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.
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.
The food
The baked BBQ pork (叉燒; char siew) and pine seed puff was my favourite of the day.
These triangular pastries were flakey and their egg-brushed top was golden albeit sloppy.
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.
Their signature super har gow (蝦餃; shrimp dumpling) tasted like an ordinary har gow, just bigger in size.
I’ll give them points for including three times the amount of shrimp meat.
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.
The steamed rice noodle roll (腸粉; cheung fun) with scallop in XO sauce fared better. The dough was pliable, thin, and translucent.
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.
Pan-fried turnip patties (蘿蔔糕; lo bak go) are a staple at dim sum restaurants.
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.
The inside was silky smooth, punctuated with chunks of sweet and funky Chinese preserved meats (臘腸; lap cheong). 8/10.
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.
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.
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.
It was barely sweet. There was only a sliver of papaya and the custard taste was indistinct.
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.
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.
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.
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