Mother's Dumplings

FOOD: the dumplings are so freaking good. I ordered steamed bao, pan fried dumpling and some other kinds, they are all good. I wanted to try more but I was already so full. It's also super affordable. Dumplings are fresh made to order, you can see how they make it from scratch through a big glass window. SERVICE: You gonna expect chinese level customer service, it's not gonna be too too friendly but it's decent service. VIBE: I love that I can watch people making dumplings through the window when I eat. The place is not dirty and it feels cozy.

Friend recommended this place after she said she saw it in the Michelin guide of recommended spots in dt Toronto. We ordered a few different items to try and felt it was just alright. Portion sizes are good and pricing isn't bad. Good spot to get your dumpling fix, and they also have other dishes that you can find at Chinese restaurants like rice and noodles, but we didn't try them.

We came to this place because we were craving dumplings. After searching on Google Maps, we found this restaurant and it seemed like a great choice. The food was tasty and the atmosphere was excellent. Great value for money – definitely worth a visit!

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.

Had a great first experience!!! Food felt homemade, so fresh, great flavour. Prices were also a plus point, very reasonable for the level of quality. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. Loved it all would definitely go back! We tried: pancake, steamed/fried dumplings, dumpling soup.

Top quality of Dumplings? Definitely not. But they are still a great, above-average option. The location is a little out of the way from Chinatown, and a bit quiet. The Chinese-inspired decor is quite nice.

As dumpling lovers, we both vote this place knows how to make the best dumplings. The dough is a little stretchy which is what i love. It is able to hold a big filling. The filling is dripping juice too. It is not easy to achieve that, trust me. Dumpling are made live. The only suggestion is they could made the tables cleaner

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.

Solid assortment of vegan dumplings, which is not easy to find! We had the boiled vegetarian dumplings (which we confirmed are vegan, though boiled in common water potentially), the steamed melon dumplings and the steamed tofu/mushroom dumplings. The boiled dumplings were especially good, and tasted homey and authentic.

Still going back to this great dumpling spot on Spadina. We opted for some of the same dishes but also had the shrimp fried rice this time. Put the green beans on top with the juices. Sooo good!

Worth the hype! I had someone recommend mother's dumplings, and I'm glad I listened! Food was great. Service was quick. It was busy but I didn't feel rushed. Smaller place in the front, but plenty of seating!

I came here at the recommendation of a friend and I was so excited to get fresh dumplings on the Michelin list in Chinatown. I asked what the waiter recommended -- which was the pork and chive dumpling (boiled) but I wish I would have gone with my gut and gotten pan fried bc I don't love boiled dumplings. I also got the pork bun and crystal shrimp dumpling. Both were great -- the shrimp dumpling was some of the best I ever had.

A nicely decorated and clean restaurant. We had no wait to get a table. Hot tea was brought out right away and he took our drink orders. We placed our order for a variety of dumplings when he brought out the drinks. There was a spot that we could watch them hand make the dumplings. Another server brought out our order, except it wasn't ours and there was a bit a confusion among staff. I'm not sure where the original server went to but it seemed he entered it in wrong. We had to wait about 10 more minutes for our order to come out, hot and fresh. Everything was delicious and very enjoyable. I look forward to coming back and trying more of the menu.

Came here for a late light lunch because we had dinner reservations at 6:15 somewhere else. This spot was recommended to me by 2 people. The food was ok. I'd technically give them 3.5 stars but giving them the extra because the service was nice. We got the lamb shu mai, crystal shrimp dumplings (basically har gow), juicy pork buns (like xlb minus the soup), and egg and chive pancakes which was actually more like a giant fried dumpling or empanada shape. Would get the lamb shu mai and shrimp dumplings again but not the other 2 dishes. The juicy pork bun was fine but I was hoping for soup dumplings and there was no soup. The egg and chive pancake wasn't what I wanted or expected, but it tasted fine. Good when dipped into soy sauce and vinegar combo. I would be open to trying other dishes. I was trying to focus on the dumplings and small dishes since we didn't want to get too full. Service was friendly although a little slow, but the server seemed to be the only one taking orders. Others helped bring the food out though. I think it's cash or Canadian debit only. But they do accept US cash and will give 20% off the bill for the exchange rate. We gave US cash, and it was close enough with the discount. The place looks like a hole in the wall from the outside but it's actually pretty big because it goes a long way back. Overall, a solid 3.5 for me.

