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

Congee Queen is a multi-location Chinese food restaurant with six restaurants across the GTA. Its flagship store is located in Thornhill, although its most popular is in Mississauga at Dundas Street and Highway 427. Congee is a type of rice porridge which tends to be served alongside protein and other side dishes. At Congee Queen,

The line starts forming at 11:15 for a noon opening at this culinary dark horse of Geary Avenue. Behind Famiglia Baldassarre’s counter, pasta-makers stand at a large work top, forming perfectly uniform squares of ravioli, totally unfazed as the front of the room fills with hungry diners who are just getting a taste of whatever

Four Four South Village has a mission to serve the best Taiwanese beef noodles to overseas Chinese people around the world, and thankfully that now includes Toronto. Taking its name from the military dependants village in Taipei that was best known for originating the beloved beef noodle soup, Four Four South Village is striving for

Downtown Markham is getting pretty fishy with Good Catch Boil House. Toronto restaurateur Patrick McMurray is responsible for bringing one of the first raw seafood bars to the area in addition to the freshest daily seafood catches that are served. Good Catch Boil House is not serving up just your average seafood favourites, though its

A halal family restaurant, Gourmet Malaysia serves up (yep, you guessed it) Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian cuisine with a menu that’s varied and deliciously affordable. Sitting in a 6,000-square-foot dining hall, this restaurant and banquet space is made to fit the entire extended family. The menu is colourful and lively with tastes of Southeast Asia

From the outside, Greedy Duck might just look like another one of Little Italy’s hole-in-the-wall restaurants. A vibrant yellow painted building and a sign with a smiling duck in a cowboy hat invites you into a small, yet well kept take-away spot serving the best Wuhan-style duck outside of China. The Qin family spent over

Cheesy dakgalbi is the speciality at Korea Town’s Hancook. The Bloor West hot spot for cheesy goodness is serving up some of the most authentic and delicious dakgalbi in the city. At Hancook, they are focused on using fresh and local ingredients to make the most traditional Korean grub they can, and it shows. Hancook

This no-frills Chinatown bakery offers an array of traditional baked goods, from sesame balls to egg tarts. Most pastries are displayed in a self-service area, where customers can pick their own items and then pay at the front counter. Hong Kong Island Bakery’s prices are rock-bottom, with many baked goods available for less than $1.

Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant is a Toronto mainstay. Joining the Chinatown neighbourhood back in March of 1997, Hong Shing has proven that it has lasting power in Toronto’s competitive restaurant industry. The restaurant offers family style dishes inspired by many of China’s regional flavours. All your favourites are on the menu from spring rolls to

One can be overwhelmed with choices when it comes to choosing a spot to eat in Chinatown. House of Gourmet is one of those one-stop-spots. Its extensive menu covers the gamut of your Chinese food craving du jour from Hong Kong-style cafe dishes such as baked rice in an assortment of sauces to congee and

“Chic” and “sleek” would be two words to describe Imm Thai Kitchen, the second restaurant from owners of Sala Modern Thai on the Danforth. Opting for something a little more classy, this Thai house in Little Italy is the perfect spot for great Thai classics with a modern twist. Try their classic pad Thai with

Taste a mother’s love in every bite from Jack and Lil’s. The open kitchen was founded by the mother-and-son team of Lauren and Dan, the latter with professional culinary experience and the former with a sharp eye for style and fusing influences. The original Jack and Lil, Lauren’s parents, were South African, and much of

Over at Bloor and Clinton in Koreatown, Japas opened in the old Camto corner lot on Wednesday. The concept: a Japanese tapas and oyster bar with plenty of Japanese beer and cocktails flowing. It’s also meant to be distinctly un-izakaya in nature (read: no yelling and no gongs) while offering a fun, casual space for people to meet and share a few bites over drinks.  

Scarborough’s new Thai joint, Jatujak, serves up some bold flavours that contrast with the room’s modest decor. The highlights at this two-week old takeout spot are bright orange curries and vibrant yellow khao sois — but if you’re looking for a ruby-red pad Thai, you’ll have better luck elsewhere.

KaKa, a popular spot for unlimited sushi, has opened its first location in the downtown core.

From Chase Hospitality Group comes Kasa Moto, one of Yorkville’s hottest casual restaurants. Alongside sushi rolls and seafood, signatures at this contemporary Japanese restaurant include the AAA skirt steak and whole grilled sea bass. The two-story lounge provides a comfortable and elegant dining experience with wooden floors, rounded cushioned chairs, and large open windows. Or

There’s a newbie in North York’s Koreatown strip: Kayagum. Situated in the space previously occupied by The Party Restaurant at Yonge and Finch, it sticks out among the plethora of other Korean options we have in this town, not least because starting next week it plans to stay open 24 hours a day.

Parliament Street's Sukhothai has built a steady cult following of Thai food aficionados since it opened a few years ago, so when husband and wife co-owners Jeff and Nuit Regular announced they would be expanding, expectations were high. Their latest venture, Khao San Road, opened on Friday, bringing a much-needed culinary jolt to the waning club district.

Quintessentially and iconically Chinatown, King’s Noodle draws gazes up and down the street for the dripping red-skinned ducks and geese, necks attached, and Herculean slabs of barbecued pork hanging in the window. Inside, chefs in white hats work their magic over flaming woks, deep-frying dough fritters for dipping into congee and delicately turning out fresh