My boyfriend took me here for a birthday dinner and I could not have picked a better place myself. This place had incredible food and an amazing Hong-Kong diner ambience. We made a reservation for 5:15pm. This place is in a tucked away corner in Kensington market; you have to actually go in one of the stores and there's a long hallway that leads to the restaurant. This restaurant is quite hard to find by itself, but there was already a long line by the time we arrived (it opened at 5pm). Although my boyfriend said he was able to get a walk-in table a few weeks ago, I highly recommend getting a reservation prior. The inside has a quaint diner feel to it. We were seated on a long "bar" near the kitchen and it was nice to have a view of the cooking. One thing I noticed is that the lighting across the restaurant is quite dim, which made it a little hard to take pictures and also made me quite sleepy! We ordered the tasting menu which comprised 4 courses. We received a tofu amuse-bouche which was quite lovely. The first course was the bluefin tuna and the husband + wife beef, served with a side of rice. The beef was very well seasoned and a little spicy, which worked well with the rice. The tuna was nice as well. The real star of this course was the char siu donut, which had this amazing crisp exterior and a savoury pork filling. I did wish there was a little bit more filling, but the pastry and filling combo worked very well. The next course was a noddle dish, stuffed chicken wings, and grilled zucchini. I'm not a huge fan of zucchini but this one was nice enough. My favourite part was the chicken wings. It had so much flavour (the cilantro was a nice touch) and was quite substantial. I was using the noodles as a substitute for rice since the chicken wing flavour was quite intense, which was a good idea. The third course was the twice cooked pork, green beans, and fried rice. Although I thought this course was outshined by the other previous ones, it was still great. I particularly liked the seasoning of the pork (even though it was a little fatty for my taste). The fried rice was good and more of a muted flavour, which is good since it allowed the pork to shine. The last course, which was dessert, was actually my favourite. The french toast was amazing, one of the best desserts I've ever had in a restaurant. The sweet condensed milk sauce and the nutty toasty flavour of the black sesame french toast was an excellent combination. The ice cream had these corn chip bits that also elevated it. They put a candle on the side because it was my birthday! Overall, an amazing dinner. Usually, when I dine at these full course restaurants, the portions are too small and I leave feeling hungry still, but this was just the right amount of food. I highly recommend coming here if you want an elevated take on Chinese food, and you want great dessert. read more

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Was in the Kensington area enjoying a summer weekend and remembered Sunny's was nearby. Came here to try the dessert since I've heard so many great things about it. Sunny's is located within a small hallway, look for a nostalgic hk style neon sign outside a non descript door. We were treated warmly and I advised the hostess I wanted to drop in quickly for their popular sesame dessert, and was promptly seated in their outdoor patio. They have a quaint and surprisingly quiet outside patio. We ordered the sesame French toast and it came out exactly how I imagined it. I request the oolong condensed milk on the side. It was a light and small treat for the afternoon. The sesame flavour wasn't overwhelming and the sweetness was just right. read more

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My wife is responsible for this restaurant adventure. I am not a big Chinese food fan because a dinner of fried rice, Kung Pao chicken, and a fortune cookie ranks in my book on the low end of a fine dining experience. So I was delighted to find out what a talented chef can do with Chinese-influenced cuisine. But first, the location. This was our first time visiting Toronto so we were unfamiliar with the city's neighborhoods. When we stepped out of the Uber, I surveyed what appeared to be a grittier environment than the downtown area. I wasn't overly concerned. A cardboard sign taped to a window directed us down a hallway to the restaurant's entrance. It is a curious marketing approach and the sign could easily be missed by patrons, but it did add a little mystery to whatever awaited us behind the restaurant door. When we entered, we were immediately greeted by a pleasant hostess and an energetic vibe. The hostess confirmed our reservation (which had been guaranteed by a credit card) and offered to take our coats and umbrella. We were soon seated in pleasantly decorated, almost traditional-looking Chinese joint. Our server, Alex, cheerfully greeted us, asked us if this was our first time at Sunny's, and then gave a brief explanation of the culinary concept behind Sunny's approach to Chinese cuisine. In the interest of your time, I will quickly sum up our dining experience especially as you can easily find other online reviewers that make mention of their favorite dishes: Exceptionally friendly and efficient service (kudos to Alex!), quickly served, unique, and flavorful dishes, and wine and cocktail offerings (including non-alcoholic options) that pair well with the wide-ranging choice of entrees. A hghly recommended, surprisingly fun and delectable culinary experience. read more