After walking around Chinatown, I stumbled across this restaurant with lots of awards and achievements on there window frame. So naturally I had to try it. The table were quite sticky and it did feel like a hole in the wall spot. I ordered pan fried beef($16), wonton soup ($9), pork and chive ($12), and juicy pork pun ($14)The dumplings were all good! Very flavorful and fresh. Service was slow and lacking. Overall good food here, but service is lacking and not a really "clean" atmosphere. If you only care about the food, check it out. Food(50%): 7.5 Staff/service(25%): 4.0 Value(25%): 7.0 Overall: 6.5/10

I've eaten here since 2015 when I went to school downtown and I want to say the food is amazing but I feel that overtime, it doesn't hit the same as I remember. Additionally, it has gotten increasingly expensive in comparison to what it was 10 years ago, which I completely understand considering the cost of business in Toronto. Don't get me wrong, I think the food is still delicious, the boiled dumplings and pan fried dumplings were my favourite. And they hand-make all the dumpling skins which you can tell. It's thin, crispy, and not overly doughy. However, the soup dumplings weren't the best I've had and the chive egg pancakes weren't as crispy and flavourful as I would like. It's a great place for students to eat but sadly I would not say the best dumplings in town. Still worth a try and I know lots of people who enjoy eating here.

Our large group of 12 came in for dinner on a busy Saturday and were able to get seating separately within 10 minutes or so. We were seated near each other and had separate checks, yet, seemed like there was confusion between the two servers and our table was forgotten as though we were all at one table. Basically, we had to ask for water, flatware, a ticket to complete for our order as they served the other table. Server read the order back to me and we were still missing a smoothie for one of our kids. By the time we were done, it still didn't come out and I told them that I didn't want it anymore. As we're waiting for the check correction, food is gone, someone else brings out the smoothie to us. I explained what happened and the same server I explained this to before, I had to explain to again. He even asked a question as though he didn't already speak to me 15 minutes before. Yikes. The service there was quick-ish, but moving too fast can be a problem too. It ruined my experience here and while the steamed and boiled dumplings were good, they weren't amazing enough for me to forget this experience. I read in a couple of articles prior to my visit that this was an iconic place to visit in Chinatown, but looking at the ratings on here, maybe not so much.

Mar. 2024 Order: - D1 Chives and eggs filled pancakes (4 pc) - C1 Pork and bak choi (10 pc) pan fried dumplings - B9 Juicy pork bun (8 pc) steamed dumplings (xiao long bao) - A3 Chicken and mushroom (12 pc) boiled dumplings After reading articles and other's reviews of the establishment, I was quite disappointed with the flavours and price per dish. The service was excellent, but I was there for the food. For the price and what we got, I felt that there was a difference in tastes/expectations. - I spoke to my mother and asked what the pan fried dumplings might taste like in other parts of China and discovered that the chives and eggs (with noodles) is actually common. I was expecting a bit more egg and chives since it was in the name, not the noodles. It was also shaped like a dumpling neither like the flat pancakes nor the fluffy cylindrical buns I was expecting. - The pan fried dumplings were pretty standard and I'm not sure what the hype is for Mother's specifically, I felt I could have gotten decent gyoza and similar elsewhere. - The xiao long bao was very disappointing, I'm not sure if it is just a difference in tastes/expectations, but I was looking forward to the juicy savoury taste, but it tasted soapy (maybe from the herbs?) and I actually didn't want to eat another bite! - The boiled dumplings were very good and the way the dumplings skins were folded contributed to a great texture. This would be the only type of dumpling I would eat again at Mother's. - The chili oil and condiments were very standard, the oil a bit too burned for my tastes, but again, pretty standard for an Asian restaurant. Overall, I'd say, just treat it like a regular dumpling joint, nothing fancy, and go for the standard boiled dumplings and nothing else. It is pricey for what you get, but its better than what you can find in the frozen section of the grocery store. The service was without a doubt, great. The restaurant is quite deep and has lots of tables and booths. Didn't have to wait for a seat in the evening and they were busy till closing time.

This is a great spot for dumplings! I love their BBQ buns too. The staff has always been super great. The only thing I would say is it's a bit pricey. Everytime I go with my friends it ends up being 50+ even for two girls.

