The Best Chinese Food in Toronto

What comes to mind when you hear the term “Chinese food?”

Is it mouthwatering sweet and sour pork and stir-fried vegetables served with white or fried rice?

Or is it tasty dim sum dishes you can’t resist such as har gow, siu mai, and xiao long bao?

If you think Chinese food is greasy, then you haven’t experienced real Chinese food. Super oily noodles from franchises like Manchu Wok or buffets like Mandarin aren’t the real deal. They aren’t authentic and it’s NO where near what you’ll taste and experience at these top Chinese restaurants in Toronto.

Having that said, the best Chinese food in Toronto are far from being greasy!

The Best Chinese Food and Restaurants in Toronto

With so many cultures and different styles of Chinese food, from Canto and Hakka to Shanghai and Sichuan, it’s almost impossible to list every single good restaurant here. So, to make your life easier, we tried a ton of places and hand-picked the best restaurants in the city that deserve your attention.

We also want to mention that Toronto’s suburbs – Scarborough, Markham, and Richmond Hill – are home to the best Chinese food in town. They’re more authentic, usually higher-quality, and offer a more comfortable dining environment compared to a lot of the Downtown or Chinatown restaurants.

This is, however, really based on individual preference. If you love the greasiness and loads of salt ‘n flavour, then the Urban area within the Downtown core (including Chinatown) will suit your taste buds. On the other hand, for those who prefer relatively less grease and sodium, then you’ll enjoy the restaurants in Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill.

Either way, they’re all good in their own way as each top restaurant we listed here has its own distinct and unique flavour to each and every dish.

Here are the best Chinese restaurants in Toronto that you must try!

1. Rol San – Best Dim Sum

Image by Becky S.

You can’t say you’ve been to Toronto’s Chinatown without stopping by Rol San. This iconic Chinese restaurant has been serving the community since the 1990s. Many people visit Rol San simply for a trip down memory lane.

Famous for their all-day dim sum, which means you can enjoy dim sum any time of the day! The only downside to all-day dim sum is that prices are marked higher to reflect convenience.

The menu has a wide selection of dim sum items, but be sure to order their staples – har gow, siu mai, and fried squid tentacles.

Rol San serves great tasting dim sum, but if you’re a dim sum lover, then you absolutely have to try the top dim sum places in the suburbs of Toronto. Uptown dim sum restaurants are slightly more expensive than ones located in Chinatown, but the quality and dining experience makes up for it.

Here are the top dim sum places in Toronto and the suburbs of Toronto that you must try:

2. Swatow Restaurant – Best Cantonese-style

Image by Hong C.

Swatow is another OG Chinese restaurant on Spadina Ave. that existed well before other restaurants started popping up all over the city. It’s our go-to place when our stomach is full of alcohol and running dangerously low on food.

While the décor is old-school and dated, the food is amazingly good. Exactly what you would expect from any hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant.

Their dishes are made with fresh ingredients cooked with traditional Cantonese-style – using a wok! Since many of us don’t have a wok at home, you must try their Yeung Chow fried rice and beef fried noodles that are full of wok hei. If you want something lighter, their shrimp wonton soup will hit the spot.

3. Good Taste Casserole Rice – Best Traditional Casserole Rice

Speaking of Cantonese-style dishes, we can’t forget one of their favourite staples which is casserole rice (煲仔飯). If you’re looking for the best casserole rice (also known as clay pot rice) in the city, then you need to try Good Taste Casserole Rice restaurant, which we write an honest review about here! This place is located all over GTA including Yonge and Sheppard if you’re looking for a location in Toronto or North York. They also have locations in Scarborough and Markham.

From their signature Four Treasures Bowl to their newer items like the BBQ eel and pork ribs bowl, there’s something for everyone to try. They also offer delicious side dishes including traditional Chinese soup and authentic rice noodle rolls.

4. Fisherman Lobster Clubhouse Restaurant – Best Chinese Lobster

Image by Chris C.

Hands down, Fisherman Lobster has the best Chinese lobster in Toronto. No one does lobster better than this place.

To showcase their specialty in seafood, inside the restaurant is surrounded by tanks of fresh lobster, king crab, and fish. You can even take a picture with your lobster or king crab before they cook it in the kitchen.

