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I'm a regular at Dong Kee, it's my go-to spot for comforting Chinese food! Everything is well flavoured, the portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable. Our must-orders are the hot and sour soup, chilli chicken, calamari, chilli beef, short ribs, and the seafood fried rice. Every dish is consistently delicious and packed with flavour. Service can be a bit hit or miss depending on who's working and the time of day, but Dennis is one of our favourite servers. He's always attentive, friendly, and provides quick service. Pro tip: Ask for their ginger and hot sauces on the side!
Very affordable and was pretty good. A little Over seasoned but we still enjoyed it. Definitely will be back.
Super popular restaurant for their specialty eel dishes. It came highly recommended, and so a group of 7 friends got together to dine there over the holidays! We reserved a table in advance and pre-ordered the famous yellow eel claypot rice, and 3 roasted squabs. Sadly, we arrived to find our table was not reserved. The long hallway into the restaurant and we were not impressed to need to join the queue. Luckily, upon explaining our situation, the host did seat us sooner than the walk-in line. He directed us to walk through the restaurant and head downstairs via a stair case at the rear that leads to the washrooms and a second dining area. This second dining area is much smaller, only about 4-5 tables. Since our table was not reserved, we were not super surprised to find our pre-ordered dishes to be in jeopardy as well. The eel rice was available (clearly they keep that quite well stocked). However after placing in the rest of our order at the table, a server returned to tell us only one squab was left. We pushed back saying we had our pre-order confirmed. The server left and after a while, returned and said we could have 2 squabs instead of 3. After all that, the squabs were just OK. They were a bit dry and skin was not crispy. The best dishes were the claypot dishes. Aside from the eel claypot, we tried a range of others as well. They really are terrific for winter meals! Hot, tasty and satisfying. Would return for those!
This place is renowned for their eel clay pot rice as well as squab, so naturally that's what we had. We made a 7:30pm Wednesday reservation for our party of 5, and that was a good thing, as the small space was packed to the gills. Overall, though Dong Kee is very popular, we found the place pricey and over-rated from our one experience and I'll go with 3.49 stars rounded down to 3. Besides the eel clay pot rice, we also ordered a big mouth bass and the total dinner and prices were as follows: Eel clay pot rice - $51.95 CAD or $38.20 USD Two squabs - $67.90 CAD or $49.93 USD Big mouth bass - $57.90 CAD or $42.57 USD Peapod leaves - $16.50 CAD or $12.13 USD The eel clay pot rice is also served with soup flavored by the eel bone. Both the eel clay pot rice and soup were lukewarm and not piping hot. Granted it was pre-ordered as is required if you want that dish, but that was a big debit on any potential for a 5 star rating. The soup also didn't have much flavor frankly. The rice itself was decent and an ok value on the pot itself which is large and intended to serve 10 small bowls. Otherwise, the squab was excellent but also quite pricey. The peapod leaves were not very fresh and on the tough side. The clay pot was later seen to be severely cracked after we scraped up the rice, and that is not a good practice to be cooking with a cracked pot. We notified the server but it seemed to go on deaf ears. The server also unwittingly put her gloved hands into the rice and soup bowls. Normally there is a complimentary dessert, but alas there was none as they did not make enough duh. A mandatory 10% tip was added and payment is either Canadian debit card or cash. The total final bill was pricey at $241.45 CAD ($177.54 USD) and it was by far the priciest meal of our little foodie trip.
