Hong Kong street food maestro Eddie Yeung is already beloved in the GTA for his dumpling and noodle skills, honed at his long-running Markham staple, Wonton Hut. Now, the chef-owner is launching Fat Zhu Noodle Lab, a new restaurant in North York that will focus on his signature pork and shrimp wontons and braised brisket.
The new micro-concept spot will have just six seats, allowing diners to get up close and personal with the cuisine. “Toronto is a city where a meal is an education; you can step into a tiny shop, learn about a family’s culture and deeply appreciate their specific craft,” Yeung says. “While big chains are growing, the heart of Toronto remains fiercely independent. We see so many chef-led restaurants thriving here because the city truly values authenticity and technique.”
Here are some of the places Yeung hits when he wants to marvel in his fellow chefs’ technique.
Best date-night spot
Peter’s Fine Dining, 5701 Highway 7
“It stands out as a total throwback with plush booths and dark wood, offering impeccable, personal tableside service. Their legendary prime rib is the prime example of timeless consistency; it is an absolute master-class in traditional roasting: incredibly juicy, perfectly pink from edge to edge, and served with a deeply savoury, rich pan gravy that honours the cut completely.”
The last best thing you ate
Sun Star Chinese Cuisine, 636 Finch Ave. E.
“It captures pure, high-energy Hong Kong diner nostalgia. Get the stir-fried beef rice noodles. The ultimate litmus test for any wok chef, they execute it flawlessly: the flat rice noodles carry an intense, blistering smokiness from the roaring flame without breaking apart or losing their structure, and the beef remains perfectly velvety, the plate completely dry, with no pooled oil.”
Current obsession
Finch JungSooNae, 5754 Yonge St.
“This is a legendary institution for uncompromised Korean home cooking run by an elderly Korean couple. While they are highly celebrated for their specialty raw marinated crab, their pork bone soup is, in my opinion, the absolute best in town. Unlike the watered-down or overly commercial versions found elsewhere, their broth is deeply layered, rich and carries a soul-satisfying heat.”
Fancy dinner
Zen Japanese Restaurant, 7634 Woodbine Ave.
“The chef’s choice sushi experience is worth every penny: Sit at the blond wood counter and watch their precise knife work as they craft temperature-controlled sushi from seasonal fish flown in directly from Japan, laid over seasoned rice, piece by piece.”
Comfort food
Oriental Basil, 10815 Yonge St.
“This unpretentious mom-and-pop gem serves the most authentic Taiwanese comfort food in the GTA. I travel to Taiwan frequently, and the food here perfectly captures the exact flavour profile of Taipei’s night markets without tailoring it to Westernized palates. I order the minced pork rice, featuring hand-cut pork braised until melt-in-your-mouth tender, coating the grains in a rich, non-greasy glaze, and pair it with their traditional Taiwanese beef noodles.”
Lunch spot
Providential 9, 8425 Woodbine Ave.
“My favourite dim sum destination, the kitchen makes everything fresh in-house daily rather than relying on wholesale factory-made products. You taste that technical skill instantly in the translucent, perfectly pleated wrappers of their snappy shrimp dumplings and the rich, sweet savoury glaze inside their baked barbecue pork buns.”
Best late-night craving
“When I want a bowl of noodles that values technique over pure heavy fat, I head here for their seafood udon. Most places blow out late-night broths with heavy oils, but MeNaMi keeps theirs remarkably clean and light while building a deeply savoury backbone using fresh mussels, shrimp and squid. The house-made thick udon noodles carry a perfect, springy snap and chew that holds its structure in the piping-hot soup.”
Best takeout
One2Snacks, 8 Glen Watford Dr.
“This tiny Malaysian counter requires pre-ordering days in advance — my go-to choices are the smoky stir-fried rice noodles and the coconut curry noodle soup. The flat rice noodles carry a smoky, intense street-style char, while the curry broth hits you with a rich, complex wallop of coconut, tamarind and deep spice warmth.”
Favourite weekend breakfast place
Sugar Sweet Café, 4911 Steeles Ave. E.
“They deliver the ultimate Hong Kong-style breakfast morning fix with no corporate fluff. The ideal order pairs a savoury satay beef macaroni soup with a classic scrambled egg sandwich. The sandwich offers cloud-soft thick white bread with eggs scrambled to a velvety, pillowy fold, balanced by the savoury, aromatic punch of the tender beef.”
Best bakery
You & Me Bakery and Coffee Shop, 9425 Leslie St.
“The ultimate prize here is their traditional egg tarts. My strategy is to head there around 2:30 p.m. to catch them freshly pulled out of the oven. The puff pastry layers are incredibly flaky and buttery, cradling a glossy, warm egg custard that is intensely smooth and perfectly dialed back on the sweetness.”
Best dessert
Double Ming Chinese Dessert, 4188 Finch Ave. E.
“A real-deal, old-school shop that feels exactly like a dessert spot in Hong Kong, my absolute favourite thing to get here is their traditional black sesame pudding soup. It takes a ton of patience to roast and grind the seeds properly so they don’t turn bitter, but they get it absolutely perfect. The texture is incredibly smooth, the colour pitch-black and glossy, with a deep, toasted aroma that isn’t masked by too much sugar.”