I never look for chinese food. But I came here due to its michelin reputation. As solo diner, I appreciate they offer half serving. Ordered squid and french toast. But received an extra gift (shrimp) for being a solo diner. I was speechless. I have been a solo diner locally and different countries, but this is first time receiving gift for being solo. What a sweet gesture. Great ambiance. Lovely service. Every single food is finger licking!! Literally!! Food is hype-worthy. Didn't expect this from chinese restaurant. It seems they 'twist' the typical ingredients...making it unique, bold, creative. Already plan to be back (bringing 'forces') ....more tummy to try more dishes... read more

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it was Mimi's chinese restaurant we went to that got our attention to Sunny's. Very discreet signage at the front, you will never know that inside is a beautifully decorated restaurant that is very busy. When walking into the restaurant, it feels like you are a part of a secret society. The items on the menu are reasonably priced.we got the Mapo tofu, black pepper beef, charred cabbage with cumin seasoning and vinegar, Dan dan noodles and for dessert was french toast with black sesame spread. The food came very quickly after placing the order. portions of the dishes are meant for 2-3 people depending on how much of one thing you want to eat. So in and out of the restaurant in about an hour and fifteen minutes. overall i would rate this restaurant 4.5 out of 5. the Menu lacks options but makes up for in quality. just wished they had a few more things to select from. read more

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Food was good, ambiance is good, but I wouldn't expect too far off a Cantonese restaurant. Personally I liked my noodles a bit sweeter, this was very savory. Sesame French toast was good but I wanted the tea infused milk syrup to have a stronger taste. read more

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I finally made it here. We were seated the cute little patio at the back. The food options were very nice and staff was very accommodating to suggest and modify vegetarian options. The claypot rice is a must try! read more

Kitchen counter seat. Chef's Choice Tasting Menu. Flavours galore, unique textures, and it all connects in the best of ways. Impeccably knowledgeable and friendly service.... "We found something a lot of other people don't know about yet" vibes. Good times, go get some. read more

Sunny's Chinese - Review I went to Sunny's Chinese after hearing it was Michelin-recommended, and the experience definitely started off interesting. Finding the entrance was surprisingly tricky -- it felt like a mini maze -- but honestly, that made it kind of fun. Once you finally get inside, you're greeted by a very hip, stylish space that instantly sets the mood. The vibe and atmosphere were great, and the servers were genuinely friendly and attentive, which really elevated the overall experience. Food-wise, we ordered the dan dan noodles, orange chicken, and mapo tofu. One thing that really stood out (and confused me a bit) was the spice level. We were told the mapo tofu was spicier, while the dan dan noodles were about a 5-6 out of 10. In reality, the dan dan noodles were much spicier than the mapo tofu -- to the point where I wondered if dishes might have been mixed up with another table. I've had dan dan noodles at many places, and they're usually not that spicy, so this felt unusual. The Hong Kong-style French toast was sweet, comforting, and straightforward -- nothing fancy, but enjoyable. Overall, the main dishes were good, though they didn't completely blow me away. That said, this is Toronto, where there are so many excellent Chinese restaurants that the food here feels a bit less standout by comparison -- not because it's bad, but because the competition is incredibly strong. What really made Sunny's Chinese memorable for me was the excellent service and strong vibe. A great spot for atmosphere and experience, even if the food alone isn't the absolute top tier in the city. read more

