One of the best, most famous dim sum restaurants in Toronto could be on the move again.
Recently, a sign went up in front of the building at 69 Yorkville Avenue, notifying passersby that an application has been filed with the city of Toronto to redevelop the building. Currently, it houses a few businesses, including one of Toronto’s most popular, upscale dim sum restaurants, Dynasty Chinese. It’s owned by the same group that owns Paradise in North York, both of which are renowned for their high-quality Chinese cuisine, including sought-after live seafood dishes and traditional delicacies.
According to city documents, an application to revamp the building and turn it into a 29 floor, mixed use building, including 143 residential units. The application was filed in November of 2021, with site plan approval submitted on December 29, 2021.
The application was then given to the city for feedback on January 24, and results are pending. “City staff have not completed a review of the application at this time, Senior Planner in Community Planning David Driedger explains. “Once a review is completed, then comments will be provided to the applicant.”
It wouldn’t be the first time that Dynasty Chinese has had to move, though, as it has bounced around the Yorkville neighbourhood since its inception, having moved from a previous location at 131 Bloor Street West.
As of now, though, everything depends on that meeting. “A preliminary report from staff, providing basic application details, will be going to the February 16, 2022 Toronto and East York Community Council meeting,” Driedger says. “A community consultation meeting is scheduled for March 2 to discuss the proposed application.”
Of course, applications like these can take three to five years. So, the restaurant’s delicious eats, including Yeung chow fried rice and General Tao chicken (deemed among the best in the city) are still on the menu. Many foodies flock to this longstanding Yorkville staple to dine on raved-about steamed pork buns, shrimp dumplings and wontons, alongside peking duck and mini hot pots. There’s also a traditional breakfast that’s served on carts, offering up an authenticity that only adds to the mouthwatering fare.
It’s a controversial location for a redevelopment, though, as Yorkville is not home to many high rises–especially not right on the main street. While there’s a ton of redevelopment happening in the area, tall buildings are mostly on the outskirts and perimeters of the neighbourhood. Having a 29-storey building in the middle of an otherwise historic, mostly low-rise street would affect the entire area (and raise even more privacy concerns), which could pose a problem for the development, though it’s worth noting that there’s another high-rise building proposal in Yorkville.
But, for now, everything at Dynasty Chinese remains normal. The eatery is still open Monday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and still available on Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes. An employee explained that, as of now, there are no plans to move the restaurant or adjust operations at 69 Yorkville Avenue. But, after the March 2 meeting, Dynasty could have to make yet another change, as a redevelopment could render the space unusable for years on end. Until something’s for certain, though, Dynasty Chinese is still going strong.