Just follow yelps advise...We still came due to a recommendation Nah. Not an expert but the bums didn't taste like bums normally do in legitimate Asian places. The soup dumplings were good but 3 times the price than other stablisments with amazing dumplings Nice staff, they serve green tea on the house..clean place but nope..not worthy at least for bums and dumplings

This dumpling spot is the all that and dim sum! Exactly what I was looking for and boy did it hit the spot. The dumplings are freshly made and you can see the dumpling magician in the back if you walk towards the restroom. Each dumpling is made from scratch and the wrappers are nice and then also a healthy portion of meat in each one. The service was quick and upon seating you get the menus as well as complimentary tea I also asked for water. The ambiance is not much to look at but I didn't care because I just wanted good home made dumplings. I wish I could have tried more variations but I enjoyed the boiled Pork, Shrimp and Leek dumplings the most and they reminded me of how my parents made it minus the large shrimp that isn't churned up. A must visit if you're in Toronto!

* I am a Xiao Long Bao (XLB) enthusiast, so I ordered XLB (Pork, take out) only. Thus my review is quite limited. A few years ago, I came here for XLB. Although their XLB was not my favorite, the wrappers were homemade, carefully pleated. The taste was not as sophisticated/refined, but had this nice homey flavor. I felt their commitment and focus on home made food. Unfortunately, I was hugely disappointed this time - the XLBs were apparently NOT pleated by hand. It looked like machine pleated, and the taste was mediocre. Having this type of dumpling in Mother's Dumpling was the least expected experience. Sad.

Came here because it is a MICHELIN star restaurant. Disappointing... a lot of Americans, so it was not very authentic. There is a glass case that you can see the chef hand-making dumplings. The scallion pancake was thick and not crispy enough. Ordered shrimp fried rice and it was not flavorful The sweet & sour fish was a small quantity. We were expecting a full bone-in fish. But instead, it was boneless and cut up with peppers and pineapple. Would recommend skipping out on this if you're going for a Michelin star experience

Fun good food. Easy to get to by transit when visiting No reservations needed which is another bonus.

This place was super good . The dumplings were awesome and clearly freshly made :). What flavour . Our staff member was super polite and helpful service is top shelf something you don't find in Chinatown that often . Great ambiance and worth the trip to China town for this food. A bit on the pricy side , but well worth it

Worth the hype. No wait when we visited on a late Saturday night. It's also spacious inside. We ordered a bunch of items to share and try. While we wait we got hot tea to enjoy. The scallion pancake was good -- very fluffy and stuffed to the brim! We also got Steamed dumpling, juicy dumpling, pan, fried dumplings. Everything was Delicious and super filling.

We wanted to get some great food in the Chinatown area of Toronto and we saw this place had received a Michelin star. Decided to give it a try with a group of friends and everyone was pleased with the meal. Everything we ordered was delicious. Reservations are highly recommended .

Stopped in mid afternoon, with so many food options in the area. We came in based on a craving for dumplings. We ordered Pan Fried Dumplings, Pork and Chive Dumplings, and green-onion pancakes. Each of the dishes was pleasant. I've been to dumpling houses where items are overcooked or overly greasy and each of the items was pleasant. They were simply solid choices and pretty affordable. We didn't have to wait long for our food and we're able to sit down right away. This was midweek for an early lunch. They offer hot tea to help with washing down bites of dumplings and sauce. There are plenty of tables and the interior has a cozy feeling to it, definitely the tables and chairs have seen better days but that adds to the charm of a bunch of past patrons chowing down on dumplings and other items.

We had a big group trip here, of about 20+ young kids (ages 4-6). It was kind of mayhem! We definitely let them know we were coming, and they sat us in the back which was very thoughtful and good to be separated from the rest of the restaurant because we were verrrry boisterous. How they organized the food was everyone was to pick fried rice OR dumplings. They really should have let each of the kids get a bit of both, because it's always hard for kids to pick something they haven't seen yet. The dumpling choice was also odd, they gave out dumplings filled with green leafy vegetables, so a lot of dumpling loving kids were kind of turned off. The fried rice was tricky because it was brown, and a lot of kids were expecting white rice. ANYWAY, all of that to say, I wasn't super impressed with their ability to shift our group's needs as feedback arose. Place was bumpin' on a random Tuesday!

We came here based on the Michelin star and yelp recommendations. We stood in line for 10 minutes and we were able to choose from a couple seating options offered by the host. Our table did wobble a bit, but I feel like that's not a big deal when you're eating dumplings and more of an issue at a steakhouse, if ya know what I mean. On to the food- we definitely had a few questions before placing our order on the small order sheet at our table. We ordered pork and chive steamed dumplings, veggie rice and general tso chicken. I only ate the dumplings, as that is what I wanted. My husband appreciated that they offered forks in addition to the chopsticks at the table. I used the chopsticks to keep it authentic; even if I struggled to maneuver like a natural! I will mention that the food does come out as it's done, so you will receive your dishes in possibly a random order. The dining room is very busy and lively. We loved seeing the dumplings being made in the open kitchen.