Hidden down an alleyway with an unassuming neon sign, this place brings me back to when chinese food was considered fine dining. We started off with the Gunpowder Slap, which is a mini beer, a shot of baijiu (IYKYK), and a mini lychee cocktail. It for sure felt like a slap to the face after we downed all three in one breath! We ordered the classic Mapo Tofu ($23), which was actually spicy, and super yummy! We also got a cold side salad (honestly could have gone without it) to help mute the spice. The option we chose was the Tiger Salad ($14) which was onion, cilantro, and radicchio. The Pork Belly ($36) was thick cut, and the portion size was worth the price. It was fatty, but not overwhelming to the point where you feel sick from eating it. Highly recommend mixing the drippings in with your rice! The Dan dan noodle ($22) is mixed tableside and is a classic dish that we always love to eat. Our waitress was down to earth and so fun to interact with. We sat in the little courtyard in the back, and it didn't end up being too hot for an evening in July. read more

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I couldn't tell you how many times I've heard about how good Sunny's is - so when I finally made plans to visit, I was super excited. To start, I had a unique drink - I can't remember what it's called, but it was like a taiwanese milk tea or hojicha latte (can't remember) and it came with a side of diet coke to make it a float. It was so yummy! For food, we started with mapo tofu which was a bit spicy but good when you pair it with rice, and the silver needle noodle which was so yummy. We paired this with the miami beef short rib and charred cabbage. You could really taste the grilled charcoal taste on the short rib, I was a huge fan. Finally, we got their famous soy milk soft serve with HK toast and oh my God I would die for these desserts. I can't stop thinking about them and would go back just for them. Service is friendly and super helpful if you need to find your way around the menu. The restaurant itself is tucked away in a corner of Kensington market, very unassuming, honestly kind of dark and intimidating lol ... but 10/10 recommend!!! read more

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This was easily the best meal we had in Toronto. We did the pre-fix menu, which was SO much food. Even outside the wild number of dishes, the portions themselves were so generous. The short ribs, dan dan noodles, spinach, orange chicken, all amazing. However, by far the highlight was the black sesame french toast. I'll be thinking about that dish for a long time, was one of the best desserts I've had. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and the vibe of the restaurant was lovely. Sincerely hope to return soon! read more

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Came here for an early dinner and it did not disappoint. This time around I order the silver needle noodles (of course) and the typhoon squid. Both were amazing, noodles were good as per usual and the squid was so flavourful and tender. The ice cream they had this time was the corn ice cream with caramel popcorn. This is good if you love the flavour of corn. This is very dairy heavy so beware lactose intolerant people. The patio was nice and sheltered. Service was attentive, our water cups were never empty! Huge plus that their washrooms are individual rooms. read more

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Heard about this spot located in Kensington, so we reserved a spot for weeknight dinner. Make sure you reserve in advance as the spots get booked up quickly! The restaurant is pretty casual and dimly lit, perfect for a date night. Our favourites were the husband and wife beef, typhoon shelter squid and the black sesame French toast. We also got the silver needle noodle and orange chicken. We will be dreaming about the black sesame French toast for a while... read more

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Wow! What a fun surprise walking into this place from a random hallway off the street. Indoor seating achieves the fun vibe of a Chinese street market and the lovely outdoor roofless patio is also a perfect option. Get the cabbage! Excellent service. read more

Came here on a Friday night with a last minute reservation. We came here specifically for the dessert since we heard so much about it. The Hong Kong black sesame French Toast was incredible! We paired it with the ice cream (rotating, we had the jasmine milk tea) and together it was the perfect bite of sweet with warm and cold. We were absolutely stuffed by the end too, exactly what I was looking for. The service was amazing too, quick to take our jackets and very fast service. The space was also very cozy. Highly recommend! read more

