Strictly Shanghainese restaurants are few and far between in and around the city — usually, the cuisine is fused with food from other regions of China like Szecuhuan or Taiwan. But for great Shanghainese food, head up to A La Kitchen for soup-filled dumplings and other classics like noodle dishes and braised meats.

For chef Anna Chen’s first stand-alone restaurant, she opted to open a 32-seater in the west end. Blonde wood accents the minimalist room, and soulful tunes play overhead, foreshadowing Chen’s highly elegant take on comfort food. Buoyed by her knowledge from stints at Figo and Scaramouche — plus an upbringing in India — Chen has

North York's beloved Artisan Noodle has opened up a cool and cosy downtown outpost with Artisan Plus. This spot is home to northern Chinese delicacies that are often rare to find in Toronto, like the hand-pulled noodles or a jia mo, which can best be described as a Chinese hamburger.

Since its Chinatown location opened its doors in 1988, Asian Legend has spread across Toronto to give all diners a taste of northern Chinese dim sum and stir-fry. Their cooking motto is "northern flavours with a traditional style," which has allowed for its chefs, all from reputable dining locales in Taiwan and mainland China, to fine-tune the menu and bring diners dishes like the especially flavour-rich kung pao chicken.

Grabbing its name from the classic martial arts flick, BIG TROUBLE is a Chinatown bar that promises the 20-something set a good time. Sibling owners Andrew and Christine Pham wanted to properly celebrate the hood they grew up in; multicoloured lanterns dot the room, red drapes decorate the windows while a dragon oversees the bathrooms

If you’ve never heard of Bingz, you’ve probably never been to China. The burger joint first opened in Beijing before quickly becoming a prominent fast food chain with locations across the country. Now, Bingz has brought its specialty crispy LiberTerre pork burger to Markham with its first Canadian location. Also on the menu are classic

This chain took its native China by storm before beginning its rapid expansion in Toronto. It serves up one-of-a-kind crispy Chinese burgers, called roujiamo, which were invented rooughly two millenniums ago in the Qin dynasty and have been popular in the country ever since. They can be stuffed with beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, and

The authentic Chinese restaurant with a French name, C’est Bon, has been not just a staple, but a favourite of midtown for over a decade. The founding Chen family comes from a French Taiwanese background, hence the name and cuisine of the restaurant. Most of the menu is made up of classic Szechuan dishes, like

Since the dim sum downtown has sunk in a slough of grease, dumpling-seeking Sinophiles have few alternatives. At first glance, Casa Imperial is an unlikely candidate: a baroque mansion loaded with gargantuan crystal chandeliers, ersatz British hunting scenes and musty brocaded draperies. It’s about as Chinese-looking as Casa Loma, but the dim sum is quite

Located at the Golden Square Centre in Mississauga, Chi’s Congee and Noodle House offers both of its namesakes as well as wonton soup, dumplings, sweet and sour pork and other Chinese food favourites. The congee, which is a rice porridge popular in many Asian countries, is served in many variations including chicken and duck, shrimp,

This week’s cheap eat is all the way up at Metro Square in Markham. As a teenager, there were many late nights spent here, upstairs in the arcade (when smoking inside was still allowed), gossiping over cheesecake at Cafe Mirage or sipping on this “new” Taiwanese drink (bubble tea) at Ten Ren’s Tea Time (now Serissa Cafe).

The star of the show at Chloe’s Convenience is the bagged noodles — a much-loved sensation from Hong Kong’s streets. These noodles are not your ordinary fare. They come chilled and are customizable with an array of toppings, all brought together by a savoury, garlicky and spicy sauce that is nothing short of irresistible. Shaken to

Don’t feel like waiting for your meal? Why not head over to Chop Chop where the only thing better than the Chinese food is how fast it lands on your plate. Perched on the southwest corner of Dundas and Markham, this fast-food restaurant is making Chinese food healthy and quickly. The interior is clean and

Got a big group with a big appetite? Show up at Congee Wong, and not only will all of you be able to sit around a table, but even your vegan friends will feast at this Chinese restaurant. They have a different menu for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, in addition to the takeout

At fine dining restaurant Cynthia’s Chinese you’ll get more than you bargained for, with a full entertainment experience bringing you back to ancient China with mouth-watering cuisine, staff dressed in imperial robes and décor that will bring you back to the most celebrated age of the country. Find Cynthia’s in Oakville, Newmarket and Thornhill, each

This Scarborough Chinese bakery is making some of the most beautiful cakes in all of the GTA. DaanGo Cake Lab is the brainchild of Master Chef Canada contestant Christopher Siu. His sweet shop is a confectionary dream with a heaven-like white interior and wafts of freshly baked desserts coming from the kitchen. With a tiny

Chef Nick Liu, the genius behind the critically lauded DaiLo takes his inspiration from classic dishes and ingredients and adds creative twists. Located in Little Italy, the restaurant has garnered rave reviews since opening in 2014. Following in the French tradition, Liu riffs on Chinese-Canadian classics, remixing them, combining different textures and flavours for a

The concept for Dasha has been on chef Akira Back’s mind for nearly a decade: a one-stop spot for delicious Cantonese food, artful cocktails, and private karaoke rooms. With a Michelin Star rating and restaurants everywhere from Seoul to Las Vegas, chef Back’s question of where in the world to launch the idea was answered

Despite the name , and the very fine duck dish, there is so much else to love here: big steaming bowls of spicy chicken, shrimp, duck gizzard, chicken feet, pork liver, brisket, or barbecued bullfrogs on a stick. There are also some lighter dishes, like corn with pine nuts and spinach with peanuts. My favourite

I have been coming to this classic cart-service restaurant since the tables at the back were filled with old men holding chopsticks in one hand, a cigarette in the other. It hasn’t changed much. Large families with hyperactive children are still seated on the dais. There’s always a lineup after 11:30 a.m. on the weekend.