Mother's Dumplings

Chinese restaurant · Kensington-Chinatown

Mother's Dumplings

Chinese restaurant · Kensington-Chinatown

421 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2G6, Canada

Highlights

This cozy spot serves up shareable Chinese plates and handmade dumplings amidst a warm garden ambiance, making it a charming dining experience.

421 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2G6, Canada Get directions

mothersdumplings.com

CA$20–30 · Menu

@onthegrid

"Chinatown is full of delicious 24 hr asian restaurants galore. Our studio has been battling a debate of the ages between which dumpling house is the best on Spadina and we’ve narrowed it down to two. Just south of College on Spadina is this gem of a restaurant called Mother’s Dumplings. Pan Fried, boiled and our favorite steamed dumplings are staples here and with well priced house craft beer options it’s the perfect group outing spot." - Tennis

On the Grid : Mother's Dumplings

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@michelinguide

"Chef-owner Zhen Feng has folded so many dumplings for Toronto that she might as well be the city’s honorary mother. In 2005 she opened a small, eight-table nook on Huron Street. Five years later, she relocated to a much larger space and by then had boiled, steamed and pan-fried her way to becoming a city institution in the heart of Chinatown. The menu boasts all manner of Chinese dishes, but stick to the namesake specialty, which are rolled out and folded at all hours by a dedicated team in the back. One could make a meal out of just the boiled pork and dill dumplings, but other types are also worth dipping into. On the way out, bags of frozen dumplings are available for take-home when the craving hits and Feng’s kitchen is closed for the day." - Michelin Inspector

Mother's Dumplings

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@onthegrid

"Mother's Dumplings, Chinatown by Tennis. Chinatown is full of delicious 24 hr asian restaurants galore. Our studio has been battling a debate of the ages between which dumpling house is the best on Spadina and we’ve narrowed it down to two. Just south of College on Spadina is this gem of a restaurant called Mother’s Dumplings. Pan Fried, boiled and our favorite steamed dumplings are staples here and with well priced house craft beer options it’s the perfect group outing spot."

Toronto

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Charis Lum

Google

Best experience here. Don’t usually like Chinese food but the flavours were wonderful and our server Paul was amazing. Went above and beyond. So kind and polite. I wanted to keep a beer can as I collect them so he went and got an empty one in the back for me. So humble and attentive. All the servers were amazing.

Gabriel De Conto

Google

Had a great experience. Loved the tea. Everything that I had was phenomenal. Food came out quick and piping hot. I really enjoyed the bbq pork bun and the general tso chicken. The mushroom and chicken dumplings and the pan fried beef and celery were great. My table really liked the sesame balls and assorted dessert buns. Only negative was that one of our table members was without utensils for quite a while.

Carol F

Google

Located near College and Spadina, Mother's Dumplings has earned a spot in the Michelin recommended guide for 2024, which prompted our visit to try it out. The restaurant is fairly good in speed and quality, and the food served was generally good. However, it fell a little short due to the flavours that we were expecting in 'standard' dishes that we try at places to set the initial experience. During our experience, we ordered several items from the menu like the Pork and Chives Dumplings (boiled), Juicy Pork Bun (essentially soup-filled dumplings), Green Onion Pancake, Hot & Sour Soup, and Potato Salad. The Pork and Chives Dumplings were flavourful but did not stand out compared to other preferred dumplings in Chinatown. In contrast, the Green Onion Pancake was well pan-fried, and best in crispness and taste. The Hot & Sour Soup was filling for its medium size, although it lacked the expected sourness. The Potato Salad presented a unique twist, being slightly sweet and spicy, with shredded carrots and thinly sliced potatoes. However, it deviated from the traditional expectations of potato salad, which typically includes a vinegar-based dressing. The service at Mother's Dumplings was very quick to turn around our food and attentive staff who promptly noticed that our dumplings did not include the right amount and proactively told the kitchen to begin cooking additional portions without delay. Additionally, they offer the option to purchase frozen bags of dumplings to take home for later. Lastly, they only take cash or debit.

Sathira Katugaha

Google

Great atmosphere but the food didn’t wow me. It was very enjoyable with interesting flavours in the dumplings, but the dumpling filling didn’t really bring any new flavour profiles to the table and none of the filling combinations I had tasted bold. I had the beef and celery, pork and pickled cabbage and shrimp, chive and egg fillings. These dumplings have very traditional tasting flavours and I will say, the big plus of this place is that all the ingredients taste relatively fresh. Even the dumpling itself and pancake batter taste very light and clean. That being said I personally would prefer a spot that had bolder flavours, but if that’s not your vibe then maybe you’ll like this place

yesim sepici ersoy

Google

Firstly food was really good and fresh. Waiters seem to be all attentive and rushing around. I found the place with a michelin note so I was expecting bit more cleanness and attention to detail than any other places on the street. The containers of sauces on the table were greasy walls were literally dirty. All need a good wash. Our food came in bits and pieces all dishes came separately especially rice came last and we had finished all the food and ready to go. Probably they forgot the order in the first place.

Arshad Amir

Google

Overall decent. This place used to be awesome and so we came back a second time, but food did not hit the spot as much this time. The beef & chive dumpling was excellent but the shrimp & egg dumpling and the chicken dumpling were good not great. The scallion pancakes, Chinese broccoli, and seafood fried rice were all underseasoned. Lastly, the sweet & sour fish was way too sweet to enjoy. Service was pretty good but experience was overall a bit of a letdown due to the food being underseasoned.

Nate Miro

Google

Love this place! We’ve been here plenty of times and it never disappoints. The dumplings are super juicy and full of flavour — you can really taste the freshness. It’s authentic, comforting, and the service is always quick and friendly. Always hits the spot.

K T

Google

A casual Chinese restaurant focused on dumplings. Choose items from the menu, check the items in the order form, and hand it to the server. Quick service. Food is delicious. Very popular and may need to wait to be seated. A Michelin restaurant. Cash or debit card payment only.