Yunshang Rice Noodle (North York)

Restaurant: Yunshang Rice Noodle
Address: Unit 5, 5285 Yonge St.
Phone: 416-233-6662
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 - 12 AM
Website: www.yunshang.ca

Interior

Menu

Temporary Soft Opening Menu

Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle, $19.99

Yunshang Rice Noodle with Mixed Mushrooms ($11.99) plus extra Seafood ($2.99) and extra Beef ($2.99)

Top left clockwise: Deep Fried Cuttlefish Balls, $6.99; Sliced Beef, Tripe and Ox Tongue in Chili Sauce, $8.99; The Salty Popcorn Chicken, $6.95; Cold Glass Noodle in Chili Sauce, $5.99; and Deep Fried Squid Tentacle, $6.99 

Review

Yunshang Rice Noodle is the largest Canadian-owned rice noodle chain that is opening their 9th location in North York. Under 3 years old, they are rapidly expanding with 5 more locations opening up across North America. Their base broth is made fresh from pork bones that is cooked for 12 hours daily. There is no MSG in their food and they cook with only the freshest ingredients.

I tried a few of their dishes, including their limited edition Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle ($19.99)! This is set of rice noodles with assorted premium seafood presented beautifully on a wooden bridge. You get to choose between 5 different noodle soups. I chose the Coconut Curry Rice Noodle, which has a hint of spiciness. You first place all of your raw meat into the boiling soup. After you let it cook, you can place your rice noodles in to eat. This is definitely a creative way to display and eat Chinese rice noodle. I enjoyed the variety of toppings available.

My friend and I devoured the Deep Fried Cuttlefish Balls ($6.99), which we definitely recommend. The Salty Popcorn Chicken ($6.95) and Deep Fried Squid Tentacle ($6.99) were decent, but not much different from other Chinese restaurants. The one dish I advised everyone to stay away from is the Cold Glass Noodle in Chili Sauce ($5.99). I am not a picky eater but this was one of the few dishes I was unable to finish, and I always finish my plate.

For their grand opening celebration, Yunshang Rice Noodle will be giving away FREE Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle to the first 100 people on March 15th and March 16th. It starts at 6 PM and only at their new North York location. No purchases are necessary and first come, first served (no reservations). After that for a limited time only, 50 Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle sets are available daily.

[Product Review] Full House Desserts

Company: Full House Desserts
Product Type: Traditional Hong Kong desserts
Address: 9425 Leslie St. & 4750 Yonge St., Suite 121
Operating Hours: Thurs-Tues 5-11 PM, Wed CLOSED
Website: www.fullhousedesserts.com

Full House Sago, $7.49

Mango Pancake, $8.99; Durian Pancake, $10.99

Review

Full House Desserts specializes in traditional Hong Kong desserts. They have two locations, one in Richmond Hill and the other in North York. I was invited to review their desserts and share my thoughts!

I visited their North York location, which is conveniently located by Yonge and Sheppard if you are coming off the subway line. The North York location is a take-out shop where items are already prepackaged and ready to be sold. They have a selection of hot desserts, such as the Black Sesame with Almond Soup ($5.99) and Sweet Ball with Sweet Ginger. I opted to try their cold desserts instead because I couldn't take the food home right away.

The Full House Sago ($7.49) contains mango and pomelo pulp. If you are a fan of mango, you would love this pudding dessert because it packs a punch. In comparison, the Mango ($8.99) and Durian Pancake ($10.99) is full of fresh cream with the fruits stuffed in the middle. They are incredible soft and fluffy to cut through, quite similar to Japanese pancakes! The pancakes can be left in fridge for a couple of days without losing any of the freshness. I like the pancakes because the fillings are delicious; but I prefer it in small doses since I'm normally not a cream person. It's perfect for sharing since you receive two pancakes per order. If you love cream fillings, then definitely give these pancakes a try.

The consistency and taste from these Hong Kong desserts are quite different than what I am used to. If you haven't had traditional Hong Kong sweets yet, Full House Desserts is a great starting point. I think these treats would be a hit at Asian family parties!

[Book Review] Have Some Dim Sum by Evelyn Chau

Title: Have Some Dim Sum
Author: Evelyn Chau

Have Some Dim Sum is a guide book for people wanting to learn more about this particular Chinese cuisine. Unlike a typical cookbook, this teaches readers the different types of dim sum. Containing 20 recipes for you to try, this book is for anyone who wishes to learn more about the history of dim sum and what delicacies are offered.

I never review cookbooks because I don't cook. I prefer to go out and discover what Toronto restaurants have to offer, hence this blog. I was asked to review Have Some Dim Sum and was told that it wouldn't just be recipes. So I decided to give it a shot. [Note: I will not be giving my opinion on the recipe aspect because as I mentioned prior, I do not cook.]

This is a comprehensive guide covering all of the dim sum you could possibly encounter. Chau describes how each item is made and variations if there are any.

However, I was disappointed that not every single dim sum listed had an accompanying photo. For any that did, the photos were grouped together a few pages in. I wished that each dim sum had its own photo on the same page. That way when using it as a guide, the reader would remember which dim sum is which. Flipping back and forth from the information to the photo isn't as helpful.

I would recommend checking out this book if you have a keen interest in dim sum or is totally new to this Chinese delicacy and would like to try some eventually.