My family was craving Taishanese-style yellow eel claypot rice, and Dong Kee is the only restaurant (that we knew of) that serves it! We arrived around 6:30 PM and waited for about 20-30 minutes before being seated. Even after we were at the table and had placed our order, it took a while for food to be served, since the restaurant was packed. There are a few aquariums with live seafood like lobster and crab, which they prepare fresh before cooking. TAISHANESE-STYLE YELLOW EEL CLAYPOT RICE 台山黄鳝饭 - 51.95 This dish takes a bit of time to prepare, so I'd recommend ordering it as soon as you're seated if you know you want it. It also comes with a seafood-based soup to pair with the claypot rice, although we didn't get until the end since they initially ran out. The claypot rice was delightful, with lots of "wok hei" flavor and well-seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and probably MSG. The top layer of the rice was generously topped with fresh eel. While the eel didn't add a lot of flavor to the dish, the claypot rice was still enjoyable. As we dug deeper into the rice, there was much less eel and sauce, and the rice became somewhat bland. The bottom of the claypot had a lot of stuck-on rice, which was crispy but lacked much flavor. Overall, this dish was still good, especially since it's not commonly found at many restaurants, and it's nice to see some Taishanese representation. PORK NECK MEAT & CHINESE BROCCOLI W/XO SAUCE XO菜心猪颈肉 - 18.95 The pork neck meat had a unique, crunchy texture and the perfect amount of fat in each piece, which I really enjoyed. It was stir-fried with Chinese broccoli, and the XO sauce added a nice touch of spice. While the broccoli was somewhat bland, it wasn't necessarily a negative -- its weaker flavors allowed the pork neck meat to stand out more. STIR-FRIED CHIVES, SCALLOPS, OSMANTHUS CLAMS 韭黄带子桂花蚌 - 32.95 This dish was interesting, since this is my first time eating osmanthus clams. The stir-fry had a lot of "wok hei" flavor, but it lacked seasoning. The snap peas were crunchy and fresh, complementing the other vegetables and various mushrooms mixed in. The seafood was pretty good, too. It wasn't our favorite, but it was unique. SNOW PEA LEAVES WITH CHINESE GARLIC 上汤蒜子豆苗 - 16.50 This is one of the best snow peas we've ever had at a restaurant. The snow peas was very fresh and was stir-fried to perfection. The Chinese garlic flavor was evident in every bite, and there was a bit of sauce to elevate the dish. We honestly wished we ordered two plates of this because it was that good. OYSTER WITH GINGER & ONION 姜葱生蚝煲 - 29.95 This dish was served in a claypot and contained fried oysters, onions, and ginger. Each claypot had enough oysters for everyone to enjoy one, and they were perfectly crispy, coated in a delicious sauce. Overall, we had a solid experience at Dong Kee with the food and would recommend everything we tried. However, the utensils, bowls, and plates were on the dirtier side, so be mindful of that.
This place is so packed and tiny. Super popular place. Thankfully they have a basement level so we didn't have to wait too long. Don't quite remember all the dishes but definitely took a picture of the hot stone pot with eel rice. The food is a little on the oily side but there was a lot of "wok hei" in the dishes that was prepped. Service was fast even for the rice that we were told it required advanced order.
Came here for their famous Taishan eel clay pot rice! 黄蟮煲仔饭 You have to pre-order this rice if you want to eat it. The flavor is wonderful and smelled so good. We also got a "sui chau" stir fry that was delicious. You can really taste the "wok hey"! The salty fish & chicken eggplant casserole was ordered by our friend because he was craving it. That was not bad either. Overall the food is good. The restaurant is old and has been there a long time. They definitely have their regulars.
TLDR - I have a love-hate relationship with Dong Kee. On the love side, Dong Kee truly deserves 4 stars for the overall value. On the hate side, I try not to come here. Let me get the hate factor out of the way - exetremely long wait for a table should you come after 5pm. The wait could be an hour, meaning you wait through a whole dining session (sit down, order, food arrive, eat, dessert, pay, clean table). The wait time is straight up "what's the point". It is a wonder that people would rather wait than to leave or order take out. I don't know if they would take reservation, because I never go with a large party. When I ever come here, I like the food and I love the value. The price is lower than market slightly. The portion is more generous than market greatly. The food is made the traditional way - good wok air, MSG, oily, authetically and boldly flavoured, lots of meat, not much unnecessary fillings. Of all things about the food, I don't like how oily it is, and something too salty. But if you like saltiness, and can put up with the oiliness (read as if you can't, don't come), this is the place to bring the family. In fact, the place is filled with families. I suggest that you order 4 dishes to feed 5 to 6 people; the portion is that good. Stir fried noodle/rice is a big pile on plate, and ordering one in place of a regular dish is a good trick to lower the overall bill. Decor is low end neighbourhood no frill, but decor is not why you come here. You come here for the old school wok air dishes. You come here for the countryside villa neighbourhood feel. You come for the lively atmosphere. Pro tip - Come before 5pm, 4:30pm if possible, to snatch a first round table. You can enjoy the view of the lineup starting 5pm-ish.
Highly recommend the signature eel rice!! Including eel soup which is fresh and stomach-warming. The portion size is very generous, enough to serve 11 people with one bowl each. Advanced reservation is recommended. All dishes are decent. Food prices are very affordable, averaging CAD 25 per person for a group of 11. A 10% service charge is automatically applied, and there's a 10% discount for cash payment. This restaurant has a modest-sized environment, with many people queuing outside. So, advance booking is necessary. Food Wide variety of food choices Service Good service Atmosphere Simple environment Price Prices are fair and affordable Overall 4/5 Recommended for those who love eel rice!
