Ma Chinese Restaurant offers authentic Chinese food in St. Catharines like dim sum, wonton soup, and Peking Duck.  Chef Li Wang’s focus at Ma Chinese Restaurant is on offering true and authentic Chinese food which is high quality along with elevated service.

As a food blogger, I have been asking around if there are any authentic Chinese restaurants in the Golden Horseshoe area. After hearing so much hype about Ma, which offers authentic Chinese food, we gave in to the buildup and decided to visit.

As you enter the modern restaurant with the wood rafters, you appreciate the decor and attention to detail.

We are seated by the friendly host and are given the menu. I order jasmine tea for all three of us and it is amazing.

Andrew our amazing and prodigious server explains all the specials and some recommendations.

For dim sum, we try Ma steamed shrimp, spinach chicken, special BBQ pork buns, and DF glutinous.

The Ma steamed shrimp dim sum is authentic, and delicious and the flavors explode in your mouth.

The special BBQ pork buns are a mix of sweet, salty and this amazing umami-like thing going on in my mouth. I feel like I am in Hong Kong.

The spinach chicken dim sum is seasoned perfectly with the right portion of ingredients and I just want more.

And the final piece de resistance dim sum the pear shape DF glutinous. Great presentation, a great flavor profile.

I am really enjoying the atmosphere and the attention of the service staff is amazing. I am also enjoying watching the server next to me carving the duck.

For the main course, we have the live lobster Hong Kong style. Andrew recommends the bok-choy in garlic broth as an accompaniment.

The lobster is probably one of the best I have had. The bok-choy melts in your mouth.

I am really enjoying my meal and am also reading all the medicinal herbs used in the food.

Ma Chinese Restaurant has great parking, amazing decor, awesome service, fabulous food, killer atmosphere and it is sparkling clean.

I strongly recommend you visit this restaurant to experience authentic Chinese food.

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Perfect Chinese Restaurant in Scarborough offers the best dim sum in Toronto for your money.

History

Dim sum is a classic, long-established, time-honored Chinese dish and snack served with tea. Guangzhou in the 10th century saw a huge increase in economic travel. To meet the needs of these commercial travelers, many teahouses sprung up offering yum cha or ‘drink tea’ meals. Yum cha has two notions attached to it.  The first is Yat jung leung gin which means to serve two pieces with tea. The second is Dim sum which means to touch someone’s heart and to give small items of food with tea.

The Communal Aspect of Dim Sum

Taking part in eating appetizers, small dishes, and nibbles is a time-honored communal eating tradition all over the globe. North Africa and the Middle East have meze, Spain has tapas, Italy has mozzarella finger food, Mexico has antojitos and Greece has Kalamata olives in Greece.

Dim sum is a traditional communal way of eating a meal around a table. It is an array of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes baked, steamed, or fried.

The Decorum and Protocol

I have been to Perfect a dozen times to try their dim sum, various Chinese dishes, BBQ duck, lobster, and fish dishes. This review is all about their dim sum offerings.

Perfect is as authentic as can be. You are seated at a table with a plate, bowl, and a pair of chopsticks. You have to request a spoon and fork. At Perfect, you are automatically given green tea, as it is an essential part of the meal. The person closest to the teapot should pour tea for everyone before their own cup.

If the pot is low on water, take the lid off and put it on the side. The server knows that you want a refill.

Perfect has a menu whereby you tick what you want and the server brings it for you. There are no pushcarts here.

Here are My Recommendations

Start with the Har Cow or shrimp dumplings. A huge shrimp wrapped in a semi-transparent dumpling wrapper and served in a bamboo steamer. I like mine with soya sauce.

The Cheung Fun is delicious. Rice noodles steamed and rolled around shrimps. Ask for it to be lavished in soya sauce.

I have given you my two favorites shrimp dim sum. Now try the squid steamed with ginger. The meat is not chewy. It has a lovely texture that is delicious and tender.  The ginger gives it the right flavor and it is also healthy for you. I like to add some hot sauce to this.

Think outside the box and go with steamed beef ribs. This is a tamer dish. Go ahead and add mustard.

Dim sum smoked seriously? Yes go ahead and order the smoked meats. A variety of smoked meats. Lavish with mustard and hot sauce and enjoy rice with it.

The Perfect restaurant is located at 4386 Sheppard Avenue East in Scarborough and is open 24 hours. There is no fuss or snobbery here. It is like going into a tea house in China and experiencing their hospitality. It has the best dim sum in Toronto for the money you pay.

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What’s the heck with Hakka?

The Hakka are part of the Han Chinese group from the Central Plains of Northern China. They were a nomadic group, hence the word ‘Hakka’, which means ‘Guest Family’. They settled in Guangdong province and from there migrated to India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Canada, Indonesia, Peru, and Jamaica.

The history of Hakka Cuisine

Traditional Hakka cuisine focuses on preserved meats and vegetables. However, in Canada, Hakka food is associated with Chinese food with Indian spices cooked by the Hakka people from Calcutta.

The Chinese came to Calcutta in the nineteenth century as a result of trade between Canton and Calcutta. The Hakka community in Calcutta focused on the leather tanning and shoe-making business. They had a niche in this business. The reason is that certain ethnic groups could not do it for religious reasons.

The Hakka community started migrating to the Greater Toronto Area in the 70s after the Indo-China War. Hakka cuisine is the heirloom of migration, conflict, struggle, and colonialism. Some of my favorite dishes are chicken lollipops, Hakka noodles, chili chicken, chicken corn soup, and vegetable Manchurian.

Golden Joy Restaurant

Linda Huang and her Husband Clifford offer authentic Hakka food at Golden Joy Hakka Restaurant located in Etobicoke. The restaurant is located in a strip plaza at 900 Albion Road. The couple speaks Bengali, Hindi, English, Hakka, and a dash of Cantonese and Mandarin. Linda greets us with a great smile and she is joyful just like the laughing Buddhas at the restaurant. Gold is a sign of prosperity in Chinese culture.

The choice of items on the menu is extensive. The restaurant is halal so no pork is served. Linda runs the front of the office and Clifford is at the back leading a brigade of experienced chefs. The focus is on quality and freshness.  I was amazed to know that all the sauces: curry, honey garlic, honey, sweet and sour, Szechuan and Manchurian are made in-house. I am sold. I tell my wife that I am amazed at how low the prices are.

We decide to order the dinner for 4 @$ 54.99. You get two bowls of chicken corn soup, 4 spring rolls, chicken pakora, fish with mixed vegetables, chili chicken, chicken fried rice, and chicken chow mein.

The chicken corn soup is delicious and I like that they add peas and scallions to it. The taste and consistency are amazing. The handmade spring rolls are delicious. The chicken pakoras are served with sweet onion and lime. A perfect combination. I try the fried rice with the chili chicken. The flavor of the wok is transferred to this classic dish. The chicken chow mein is tasty, spiced well, and just the right amount of all the ingredients.  The fish was delicate, with the right amount of breading and a perfect combination of vegetables. I also liked that they gave you four packages of homemade chili sauce and green chilies with vinegar.

I have eaten at more than 20 Hakka restaurants in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area over the last three decades. This restaurant is the best in every dish, with great value for the price, huge portions, and great service. Please go and support them.

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