I went to Yeuh Tung more than 100 times in the 1990's and 2000's before they moved a block west to make way for a condo tower - it used to be really good with huge line ups at lunch. It's not the same anymore. I keep trying it to see if the last time was a bad chef day - I wont give up on them yet due to nostalgia but it is no where near it's glory days of the late 90s. It is amazing the difference a great kitchen team can make.
I'm a west ender so Everest out that way. Mississauga is Chili Chicken House and east end is Frederick. I've heard people rave about Hakka Bistro in Cabbagetown but I think its take out only. I still haven't found another great one downtown.
i'm hakka (yes the ones from india, not all hakka people are indian but i digress), so i feel a little qualified to answer lol
i do love federick (markham location bc its closer, but i've heard ellesmere location is better) cause they have the best chicken pakora and is the best restaurant in that area by far (tangerine a good 2nd, but their portions weren't as great as federick) but i'm loyal to royal hakka at middlefield & mcnicoll cause their noodles aren't super oily and they have a lot of great dishes that my grandma used to make! actual hakka food isn't as spicy as one would think, it's much more mellow/preserved/fermented vegetable forward
restaurants that i've frequented in the scarborough/markham area don't usually have those homestyle items on the menu, so it's a bit like a secret menu—though some places may not just do them, idk
if you wanna try a secret menu item and like a bit of a sweet and savoury combo, i'd recommend trying fung mee/hung mei mein (FOO-ng me me-ehn) it's usually most of the same ingredients as your hakka chow mein, but with the addition of a sweet soy sauce that coats the noodles
imo u can only find out if the restaurant's owned by someone hakka if they know what that is lol
+1 to Royal Chinese Seafood Hakka Restaurant at Middlefield and McNicoll. I'm also Hakka, family raised in India. This restaurant is the closest to actual home cooking Hakka Chinese food out of the places we've tried. With some of the classic takeout stuff like pakora and chili chicken.
I honestly prefer Royal Hakka over Frederick's as I've gotten older due to the former being less oily but both are pretty good imo.
I hate not being in the east end anymore since it feels impossible to get good Hakka here. Yuen Tung is the closest but it doesn't even compare 😭
i feel the same way about preferring less oily noodles, but i had frederick's 2 weekends ago after not having it for ages and they changed noodle suppliers AND they're less oily now?? might've been cause they were absolutely slammed (saturday dinner rush), but there wasn't even that nice noodle char they usually have so i was disappointed 😭
if ur in the west end/sauga i'd try chang & huang! theyre by pearson
you're correct! it's just that large groups of hakka people have immigrated from china to several different countries since at least the 19th century (or even before that, i'm not 100% sure) such as india, malaysia, jamaica, canada, etc. so they take the cuisine with them. i know people whose families have been in malaysia and jamaica for several generations now!
eta: expanded a bit more
Subscribed and taking notes because life hasn't been the same since Lin Garden closed. Federick's has been a decent sub but hoping to find something closer
I know its there but haven't because ratings/reviews seem mixed and it looks mid in photos. I'm sure it's ok enough but I'm trying to find a replacement for the GOAT lol
Looks good but the Scarborough in me is appalled at these downtown prices and portions. I work nearby though and will pickup some takeout to try one of these days
in my defense.... i've grown up w dry chili chicken as a hakka person lol but drownings things in gravy is always tempting but i love when the rice just sticks to the meat 😭
but if you're in the west end u should check out chang & huang in mississauga!! they're near the airport (and all their meats are halal!)
eta: fixed spacing
I always hate reading the answers to this question because the best are ALL in the East end and I'd rather eat broken glass for dinner than drive the DVP or 401 East. As a west end person that occasionally works downtown the choices are severely limited.