Sunny’s Chinese - Hong Kong black sesame toast and jasmine milk tea soft serve. - Chinese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Located in Kensington Market the entrance is not quite apparent. Entrance is off Kensington Avenue down a small alley that looks kind of sketchy. Reservations are highly recommended. We came on a Sunday evening and the place was full. Food is Chinese from different regions of China and Hong Kong. Environment is dark and loud. Decor is a cross between a diner and bar (full bar btw). What was ordered: Husband and Wife Braised Beef - served cold Typhoon Squid - basically calamari Silver Needle Noodle Charred Cabbage Miami Short Rib Daily Soft Serve Black Sesame Hong Kong French Toast Food is served family style. Portions are okay. Food is very well seasoned and depending on personal taste some might find the flavours too salty. Would recommend adding bowls of white rice to accompany. The desert was good, soft serve was soy milk. Decent experience. read more

I didn't have high expectations for this place, mostly because I have Chinese food often and wasn't sure what to make of Chinese food prepped by a non-Chinese kitchen. That said, I was decently surprised. Bold flavours, with some hits and some misses. We got the Chef's tasting menu - which started off with an amuse bouche of tofu and wasabi, as well as some mushrooms. The flavours were clean for these small bites. Then, we proceeded to the first courses. A cooked spinach dish came out, along with a cold cucumber salad and a mala take on the tartare toast (served on a Chinese cruller). The tartare really lit my mouth up! But was delicious. The other vegetables were mere accompaniments, nothing impressionable. We started to enter the second courses of protein and meats. The typhoon shelter squid was one of the best dishes - like a yummy, spicy kick to a calamari. The pork jowl / cheek was just mid, in my opinion... most of it was fat and I could barely bite through my piece. The dandan noodles were pretty good, albeit a bit spicier and less nuttier than I'd expect. We also ordered an additional salted egg shrimp - which was, the best dish, by far. I'd highly recommend you get this on top of the tasting menu. Everyone raved about it! Then came the third course before dessert. We got some lion meatballs with shiitake mushrooms. The soy sauce and sweet flavours were nice, but the texture a touch too doughy. Some kabocha squash on the side, and some stir-fried gai lan. The fish came last... and I wish I saved some stomach room for this. It was pan seared in a soy sauce mix, getting a nice crisp. My only qualm about this dish is that it wasn't served without bones... I know, ironic coming from a Chinese-Canadian, but the fish was grilled to be quite dry / hard, and our chopsticks just weren't strong enough. Finally came their famous dessert, the black sesame French toast. Unlike my last time, where I had it with the milk tea soft serve, it came this time with some Hawthorne or other fruit sorbet. I personally think the toast worked better with the milk soft serve, but the sorbet offered a nice reprieve to an otherwise heavy meal. Was a nice meal with good company and food! Would I come again? Maybe not, nothing really stood out to me that I can't really get at another Chinese joint in Markham or otherwise (though the tartare toast was quite interesting). read more

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Service was amazing. The ambiance was great - really awesome to see the chef in the same space. Definitely adds to the experience. The food is great, just a bit pricey but it's Downtown and Scarborough has similar options but just not the same ambiance! The dessert was definitely the winner here. The HK toast with black sesame and oolong condensed milk with the banana soft serve was just the best way to end the experience. I would highly recommend reserving here as it gets really busy - we called right when they were open and was lucky enough to score a table! read more

Sunny’s Chinese - Chinese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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So I read about this place being it made the Michelin list. It was difficult getting a reservation so I thought it must be amazing. The place is in Kensington market. Don't look for a big sign as there's not. There's a small sandwich board on the outside pinpointing the place. You then had to walk through an interior hallway that was dotted with vintage and other retail stores. Moving through, you come to a wooden door and a small sign. You found it, The place looks trendy with an open kitchen. Pretty noisy as the conversations easily carry. Now the food. At this point, I'm drooling with anticipation. We ordered the mapo tofu, Taiwanese chicken, pork ribs, fried greens, and a noodle dish. Sorry I can't recall the actual names. My fav was the mapo tofu and ribs. They were good but not exceptional. The other dishes were average. The service was great. Not going to go into detail but it was a disappointment given the price. I will leave it at that. read more

Truly a wonderful experience! The food was incredible, personally loved the atmosphere of an elevated diner, the staff was also super friendly and accommodating as the friend I went with is pescatarian. Still dreaming about the desserts! read more