Came here after watching Raptors game. Looking for late night chinese food, this place opens late 2am 7 days a week. We ordered the HK lobster which was served with fried silverfish and garlic. The presentation was nice and the lobster had a nice deep fried glaze. The lobster was kinda small about 1.5 lb tops for $35. My wife and I did enjoy it however the lobster had very little meat in the legs. The second dish we ordered sizzling black pepper kalbi ribs. Portions were on the smaller side. Usually these restaurants serve a complementary house soup but the waiter said it was sold out. Very disappointing as we were looking forward to having a complete meal. Overall the food is decent but they need to adjust the portions to make it good value. This is a good place to go for chinese food when most restaurants are closed.
Terrible service, called ahead and was told no more reservations but walk in available, approx wait time 30min. Arrived and was given ticket number 17. 4ppl, waited for 2hrs. Meanwhile they kept on accepting customers with reservations, why couldn't you just say you don't know how long the wait is. The servers never changed dishes or gave bowls and forks for soups, had to ask for everything. The food was ok, probably 3 still, but between bad ambience and service this is a 2 star.
Amazing spot for authentic Cantonese fare with lots of "wok hei". Prices are fair and the portions and quality of the food are top notch. My go-to items here are the sweet and sour pork, white cut poached chicken, and the satay beef chow mein. Lots of comments about issues with customer service but I've found them to be friendly and responsive. My only gripes are that the interior decor is really dated and that this place tends to be insanely busy even on weekdays so if you can, go outside of peak dining times.
Dong Kee Chinese Restaurant on Midland Ave really makes the best lamb and bean curd stew in Toronto (all picky-eaters in the family agree!) I've ordered their fantastic lamb dish a few times during this pandemic, but glad we also ordered their famous clay pot eel rice for the first time! First off the rice costs approx $50 but it filled two 5" x 8" takeout containers, and comes with 2 containers of peppery tofu coriander soup. There is also fish in every bite! My belly is full and I now realize how much I needed this comfort food combo today in -20C weather
Tasty food, good service and price, adequate quantity. The clams are just so so. The filets served in garlic soy sauce are tender and juicy I like them a lot. The fried spare ribs and the casserole of eel rice are tasty too. Almost every table had pre-ordered a casserole of eel rice. Mind you this place is always super busy and the seatings were a bit crowd .... read more
6 months ago
Ordered Dong Kee from UberEats. Portion as compared to other restaurants is smaller (not filled to the brim) but the food quality is great and also nicely presented. I have ordered their eel pot rice (台山黃鱔飯) before for takeout. It comes with 2 large boxes of eel pot rice and a very delicious tofu fish soup made from the bones of the eel. I really enjoyed the meal, though I'm sure it would taste better if dining in person. I'm a fan of this place, and will definitely order again! read more
7 months ago
I'm a regular at Dong Kee, it's my go-to spot for comforting Chinese food! Everything is well flavoured, the portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable. Our must-orders are the hot and sour soup, chilli chicken, calamari, chilli beef, short ribs, and the seafood fried rice. Every dish is consistently delicious and packed with flavour. Service can be a bit hit or miss depending on who's working and the time of day, but Dennis is one of our favourite servers. He's always attentive, friendly, and provides quick service. Pro tip: Ask for their ginger and hot sauces on the side! read more
2 years ago
Super popular restaurant for their specialty eel dishes. It came highly recommended, and so a group of 7 friends got together to dine there over the holidays! We reserved a table in advance and pre-ordered the famous yellow eel claypot rice, and 3 roasted squabs. Sadly, we arrived to find our table was not reserved. The long hallway into the restaurant and we were not impressed to need to join the queue. Luckily, upon explaining our situation, the host did seat us sooner than the walk-in line. He directed us to walk through the restaurant and head downstairs via a stair case at the rear that leads to the washrooms and a second dining area. This second dining area is much smaller, only about 4-5 tables. Since our table was not reserved, we were not super surprised to find our pre-ordered dishes to be in jeopardy as well. The eel rice was available (clearly they keep that quite well stocked). However after placing in the rest of our order at the table, a server returned to tell us only one squab was left. We pushed back saying we had our pre-order confirmed. The server left and after a while, returned and said we could have 2 squabs instead of 3. After all that, the squabs were just OK. They were a bit dry and skin was not crispy. The best dishes were the claypot dishes. Aside from the eel claypot, we tried a range of others as well. They really are terrific for winter meals! Hot, tasty and satisfying. Would return for those! read more