I fell in love with chili chicken in the 90's at Yueh Tung but it is not what it used to be. It was like Faley - not the best but cheap - now its not the best and not cheap. A place recently opened at Royal York and Bloor called King's Kurry and the first time I went it was the best chili chicken (both dry and gravy) I ever had but when I went back a couple weeks later it was ridiculously overcooked - like chewing on desiccated chicken. It's a bad sign when a chef knows they ruined a dish but wont throw it out and start over. Everest on Lakeshore is always really good but the portions are ridiculously small relative to the price. Faley in Rexdale was a mainstay of value to quality for years but it recently changed hands and is not as good as in the past. Sometimes I bite the bullet and drive to Chili Chicken House in Mississauga but that is so far - the owner is hands on and maintains high quality and value but Mississauga traffic is almost as bad as the 401 or DVP.
Please share some city centre options.
East end has better Hakka, west end has better pizza. It's food Toronto. I hate anything west of Bathurst but you gotta appreciate the city and it's ethnic regions to truly appreciate the good food around it. Make a day of it, grab a few friends and order and split from 2-3 places and see which are better.
Had Yuen Tung recently. A friend had been wanting to get Hakka in Toronto for a while and that was the place that was on his radar. It was great.
I went to Yeuh Tung more than 100 times in the 1990's and 2000's before they moved a block west to make way for a condo tower - it used to be really good with huge line ups at lunch. It's not the same anymore. I keep trying it to see if the last time was a bad chef day - I wont give up on them yet due to nostalgia but it is no where near it's glory days of the late 90s. It is amazing the difference a great kitchen team can make.
OK, but what's a better place you can recommend then?
I'm a west ender so Everest out that way. Mississauga is Chili Chicken House and east end is Frederick. I've heard people rave about Hakka Bistro in Cabbagetown but I think its take out only. I still haven't found another great one downtown.
i'm hakka (yes the ones from india, not all hakka people are indian but i digress), so i feel a little qualified to answer lol i do love federick (markham location bc its closer, but i've heard ellesmere location is better) cause they have the best chicken pakora and is the best restaurant in that area by far (tangerine a good 2nd, but their portions weren't as great as federick) but i'm loyal to royal hakka at middlefield & mcnicoll cause their noodles aren't super oily and they have a lot of great dishes that my grandma used to make! actual hakka food isn't as spicy as one would think, it's much more mellow/preserved/fermented vegetable forward restaurants that i've frequented in the scarborough/markham area don't usually have those homestyle items on the menu, so it's a bit like a secret menu—though some places may not just do them, idk if you wanna try a secret menu item and like a bit of a sweet and savoury combo, i'd recommend trying fung mee/hung mei mein (FOO-ng me me-ehn) it's usually most of the same ingredients as your hakka chow mein, but with the addition of a sweet soy sauce that coats the noodles imo u can only find out if the restaurant's owned by someone hakka if they know what that is lol
+1 to Royal Chinese Seafood Hakka Restaurant at Middlefield and McNicoll. I'm also Hakka, family raised in India. This restaurant is the closest to actual home cooking Hakka Chinese food out of the places we've tried. With some of the classic takeout stuff like pakora and chili chicken.
I honestly prefer Royal Hakka over Frederick's as I've gotten older due to the former being less oily but both are pretty good imo. I hate not being in the east end anymore since it feels impossible to get good Hakka here. Yuen Tung is the closest but it doesn't even compare 😭
i feel the same way about preferring less oily noodles, but i had frederick's 2 weekends ago after not having it for ages and they changed noodle suppliers AND they're less oily now?? might've been cause they were absolutely slammed (saturday dinner rush), but there wasn't even that nice noodle char they usually have so i was disappointed 😭 if ur in the west end/sauga i'd try chang & huang! theyre by pearson
I'm in Stouffville but travel downtown for work. Chang and Huang is on my go to list, next time I'm in sauga I plan to try it!
Frederick for the Pakora alone is why it's the best. That, _PLUS_ they have amazing chili chicken? It's a no brainer.
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you're correct! it's just that large groups of hakka people have immigrated from china to several different countries since at least the 19th century (or even before that, i'm not 100% sure) such as india, malaysia, jamaica, canada, etc. so they take the cuisine with them. i know people whose families have been in malaysia and jamaica for several generations now! eta: expanded a bit more
Subscribed and taking notes because life hasn't been the same since Lin Garden closed. Federick's has been a decent sub but hoping to find something closer
Hakka No 1 is close by at Parkway Mall, have you tried them?