Their signature Hong Kong-style “Lobster Mountain” is extremely popular on Instagram and Facebook because the dish is *literally* delicious chunks of lobster meat piled to the top, forming a massive mountain! And yes, the food taste just as good as it looks!

The food is excellent here, but it can be expensive. Price-wise, it’s on the high-end of the spectrum. This is a restaurant where you go to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, job promos, or anniversaries – not a place where you dine on a regular basis unless you have a lot of money to spend.

Is it worth the price?

We think it is because you’re getting fresh and premium seafood that is cooked to perfection. We highly recommend you to try this restaurant at least once in your lifetime.

And be sure to make reservations as they can get very busy.

5. Dayali – Best Peking Duck

Image by Roseanne N.

You’ll find Peking on most traditional Chinese restaurant menus but not every restaurant serves you authentic Peking duck.

If you want to experience the best Peking duck in Toronto, then make your way to Dayali. One of Markham’s best restaurants that specialize in Peking duck.

Everyone raves about how the Peking duck is roasted to perfection. The skin is crispy and there’s not a lot of fat underneath. The meat is fresh, tender, and flavourful – ready for you to wrap it with their warm and thin pancakes. Dayali gives you a generous amount of condiments, unlike other restaurants where they make you fight for that last piece of cucumber.

Now, all their dishes are Beijing-style so the flavours could be spicier than what you’re accustomed to.

6. Liuyishou Hot Pot – Best Hot Pot

Image by Florence Y.

Brace yourself, winter is coming. While winter is full of cold and frigid temperatures, it’s also the most fitting time of the year to gather over a huge bowl of hot pot to warm up your body and soul.

Of course, you can easily enjoy your own hot pot at home, but sometimes, we get tired and don’t want to prewash all the food and clean up after our bellies are full. For those lazy days, you can trust Liuyishou to do all the dirty work for you!

This popular all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurant has plenty of rich soup bases (both spicy and non-spicy) for you to choose from and a menu filled with delicious protein and fresh veggie selections. For us, we’re not big fans so of lamb so we always order multiple orders of sliced beef, various mushrooms, and lots of leafy greens (watercress, lettuce, and spinach)! Gotta get your daily dose of vegetables in!

The fun way to enjoy hot pot is to cook the food in a communal pot with your friends, but if you and your friends have very different tastes, you can ask the server for your own personal pots.

Also, there’s a little Sauce Bar inside the restaurant for you to customize the perfect dipping sauce for your food.

7. Wah Sing – Best Seafood

Image by Wah Sing Seafood Restaurant

Wah Sing has been serving customers one of the best seafood and lobster in town for over 30 years!

If you’re going to come to this restaurant for a dine-in experience, then we recommend ordering their signature lobster and seafood dishes. Their Ginger and Onion Lobster is seriously one of the best and you won’t regret it! Not to say the Black Bean Lobster dish isn’t good – it is still amazing, especially when you drizzle the black bean sauce onto a bowl of white rice.

Either way, you’ll find both versions very filling and satisfying.

In addition to that, their seafood soup, which serves up to 8 people is the perfect thing to order during the wintertime or chilly day – it will keep you warm all night long after dinner.

If you have room for desserts, then we recommend heading over to the best dessert shops in town to satisfy your sweet cravings.

8. GB Hand-Pulled Noodles – Best Chinese Noodles

Image by Caitlin T.

If you’re having a craving for any Chinese noodles with soup, then GB Hand-Pulled Noodles restaurant serves one of the best Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodles in Toronto without a doubt!

You may be familiar with dishes from popular places like Canto, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Hakka, but never heard of Lanzhou.

It’s the capital of Gansu Province and home to one of China’s famous noodle dishes – “lamian” or hand-pulled noodles. If you haven’t tried this simple yet delicious bowl, then it’s time to taste and experience the best hand-pulled beef noodles in Toronto.

At GB Hand-Pulled Noodles, you’ll notice that the broth is perfectly seasoned and packed with loads of flavour. The small size is the perfect portion for the average person, but if you’re hungry for extra noodles and soup, we recommend going for the large.

The thick hand-pulled noodles are chewy and freshly made. It’s not the same as the soup noodles you usually have like Wonton Mein or Ramen Noodles. Trust us, you’ll immediately notice the difference in taste and texture of their noodles. By the way, we also recommend trying the extra-wide noodles if you like chewing on them.

