This outrageously good $7 lemon chicken combo is the best thing I ate in Toronto this week

I can’t emphasize enough what a unicorn this meal deal is: seven bucks for a takeout container equally packed with fried rice and fried chicken. No skimping on the protein here — golden fried boneless chicken lightly coated in the classic Chinese-Canadian cornstarch and flour batter, then tossed in a sticky-sweet, translucent lemon sauce the colour of sunshine. The chicken is light, crisp, not greasy, and fried to order, which explains the five to 10-minute wait on every order (there’s no hot table here). The fried rice is simply wok-fried with soy sauce, with no vegetables or egg, understandable considering the price. Mix in a packet of hot sauce to add a nice extra layer of heat.

The cuisine

I’ve written often about Chinese-Canadian cuisine as its own subcategory of Chinese cooking, but I want to zoom in on the unique way the chicken is fried. There’s fried chicken, and then there’s Chinese fried chicken. There’s no buttermilk or beer in the batter, yet the chicken is flavourful and the skin always crisp. While every spot does things a bit differently, white pepper is a must, giving the chicken a punchy, herbal undertone, alongside Shaoxing wine to tenderise the meat. Cornstarch is a key ingredient; not only for thickening sauces and soups without cloudiness or pastiness but also in the dredge, creating a lighter, crispier batter compared to flour alone.

Also on the menu

The extensive menu includes set combo meals for groups and the usual General Tso, chow mein, lo mein and chop suey. Staying with the $7 Value Combo theme, there are six other protein options served with fried rice: three chicken balls, sweet-and-sour pork, three pieces of fried shrimp, honey garlic spare ribs and my favourite: chicken wings, for reasons explained above. For an extra four bucks, you can add wonton soup (four dumplings — a fair deal). Also a bargain is the Combo For One section, ranging from $9 to $10. For something not fried, the wok-tossed beef with vegetables and plain white rice ($9) is a hearty option that also comes with an egg roll.

Explore the area

Located on the border between North York and Scarborough, Victoria Van Horne Plaza has several tasty spots to check out. Next to Yummy Garden is the original John Anderson Hamburgers, a once-promising Canadian fast-food chain founded by an ex-hockey player that never quite took off. At the corner is MarJo Bakery, known for great empanadas. A few doors down is Rosemary and Thyme, a breakfast and lunch spot serving greasy spoon fare with a highlight of cinnamon roll pancakes. Behind the Value Village is Aoyama Sushi (2766 Victoria Park Ave.), an unpretentious Japanese dinner spot with an omakase menu at a fraction of Michelin-starred prices. The plaza is surrounded by several schools, so expect lunch rush lines. Yummy Garden opens for lunch Wednesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., but the rest of the week it opens at 3 p.m. and closes at 9 p.m. daily.