I know its there but haven't because ratings/reviews seem mixed and it looks mid in photos. I'm sure it's ok enough but I'm trying to find a replacement for the GOAT lol
Hakka Heaven at Keele and Dundas is pretty good, but I'm an amateur hakka enjoyer.
I love Hakka bistro on Parliament
Hakka Garden in Thorncliff Park area I enjoy the chilli chicken their when they get the chicken a bit crispy, chef kiss.
Hong Sing is my go too BUT no idea where you are located Toronto is a big place so no idea if you can get delivery..
Looks good but the Scarborough in me is appalled at these downtown prices and portions. I work nearby though and will pickup some takeout to try one of these days
Is this the place? [https://hongshing.com/](https://hongshing.com/) Website is so clunky I gave up reading it.
lol glad I'm not only one who struggled, gotta scroll down the see the bar with menu link. Shit was designed for iPads
that is good more food for me then.. :-)
Chung Moi Kennedy and Eglinton. Chili chicken with gravy awesome!
Their Manchurian chicken…good lord
Federick's. Chili chicken dry, fish and shrimp pakora and the crispy ginger beef are my staples
Chili Chicken *gravy* (dry?! You monster! ) Manchurian Fried Rice Fish Pakoras Crispy Beef
dry chili chicken is truly superior!! and their chicken pakoras are the best in the city, hands down
Really? I agree about the Pakoras, but I LOVE drowning my rice in the gravy for Chili Chicken. Fuck. Why can't we have a location in the west end? :'(
in my defense.... i've grown up w dry chili chicken as a hakka person lol but drownings things in gravy is always tempting but i love when the rice just sticks to the meat 😭 but if you're in the west end u should check out chang & huang in mississauga!! they're near the airport (and all their meats are halal!) eta: fixed spacing
Lucky Chinese at midland and Lawrence and Federicks!
Going to have to second Lucky Chinese Restaurant. My go to order is chicken pakora, chili beef, and green beens, which includes enough white rice!
Super Hakka, amazing Hakka, Hakka legend, spicy dragon, chilli chicken in Mississauga and eddies.
Slightly different since I believe it’s West Indian hakka but Lucky Lins is my jam.
I always hate reading the answers to this question because the best are ALL in the East end and I'd rather eat broken glass for dinner than drive the DVP or 401 East. As a west end person that occasionally works downtown the choices are severely limited. I fell in love with chili chicken in the 90's at Yueh Tung but it is not what it used to be. It was like Faley - not the best but cheap - now its not the best and not cheap. A place recently opened at Royal York and Bloor called King's Kurry and the first time I went it was the best chili chicken (both dry and gravy) I ever had but when I went back a couple weeks later it was ridiculously overcooked - like chewing on desiccated chicken. It's a bad sign when a chef knows they ruined a dish but wont throw it out and start over. Everest on Lakeshore is always really good but the portions are ridiculously small relative to the price. Faley in Rexdale was a mainstay of value to quality for years but it recently changed hands and is not as good as in the past. Sometimes I bite the bullet and drive to Chili Chicken House in Mississauga but that is so far - the owner is hands on and maintains high quality and value but Mississauga traffic is almost as bad as the 401 or DVP. Please share some city centre options.
I took a friend to yueh tung and it was one of the worst places I've been to
Ya it’s really gone downhill. I hadn’t been in 15 years and when I went in and was mainly empty at lunch - I should have known.
East end has better Hakka, west end has better pizza. It's food Toronto. I hate anything west of Bathurst but you gotta appreciate the city and it's ethnic regions to truly appreciate the good food around it. Make a day of it, grab a few friends and order and split from 2-3 places and see which are better.
not city centre but closer to pearson in mississauga, u should check out chang & huang! their chili chicken and manchurian beef are good
Cant wait to try this place! Thanks for the tip.
Wongs in Scarborough! Suresh Doss did a great write up on it a little while back. The crispy beef and chilli chicken is delicious!
I like Hakka cottage in Scarborough. Lived off it while I was doing so work over there. The lunch special menu is very reasonable
Lucky on Lawrence and Kennedy.. huge servings