Overall, the soup is delicious, and the beef slices are nice and tender. This warm bowl of fresh noodles makes the perfect comfort food in the wintertime!

9. Jim Chai Kee Wonton Noodles – Best Cantonese Wonton Noodles

Dumplings and noodles, in general, are the main staples when it comes to Chinese food.

Wonton, a special type of dumpling, is filled with juicy and jumbo shrimp that’s enjoyed by many Cantonese folks in Hong Kong.

A simple yet delicious dish, we couldn’t afford to leave out the best wonton noodles without mentioning Jim Chai Kee Wonton Noodles!

This place is worth trying especially when you’re in the mood for something that’s not only light and non-greasy, but when you’re on the hunt for a quick bite that will salsify your hunger when there’s no time to look around for the best dine-and-dash place to eat.

Truly one of the most authentic Cantonese-style wonton noodles, Jim Chai Kee will not disappoint you!

10. Hey Noodles – Best Sichuan

Image by Yunny H.

You can never get bored of noodles, so we included “Hey Noodles” in our Best Chinese Restaurants in Toronto list because Sichuan is known for their hot and spicy noodles!

Located on Dundas Street W., Hey Noodles will leave you drooling and salivating over their signature Sichuan Style Beef Brisket noodle bowl.

By the way, you’ll notice they go by the spelling “Szechuan”. If you’re wondering what the difference is, well, “Szechuan” is frequently used in the East Coast and “Sichuan” on the West.

Anyways, it doesn’t matter how they spell it. What’s important is how good the food tastes!

Now, back to their signature Beef Brisket noodle bowl…

The texture of their noodles is soft, smooth, and chewy. You can customize the softness of your noodle by requesting it to be either soft, regular, or hard.

Paired with the broth, you’ll experience an intense amount of flavorful soup that’ll leave your tongue feeling numbed – and that’s if you’re not used to spicy food. But thank goodness, you can customize the level of spice too when you order. In the extreme spectrum, you can ask for “no spice” or “extra numbing spice.”

You’ll get a good amount of meat and we can attest that the beef brisket is both chewy and tender. Overall, the Sichuan noodles here are SO good. You won’t regret coming to this place!

We’ve got a Hey Noodles review for you here. You can check out all the delicious dishes we ordered from this restaurant along with our honest thoughts about their food!

11. Frederick Restaurant – Best Hakka

Image by Kevin C.

Are you feeling for a kick of spice in your Chinese dish?

Then, we recommend trying the best Hakka restaurant in town – Federick!

Be ready to stuff your face with some good-tasting Hakka dishes when you head on over to this Chinese restaurant.

Popular and flavourful dishes include Chili Chicken, Kan Shue Green Beans, and Hakka Chow Mein.

The spices on the Chili Chicken are seasoned very well and we like how the spice level isn’t overwhelming. It’s perfect for those who like a kick of spice without feeling the intense burn on the tongue. To top things up, the chicken is crisp, and it’ll leave you with a slight and chewy crunch.

Believe us, the Hakka food here is so mouthwatering to the point where it will leave you wanting to order more from their menu. Even after a full stomach.

12. Mother’s Dumplings & The Dumpling King – Best Dumplings

Image by Cynthia P.

No list of The Best Chinese Restaurants in Toronto is complete without including the best dumplings made in town.

There are many different types of Chinese dumplings that come in various shapes and forms.

From Cantonese staples like Har Gow, Siu Mai, and Wontons to Shanghai signatures like Xiao Long Bao, Jiaozi, and Sheng Jian Bao, these dumplings will bring loads of joy and happiness to your table.

For the Urban crowd, our top pick is Mother’s Dumplings because this restaurant offers a good selection of mouthwatering Cantonese and Northern style dumplings in Toronto, in both steamed and pan-fried versions.

However, if you’re not in the Downtown core, or Chinatown of Toronto, we recommend checking out The Dumpling King in Scarborough.

We love this dumpling house because they offer the best appetizing Northern Chinese style comfort food – something that will satisfy your Chinese-food cravings. Our favorite is their Xiao Long Bao! They offer other dishes like noodles and rice. They also have a desserts menu, but we recommend ordering from their Dumplings, Dim Sum, and Noodles menu for the best taste and experience at affordable prices!

If you’re a big fan of dumplings, then head on over to our list of the best dumplings in Toronto here.