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Lovely spot in Kensington Market! Lowkey speakeasy vibes with finding this spot hahah Everything was p yummy and the price came out to be 120CAD for 4 ppl which was also so good! Would def come back! The servers were so sweet and had lots of recs too :D Soymilk soft serve! - SO YUMMY read more

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I was really looking forward to this visit! With a long and storied history already, Sunnys have paved their own way in Kensington, and they should with that kind of pedigree and indelible market history. I was a big fan of Cold Tea when it was something shiny and new for Toronto and quickly turned into an international spot to visit in our city with its hidden charm and unisex bathroom mashup that we now take for granted in many of these types of bars. Remember Momofuku Barbecue? No? Well you should cuz there was a definite kinship within its property with the Chinese and that leads nicely into what Sunnys has as its creed. Part of why I hadn't been since it opened over the last couple of years is that I didn't have the right person to take with me, and collab on the experience since I knew it wasn't going to be just going for dinner. When I met my friend from Nanning, China, I knew she would be blown away by this Toronto phenomenon and she was, absolutely and unequivocally, from the kinda scary hallway (at night) to the "??Canadian white-boy using the wok like a Chinese man...??" We had a ball watching the action in the kitchen while sipping our stiff Baiju cocktails made with ice and neat as well, sharing sips and enjoying the deep and unique flavours. Unique flavours is what this place is all about. It's not Holy Chow, more like Holy Wow, what the heck was in that!!?? A couple times she commented on the "creative menu" and I knew she was struggling with words, but hey shutting up and eating is definitely an option here. We got the fantastic-to-share Chef's Choice three course dinner and it was a perfect way to enjoy the menu without stressing over what you ordered and whether you got the right things, especially with just two of you where items count. One of the most impressive aspects here was the service. Simply fantastic! So stealthy, and understanding that we had a convo to have in our time here. Life is short, and dinner is only an hour and a half so I don't need to smile at and engage my server. But I also need service without needing to talk much and we got exactly what we needed, no more, no less, so thanks a bunch for kicking off what turned out to be a fantastic evening spent in one of the world's best restaurants in Toronto's west end, as a starting point and continuing on into the night... read more

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So let me start off with saying that the food here does live up to the hype. You definitely can tell that there has been a lot of thought put into each dish and for the most part everything tasted great. Our waiter was super friend and gave us a few recommendations so we went with the dan dan noodles, silver needle noodles, typhoon squid and chrysanthemum + spinach. My favourite would have to be the noodle dishes. They were all well seasoned and super tasty. The chrysanthemum + spinach was a bit too sour for my taste (but mind you I typically don't like sour things). I would say this is elevated Chinese cuisine so don't expect huge portions but I was very full after sharing this with 2 other people. We also ended the meal with the HK French toast and soft serve. I found the French toast to be a bit on the sweet side for an "Asian not too sweet" palette, but the soft serve was a nice balance. Sunny's is tucked behind a few shops in Kensington so at first it was hard to find, but I absolutely love the cute diner vibe that was inside. They also had some really nice merchandise to boot. We'll definitely come back again to try the other items on their menu. read more

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Dishes are too spicy. Cocktails too sweet, rice dry as a bone. The price overall didn't justify the Michelin reputation. Attentive but not amazing service. Don't expect traditional Chinese food. read more

Sunny’s Chinese - Chinese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Got a reservation online for right when they opened at 5pm. It's easy to miss. The sign for the restaurant is hand written on a piece of cardboard and when you go in it's weird as well. Thankfully I had looked at photos in advance and recognized the neon sign. The service was decent. We ordered the orange chicken, silver noodles, Miami short ribs, and tiger salad. The food was delicious. The tiger salad was probably my least favourite because it was so much vinegar but it was nice with the ribs. I wish they had brought the items together to have some variety throughout the meal rather than it being broken up. We ordered the soft serve (flavour was soy milk with caramel and toffee) and both hated it. The waitress asked if we liked it and we said no and then nothing happened lol. She didn't offer for us to try something else or offer to take it off our bill. I asked for some caramel sauce to drown the flavour. Which is weird because I always drink soy milk. Something about this was just not nice. There was also not much topping. There are some dishes I was curious about so I might go back but no rush. read more

