On a recent culinary tour in Toronto with highly respected Chef Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, we explored the striking similarities between Toronto and Hong Kong—and the excellence that connects the two cities.

Hong Kong’s food scene begins the moment you arrive at Hong Kong International Airport. “As a first impression, it already represents the city,” says Chin. “It’s one of the airports with the most eateries in the world.”

And the culinary landscape goes far beyond a single region or style. Hong Kong cuisine is neither strictly Cantonese nor purely Northern or Southern Chinese. According to Chin, it has evolved into its own category, shaped by international trade, colonial history, and deep-rooted tradition. It’s a true melting pot. One thing is certain: locals and visitors alike love to eat at all hours of the day, and the city’s food scene continues to evolve and flourish.

Today, Hong Kong boasts more than 17,000 places to eat, ranging from fine dining and casual restaurants to street markets and cha chaan teng counters. The city is home to 76 Michelin-starred restaurants, seven of which have earned the coveted three-star distinction.

What often surprises first-time visitors is just how accessible Hong Kong’s food scene is. Delicious food is available around the clock in a city that never seems to sleep. Chin tells us it’s not uncommon for Hong Kong locals to enjoy up to five meals a day.

Hong Kong’s cross-cultural influences and technique-driven dining are globally celebrated. While we may be dreaming of a visit, we can absolutely get a taste of Hong Kong right here in Toronto. So, where can you eat like a Hong Kong foodie in this city?

Here are some standout spots we visited with Chef Chin, along with worthy stops to bookmark for your next trip to vibrant Hong Kong.

DIM SUM

Dim sum or “yum cha” is far more than a weekend brunch—it’s a social ritual where families and friends gather over dishes that, as Chin puts it, “fills the heart.” Dim sum isn’t about rushing through a meal. Each dish requires incredible effort and precision, and every morsel is meant to be savoured, appreciated, and enjoyed individually.

TORONTO: Lai Wah Heen (108 Chestnut Street)
Lai Wah Heen reflects the refined, progressive side of Hong Kong’s contemporary dining scene. Recently renovated, both the space and the menu feel fresh and exciting. Under new management and led by a new generation of bright and talented young chefs from Hong Kong, the restaurant offers innovative dishes that honour tradition while embracing modern techniques.

Lucky Koi Fish–shaped dumplings deliver instant wow factor, while intricately detailed “lychee” dumplings made with exquisite ingredients such as black truffle and seafood are as beautiful as they are delicious. These sweet and savoury, bite-sized creations are handcrafted works of art.

HONG KONG:
Notable dim sum destinations include Tim Ho Wan (Michelin Bib Gourmand), Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hong Kong (Michelin), and Yan Toh Heen (Michelin, renowned for roasted meats). Some of Chef Chin’s personal favourites also include Duddell’s, Ming Pavilion, and Shang Palace.

COMFORT FOOD IN A BOWL

TORONTO: Wonton Hut (3760 Highway 7, Markham)
With its intimate table seating and neon-lit interior, Wonton Hut is reminiscent of classic Hong Kong noodle houses. The restaurant serves deeply nourishing bowls of noodles filled with fresh wontons, braised beef, and other comforting staples.

Chef Eddie Young was born and trained in Hong Kong, where he mastered the art of traditional Hong Kong–style wontons at a young age. It’s a craft that demands precision, discipline, and a deep respect for cultural heritage.

Consistently packed, Wonton Hut attracts everyone from university students and families to seniors—and even the occasional A-list celebrity. Yes, the noodles really are that good. Photos of Chef Young alongside visiting celebrities greet you as you enter his Scarborough restaurant. According to Chef Chin, this experience mirrors exactly what you’d find in her favourite noodle shops back home.

While you’re there, don’t miss Chef Young’s house-made chili crisp—a sought-after condiment that elevates just about everything.

HONG KONG:
Visit Ho Hung Kee (one Michelin star) in Causeway Bay, a historic noodle shop that first opened in the 1940s and remains a beloved institution. Mak Man Kee (one Michelin star), a 60-year-old eatery, is another local favourite.

