 10 minutes. Food came quickly and was pretty decent dim sum, though definitely not the best I've had. Would go back again.
-
Review from Lauren M.
Rol San is being downgraded to a 3 star for me. Not because anything has CHANGED at Rol San per say, but merely because I've discovered there is really a lot better dim sum around, even downtown.
Dim Sum King Seafood which opened up on Dundas West recently definitely has better food quality and the prices are on par, if not cheaper, than Rol San.
Rol San is still a reasonable option if you want All Day Dim Sum, but don't expect to be blown away by the food, unless you are a dim sum newbie!Listed in: My fav cheap eats, An "Egg's" guide to eating in…, Dumpling YO FACE
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/9/2010
Dim Sum awesomeness. (My only basis for comparison is Dynasty on Bloor, which my bosses take me to -… Read more »
-
-
Review from Ryan L.
6/16/2011
Late night dim sum - check
Plastic table cloth - check
Average service - check
I had a pretty good experience here. Bright Pearl was closed, so we just walked across the street to this joint. I'm a fan of any place serving dim sum late, so there's a win right there. In a city with 5-6 different Chinatowns, It's pretty much your run-of-the-mill restaurant for chinese food.
We got full on $20, it's pretty cheap. Not the most righteous food I've ever had, but I was glad for late night dim sum that wasn't terrible. The siu mai, the buns, the dumplings, all solid offerings.
Staff was friendly, but slow at times.
Pretty boring review. -
Review from Natalie G.
Toronto, ON
9/30/2011
I dont even care that this place is full of drunk holligans at 3 am! The food is amazing, the waiters HATE everyone there, and they will kick out other tables to get new people in.
For years I've been eating their crispy ginger beef and I still love it. So tasty, but not good warmed up the next day. They also have amazing garlic bok choy, fried rice, chicken and all sorts of stuff. I am not a daring chinese food eater, but I see some tables with wacky food and they seem to love it.
Rol San for life ! -
Review from Anni L.
8/3/2011
I've been to this place for dim sum on a weekend and after clubbing on a Friday night.
The dim sum is ok. I've had better uptown but by downtown standards, its totally adequate.
The worst thing about this place is that as you walk in, there is no numbering system while you wait. The guy who is the host just eyeballs you and you hope that he remembers the order when people came in. There is also a back section that i've never been to but the line up system at the back is equally as confusing.
The service is fast and the staff is typical for Chinatown. They take your order without too much small talk. When i asked questions about some of the dishes (since my chinese is not fluent nor can i read every character), they are patient and polite in trying to respond in english eventhough it is clearly not their first language.
The nightime menu items are pretty decent. I would not recommend the striploin beef ribs there. It is tough, chewy, and does not taste great. The cantonese chow mein or chicken/salty fish fried rice are good. The food comes fairly quickly.
Overall this place is decent and probably one of the better places in Chinatown which doesn't say much.
The bathroom is as good as it can be in Chinatown. The ambiance is not exactly 5 star with all the noisy hustle bustle & loud talking but the place is clean (or as clean as it can be for Chinatown). -
Review from James Y.
Toronto, ON
1/11/2012
Don't know what the fuss is about. I found it kind of bland. Even though you order the dishes, our sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf wasn't very hot. And the beef ribs were soooo greasy. There are better places in Chinatown to eat.
-
Review from Cindy C.
North York, ON
10/29/2011
i would say best dim sum in TO. Not the cheapest but worth every penny. Worth the line up, their service is pretty fast.
-
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
3/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Vivek S - you're a genius! Usually, I like the tradition of seeing what I'm going to eat: steaming carts, trays and the like, but the order by number suited us find. Plus, truth be told, I think we ended up ordering way more than we would have had we seen our food first, which gives way to the obvious: getting to try dishes!
It's uncomplicated and traditional dim sum. There were a number of hits, and a couple of misses - like limp rice noodle wrapped donuts - but that's what a culinary adventure is all about. Who knew I'd actually like cuttlefish?
