A Vancouver-born restaurant that was made popular more than a decade ago after a memorable appearance on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has just opened its first location in Toronto. Peaceful Restaurant opened at 515 Bloor St W., in late August and specializes in Northern Chinese food, a region known for its hand-pulled noodles, bold flavours and yummy dishes that feature a balance of the seven sensory elements (sweetness, sourness, bitterness, spiciness, saltiness, heat and fragrance).
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The original Peaceful opened in Vancouver in 1998 and now has five locations across Metro Vancouver. Its popularity skyrocketed in 2012 when Guy Fieri featured it on his hit Food Network series back in 2012 (Season 13, Episode 9, “Family Matters”).
In this episode, Fieri visits family-run restaurants, praising the “hand-pulling noodles and ages-old family recipes” used for dishes like the signature beef rolls.
The five-spiced beef roll ($12.95) remains the restaurant’s best-known appetizer and one of its most popular items! Sink your teeth into tender beef wrapped in crispy green onion flatbread with sweet hoisin sauce.
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The Bloor location has something for every palate. Munch through their huge selection of dumplings and buns, like the Xiao-Long Bao Steamed Buns ($10.95) and boiled Northern Pork Dumplings, filled with pork, chives, cabbage and green onions ($11.95).
Dine on hand-pulled noodles like the Dan-Dan Noodles with minced pork and spinach, complemented with a spicy, tangy peanut sauce ($13.95), or the Sichuan Beef Soup Noodles, consisting of stewed beef in a dark spicy broth, spinach and cilantro ($14.95). Devour spicy dishes like the Spicy Gingered Beef, consisting of crispy shredded beef tossed in a spicy gingery sauce ($19.95) or the slightly spicy House Rice, stir-fried with diced pork, shrimp, vegetables and cilantro ($17.95).
There’s also a full vegetable-tofu menu if you aren’t into meat, as well as delicious seafood options like Spicy Salted Squid tossed in spiced salt and diced chilli pepper ($21.95) and Kung Pao Prawns stir-fried with sweet peppers, onions, peanuts and chilli peppers ($21.95).
Even if Peaceful didn’t have Fieri’s stamp of approval, it’s a satisfying spot for Torontonians who love Chinese dishes that go beyond traditional Cantonese staples!
Peaceful Restaurant is located at 515 Bloor St. W. Follow @thepeacefulrestaurant_official on Instagram for promos and giveaways.