THE EVOLUTION OF SWEETS

Traditionally, Chinese cuisine hasn’t leaned heavily toward overly sweet desserts. In fact, many believe the best way to end a Chinese meal is without something excessively sugary. However, Hong Kong’s palate has evolved thanks to global influences. In the 1980s, institutions like Maxim’s Cakes and The Peninsula Hotel’s Cantonese restaurant Spring Moon helped popularize Western-style pastries. Chin notes that it’s not unusual to pass several bakeries before even starting your commute to work in Hong Kong.

TORONTO: Daan Go Cake Lab (550 Hwy 7 Building C Unit 70, Richmond Hill and other locations)
With locations in Scarborough, Toronto Chinatown, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, and Vancouver, Daan Go Cake Lab offers a playful yet refined take on nostalgic sweets. Chef Christopher Siu, winner of MasterChef Canada (Season 7), has firmly established himself as one of Toronto’s most celebrated pastry chefs.

Signature creations like the 24K Mango Cheesecake and Mont Blanc Chestnut Cake are highly sought after, while ice cream flavours such as Taro Coconut, Egg Tart, and Kaya Butter Toast are delightfully sweet!

HONG KONG:
Visit Mrs. Fong Chinese Dessert, a family-run bakery where more than ten pastries are made fresh daily.

HONG KONG WINE & DINE FESTIVAL

If this has whet your appetite for Hong Kong’s culinary scene, mark your calendar. The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival—held annually at the end of October—is considered one of the world’s premier food events. It draws food lovers from across the globe and showcases wines from renowned vineyards alongside hidden gems. Hundreds of restaurants participate, offering both traditional and trend-setting dishes, complemented by live entertainment, workshops, and immersive experiences.

In 2025, the festival’s theme was “REMIX: Best of All Worlds,” celebrating the diversity of global wines and cuisines that define Hong Kong. This year’s theme has yet to be announced! Stay tuned!

A FEW CANTONESE DINING TIPS & ETIQUETTE

Chinese dining culture is deeply rooted in respect—and yes, a touch of superstition. Keep these customs in mind when dining out:

• Elders are always served first. They also are the ones to initiate actual eating.
• The youngest (and able) at the table should serve elders when possible.
• The youngest (and able) should pour tea for others before themselves.
• To say thank you for tea, tap two fingers twice on the table—a quiet gesture symbolizing a respectful bow.
• Never use your personal chopsticks to take food from shared dishes; serving chopsticks are always provided.
• Never point chopsticks at another person—it’s considered rude.
• Never stick chopsticks upright in food, as this resembles incense used to honour the dead.
• It’s okay to lift your rice bowl to closer to your mouth to scoop food in but don’t lift the bottom of your bowl for others to see. That act resembles like eating from the floor and considered rude.
• And here’s a tricky one — leave just a bit of food in your bowl to show the host that they have been generous in providing for you. If you leave too much food behind it implies that the food wasn’t good. Good luck with that one. Having said that, we are told very young to eat every grain of rice otherwise we will end up marrying someone with visible pock marks on their face.

*photos by Sonya D (except for Chef Eva Chin)

The post Eating Hong Kong Style in Toronto appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

A Walk Through History

Stepping onto Langdon Hall property feels very special. Not because Drake visited for his album photoshoot, but more so for its rich history.  In the late 1800s, Matthew Wilks, a successful American businessman, sought to create a summer retreat for his family and friends. He purchased land in Cambridge, Ontario, and expanded the estate over the years. His youngest son, Eugene Langdon Wilks, later acquired an adjoining property, and together with his wife, hired an architect to bring Langdon Hall to life.

Multiple generations of the family enjoyed the residence until 1980. At that point, architect William Bennett and Mary Beaton purchased the beautiful estate, envisioning a dream country house hotel. After extensive renovations, Langdon Hall reopened in 1989 and has since seen two expansions. Today, the Relais & Châteaux property boasts 60 guest rooms and is celebrated as the epitome of quiet luxury—a “home away from home” for its guests.

Gardens Also Tell a Story

A tour of Langdon Hall’s gardens is special whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth. The English-style gardens are spotted with sunlit florals swaying gently in the breeze, a breathtaking backdrop for the stately house. Originally, the gardens also served as a food source for the Wilks family and their guests, with vegetables and herbs growing alongside the flowers. That tradition continues today, with the gardens and greenhouses supplying the hotel’s award-winning kitchen.