My craving for har gaw satiated, we moseyed on into Moonbeam where we proceeded to share a little sphere of food heaven (sesame balls) with another coffee connoisseur hanging in our self-dubbed "Mac" corner.Listed in: Toronto Musing
-
Review from Glen H.
7/23/2011
Rol San was listed in many "best of" lists for Dim Sum in Toronto because of its value. Nothing on the menu is over $3.50 for a portion, and the quality is quite good at that price level. While this probably won't be the best dim sum you've ever had if you are a connoisseur, this is perfectly fine for the vast majority of eaters.
Service was quick, seating is plentiful, and there are no dim sum carts. You fill out a list, as though you were ordering sushi. Items arrive in shifts from the kitchen -- and you never know when you'll get something! Our dessert arrived in the middle of the meal, but who cares! It's fun!
Siu Mai was excellent, as was the crab and chicken soup dumpling. We did not order anything exotic, and what we saw on other tables and the smiles on other diners' faces convinced me that pretty much everything is above average here.
Not the highest food quality but still a thoroughly enjoyable experience. If you are confused by the many offerings in Chinatown, give Rol San a try -- I doubt you will be disappointed. -
Review from Nicole C.
4/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
AWW - I've been to Rol San before for their regular Chinese menu and was always super happy with it, but I went today for their dim sum, and was really disappointed!
Not only were the shrimps gritty and tasted like they hadn't been washed - the service was terrible!
Now my husband is Taiwanese, so I'm used to talking with in-laws that really have no idea what I'm saying and pretty much only ask me if my hair is real and if they can pull it, but if you're a waiter in a restaurant please at least know the English for things on the menu!
I asked for the steamed pork buns and the girl was like: oh no we no have.
Really? Cause you JUST brought them to the table beside me.
UUUGh. I just wanted some pork :( -
Review from Shiona R.
Toronto, ON
6/16/2011
Read this review with the pretence that I am a dim sum novice! I have read some of the reviews re Rol San and I had a completely different experience. A group of friends and I visited on a Saturday for Dim Sum brunch...group of 7. We had some pretty decent dim sum...I wasn't a fan of the beef short ribs as they were a bit fatty but the dumplings, sticky rice, buns, squid were all really tasty. Curried cuttle fish were ok but needed a stronger curry base imo.
Food came out hot hot hot and pretty fast. Service was fine, waiting staff friendy and attentive even though the place was extremely busy. Overall I liked it enough that I will return -
Review from Imran N.
4/19/2011
There's a complete other world out there and i had no idea Rol San had dim sum.
What is rol san to me? It's my drunkard chant after a good night of drinking. Rol San is open ao late that it becomes the place we go to after the bar. and literally, you end up bumping into a lot of friends who've chosen to party and eat after.
what's special about rol san? it's good, cheap and where else can you order lobster at 3am if you really wanted it?
now i must go there for dim sum....and break all my cardinal rules and go there in day light. i feel dirty. -
Review from Yin L.
6/20/2011 1 photo
Best Siu Mai I had in the longest time;juicy, tasty, meaty and not overly salty. Ahh i am craving for it again!
The sesame ball with sesame paste was excellent!!!
Deep fried squid tentacles were not that great. But really, I shouldn't be ordering that if I am here to eat real dim sum.
Chicken feet was amazing! The sauce was not too starchy and sweet. Just the right amount of balance
Spring roll with taro and pork were good but really not my kind of dim sum dish.
I like how everything came out fresh and piping hot from the kitchen! -
Review from Patrick M.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2011
This is the favourite dim sum joint of some of my good friends, so I have eaten there quite a few times. It's still the best dim sum I've had, but I can't help but feel like there's much more, and much better, out there.
Everything here is tasty, the service is great, and the lightning quick table cleanup (thanks to tear away plastic covers) is certainly a cool novelty, but again, the food's just... good. Cheap, quick, and good.
Of particular note, the turnip cakes are divine -- if you go, you must order them. Delish! Outside of that, however, the dim sum menu is a bit limited and, after a half dozen times or so, I feel like I've exhausted my enjoyment of it.
Time to explore the wide world of Toronto dim sum beyond Rol San! -
Review from Susie H.
