Sadly, last Thursday my plan of great street food courtesy of Toronto’s big chefs was cancelled due to the current strike action. Honestly (and perhaps disproportionally) this annoyed me; apparently I can deal with a stinky littered city with no access to the best park lands during the summer season, but closing an excellent food festival is going a little too far. Can’t we all just get along? 
To console (and feed) me The Banker offered lunch at Lai Wah Hein. I immediately forgot/forgave all agents involved in Toronto’s strike action (I’m fickle that way). Lai Wah Hein has been a bit of a food unicorn to me for years. Back in my starving student days I scored a part time job at the fine food retailer Sen5es and was exposed to the upper echelon of food for the first time – an education indeed. Sen5es at the time was located on Bloor St and a two part operation – the retail storefront which sold prepared food, charcuterie, and other overpriced exotic goodies I coveted, - and the restaurant upstairs, manned by the famous Claudio April (whom I loved with every iota of my 19 year self). The food perks of the job were fantastic and one of the best was access to a limited selection of Lai Wah Hein dim sum. The Metropolitan hotel, where the great Lai Wah Hein resides, and Sen5es existed under the same ownership as so our sister restaurant delivered daily dim sum that would become part of our case (and often part of my lunch). Unable to finagle a spot to steam the dumplings I subsisted largely on the pastry covered, deeply seasoned, meat dumplings – exotic fare to me at the time. Even sense the restaurant itself became exaggerated in my head; a utopia where morsels of flavor are dropped off one at a time to be appreciated and enjoyed. Time passed and dim sum became largely de mystified (though no less loved) but Lai Wah Hein has always reigned supreme.
To console (and feed) me The Banker offered lunch at Lai Wah Hein. I immediately forgot/forgave all agents involved in Toronto’s strike action (I’m fickle that way). Lai Wah Hein has been a bit of a food unicorn to me for years. Back in my starving student days I scored a part time job at the fine food retailer Sen5es and was exposed to the upper echelon of food for the first time – an education indeed. Sen5es at the time was located on Bloor St and a two part operation – the retail storefront which sold prepared food, charcuterie, and other overpriced exotic goodies I coveted, - and the restaurant upstairs, manned by the famous Claudio April (whom I loved with every iota of my 19 year self). The food perks of the job were fantastic and one of the best was access to a limited selection of Lai Wah Hein dim sum. The Metropolitan hotel, where the great Lai Wah Hein resides, and Sen5es existed under the same ownership as so our sister restaurant delivered daily dim sum that would become part of our case (and often part of my lunch). Unable to finagle a spot to steam the dumplings I subsisted largely on the pastry covered, deeply seasoned, meat dumplings – exotic fare to me at the time. Even sense the restaurant itself became exaggerated in my head; a utopia where morsels of flavor are dropped off one at a time to be appreciated and enjoyed. Time passed and dim sum became largely de mystified (though no less loved) but Lai Wah Hein has always reigned supreme.
Called the best di
m sum in North America Lai Wah Hein is Dim Sum unlike any other place I’ve seen or heard of in Toronto. Instead of braying women pushing carts around a crowded dining room the waiter diffidently offers us a lengthy list of the teas in addition to our menus. Our places are elegantly set with charming chopstick holder and ornate spoons. The room is subdued and serene - and strangely empty with only three other tables with groups that vary from tourists to suits. While the décor isn’t particularly current (I catch a strong whiff of the 80’s) it is extremely polished. This continues with the service; at no point was water permitted to empty, empty dishes to remain or a query to remain unanswered. The servers maintained a formal and understated manner at all times, giving the meal a real sense of gravitas.
As we (sadly) didn’t have time to partake in the many decadent chef's tasting options, we chose to go off cart and order a small number of the dumplings, as well as jasmine house tea. The lobster dumplings are precious – artful rice papers mimic the crustacean, while meaty chunks of the real thing lay within. The sui mai – a familiar offering from our more pedestrian Sunday hang outs - are decked out, with t
he pork dumpling topped with scallop and accessorized with roe. Beautiful. I have mixed feelings about the wagu beef dumplings, loving the seasoned meat in the interior of the dumpling and the chili in the sauce but finding the slices on top oddly tough and tasteless. In my book the winner of the afternoon is the little muffin shaped meat filled pastry, reminiscent of curry and treats of my past.
he pork dumpling topped with scallop and accessorized with roe. Beautiful. I have mixed feelings about the wagu beef dumplings, loving the seasoned meat in the interior of the dumpling and the chili in the sauce but finding the slices on top oddly tough and tasteless. In my book the winner of the afternoon is the little muffin shaped meat filled pastry, reminiscent of curry and treats of my past. 
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