I’ve been saying we should explore Toronto’s Dim Sum culture for years and a friend of ours finally got a date in our calendar to check out Rol San one rainy Sunday. We were in a large group of seven adults and two kids and we were a bit anxious about waiting in line for ever (they don’t accept reservations) but we were told to get there before 11 a.m. and that we’d be fine. That’s what we did and … we got in with no issues.
We even brought our double stroller (carrying it above people’s heads at one point on our way out) and the staff welcomed us with a smile. We lucked out with a corner table which allowed Baby Boy and Little Monkey to have a small area to play within. We also had space to park our stroller and yes they have high chairs! I used our My Little Seat because it was easy enough but the server did ask us if we’d like a high chair.
Rol San is definitely a happening place as there were line ups a few minutes after we sat down at 11 a.m. and there was no shortage of tables being cleared up for the next round of people during our two hour visit. It’s a large spot but don’t expect anything too fancy. It’s Dim Sum and while there’s no old ladies pushing carts laden with eats, they do serve up a wide variety of dishes. Once seated your server brings over some pots of green tea and then leaves you with a sheet that has the menu listing. They’re happy to answer any questions but language differences can make it tough at times. Luckily for us we had someone in our group who was a dim sum pro.She and her hubby did half of the ordering and we filled in the rest as we went along.
We ordered way too much food but it simply had to be done because we wanted to taste most of the menu. Baby Boy devoured quite a few dishes but Little Monkey only ate the sweet ones ( go figure!). I even dared myself to try some chicken feet … yes I did! The dishes here are quite cheap so it’s easy to go overboard like we did. Spending about $40 per person we ate a lot of food and brought back doggy bags as well. Below are some highlights from our visit and don’t forget to ask for their stellar hot sauce!
* Steamed BBQ Pork Buns
* Deep Fried Chicken Wings
* Sesame Paste Ball
Steamed Minced Beef Balls with Bean Sauce Sticky Rice with Pork wrapped in a Lotus Leaf
Pork and Shrimp Dumpling Chui Chow Style Shrimp Har Gow ( classic dish!)
A fellow Instagramer who visits the place frequently with her kids told me they don’t have a change table but have offered a bench for her to change the baby at, on numerous occasions. In addition, do yourself a favour and watch how they clean up the tables! It’s quite an art form picking all the dishes in one sweep within the plastic tablecloth. I wish I made a video of it!
This was our first true Dim Sum experience in Toronto but check out this article for some wise words from a Dim Sum pro!
Where to next? Do you have a favourite Dim Sum spots ?