Vancouver, BC
4/19/2011
My mom and brother came to visit me and we wanted dim sum, so we went to the usual Bright Pearl. However, that place was closed for a private party, and we saw a huge sign in a restaurant across the street advertising all-day dim sum. I am so glad that we went there instead, because it was Rol San. What a pleasant surprise! This is the best dim sum I've had so far.
First of all, as many other reviewers have said, instead of the common dim sum set-up where they bring food around in carts and you take as you wish, you actually get to order what you want and they bring it to you per order. I much prefer this because the food is fresher that way and it's easier to get exactly what you want.
Second, the food was amazing! My favourite kind of dumplings are siu mai and the classic Chinese pot stickers. I have tried both in many, many restaurants before and I have to say these were the freshest and best dumplings I have ever had before. Besides the dumplings, all of the other food was freshly made and delicious. The service was also very non-Chinese friendly, especially for Chinatown.
Finally, the price was very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food and downtown location. The three of us paid $40 for everything, but my brother also eats a lot, i.e. probably more than most normal people.
Suggestions: siu mai, har gow, BBQ pork buns, pan-fried pork dumpling, beef short ribs, seafood dumplings, sesame rolls, and egg tarts (desserts). There's probably not much you can go wrong with! Enjoy =) -
Review from Darren B.
5/30/2011
Fantastic Dim Sum; rock solid in just about every area for quality and taste. Especially fantastic was the Snow Pea Pod leaves with Garlic Sauce, the Pork Dumplings (both Fried and Steamed), and the Fried Squid.
BEWARE though...lines on the weekends between 11-2 can be insanely crazy!
Toronto remains one of my most favorite places for great food...jealous we don't have Dim Sum of this quality in Cleveland! -
Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
2/1/2011
Used to go here often with family for the fish and shrimps.
Lots of oil and garlic but very tasty.
The fish tank does not look awesome but always has turn over of product.
Service always very good. Prices very reasonable.
Prices for beer and pop cheapest in China town. -
Review from Steph L.
12/3/2010
Dear Rol San,
Thank you for providing us with late night dim sum!
For a midnight snack or after a night of clubbing, you are always open.
What would late night dim sum be like without:
*Being able to watch a drunken fist fight
*A homeless dude passing though leaving one of those please-give-me-money-smiley-face cards at your table
*Hungry triad members scarfing down dumplings
Even though I know you don't make your dim sum fresh, it tastes pretty decent, especially the spicy squid.
Sure, I've had tastier.
Sure, you don't have the most exciting menu
Sure, the clientele is questionable at times.
But that's okay!
You are still awesome. Thank you again for always being there throughout the years. I wonder what you look like during the day time!
Steph -
Review from Susu H.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2011
First:
Jules W., Rol San is not Taco Bell, you are supposed to tip, and the amount you left is pretty unacceptable. I completely side with the restaurant on that one. You gave them $0.50, Canadian standard tip is 15%, so that means you should have given them at least around $3.50. $0.50. Wow.
Now on to the restaurant review:
I usually prefer Forest View for dim sum, but since it was closed for renovations, and my friends and I were starving, we decided to give Yelp recommendations a try and went to Rol San. The total bill was around $70 for 4 people, so we definitely tried many different things. Why I will never go back:
- no carts. gotta have the carts (but this is a personal preference thing).
- the dumplings all tasted the same. The shrimp, the pork, everything was pretty indistinct.
- the tofu skin with shrimp paste was FOUL. Weird texture, sort of like that of a plastic wrapper that had been accidentally steamed onto what we were eating. Nearly impossible to bite through.
- I can't read kanji, so when I saw the name "soup dumplings", I thought "Yes!!! They have xiao long baos!!" Nope, it was literally soup WITH dumplings. huge frown, but that was also my fault for not clarifying. still, felt a bit salty.
- egg custards had zero flavor.
- The staff is definitely not the most pleasant and friendly bunch of people. We felt like we were inconveniencing them when we wanted to order beverages or were ready for our bill.
So, all in all, not terrible, but definitely not worth going back for.
