It was just last month that we reported on the closure of Forest Hill’s longstanding China House, and now Toronto is set to lose yet another Chinese food institution. Lai Toh Heen, uptown’s sibling restaurant to the Metropolitan Hotel’s much-lauded Lai Wah Heen, will be closing on Sept. 18 after five years in business.
The news isn’t all bad: many of Lai Toh Heen’s signature dishes — like the pan-seared foie gras with shredded duck and the diced Wagyu with toasted garlic and leek — will continue to be available at Lai Wah Heen.
Owners haven’t commented on why, exactly, the restaurant is shutting down, but Henry Wu, President of Metropolitan Hotels, had this to say in a statement: “Lai Toh Heen has seen many successes in the past five years and now it’s time to take what we’ve learned and apply this culinary knowledge to our other restaurants.”
The food Gods haven’t been totally harsh to that strip of Mount Pleasant, though. Earlier this summer, Viva Napoli — an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria — opened up right across the street from Lai Toh Heen. It’s not Asian cuisine, but seriously, who doesn’t like pizza?
Lai Toh Heen, 692 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-489-8922