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I was a bit hesitant to try this place because I typically go to Markham/Scarborough for my Chinese food. So I went in with no expectations but I was really pleasantly surprised. The flavours were all super great. I was most surprised at the tiger salad. It had cilantro and onion in it and I only got it at the waitress' recommendation. I thought it would be super strong cilantro flavour but whatever they did, it tasted super well balanced. I had been to this location before when it was Cold Tea so it is a bit confusing as you have to walk in past the shops. It had a bit of a diner feel and the staff were very nice. Would definitely return again! read more

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Leaving a second review. Came back for our first dinner out with our toddler and the restaurant was so accommodating. We've been a few times so there was no doubt the food would be great, but this time we were concerned about the little one's patience. So we coordinated to get our order in before arriving and to get things served out at a bit faster pace. Had a great time and will of course be back again. Try the husband & wife beef, it's great. read more

We ordered takeout which they apparently do not always allow. The food was good, but pricey. My favorites from best to worst: 1. Stir Fried Snow Peas 2. Silver Needle Noodle 3. Black Pepper Beef 4. Grilled Kale 5. Mapo Tofu 6. Orange Chicken 7. Fresh Tofu Skin I don't think I would go back. Too many other great places around. read more

First time trying a Michelin Chinese place, very interesting experience. The entire place looks like a 70s dining located in an almost abandon mall in China town. The food portion is small, unlike traditional Chinese food. Actually it's prob the smallest portion of Chinese food I have ever gotten. Squid is seasoned well, but a bit too tough to eat. Dandan noodles is pretty on point, authentic 夫妻肺片 is not bad, missing a bit of flavour Rest of the dishes are ok Overall, really cool unique place, but half of the Chinese restaurant in the city can make it better. This is just an experience read more

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Love the vibe and service here! Everything on the menu is pretty reasonably priced. All the Food was great. I would say the desert toast was one of the best parts. Servers are very knowledgeable as well. Been here more than once. they had a limited edition pork dish that I thought was okay but would t get again. read more

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The best dining experience we've had in a while is from this blink-and-you'll-miss-it Chinese restaurant inside the dilapidated Kensington Market. There's no signage outside the building, the old mall looks rundown and somehow abandoned. You have to pass by a small psychic reading room, peeling off dried paint before seeing a neon Chinese character sign that may or may not be helpful at all (unless you know Mandarin). The restaurant's name was haphazardly handwritten on a piece of cardboard next to it's Michelin distinction, opening into a hip and casual dining spot with a top-notch sake selection. (The head chef/noodle chef is Filipino, too.) Orange chicken Kipfer Farms pork chop Silver needle noodle Kozaemon goddess of sake junmai Kirakucho tokubetsu junmai read more

Sunny’s Chinese - Chinese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Overall, the service was fantastic, but the salty food overshadowed the great ambiance and great service we were offered. Finding the restaurant was a bit of a journey, but we were impressed by the quaint feeling of the restaurant. As a group of four, we were recommended to get at least 7-8 dishes with rice. We got 6 dishes (the squid, the lamb, the spinach, the husband wife beef, the silver needle noodles, and the sea bass). All the dishes were way too salty and ended up giving my father an upset stomach. While the flavors were pretty good, it seemed the tagline of having bold flavors was more of an indicator of salty dishes. We were even told by our server when we told them the dishes were too salty that it was because they would go well with rice (this statement did not impress my parents at all). Definitely a bit of a disappointment and not somewhere to take the Asian parents because for them, ambiance is not enough! read more