The gardens’ origins can be traced back to 1902. Designed by John Charles Olmsted—son of Frederick Law Olmsted, and famed for such projects as New York’s Central Park, Boston Gardens, and Montreal’s Mount Royal. Inspired by Eugene’s love of English estate gardens, the property reflects his appreciation for beauty and cultivated landscapes.

Visitors can find original plantings thriving today. The striking Camperdown Elm, standing proudly outside the main dining room, remains a centrepiece. Walnut trees also dot the property—the largest, planted first, was envisioned as a golden autumn highlight. Even now, the sap from these trees is tapped to produce a syrup used in Langdon Hall’s kitchens.

In the 1980s, Bennett and Beaton enlisted their friend Dr. Leslie Laken, Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, to help rejuvenate the gardens and hired a team of expert gardeners to nurture the property to it’s fullest. Today, the team remains closely tied to Chef Bangerter’s kitchen and all-seasons menu planning. His culinary philosophy, “taste of place,” ensures that everything grown on the property—whether edible or used in plating—finds a place in Langdon Hall’s menus.

And with multiple menus spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner, weddings, poolside dining, and special events, this harmony between garden and kitchen requires careful planning.  During this most recent visit, I also learned about tropical ginger and a variety of kiwi fruit that are grown here. Kiwi! Then, there were the cute and tiny cucamelons, which we sampled fresh off the vine — a pretty little burst of summer flavour I’m now inspired to add to my own garden in the city.

The Culinary Vision of Chef Jason Bangerter

Chef Jason Bangerter is one of Canada’s most respected culinary leaders, known for his global experience and numerous accolades. Langdon Hall’s restaurant is on the Michelin-recommended list and has also been named on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2024 as Fifth Best and Canada’s Best Destination Restaurant. Warm, gracious, and deeply passionate, Chef Bangerter brings excitement and authenticity to every dish. If you’ve ever tried his Royal Truffle Soup, you know how exceptional his dishes are. I’m still craving it now!

Since joining Langdon Hall in 2013, he has elevated its reputation by embracing local and seasonal ingredients grown on the property and weaving them into menus that tell a story. Dining here is not just a meal—it’s an experience that invites guests to slow down, savour, and connect with the land.

A Reunion in the Kitchen: Chef Vicky Cheng

Many acclaimed chefs have collaborated with Bangerter at Langdon Hall, but a recent partnership with Chef Vicky Cheng was particularly meaningful—it was a reunion 20 years in the making.

Born and raised in Toronto, Chef Cheng trained in classic French cuisine and once worked alongside Bangerter, sharpening the skills that shaped his career. In 2011, he returned to Hong Kong after working in New York and opened VEA, a 25-counter seats fine dining restaurant fusing Chinese culture with French techniques. He had mentioned that he found himself cooking French food but always craved Asian flavours. Back then, there was nothing like what Cheng was doing. “Usually it’s Japanese with French, but French Chinese, not so much. And we were so happy that we did it because it opened up a lot of doors and opportunities for many young chefs to realize that actually Chinese cuisine can be elevated internationally,” said Cheng. In 2016, VEA earned a coveted Michelin star, propelling Cheng onto the global stage as one of Hong Kong’s top 10 chefs.

Then, in 2021, he launched Wing, a restaurant dedicated to refining Chinese cuisine that is built on tradition, and exceptional ingredients—presented with a modern lens. It’s where each main ingredient is highlighted, fine tuned, and celebrated. And for us, raised in Chinese homes, it’s unlocked memories of family dinners and a deep respect for our heritage.

The collaboration with Bangerter at Langdon Hall was more than a showcase of East-meets-West culinary mastery—it was a celebration of friendship, history, and artistry.

It all began when Cheng was Bangerter’s apprentice chef. He recalled that about 25 years ago, while still in high school, he discovered his passion for cooking. “I didn’t know how to start or where to start, and my high school had placed me at Frankie Tomato’s. My young and naïve self asked the teacher, ‘Can you put me somewhere a little bit more fancy?’” said Cheng.

Cheng went on to spend six and a half years learning under Bangerter. “It was a lot of hours, a lot of work, and plenty of time scrubbing oysters. I still remember those days, but Jason was my mentor, and even 25 years later, I still credit him the most.”