This place is renowned for their eel clay pot rice as well as squab, so naturally that's what we had. We made a 7:30pm Wednesday reservation for our party of 5, and that was a good thing, as the small space was packed to the gills. Overall, though Dong Kee is very popular, we found the place pricey and over-rated from our one experience and I'll go with 3.49 stars rounded down to 3. Besides the eel clay pot rice, we also ordered a big mouth bass and the total dinner and prices were as follows: Eel clay pot rice - $51.95 CAD or $38.20 USD Two squabs - $67.90 CAD or $49.93 USD Big mouth bass - $57.90 CAD or $42.57 USD Peapod leaves - $16.50 CAD or $12.13 USD The eel clay pot rice is also served with soup flavored by the eel bone. Both the eel clay pot rice and soup were lukewarm and not piping hot. Granted it was pre-ordered as is required if you want that dish, but that was a big debit on any potential for a 5 star rating. The soup also didn't have much flavor frankly. The rice itself was decent and an ok value on the pot itself which is large and intended to serve 10 small bowls. Otherwise, the squab was excellent but also quite pricey. The peapod leaves were not very fresh and on the tough side. The clay pot was later seen to be severely cracked after we scraped up the rice, and that is not a good practice to be cooking with a cracked pot. We notified the server but it seemed to go on deaf ears. The server also unwittingly put her gloved hands into the rice and soup bowls. Normally there is a complimentary dessert, but alas there was none as they did not make enough duh. A mandatory 10% tip was added and payment is either Canadian debit card or cash. The total final bill was pricey at $241.45 CAD ($177.54 USD) and it was by far the priciest meal of our little foodie trip. read more
My family was craving Taishanese-style yellow eel claypot rice, and Dong Kee is the only restaurant (that we knew of) that serves it! We arrived around 6:30 PM and waited for about 20-30 minutes before being seated. Even after we were at the table and had placed our order, it took a while for food to be served, since the restaurant was packed. There are a few aquariums with live seafood like lobster and crab, which they prepare fresh before cooking. TAISHANESE-STYLE YELLOW EEL CLAYPOT RICE 台山黄鳝饭 - 51.95 This dish takes a bit of time to prepare, so I'd recommend ordering it as soon as you're seated if you know you want it. It also comes with a seafood-based soup to pair with the claypot rice, although we didn't get until the end since they initially ran out. The claypot rice was delightful, with lots of "wok hei" flavor and well-seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and probably MSG. The top layer of the rice was generously topped with fresh eel. While the eel didn't add a lot of flavor to the dish, the claypot rice was still enjoyable. As we dug deeper into the rice, there was much less eel and sauce, and the rice became somewhat bland. The bottom of the claypot had a lot of stuck-on rice, which was crispy but lacked much flavor. Overall, this dish was still good, especially since it's not commonly found at many restaurants, and it's nice to see some Taishanese representation. PORK NECK MEAT & CHINESE BROCCOLI W/XO SAUCE XO菜心猪颈肉 - 18.95 The pork neck meat had a unique, crunchy texture and the perfect amount of fat in each piece, which I really enjoyed. It was stir-fried with Chinese broccoli, and the XO sauce added a nice touch of spice. While the broccoli was somewhat bland, it wasn't necessarily a negative -- its weaker flavors allowed the pork neck meat to stand out more. STIR-FRIED CHIVES, SCALLOPS, OSMANTHUS CLAMS 韭黄带子桂花蚌 - 32.95 This dish was interesting, since this is my first time eating osmanthus clams. The stir-fry had a lot of "wok hei" flavor, but it lacked seasoning. The snap peas were crunchy and fresh, complementing the other vegetables and various mushrooms mixed in. The seafood was pretty good, too. It wasn't our favorite, but it was unique. SNOW PEA LEAVES WITH CHINESE GARLIC 上汤蒜子豆苗 - 16.50 This is one of the best snow peas we've ever had at a restaurant. The snow peas was very fresh and was stir-fried to perfection. The Chinese garlic flavor was evident in every bite, and there was a bit of sauce to elevate the dish. We honestly wished we ordered two plates of this because it was that good. OYSTER WITH GINGER & ONION 姜葱生蚝煲 - 29.95 This dish was served in a claypot and contained fried oysters, onions, and ginger. Each claypot had enough oysters for everyone to enjoy one, and they were perfectly crispy, coated in a delicious sauce. Overall, we had a solid experience at Dong Kee with the food and would recommend everything we tried. However, the utensils, bowls, and plates were on the dirtier side, so be mindful of that. read more