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Everything about this place is so hip and cute! From the panda chopstick holders to the flower shaped soap bottles in the bathrooms, Sunnys Chinese is the epitome of an elegant elevated Chinese restaurant. The menu has lots of modern twists on classic Chinese dishes like mapo tofu & orange chicken and also creative new dishes you've never heard of before. They have dishes inspired by a wide variety of regions in China & also Hawaii, so you get a bit of everything if you order across the menu! The ambiance is so nice inside, with loud music, dim lighting, and pastel colors. Definitely a great place for a date or fun dinner with a group of friends! Everything we ordered was super flavorful and delicious. The orange chicken was nicely crispy and juicy, with a bright citrusy kick from the orange slices. I also loved the silver needle noodles! Super savory with mushrooms and big chunks of egg. The gai lan dish was also a standout -- so garlicky and also had taiwanese sausage. The soft tofu was also yummy and the crispy youtiao bits on top were so fun. Heritage pork chop was very cumin forward but super tender and not dry at all. But whatever you get for food, you absolutely must get the blackbird HK french toast for dessert!!! It's incredible and one of my favorite desserts I've ever eaten to date. It's the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and decadent. Their soy milk soft serve with soy sauce caramel was also so yummy too -- very light and refreshing, and paired really well with the richer french toast. Service here is amazing; everyone was super friendly, food came out quite fast, and we were taken care of the whole night! read more

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Been wanting to come here for a few years but I don't live in Toronto. Got a rez at their countertop at the bar which is a fantastic place to sit if your party size can swing it. The ambiance and the staff here is amazing. People here really care about food and beverage. I ordered the mapo tofu with bone marrow and a side of rice, Dan Dan noodles, a prescription cocktail and a tropic of China cocktail. Honestly, I have no notes for the food that was served to us. Think high end Chinese comfort food with a few twists. The mapo tofu was spicy (which we were warned but I wanted all of that heat). The cocktails were very well made. Struck up a convo with the two amazing bartenders who took an interest to where we had already eaten/drank at and what else we had planned. Gave us some new ideas as well. Suck a warm and inviting atmosphere with great food. I'll come back here as much as time and life allows. read more

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This restaurant is located in a small, tucked in alleyway in between some shops. But the interior was amazing and lighting is very warm and pleasant. The food was excellent and it was cool to see their takes on traditional Chinese food. I ordered the mapo tofu + roasted bone marrow, Dan Dan noodles, orange chicken, and this shrimp that was off the menu but it was really good. read more

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Sunny's Chinese is a hidden spot in Toronto's Kensington market area, serving upscaled Chinese "diner" food. They are on the Michelin Guide and is a hidden gem for a modern chinese food experience. The atmosphere is dark and windowless, adding to the mystic aura of the location. It feels like a hidden bar/ghost kitchen that patrons can observe rather than a restaurant. The tables and decor is diner style, they have 2, 4+, and bar seating arrangements. It does take 1 month+ to reserve a table and there is a 1.5 to 2 h seating limit. To get to Sunny's is the first challenge, you'll need to keep an eye out for their sidewalk sign, or two door signages indicating which store/hallway to take down into the middle of the building. Walk all the way to the back where the neon sign lights the entrance and there is a single door with a cardboard sign indicating Sunny's location. The service was quick and attentive; once ordered, items came together after 5 - 10 mins and the staff gave good recommendations. Be warned a that a lot of the items are spicier than expected, be ready with the water and rice and/or just enjoy the burn. Another note, everything is served "family" style, the portions for some items are equivalent to apps, while others are mains. Ordering a few of each to share is the way to go. Serving utensils and individual plates/bowls are provided. We ordered the following (for three people): - chrysanthemum x spinach cold dish (starter) - dan dan noodles (main) - typhoon shelter squid (equivalent to calamari) - silver needle noodle (main) - daily soft serve (soy milk x caramel x toffee) - Blackbird HK French Toast (black sesame x oolong condensed milk) The chrysanthemum x spinach was a small portion, it was light and refreshing, I would not have expected the chrysanthemum to accompany it so well, but the few flowers were strong and mixed well with the spinach. The dan dan noodles were nice and saucy, the noodles had a great chew and was a filling dish, although on the spicier side. The typhoon squid had lots of chili peppers mixed in and had a great soft chew and tasted fresh. The silver needle noodles are thick cylindrical short noodle pieces that had a tapioca/starchy chew to them, it was stir fried with mushrooms and veggies and possibly eggs having a nice wok-he smokiness to them. The dessert however was a surprise both good and unexpected. Normally, chinese "not too sweet" desserts means half or less sugar then its western counterparts. Both the soft serve and the HK french toast is full sugar. The flavors were great though, just way too sugary for labelling "not too sweet". The soft serve is milk based with a twist, incorporating soy milk seamlessly into the dish, I will try making that at home as pure soy milk ice cream doesn't have a creamy texture due to the high water content. The HK french toast is packed with black sesame paste, but again, with so much sugar and condensed milk with the butter, it was very heavy. All in all Sunny's has a great mix of modern flavors and techniques executed to bring traditional chinese food to an elevated restaurant experience. Of course this means that some expectations need to be established, expect fine dining prices and portions, not the food court style volume. It was very worthwhile and something I'd bring visitors to enjoy once a while, not a weekly occurrence. Talking to staff, their tasting/chef's menu is very flexible, they can swap items if there are preferences and/or dietary restrictions, e.g. change all the beef menu options to chicken items, etc. Will be back again after trying their sister restaurants. read more

