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| Lemon chicken |
Looking
for a Chinese eatery in the heart of Toronto’s fashionable shopping district? Then look no further- look to Dynasty on
Yorkville. Dynasty is no mere chop suey
house.
Reigning
supreme in the area since 1994, Dynasty has been providing upscale Chinese
cuisine to cinephiles and shoppers around Bay and Bloor streets. Once prominently visible on the second floor
of the Colonade with a commanding view of Bloor St, Dynasty re-located to
Yorkville Ave- the heart of the trendy shopping area in 2010.
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| Jasmine tea |
The
atmosphere in the new Yorkville location is warmer and more intimate than in
the Colonade. For some, the most
welcoming sight upon ascending the steps is the brightly coloured, elaborate
well stocked bar. It has the largest
Lavalite I have ever seen sitting right on the bar, a welcoming beacon of cheeriness and brightness. When I
enter this restaurant, the bar makes me feel like stepping into a hotel bar in 1930’s Shanghai. While the
efficient staff proceed to warm patrons with traditional jasmine tea at any
season of the year, you will find all the familiar names at home in this well
stocked bar- Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and all the traditional vodkas and whiskeys.
The bar is actually quite diverse. You will find stocked high quality Japanese
sakes and even Chinese wines- brands
such as Moutai much coveted by Chinese wine and liquor connoisseurs.
The
Dynasty management tells me the restaurant brings together various recipes from
the “Middle Kingdom”, or fusing the very best Chinese food traditions from
north and south. At Dynasty, the weary
diner will discover food sensations from the traditional sweeter dishes of the Beijing
area to the spicier Chinese fare. The
menu at Dynasty also offers culinary delicacies from Canton Province in
southern China. Dim Sum is very much a southern dining tradition. I counted 76 dim sum dishes on the menu, and deep
fried octopus fingers to my mind is one of the more exotic. For a more traditional palate, there are
softer and sweeter dishes, ranging from barbecued pork buns, to steamed vegetarian
dumplings. One of my favourites is the to die for Steamed Supreme Har Gow. It is made at Dynasty with shrimp in a
rice flour wrap which melts in your mouth.
If
Italian pasta is more within your comfort zone, then you will want to order
from the extensive list of Noodle dishes such as its Shanghai Chow Mein noodle dish.
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| Sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf |
For
more meaty Chinese food traditionalists, fear not. The generous menu at Dynasty
on Yorkville offers sweet and sour chicken and pork as well as Szechuan Orange
peel beef. For the more heavy hearted, try the Peking Duck the specialty dish
of Dynasty on Yorkville. Peking Duck was
a favourite dish of Richard Nixon, introduced to him during his historic visit
to China in 1972. Ever since, it has
been one of the more elegant dishes, putting
Chinese food within the realm of haute cuisine. The delicacy of “Peking
Duck” is served in 2 courses. The first course consists of serving sliver-thin crispy duck skin wrapped in a thin steamed pancake crepe with chives and
elegant sauces. The second course of
Peking Duck comes presented as duck meat bathed in a lettuce wrap called “crystal fold”. I recommend this for a
larger group, “conference style” for 6- 8 persons.
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| Har gow |
Dynasty
on Yorkville is ideal for celebrations , romantic dinners, or a substantial
meal before catching a nearby movie. It
is perfect for a break after a shopping safari on Bloor St. There are special meals for 1 or 2, or 4
persons. I strongly recommend Dynasty on Yorkville. You can keep coming again and again- always
trying different dishes- it would be well worth coming at least 76 times- to
try all the dim sum dishes!
Dynasty on Yorkville ( At Bay St. close to Bay subway station)
69 Yorkville Ave.
Toronto, ON.
416- 923- 3323