This place is so packed and tiny. Super popular place. Thankfully they have a basement level so we didn't have to wait too long. Don't quite remember all the dishes but definitely took a picture of the hot stone pot with eel rice. The food is a little on the oily side but there was a lot of "wok hei" in the dishes that was prepped. Service was fast even for the rice that we were told it required advanced order. read more
Came here for their famous Taishan eel clay pot rice! 黄蟮煲仔饭 You have to pre-order this rice if you want to eat it. The flavor is wonderful and smelled so good. We also got a "sui chau" stir fry that was delicious. You can really taste the "wok hey"! The salty fish & chicken eggplant casserole was ordered by our friend because he was craving it. That was not bad either. Overall the food is good. The restaurant is old and has been there a long time. They definitely have their regulars. read more
TLDR - I have a love-hate relationship with Dong Kee. On the love side, Dong Kee truly deserves 4 stars for the overall value. On the hate side, I try not to come here. Let me get the hate factor out of the way - exetremely long wait for a table should you come after 5pm. The wait could be an hour, meaning you wait through a whole dining session (sit down, order, food arrive, eat, dessert, pay, clean table). The wait time is straight up "what's the point". It is a wonder that people would rather wait than to leave or order take out. I don't know if they would take reservation, because I never go with a large party. When I ever come here, I like the food and I love the value. The price is lower than market slightly. The portion is more generous than market greatly. The food is made the traditional way - good wok air, MSG, oily, authetically and boldly flavoured, lots of meat, not much unnecessary fillings. Of all things about the food, I don't like how oily it is, and something too salty. But if you like saltiness, and can put up with the oiliness (read as if you can't, don't come), this is the place to bring the family. In fact, the place is filled with families. I suggest that you order 4 dishes to feed 5 to 6 people; the portion is that good. Stir fried noodle/rice is a big pile on plate, and ordering one in place of a regular dish is a good trick to lower the overall bill. Decor is low end neighbourhood no frill, but decor is not why you come here. You come here for the old school wok air dishes. You come here for the countryside villa neighbourhood feel. You come for the lively atmosphere. Pro tip - Come before 5pm, 4:30pm if possible, to snatch a first round table. You can enjoy the view of the lineup starting 5pm-ish. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Highly recommend the signature eel rice!! Including eel soup which is fresh and stomach-warming. The portion size is very generous, enough to serve 11 people with one bowl each. Advanced reservation is recommended. All dishes are decent. Food prices are very affordable, averaging CAD 25 per person for a group of 11. A 10% service charge is automatically applied, and there's a 10% discount for cash payment. This restaurant has a modest-sized environment, with many people queuing outside. So, advance booking is necessary. Food Wide variety of food choices Service Good service Atmosphere Simple environment Price Prices are fair and affordable Overall 4/5 Recommended for those who love eel rice! read more
Came here after watching Raptors game. Looking for late night chinese food, this place opens late 2am 7 days a week. We ordered the HK lobster which was served with fried silverfish and garlic. The presentation was nice and the lobster had a nice deep fried glaze. The lobster was kinda small about 1.5 lb tops for $35. My wife and I did enjoy it however the lobster had very little meat in the legs. The second dish we ordered sizzling black pepper kalbi ribs. Portions were on the smaller side. Usually these restaurants serve a complementary house soup but the waiter said it was sold out. Very disappointing as we were looking forward to having a complete meal. Overall the food is decent but they need to adjust the portions to make it good value. This is a good place to go for chinese food when most restaurants are closed. read more
4 years ago
Terrible service, called ahead and was told no more reservations but walk in available, approx wait time 30min. Arrived and was given ticket number 17. 4ppl, waited for 2hrs. Meanwhile they kept on accepting customers with reservations, why couldn't you just say you don't know how long the wait is. The servers never changed dishes or gave bowls and forks for soups, had to ask for everything. The food was ok, probably 3 still, but between bad ambience and service this is a 2 star. read more
Amazing spot for authentic Cantonese fare with lots of "wok hei". Prices are fair and the portions and quality of the food are top notch. My go-to items here are the sweet and sour pork, white cut poached chicken, and the satay beef chow mein. Lots of comments about issues with customer service but I've found them to be friendly and responsive. My only gripes are that the interior decor is really dated and that this place tends to be insanely busy even on weekdays so if you can, go outside of peak dining times. read more
