Chowing Down at Yum Cha Dim Sum Fest in Toronto

There ain’t no party like a dim sum party. Or even better – how about a full blown dim sum festival?

Last weekend kicked off Yum Cha Dim Sum Festival in Toronto. Literally translated as “drink tea,” Yum Cha is another name for the mid-morning Cantonese tradition, commonly known as “dim sum.” After hosting a slew of food events, food writers and co-organizers Suresh Doss and Frank Kocis were itching to plan a dim sum festival.

“We want people to enjoy creative takes on dim sum and to see what these restaurants are capable of,” says Doss. “We finally found the right space, so we decided to go ahead.”

Turns out the rest of Toronto had the same craving – 600 foodies crowded into the Chinese Freemason Association for Yum Cha, eager to taste bite-sized dishes from a variety of Toronto restaurants. Despite the hungry mobs, line ups were fairly short and there was plenty of space to chill out with friends.

But Yum Cha isn’t your average dim sum experience. The event featured 10 vendors who fused traditional elements of dim sum – such as dumplings and buns – with unique cultural flavours. Foodies visited the booths, interacted with the Chefs, and devoured delicacies and Samuel Adams Beer.

“It’s a unique ensemble of restaurants that serve their take on dim sum,” says Doss. “We invite restaurants that are known for dim sum-y dishes and restaurants that are not, but the chefs are dim sum obsessed. The ensemble creates a unique menu that gives people an idea of food culture in the city and where it’s headed.”

With a sold out festival, the room was packed with people and heavy with heat. Luckily, Samuel Adams Beer was onsite with cold ones for $5.00 a pop. The craft beer paired perfectly with the sweet and savoury dim sum dishes, and provided much needed relief from the sweltering room.

For readers who missed Yum Cha, here are our top 3 dishes that left an imprint on our taste buds:

GwaiLo’s Capalansky Smoked Meat Spring Roll

It’s like biting into a deep-fried Montreal smoked meat sandwich, but without the bread. Each spring roll is stuffed with smoked beef and braised cabbage, and then topped with yellow mustard aioli. A brilliant fusion of classic Cantonese and Canadian dishes.

FeastTO’s Pho Dumpling

A pan-fried dumpling stuffed with minced beef and pho noodles, dashed with lime and Hoisin barbeque sauce to add a kick to the dish. Divine and decadent – you might go back for seconds or thirds.

La Brea Food’s Camerones “Juan” ton Gow

Who knew that a fusion of Mexican and Cantonese cuisine could result in a culinary masterpiece? But it did. La Brea Food created a shrimp wonton with corn esquites, jalapeno, ginger, and cilantro atop chili oil soya and roasted peanuts.

Details:

Yum Cha 2 will take place on Sunday May 4, 2014. General admission is $10, with each tasting costing an additional $5.00 (cash only). Tickets are on sale now, but if you want to attend, move fast. The event is expected to sell out in a few days (again). So far, it’s rumoured that some high-profile vendors may be featured, such as Momofuku Daisho, The County General, and Chantecler. Parents beware: this is a 19+ event so leave the kiddies at home.

This post was sponsored by Branding and Buzzing.