Vegetarian Dim Sum from Ha Gow Dim Sum House

There are some countries that are such monoliths that the notion of tackling them in one restaurant is laughable. China is one of those countries, where there is such diversity of food across the country and in the republics and administrative regions that I would knowingly be doing this blog a disservice by covering the country in one meal. After all, even the 'eight great cuisines' of China only cover a third of the country.

We are very lucky in Toronto to have a wide array of regional Chinese cuisines available, including what I've heard is some of the best Cantonese cuisine in the world. Growing up, I had the immense privilege of regularly eating Cantonese food, particularly dim sum and, if I'm being perfectly honest, one of the hardest parts about transitioning to a plant-based diet was not being able to eat shrimp cheung fun (steamed rice rolls) anymore. It's just a dish that brings me so much happiness and nostalgia.

I have my own personal list of favourite dim sum restaurants in the city, but knowing the availability of Cantonese food in Toronto, I went searching for places with a range of plant-based options. I was pleased to learn that Ha Gow Dim Sum House, a Cantonese restaurant nearby, has an all-day vegetarian dim sum menu. We ordered Cantonese pan-fried soy sauce noodles, steamed and pan-friend mushroom and vegetable dumplings, and a pan fried bean curd roll.

If I'm being honest, when I think of vegetable dumplings or at least vegetarian/vegan dim sum, I often think of Sarah from Woks of Life who once wrote that she was aghast when her roommate ordered vegetable dumplings when they went for dim sum simply because she hadn't had a decent vegetable dumpling before. I've long felt similarly... and I'm not quite sure this meal changed me.

These dumplings, while very obviously homemade, just weren't for me. I found the dough quite thick, which meant that even with its pan-fried iteration, the doughiness of the wrapper took away from what was intended to be a contrasting texture. We also found the filling for both to be surprisingly sour and just a departure from the general mouthfeel and taste that we were anticipating. The pan-fried soy sauce noodles were texturally a treat and all of the vegetables were cooked perfectly, but we found them a tad under-seasoned.

The bean curd roll, however, was superb. It was the dish I was most excited for when we opened our take out containers because it smelled just so good. Like, it smelled so good that I couldn't even get it onto my plate for a photo without taking a bite. Inside of the fried bean curd was carrot and cabbage and the filling was wonderfully juicy and succulent. It was the perfect taste, the perfect texture, and the perfect bite.

Overall Rating: 6.75/10 (L - 6.5; B - 7).

Main Takeaway: We are so accustomed to amazing Cantonese food and dim sum that it was hard to not compare it to those restaurants. This meal was by no means bad. In fact, it was a huge relief to order from a restaurant and know that I would receive a plant-based meal. Also, can I have that bean curd roll for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Please, I beg.