Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant
195 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5G 1C7
http://hongshingto.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hongshingto

Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant is family owned and is celebrating 20 years of operation in downtown Toronto! This restaurant is the most modern but traditional Chinese restaurant that I have ever came across, and that is why it’s my favourite! Just over a year ago, they modernized their sign from your typical old school Chinese Restaurant neon sign to this beautiful modern design. Neon signs are coming back into fashion though, with somewhere like Neon Mama offering a huge range of colours and custom designs, perfect for that night-out Insta story. Angel wings are popular for young people to pose in front of, as are inspirational quotes, and more and more restaurants are getting behind the trend. In addition to the modern exterior, they have updated their “Specials” board with lettering created by local artist, @angelita_gel.

As you probably have noticed, at the bottom of the board lists all of their social media. This is another reason why I’m in love with Hong Shing – they are very in tune with the times and are always on top of their game. They’re making the most of these lucrative platforms, and for those who need a little guidance on this when setting up their own restaurant, check out the Best Restaurant Marketing Agency . They’ll help you to make the most of all advertising avenues to really boost your customer base. Hong Shing are leading the way as they will like/comment on all of your photos from Hong Shing and they also repost to show their thanks and appreciation! When I started Instagram, I frequented Hong Shing on a weekly basis and I would post something from every night; Hong Shing kindly reposted quite a bit of my photos to show their thanks. Oh, did I mention that they are open until 5AM? Yes, they are! Me and my boyfriend would find ourselves here at 2AM after his late shift in the kitchen and enjoying dishes from their spicy shrimp to the crispy beef. Now onto the food!

Actually, before we get to the food I have one last awesome thing that they do! They do their own cocktails! The owner is creating a new take on the Chinese restaurant experience and wants to show the world that not only does tea pair well with Chinese food but cocktails (and other alcoholic beverages) do as well. He is trying to put a new world spin on your Chinese dining experience. As for his next steps? He told us he’s thinking of purchasing some Restaurant inventory management software to keep his business running smoothly. How exciting! This “Stormy Night in Hong Kong” definitely suited well with the dishes you are able to see and I highly suggest giving it a try when you find yourself in downtown Toronto!

The above is a spread of food that I enjoyed with a few of my foodie friends when we visited Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant. The owner, Colin Li, waited on our table and we asked him to surprise us (mainly, because we couldn’t make up our minds)!

This is my personal favourite! Whenever I would bring an order of this home, I would find myself watching Food Network and snacking on this like it’s popcorn. It may say that it’s spicy (probably because of the whole chilis in the dish) but it is mostly sweet and crispy. It is a definite a fun to eat finger food but even better with rice (bring on the Asian side!). The crispy beef is deep fried slices of beef tossed with a honey sauce. Although it may sound like it’ll be completely crispy, there are meaty sections that give you the satisfaction of getting full just from this one item.

This dish is another favourite (but an utmost favourite of Nico, my boyfriend) and is more on the spicy, but satisfying, side. It is deep fried (but not oily) and is covered in a chili-onion mixture that works well with the sweetness of the shrimp.

These ribs may seem very simple but they are PACKED with flavour. The ribs are marinated for hours which provides the most juiciest and fall of the bone ribs. I cannot explain what it exactly tastes like but whenever we bring a friend to Hong Shing and they try these ribs, their eyes light up due to the unexpected flavour that these contain. It may seem strange that these ribs would be fried but I believe that is what helps bring out the flavours even further. Bonus, fried garlic!

The snow pea leaves are definitely a cleansing type of dish that helps balance the all the different types of food on the table. It is light and simply cooked, and provides a fresh new taste within your group of dishes. The spicy eggplant gives a filling aspect without having protein; the sauce is on the thicker side but provides a light spicy taste for thick sauce. The eggplant also holds up its texture although it is cooked in the sauce.

This was my first time trying this type of rice dish and man, it is really good! This dish can be a one plate type of dish since it has all the aspects of the food pyramid in one container. The mixture of the proteins, vegetables, rice and sauce provide multiples of textures and flavours that combine in unison. Plus, who doesn’t love getting the perfect bite of every piece of a dish? This dish is definitely one of those that make it possible!

A childhood favourite! I love flat noodles and Hong Shing does it well! Sometimes it is a hit or miss when you order this type of dish anywhere as the noodles tend to be overcooked. Each time I order it at Hong Shing the noodles are always perfect and have a little bit of a chew to them still. The sauce is of a sweet and savoury mix and they provide the noodles an addition of flavour that blends well with the beef, onions and bean sprouts.

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to also show their Cantonese Chow Mein. Although this dish is similar any where you get it, I just wanted to mention that this dish is a childhood favourite. If I didn’t eat much Chinese food this would probably be the only thing that I would eat. The noodles are crunchy (but not too crunchy that it’s impossible to mix) and the sauce is just enough to coat the entire dish. The proteins and vegetables are cooked properly according to their specific kind and just help complete the dish.

Congratulations to Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant for their 20th anniversary and here’s to many more! I fully recommend this Chinese restaurant to anyone looking for a spot to eat downtown. This is my favourite spot and will continue to be so!