Chapter 9 China Plates
492 Words
Chinese food is a whole world of regional styles and variations, and apparently, we've got 'em all. For rich, sweet Peking Duck, try Champion House (486 Dundas St. W., 416- 977-8282; 25 Watline Ave., 2nd floor, Mississauga, 905-890- 8988). For cheap and delicious noodle bowls, there's King's Noodle 1296 Spadina Ave., 416-598-1817. Seafood is the specialty at the perennially popular Eating Garden (41 Baldwin St., 416-595-5525, eatinggarden.com); their shrimp and banana spring rolls get high marks. Open late, Swatow (309 Spadina Ave., 416-977-0601) has great congee (rice porridge) with seafood chunks. The cutthroat food-court competition that used to prevail at Dragon City has moved south to the basement of Chinatown Centre (222 Spadina Ave.). All the vendors offer a four-items- for-$2.99 special (rice or noodle counts as an item). Each counter presents quite different fare, and the offerings range from the pedestrian (fried chicken) to the more adventurous (sausage-stuffed bitter melon), with lots of choices for the vegetarian who likes tofu. Then there are the yummy barbecue places if you have no trouble walking past cooked whole beasts hoisted on meathooks in the window - like Sing Sing B.B.Q. House (351 Broadview Ave., 416-778-8029). Among the myriad outlets for dim sum, the never-ending buffet "à la cart," we especially like Golden Mile (421 Dundas St. W., upstairs, 416-260-1818) and Pearl Court (633 Gerrard St. E., 416-463-8778). For the stuffy, sweet, meat-filled curry buns, the classic outlet is Yung Sing Pastry (22 Baldwin St., 416-979-2832), but there are many others, like Miao Ke Hong Bakery (345 Broadview Ave., 416-463-6388).
BOILING POINT
Most non-Chinese folks still haven't
really figured out "hot pot" (known in Singapore as "steam boat"). It's essentially an Asian variant on the fondue theme, served for about $10 a person. When you order, a hat plate with a broth bowl is brought to the table. (You can have it spicier or blander, or both, in a divided bowl.) Then they pile the table with raw seafood, noodles, sliced beef, tripe, chicken, tofu, eggs, vegetables, and so on, and arm you with ladles, chopsticks, and mesh baskets. It's up to you to cook your own dinner communally, and you can have more of anything you like or specify in advance the things you don't want. Added participatory fun comes from
the opportunity to blend your own
sauces from canisters of red and black bean sauce, vinegars, oils, soy sauces, and garlic which may be out of sight until you ask about them.
Our recommended hot pot outlet is Lucky Dragon (418 Spadina Ave., 416-598-7823), open until almost dawn. There's a "northern Chinese" variant at the Great Khan Mongolian Grill (7131 Kennedy Rd., Markham, 905-947-8288), where you can also sample meaty all-
you-can-eat Mongolian barbecue.
Tip #1: Normal cooking rules apply, so don't lick the utensils you use to handle the raw meats unless you like to live dangerously.
Tip #2: Pork or fish balls are done when they float to the top.
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