History

Cantonese dim sum reached Toronto in the 1890s with the first Chinatown along Elizabeth Street, then expanded to Spadina from the 1950s. Hong Kong immigration in the 1970s and 1980s established the modern dim sum canon; Lai Wah Heen (1995) introduced cartless reservation-only dim sum at the Metropolitan Hotel, called the best in North America by the NYT. Pearl Harbourfront's waterfront view and Rol San's late-night menu are the city's other reference rooms.

Common allergens: Gluten, Shellfish, Soy

Make it at home

Yield Makes 20 dumplingsHands-on 45 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 200g wheat starch (for har gow wrapper)
  • 50g tapioca starch
  • 300ml boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 250g raw shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 50g bamboo shoots, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • Pinch of salt and white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Method

  1. Mix wheat starch and tapioca starch in a bowl. Pour boiling water over and stir to form a dough. Add oil and knead until smooth. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
  2. Mix the shrimp, bamboo shoots, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, white pepper and cornstarch in a bowl. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough into a log and cut into 20 equal pieces.
  4. On an oiled work surface, press each piece flat with a side of an oiled knife or a tortilla press into a 7cm round wrapper.
  5. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre, pleat the edges by folding 7 times to form the signature har gow crescent shape.
  6. Line a bamboo steamer with parchment, place dumplings 2cm apart. Steam over high heat for 6 minutes.
  7. Serve immediately with chili oil and Chinese black vinegar.

Tip from the editors. Wheat and tapioca starch make the translucent skin; flour wrappers won't work. 5 to 7 pleats is the canonical har gow. Steam fresh and eat immediately.

Where to eat cantonese dim sum

Cantonese dim sum in Toronto

Lai Wah Heen ★ 4.5

Cantonese$$$$chinatownTue-Sun 11:30-15:00, 17:30-22:00

Lai Wah Heen reopened on the second floor of the DoubleTree Hilton in July 2025 after a two-year hiatus, chefs Heyden Sin and Huang Zhenqing.

Signature: Refined dim sum tasting, Cartless dim sum

Order: The dim sum tasting; the kitchen still presses every dumpling to order.

Tip: Reservation-only since the 2025 reopen. The NYT once called it the best dim sum in North America under founder Canson Tsang.

108 Chestnut Street, 2nd Floor, DoubleTree by Hilton, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3 Book →

Pearl Harbourfront ★ 4.3

Cantonese$$$financial-districtDaily 11:00-22:00; dim sum 11:00-16:00

Pearl Harbourfront on Queens Quay runs Cantonese dim sum overlooking Lake Ontario from the Queen's Quay Terminal, the city's waterfront dim sum room.

Signature: Dim sum, Peking duck

Order: The shrimp dumplings, BBQ pork buns and a half Peking duck.

Tip: Lunch dim sum runs 11:00-16:00; the window tables fill first. Tower views and the wharf below justify the slight premium over Spadina.

207 Queens Quay W, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5J 1A7 Book →

Rol San ★ 4.3

Cantonese$chinatownMon-Thu 09:30-02:00, Fri-Sat 09:30-05:00, Sun 09:30-02:00Until Closes 05:00 Friday and Saturday

Rol San on Spadina runs Cantonese dim sum and roast meat until 05:00 weekends since 1994, the late-night post-bar dim sum the city's reference.

Try: Dim sum, BBQ pork rice

Order: BBQ pork over rice or a plate of late-night siu mai.

Tip: Cash and card. After 02:00 weekend the room fills with the post-club crowd from Queen West.

388 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2G5

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