Although Cheng went on to work with many chefs, he still considers Bangerter the one who nurtured him from the very beginning. “When I didn’t know how to cut anything, or even which brand of knife to buy, he would go with me, teach me, and guide me. He not only taught me how to cook, but also how to be humble, how to be a person, and how not to waste food,” Cheng explained. He added that he continues to use many of the lessons he learned from his time as Bangerter’s apprentice—both in his cooking and in how he now teaches his own apprentices.

“I think some things you never forget in life. Chef Jason had the highest standards for everything, and I’m grateful he was my first mentor when I knew nothing,” said Cheng.

At this reunion event, the two chefs presented a culinary collaboration that wove the flavours of Canadian terroir with the refined traditions of Chinese cuisine—a harmonious expression of past and present, rooted in respect, creativity, and evolution.

Cheng cooked with signature Hong Kong ingredients such as dried abalone, prized fish maw, and delicate bird’s nest, while Bangerter highlighted our cherished Canadian and Ontario produce. Though Langdon Hall carries more of a French ambience, the menus flowed seamlessly. Interestingly, Bangerter had recently cooked in Cheng’s Hong Kong kitchen—where space was much tighter. Cheng joked about how his team was in awe of the vast Langdon Hall kitchens and grounds, calling it a luxury that felt like a dream.

Hong Kong, as many know, is a vibrant culinary destination attracting both locals and global travellers eager to experience everything from humble street food to exceptional fine dining. The city boasts over 17,000 restaurants and eateries, from bustling street fare to dim sum houses and contemporary tasting menu establishments, and is currently home to 76 Michelin-starred restaurants.

Traditional Chinese cuisine covets ingredients such as centuries-aged dried seafood and abalone that can cost thousands of dollars. Even though I was born and raised here in Canada, I am often reminded that in Chinese culture, all of our traditional dishes we eat have medicinal properties and health benefits—there’s always a reason behind the dish and to never take what we eat for granted.

One highlight of the event was a Cantonese-style dish: steamed egg white custard with a soup made from Canadian crab shells in a master stock, topped with luxurious bird’s nest—a traditional ingredient renowned for its nourishing qualities. A Google search can help you understand more. I had heard through my grandparents about the benefits of this golden bird’s nest for healthy skin, vitality and longevity. But only recently learned about Japanese scientists who’ve found the nests to also contain antiviral properties that may help protect against influenza.

Sea cucumber was another featured ingredient. Cheng emphasized the importance of mastering dried seafood in Chinese cuisine. Valued in Chinese culture as highly as truffles or caviar are in the West, sea cucumber is rare and labour-intensive to prepare, requiring careful rehydration. At the event, it was transformed into a soufflé-like spring roll with a crisp bite that was otherworldly.

Bangerter, in turn, celebrated his Canadian heritage with dishes inspired by his childhood summers, including memories from the Eastern shores, where he spent time with his grandparents. “We would always go to the lobster docks and eat whatever the fishermen brought back. We’d even have lobster races and dig for clams,” he recalled.

But it wasn’t all just about the ingredients. We learned also about the process of cooking and the importance of preparation. Freshness in cooking from raw, particularly shellfish, is key to texture and umami — important in both east and west cuisines but crucial to the authenticity of Chinese cuisine, even though often it’s more convenient to prepare some dishes in advance. Same could be said for the Langdon Hall gardens, where the most perfect and freshest herbs and vegetables are plucked daily for optimum flavour.

Perhaps the most exquisite finale to the multi-course dining event was a heritage rose dessert made with petals from a 1898 planted rose bush on the property. “This rose was planted here when the house was built in 1898, and it’s actually been added to the Slow Food International Archive. When you taste these roses, it’s the true essence and flavour of rose,” said Bangerter. He went on to also tell us they’ve also made a jam with the petals, which was used as the base of the dessert with just sugar, a bit of lemon juice and the rose petals along with fruit from the garden, including goji berries, golden raspberries and red raspberries. It was finished with gem marigold and just as beautiful visually as it was delicious.

This experience made me even more excited to bump Hong Kong to the top of my own culinary journey to explore further. Until then, I’ll savour the memories I have of this beautiful experience.

Thank you to Chef Jason Bangerter, Chef Vicky Cheng, Langdon Hall, and The Hong Kong Tourism Board for the unforgettable day!

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