Dong Kee Chinese Restaurant on Midland Ave really makes the best lamb and bean curd stew in Toronto (all picky-eaters in the family agree!) I've ordered their fantastic lamb dish a few times during this pandemic, but glad we also ordered their famous clay pot eel rice for the first time! First off the rice costs approx $50 but it filled two 5" x 8" takeout containers, and comes with 2 containers of peppery tofu coriander soup. There is also fish in every bite! My belly is full and I now realize how much I needed this comfort food combo today in -20C weather read more
I came here on a Thursday evening around 5:00PM. We didn't do a reservation but were able to be seated right away since it wasnt busy. However by the time we left, most of the tables were full. The complementary soup was really good and flavourful. However there was very little AC on, despite it feeling like 34 degrees outside, so I couldn't enjoy the hot soup as much. The washroom felt like a sauna too. The fried chicken was the best I've had at a Chinese restaurant. Usually I find the fried chicken too dry and salty but this was moist and perfectly flavoured. However, there was quite a lot of bone compared to meat so that was disappointing. The fried noodles weren't super oily which was nice but other than that, nothing special. The staff weren't very friendly, except for one woman who offered to pack up the leftovers. The rest were kind of rude and waited nearby while we paid, as if we couldn't pay for the meal or something. Parking can be a little annoying when it gets busy since the restaurant shares the small parking lot with the other stores attached. Transit is easy though as it's located at McNicoll and Midland. read more
4 years ago
Went here for dinner with my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. First time trying here myself but they've been here quite a few times. Place is cozy but you should make reservations ahead of time in order to get a table. There were quite a few reservations that were stuck on the doorway when we arrived so plan ahead. My Uncle ordered pork chops with thousand island sauce, baked pot of tofu with beef, chicken, and squid, and garlic beef with red and green peppers and onions. All of the items were well seasoned and tasty but portion wise not worth what you are paying for. The service was quite good as waiting staff were attentive to us whenever we needed more napkins or water for Chinese tea. The quality of food was nothing spectacular and portion size was a let down. The value just wasn't there though. For all 3 dishes including taxes came to $53. My Aunt and Uncle like going to this restaurant so will only go with them. That will be the only reason me coming back here again. read more
4 years ago
First time coming here and scary a good decision it was. Got here around 6 pm and the place was relatively steady for a Monday. This place reminds me of the old restaurants that use to once be in Chinatown. Great Cantonese dishes and very tasty. Will be back again soon. read more
You can really get a good meal here for a decent price, especially if you're with family. Dishes are decent sized and pretty delicious. Their broad noodles are super delicious!! Also, their peking pork chop with onions seems to be a top dish here as well (I see a lot of tables order it & I've ordered it as well-- it's good). This restaurant does serve complimentary soup, but no complimentary desserts. It does get super crowded & loud though, and the service here needs some improvement. I was waved off and ignored by several waiters/waitresses several times in one night (and this happens quite often here I'm afraid). Parking is pretty difficult to find as well... Food here is a 4/5. You get a lot of bang for your buck if you eat here, but service... I would have to give it a 1/5. read more
15 years ago
I don't know why? But every dishes I ordered from Dong Kee tonight made me feel like having some ice cold beer?! Maybe it is the fresh from the wok vibe? Maybe it is the atmosphere? Just maybe all the dishes I ordered has this saltiness.. but in a good way? Dong Kee really reminds me of an authentic Hong Kong eating experience: the smell, the noise, the hustle. The dishes here starts from $5.95, portions are small in a good way, because I ended up ordering more dishes and able to try out more things on the menu. Fried Fish in Teriyaki Sauce ($5.95) - so crispy you can even eat the bones! Vegetables in Hot Pot ($6.95) Taiwanese Stir Fried ($5.95) - good with beer! Sirloin Steak with Garlic ($9.99) All nicely done, hot and savoury.... Where is my BEER!!? Dong Kee for sure is not a romantic restaurant to impress your date, but is a great place to come with a bunch of friends for a midnight or after party snack since it closes at 4 AM everyday!! BTW, the fish tank at the back are packed with lobster, eels, crabs and fish.... Dong Kee full name is really Dong Kee Seafood Restaurant.. When you order your seafood, it is as fresh as it can get.. Anyone up for a midnight snack? read more
