Toronto, Ontario 2018: Eating Chinese and Aunt’s 80th Birthday Banquet Part I

During the week of March 31 to April 8, 2018, my family and I visited Toronto, Ontario. It was simply a homecoming for all of us. The primary reason for our visit was to celebrate my aunt’s 80th birthday and to gather with family and family friends. The majority of the time was spent in Markham and Richmond Hill; both cities are located in the suburbs and centers of the Chinese community in Toronto. Once again, we enjoyed the delicious Chinese food and noted changes since 2013 (our last visit).

Ocean Seafood Restaurant 東海海鮮餐廳

We visited this restaurant with our family from Canada to celebrate my father’s and my other aunt’s birthdays on March 31. We tried the set meal for eight people consisting of steamed fish, roasted duck, shark fin soup, garlic crab, stir-fried vegetables with eggplant and mushrooms, and fried yi mein (or e-fu noodles). Overall, not too greasy and salty. The fish and duck were very flavorful and tender.

Steamed fish

Duck, crab, yi mein, vegetables, and soup

Unfortunately, as of August 2019, Ocean Seafood Restaurant closed.

Aunt’s 80th Birthday Bonanza on April 1st

My aunt’s birthday bonanza was held on April 1st. Family members from both of my parents’ sides came to celebrate.

Lunch at Café Hollywood 荷里活

Café Hollywood 荷里活 is a trendy place that serves Cantonese-style food with a Western flare. The lunch gathering here was just a prelude to the festivities of the evening banquet. The cafe is well known for their chicken wings.

Chicken wings

I tried the beef ho fun and mom tried the Portuguese chicken with rice.

Beef ho fun

Portuguese chicken with rice

Yang’s Fine Chinese Cuisine

The birthday banquet was celebrated at Yang’s Fine Chinese Cuisine. My parents and a close family friend made the arrangements. The meal consisted of Peking duck with steamed mantou (buns), deep-fried oysters, duck meat lettuce wraps, snow pea vegetables, deep-fried shrimp made with a preserved egg batter and broccoli (not pictured), lobster, two steamed bass, longevity buns (with a lotus paste filling), and Chinese desserts (gelatin cakes with goji berries and almond cookies) and of course, the birthday cake.