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Came here for dinner and it did not disappoint. The food and service were both top notch. For a Michelin guide restaurant, it is pretty affordable and has options for everyone. The restaurant itself might look a bit sketchy from the outside but inside, the service and space are both great. Definitely a must-eat in Toronto! read more

The sign along Kensington Avenue is nondescript. It is taped on a clear glass door amidst clothed mannequins and festival bunting flags. I think it's on cardboard, or maybe just brown paper, but it definitely is handwritten in pentel pen ink. It reads, in big block letters: Sunnys Chinese This Way. The arrow on the sign directs you down a hallway. In the evening, this hallway is quiet as Kensington Market is on its last exhale. Too quiet, in fact, that it almost seems eerie. You walk a bit and see a yellow door on the left side. It's also nondescript, looking like any other hallway door with a silver handle and 'caution automatic door' sticker. The only distinguishable thing about the door is a simple sign taped on it, again handwritten and in big block letters. The sign reads: Sunnys Come On In! I guess I have found the storefront. I tentatively open the door, half expecting to walk down another eerie hallway, only to be immediately greeted with an absolute force of a vibe (no exaggeration: it made me step back for a second). Loud music, low lights, simple yet tasteful interior, servers bustling about, diners energetically chattering, the kitchen roaring. It's part speakeasy, part classic Hong Kong diner. Hello, Sunnys. Now on to the food. For the evening, we got the husband-wife beef, dan dan noodles, typhoon squid, mapo tofu, twice cooked pork, chicken wings and soy soft serve dessert. Sigh, if only that absolute force of a vibe and the absolutely outstanding service provided (shoutout to Dilan, who was amazingly attentive, pleasant and quick) had translated to the food. There was nothing bad about it, it just tasted so... average. And for that environment and those prices, average was a big letdown. The only dish I'd definitely recommend is the soft serve dessert (and maybe the typhoon squid if I'm being generous). Sunnys is undeniably an experience, and I'm glad to have tried it. But as we exited through that yellow door, the loud music and energy-high fading behind us, I re-entered that eerie hallway knowing I'd never see those block letter signs again. read more

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Made a reservation for Sunny's approximately one month in advance and could only book for 5:30. It is located through a hallway and not marked very well so keep your eye out. We ordered food and drinks at the same time - they are meant to be sharing plates. Two of the dishes came out before our drinks and we were basically done before we checked on the drinks and it seemed like they had forgotten. Not what I would expect for a restaurant on the Michelin guide. We ordered: typhoon shelter squid, ribs, orange chicken and silver needle noodles. Due to the mess up with the drinks the server gave us the French toast complimentary which was nice - this was probably the best dish. Overall the food was good but not amazing. The service was good, but again not amazing. It was also quite dark in the restaurant. I think it's okay to visit but I probably wouldn't return. read more

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