We love coming here for the yellow eel fried rice-there are few restaurants in Toronto that can make this dish taste like home! Not going to lie, their food is a lot better than other chinese restaurants. All the dishes are very flavourful and has "wok hei". But ofc, chinese food is usually very oily so it's no different here. One dish I highly recommend is obviously the taishanese yellow eel fried rice, which comes with a free soup boiled with eel bone, tofu and cilantro. Reason why I gave a 2* is because of their shitty customer service. Every time we eat here we always feel so rushed. Today specifically, about 30 mins into our dinner they randomly gave us our bill without asking if we are ready to pay. Despite its our choice of when we pay, it was so disappointing to see the bill without asking for it. Also the waitress occasionally asked us if they can take the dish away even if there are food on the plate and some people are still eating. I get that they are busy but they can't compromise their customer service to accommodate new guests. I just find it really rude to disrupt our dinner that way. One tip is that they are always busy so call to make reservations. I called them 5 times and they didn't pick up. On my 6th attempt, they somehow called me back on a different phone number...which was confusing. read more
This Chinese food is pretty good. A bit pricey though. Had the stir fried beef rice noodle. Sweet and sour beef, Drunken Chicken , Calamari Stir fry noodle . HK style ginger and scallion stir fry lobster . BBQ Spare ribs , Braised Pork Belly, Tofu EEL soup and the famous EEL pork belly clay pot rice . The clay pot rice needs to be booked in advanced and takes 30 minutes to prepare . Everything was very tasty and crispy. The best was the slow cooked braised pork belly was so tender it just melts in your mouth though was a bit cool when it arrived . HK style ginger lobster was very flavorful. Only thing was the EEL clay pot rice . Just didn't taste right with the rice . Though the rice is best when it's near the end. The pieces that's stuck to the pot is very crispy. The bill was over $350. Will fill you up. 8 people and two kids. read more
Located in a small plaza, this restaurant is hidden and can be easily missed. However, don't underestimate the dishes. We ordered some of the specialty dishes of Toi San and was impressed with the "wok hai". Food: Crispy chicken- chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Toi San yellow eel rice in hot pot - 2 dishes: Serve a soup made with eel boned and a n eel rice cooked in the hot pot. Toward the end of the rice dish, can add water to the crispy leftover rice and enjoy another way of eating the rice. Pickled vegetable steamed pork belly- The pickled vegetables bring out the fatty pork flavour Overall, all the dishes tasted great with a good portion size. If it included a dessert soup, this would bring it up another level. Service: Dishes are prepared fast and after you're done, they will hand you the bill since there are lots of people waiting. It's not a place to linger after. Some of the dishes have no English translation and are pasted on the wall in Chinese. read more
7 years ago
Known for their Eel Rice , best to order it ahead of time when you make your reservation. A decent "siu chau" place to go to if you're in the area. Would be better if you could read chinese since some of their specials are posted on the wall only in chinese and no english. Service is like any other chinese restaurant where you go for the food and not the quality of service. Remember to make reservations as it can get super busy during dinner time. read more
Summary: busy Chinese restaurant offers classic and modern Chinese dishes in a quality, old-school manner, which includes a loud atmosphere, big portions, wide variety, and regular servers who have an easy rapport with the families that mark this as a regular go-to spot. Top Must-get: fried rice (any) Top Regret: running free chicken At a time when more and more local Chinese restaurants in the area are "cha chan teng" and "customize-your-own-noodle-shops", Dong Kee stands out as an old-fashioned favourite: yes, it can be a bit oily, and yes, sometimes there's a pinch too much salt, but for the most part, your dinner dishes come as you'd expect. Last came here on a Tuesday night - packed house. We had to wait in the narrow entry hallway to wait for a seat. We were the third group waiting - got our number (#18) at 8:18, were seated by 8:28, and had our order by 8:40 - but we only had three dishes plus a rice, so take that with a grain of salt. The places comes with complimentary soup (varies) which is a nice touch. The "running-free" chicken wasn't particularly special (bit dry), but still we gulped it down. They're also really generous with their ginger onion sauce, which is nice. More positively, the beef dishes, fried rice, fried noodles (ho fan), and Chinese veggies were excellent. The sweet and sour pork was actually very good - a good balance of crunchiness and flavour, with a decent meat:veggie ratio, which I highly value (it's not called sweet and sour peppers/pineapples, people). The restaurant is pretty big but can get full, and it's popular among many families. They've got an array of large circular tables, and the few times I've been, many of them are occupied. Worth coming back to! read more
