Casa Imperial

Respectable dim sum in a pretty mansion

Toronto has bountiful dim sum at all price points. Quality is comparable or better than Hong Kong. At the high-end, there are over a dozen restaurants that will compete for your dollar. By high-end, I mean luxury ingredients like lobster, truffles, foie gras, etc. Surprisingly, prices are not that stratospheric. The average plate at these restaurants range from $5.65 to $11.30 (after tax). In the past, it was common to have “early bird” discounts for diners that show up before 9am. It’s rare to see that these days but you can still get discounts (usually) by paying with cash.

Exterior of Casa Imperial
Casa Imperial

Casa Imperial has the best setting amongst its competitors. It’s in a mid-19th-century heritage house, originally the Hood-Gough House. Think chandeliers, oil paintings, and fine china. It’s faux-glam but consumers love it for its perceived elegance. For pandemic dining, seating has moved outdoors and so has the dining finery. Even the tents are a step above the average restaurant. Sturdy and matched for an establishment of this calibre.

Tableware at Casa Imperial
Tableware

The food

The baked BBQ pork (叉燒; char siew) and pine seed puff was my favourite of the day.

Baked BBQ pork and pine seed puffs from Casa Imperial
Baked BBQ pork and pine seed puffs

These triangular pastries were flakey and their egg-brushed top was golden albeit sloppy.

Baked BBQ pork and pine seed puff from Casa Imperial
Baked BBQ pork and pine seed puff

They were filled with gooey char siew. I couldn’t taste the pine nuts but I didn’t mind. The delicately sweet and savoury sauce was enough to satisfy. 8/10.

Filling of baked BBQ pork and pine seed puff from Casa Imperial
Filling of BBQ pork puff

Their signature super har gow (蝦餃; shrimp dumpling) tasted like an ordinary har gow, just bigger in size.

Super har gow jumbo shrimp dumplings from Casa Imperial
Super har gow jumbo shrimp dumplings

I’ll give them points for including three times the amount of shrimp meat.

Super har gow jumbo shrimp dumpling from Casa Imperial
Super har gow

But it became monotonous to eat such a large serving. I wished they differentiated themselves with cooking skill, flavours, or creativity. Giving a larger portion of the same thing doesn’t make a premium restaurant. 6.5/10.

Filling of super har gow jumbo shrimp dumpling from Casa Imperial
Filling of super har gow

The steamed rice noodle roll (腸粉; cheung fun) with scallop in XO sauce fared better. The dough was pliable, thin, and translucent.

Steamed rice noodle roll with scallop in XO sauce from Casa Imperial
Steamed rice noodle roll with scallop in XO sauce

The few pieces of scallop were tender—I would have liked more. Flavours were plain. Rice rolls like these rely on the sauce for flavour. The sauce was decent but lacked the explosive umami and seafood flavours associated with XO sauce. 7.5/10.

Filling of steamed rice noodle roll with scallop in XO sauce from Casa Imperial
Scallop filling in rice roll

Pan-fried turnip patties (蘿蔔糕; lo bak go) are a staple at dim sum restaurants.

Pan fried turnip patties from Casa Imperial
Pan-fried turnip patties

The ones at Casa Imperial were caramelized lightly on the outside, which enhanced the taste. It would have scored higher if it was patted dry of oil.

Pan fried turnip patty from Casa Imperial
Pan-fried turnip patty

The inside was silky smooth, punctuated with chunks of sweet and funky Chinese preserved meats (臘腸; lap cheong). 8/10.

Interior of pan fried turnip patty from Casa Imperial
Preserved meats in turnip patty

For dessert, I had salted egg yolk buns (流沙包; lau sa bao). These have become all the rage in the past decade. Like chocolate lava cake, a molten filling is fun to cut through and take pictures of. Although salted egg yolk is savoury, it can be used in desserts. It’s analogous to the salt in salted caramel.

Salted egg yolk buns from Casa Imperial
Salted egg yolk buns

The salted egg yolk taste was barely discernible. I got mostly vanilla from the custard. The filling was like a paste and not runny enough. On the plus side, the bun was fluffy. It succeeded as a dessert but not so much a molten bun. 7/10.

Filling of salted egg yolk bun from Casa Imperial
Filling of salted egg yolk bun

I got the papaya and custard cake (馬拉糕; ma lai go) as extra dessert. This is a traditional Cantonese steamed cake. Fun fact: it literally translates to Malay cake but it has tenuous connections to Malaysia at best.

Papaya and custard cakes from Casa Imperial
Papaya and custard cakes

It was barely sweet. There was only a sliver of papaya and the custard taste was indistinct.

Papaya and custard cake from Casa Imperial
Papaya and custard cake

Still, I enjoyed the texture and mild flavours. It went well with tea. To be more dessert-like, there could be more fruits or cream. 7/10.

Interior of papaya and custard cake from Casa Imperial
Sliced papaya and custard cake
Dim sum menu from Casa Imperial
Dim sum menu

The place

I didn’t get any interior pictures because of COVID-19 restrictions. Just imagine a Chinese-European banquet hall spread out in a period house. Or you can search online for pictures from pre-COVID times.

The exterior of the restaurant looked like a well-kept tourist attraction.

Entrance of Casa Imperial
Casa entrance

Outdoor dining was well-executed. The tents provided sufficient shade. Getting the attention of waitstaff can be chaotic, Hong Kong-style. Remember to make a booking to avoid disappointment.

Outdoor dining at Casa Imperial
Outdoor dining
Outdoor queue at Casa Imperial
Outdoor tents

Verdict

Above-average dim sum in an upscale setting. 7.5/10.

Practical information

Name
Casa Imperial
Rating
7.5/10
Recommended dishes
Baked BBQ pork and pine seed puff
Pan-fried turnip patty
Prices (including tax)
Baked BBQ pork and pine seed puff x 3: $6.78
Super har gow x 4: $9.04
Steamed rice noodle roll with scallop in XO sauce x 3: $9.04
Pan-fried turnip patty x 3: $6.78
Salted egg yolk bun x 3: $6.78
Papaya and custard cake x 3: $5.65
Pot of tea: $4.07
Address
4125 Steeles Avenue East
Hours
Monday to Friday 1000h – 2300h
Saturday to Sunday 0900h – 2300h
Dim sum available until 1600h
Date of visit
July 2021