It would be nice to have a Chevy option downtown, halfway in terms of price and quality between Rol San and Mott 32. 
How has Moon Palace been lately?
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Pretty good! Former chef of Richmond Hill’s ’ The Emperor ’ is still at the helm!
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Good to know. Thanks, @THECHARLES 
Just for discussion purposes and randomly picking an example…Looking at the irregular and unevenly burnt skin of LWH’s posted $88, 8 pieces Roasted Pork Belly compared to Hong Kong’s Lei Garden signature version. It seemed this TOP chef skill isn’t really that TOP after all? 
…Considering Lei Garden is no longer top tier anymore with quite a few ‘up and comer’ offering even better looking and tasty products!!
BTW, the plate of ’ Siu Yuk ’ costs the equivalent of only CAD$25!..and Man! they were goooood!!
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See @THECHARLES even Toronto life referred to Mimi Chinese as high end 
oh boy what a reliable source wink wink
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To be fair, I didn’t say TOP chef, I said top hotel. 
According to the Toronto Life article (already linked here by msrleny), they named the chefs as: “Heyden Sin and Huang Zhenqing both [of whom] worked in extremely high-end dining back home.”
And re comparing to Lei Garden in Hong Kong, I’d argue that’s not really pertinent since we live in Toronto. I get the exorbitant pricing issue which has been discussed at length here and @Reddit but I guess the expression “the proof is in the pudding” applies and will post a review after we visit there to see for ourselves. Would appreciate if others do same.
In the meantime, with Mott 32 and now LWH, it’s good to see attempts to do ultra-high-end Chinese cuisine here in Toronto. It’s a far cry from the days here when the ‘better’ Chinese restaurants served chop suey and chicken balls.
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…She also used the words ‘in town’ in her write up but ignored mentioning the QJD, LUNA and ZUNYAN further uptown! Establishments that offer a $4000 set menu for 10 in a gorgeous private room setting should be more than qualified to be called ’ fine dining '?!!
Maybe the writer is spending too much time looking after her two children at home rather than spending more time on research and homework before publishing?!
I place more faith in recommendations by Toronto Life’s former contributor - Renee Suen!
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Well, curiosity got the better of our budget and we sampled Mott 32 with a friend, despite Charles’s warnings about inferior ingredients in their overseas branches. Who knows if we’ll ever get to the Hong Kong flagship anyway (we’ve never been to Hong Kong). The overall verdict was that it was very good, but not so much better to justify the prices, which is essentially what all of you were predicting. I’ll include prices with each item to help with your own assessment of worth it/not worth it.
We drank only cocktails, which were excellent and at a price point similar to other higher end places ($28 each):
- Passion & Soul [right]: Johnnie Walker Black Label, crème de cassis, passionfruit, lemon, fresh apple juice
- Forbidden Rose [left]: vanilla-bean-infused pisco, lychee liqueur, passion fruit purée, lemon juice and a hint of chili.
- Duck Fat Old Fashioned: duck fat-washed Bulleit Bourbon, brown-sugar syrup, and orange bitters.
Uncertain about ordering the lobster har gow ($28 per piece), we opted instead for the Hot and Sour Ibérico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings ($24 for 4 pieces): carrot-dyed wheat flour dough, stuffed with minced Ibérico pork, and hot-and-sour soup broth. Eye catching and lovely tang from the broth.
The best value for the night was the complimentary prawn har gow in honour of Chinese New Year. The wrappers were thin and light, the contents done to that perfect texture of initial resistance and delicate follow through.
We next had the Sweet & Sour Black Cod ($58) - perfectly crisped moist segments of rich fish in a sweet and tangy hawthorn sauce, with fresh lychees, green onion, and a bit of fresh ginger.
Our main reason for trying Mott 32 was their Apple Wood Roast Peking Duck ($180), which has to be pre-ordered. It is marinated in some kind of secret sauce and then roasted in a clay oven and smoked with applewood. Some of the skin is initially served with cane sugar and then slices of meat and skin are served with steamed crepes, julienned cucumber and scallions, and a hoisin-like house-made fermented sweet-flower paste, drizzled with roasted sesame purée.
The skin was beautiful, crispy, a bit smokey, with a little bit of unctuous underpinning. Although it went nicely with the cane sugar, it was also just great on its own. The meat was moist, rich in flavour, with hints of spices. The crepes were light and delicate and the sauce, well it seemed pretty much like hoisin. So a great duck, but in my limited experience, I’m not sure much greater than other ducks that are substantially cheaper.
We next had Pea Tips ($48) in a pleasantly umami fish broth, with sweet-and-sour goji berries, gingko nuts, and starchy lily bulbs. Very good, particularly the soup.
We also had the Signature Nova scotia Lobster “Ma Po Tofu” ($88). The soft tofu was in a sauce dominated by Szechuan peppercorns. I couldn’t really detect much of the fermented bean flavour that I am used to in this dish. It is topped off with a whole wok-fried lobster, which was tasty but more like a garnish than an integrated part of the dish.
I had to have the above with a bowl of steamed rice ($6).
For dessert we had the Almond & Chocolate Oolong Tea “Xiao Long Bao” - cold dumplings, served in a cloud of dry ice ($24 for 4 pieces). Fun and enjoyable, not amazing.
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It looks like a very nice splurge!
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@DrJohn thanks for taking one for the team as they say 
much appreciated. I don’t mind splurging on a meal like this sadly my friend’s father from HK who would usually accompany or take us for Chinese new year or holiday dinner passed away a few years ago so these elaborate meals have all become a distant memory sadness. Lai Wah Heen is similarly priced for the duck at 188$ when I asked for the price on my recent lunch there. Before they closed and reopened their peking duck was as good as HK IMO (my friend’s father gave the seal of approval as well) will keep this spot in mind or maybe even just get a taste of Mott 32 as they do have a happy hour now.
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Like all restaurants, regardless, I’m sure they have their audience …
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Another GREAT write-up Doc! …lovely photos as well!
Comparing the duck to their Hong Kong flag ship, the overall ’ rough-with-an-edge ’ appearance DID NOT look like a Mott 32 product!! In fact, their Vancouver branch offering looked way better!
I’m surprised to see, for the whopping price they are charging, the overall skin can be so uneven looking even with parts ’ burnt’?! My recent Peking duck experience at Dayali, Richmond Hill, at half the cost, seemed like a way better deal!
That sweet & sour Black Cod dish looked pretty darn good and appetizing though!
Happy CNY to you and yours, chow-friend!
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I will probably try a few dishes at Mott 32 at some point, when I want a fancy meal, because of its location, which is convenient for me.
I have enjoyed afternoon tea at the Shangri La half a dozen times.
I haven’t eaten Chinese food in Markham or Richmond Hill since 2019. I have only been to Scarborough twice since 2019.
When I lived near York Mills, before 2015, I was driving up to Markham and Richmond Hill a few times a month.
I have only eaten Chinese food North of the 401 around half a dozen times in the past 11 years. Usually for chowmeets, or to bring visitors to dim sum. I organized a Peking Duck dinner for a group in 2015. It’s hard to believe that’s already 11 years ago!
I can understand sticking to the Markham options, if one lives in the GTA full-time, and also if one lives North of Eglinton.
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I still have to try Dayali. I was considering it, but ended up at The One Fusion the previous weekend.
Happy New Year as well.
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