4 years ago
A good place to eat an informal dinner. Has lots of basic and classic cantonese dishes. A good "seew chow" place. Dishes used to be cheaper and bigger before. Need to bring someone who reads chinese to order the dishes hanging on the walls. If I don't go with my hubby, then I just order the same old stuff that I can remember the names of. We especially like the big clay pot of eel rice, garlic spare ribs, stir fried clams and roasted pigeon. You get soup of the day with your dinner too. Service seems to be better from the gentlemen here, the ladies are all expressionless. read more
I've come here twice, first with a large group (13 people) and the second time with a party of 6. This place is constantly busy for dinner so either make reservations or come early if you want to avoid waiting (and snag a decent parking spot). The service was better the time the second time I came (note: it's a typical old-school Chinese restaurant) but the food was really good on both occasions, which is what matters more to me! We ordered Beef Tenderloin in Chinese Style, Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork, Steamed Chicken with Vegetable, Clams with Spicy Sauce, Chow Mew with Salt Fish and Minced Meat. I wanted to order roast pigeon but they were already sold out (7pm on a Sunday night). The second time we ordered Crispy Fried Chicken (Half) and bunch of our favourites from our first visit. They have set meals but they are more expensive than ordering a la carte. Both times we got free soup to start off our meal but they couldn't guarantee it was free of peanuts so I didn't give my daughter (who has a peanut allergy) any. Using peanuts in soup is common in Chinese soup recipes, so this is a common risk in Chinese restaurants. Make sure you order white rice to accompany your dishes so you can enjoy the yummy sauces that accompany each dish! The restaurants actually has two levels but I noticed that they seem to fill up the first floor before sending people downstairs. Or perhaps they allocate the bottom floor for reservations, I'm not sure. I really enjoyed the flavour of the dishes we ordered and also appreciated the very reasonable prices! There were many other dishes that I want to try, so I will be making more visits in the future. read more
9 years ago
In my opinion, this restaurant serves the finest southern Chinese cuisine. Ignore the service, the decors, the location, everything... just the food!! I never had better. We got the eel rice cooked in earthenware pot, "tone choi" stir fried with fermented bean paste, wind sand chicken, and preserve vegetable steamed pork belly. Each one of these dishes were cooked to perfection. The eel pot rice is full of flavour, not too oily and just the right texture, rice not too hard not too soft. "Tone choi" is a popular vegetable in Chinese cooking, usually stir fried with fermented bean paste. Usually the problem with this dish is that the veggie become too fibrous, two reason that can cause this, 1. it's cooked too long in low heat, and water gone out of the vegetable or 2. the restaurant didn't pick the right produce. No problem here, veggie is cooked just right with great texture and amazing wok flavour. Chicken is deep fried but not dry at all, even the white meats is moist! Finally the preserved veggie pork belly, amazing! I can eat maybe 5 bowls of white rice with this dish. The meat is so soft and succulent that you can literally pull it apart! Maybe I'll just call it Chinese pull pork from now on. I'll definitely be back and the only reason I'm not giving it a full 5/5 is because the service and atmosphere is not that nice, but then again this is typical all Chinese restaurants. It's ok, just go, go for the food only. You won't regret it!!! Taste ***** Price ***** Portion ***** read more
I have to say Dong Kee is a hidden gem! Such a small restaurant in a tiny plaza, who would've thought. I have been living in this area for many years, yet this is my first time here. We got here at dinner time, so it was packed. Waited 15 min for our table, not bad. We can tell the restaurant is old, they do not have the best decorations or atmosphere, but there must be a reason why it is so busy here. Good food maybe? We got a 4 dishes combo, with a stir fired vegetable, half a chicken, 1 lobster and steamed fish. I am not enthusiastic about Chinese style lobsters like my mom, but I have to say dong kee's lobster is the bomb! I've never had more than 1 piece of lobster in other restaurants(I am lazy), yet I finished half of the dish here lol. The chicken was pretty good as well, not too oily and very lean. Decent steamed fish and vegetable. I heard they have many other signature dishes and specialized in seafood. Will definitely come back for the lobsters and try out more dishes. read more
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