5 new Chinese restaurants in Toronto you need to try at least once

New Chinese restaurants in Toronto are serving up a multitude of diverse regional dishes, flavours and creative spins on cuisine from across China.

If I were any good at poetry, I’d write an ode to Toronto’s legion of exceptional Chinese restaurants, but I’m not, so you’ll have to settle for this: Toronto does a really great job at Chinese food, and I’ll never get tired of eating it. 

It’s great news, then, that new Chinese restaurants in Toronto seem to open their doors every time the wind blows, and some particularly great spots have recently arrived on the scene.

Here are my picks for the new Chinese restaurants in Toronto that you need to check out.

AYLA

When discussing Chinese cuisine, that of Hong Kong, understandably, doesn’t tend to get much airtime, and there’s good reason for that. Mainly, it’s because Hong Kong boasts its own uniquely vibrant culture, distinct from that which you might find in mainland China. 

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be talking about it, though, and that’s precisely what this Dundas West “love letter to Hong Kong” is doing, which offers an unmistakable menu replete with Cantonese dishes dressed up in Japanese, French and Italian flair.

Yan Dining Room

It’s frequently been said that the best Chinese spots in Toronto are the hidden gems, and it doesn’t get more tactfully hidden, nor more shiny a gem, than at this Little Tokyo supper club tucked away inside of Hong Shing.

Here, chef Eva Chin and restaurateur Colin Li serve up avant-garde renditions of classic Chinese cooking with all the finesse and tact you’d expect from the power duo. Once considered a “secret supper club,” the cat’s very much out of the bag now, and it’s headed for greatness.

@dishedtoronto This is Toronto’s new HIDDEN Chinese restaurant 🤤👀 #Toronto #HiddenGem #foodtok #Foodie #ChineseFood ♬ original sound – Dished Toronto

Modu Three Brothers

Two words: free refills. No, I’m not talking about drinks. At this Scarborough noodle spot located inside of Skycity Shopping Centre, the noodles don’t stop coming until you want them to — and why would you ever want that?

Specializing in Chongqing-style noodles and a bevy of street food snacks, any meal here is guaranteed to be the real deal; whether it’s a quick fried squid on a stick or a simmering bowl of their signature braised beef noodles.

Asian Dragon Buffet

A lot has changed about life since the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the entire world, but if there’s one thing that virus couldn’t pry from our white-knuckled clutch, it’s the time-honoured tradition of the buffet.

So alive is the love of buffets in Toronto, in fact, that this one, which is located in Scarborough, opened just a few months ago and has been a go-to ever since. With all-you-can-eat starting at just $25 for lunch and $45 for dinner, not to mention drool-worthy dishes abounding, I’d say this one’ll stick around.

Bao House Dundas

The recently opened sister location to a North York sensation brings with it a menu brimming with dim sum staples, noodle dishes, soups, casseroles and snacks, all sitting at a pretty appealing price point.

If steamed pork buns, pan-fried soup dumplings, cold noodles with shredded chicken and wonton soup are your jam, you’ll want to give this one a try.