Good food and service try the lamb sui and juicy pork dumplings. Also try the green beans

Good dumplings for a good price, lots of options to choose from. I always love a pork dumpling so we got a bunch of those. We also got the bbq bork buns which were great. Can't go wrong with the greens beans either.

Highly overrated. Authentic, but the quality is very low even compared to cheap hole-in-the-wall restaurants in China. It is named after dumplings, yet frozen dumplings you buy in the store have skin with more chew. These also weren't pressed well and overcooked, with the ball of meat falling out of every single one. Real black vinegar, but bad chili oil. The dishes are also very small for the price.

Mother's Dumpling makes all their dumplings in house and you can even see a sneak peak nearing the back of the restaurant or even take some frozen ones home. The restaurant is quite large, with large windows near the front, bringing an extra brightness. The service was fine, there was no standout recommendations or actions. The bak choi, mushroom, and tofu was super flavorful and the wrapper was silky smooth. I truly stuck to dumplings here as that was recommended to me and I was definitely impressed!

Ok, don't let the outside fool you. This place was amazing! Service was quick and they were attentive to our group and the dumplings... wow! Amazing! Everything was so delicious!

I would like to start the review by saying, this is pretty much the worst restaurant in chinatown. I was the only asian person for the whole night I was eating there, and it was A BIG RESTAURANT, the waitress and the waitor looked like they were having the most terrible day of their life, the dumpling was luke warm, it was very soft not crust, the filling has a weird smell, the sweet bun dish was also pretty disappointing, the peach bun looks very cute but none of them tastes good, the chive pancake was absolutely a scam, I have got better ones from T&T than the ones here and I waited for almost 40 minutes for a small one. whoever keeps recommending this place, please try some authentic chinese food first before you give a 5 star, this is such a waste of my money and my time to eat here. so disappointing, will not come back.

Mother's Dumplings is great!! The staff is friendly and all seem like they enjoy their job. The food service was quick and everything came out delicious! We highly recommend.

My experience with Mothers Dumplings is very limited, so take the 3 stars with a grain of salt. I want to give them another try as they are so universally lauded, I feel my so-so experience is a one off. I dropped by after a failed attempt at getting a crepe from the corner crepe spot, and hungry, made an order here at mothers. In an attempt to be healthier, got the dumplings boiled instead of fried. I think the latter would be better. The taste was good but not great. A few were very good, but they seemed inconsistent. The cost was a bit high as well, at around $16-18. I'd like to try them in house and fried, along with some of their noodle dishes. The crowds there said to me my experience was an anomaly.

At this place, you get your fortune on the order sheet which also has citations for it being the best Chinese restaurant in Toronto. I was surprised by the alcohol selection: it was very western. C1 pan fried dumplings with pork & bak choi was ok. Nothing to shout about, restaurant name notwithstanding. D5 potato pancake was decent: like rosti but denser. F2 Da Lu noodles (pork) was similar to Southern Chinese lor mee but with a thinner sauce. It had the same noodles even. The portion was huge & the soup was pretty tasty. I9 gave a variety of sides (3). The tofu noodles had a different texture from usual & was cut with green pepper & tomato. The peanuts were too firm & there was seaweed too. All 3 were not good.

sticky table under filled dumplings chewy wrapper cheap credit card fee friendly staff don't go

I was in town from the states with a friend, and after doing the hop on, hop off bus tour we decided to explore china town and get a late lunch. Mother's dumplings had pretty decent reviews and was pretty packed when we got there. We were seated right away, and as some of the other folks have mentioned, the table was a little sticky but everyone in the placed seemed content so we stayed. We were presented tea when we first sat down and had to request 2 diet cokes 3 times before those were brought over. We had the bbq pork buns, pork and chive pan fried dumplings, veggie fried rice, and general chicken. Everything was so good and came out piping hot. The only slightly disappointing item was the bbq pork buns; the filling was in a pretty sweet sauce that made it taste more like a fluffy sloppy joe and the filling was limited. I particularly enjoyed the rice, it was very flavorful without being greasy or overly saturated with oils and such. I appreciated that they didn't rush us. They let us linger for a while and everyone who checked on us had a nice smile. The meal overall was very reasonably priced and I would definitely go back again.

Food was out of this world. It was hard to pick what to order so we ordered a lot. Highly recommend the Korean style noodles (cold). They have a depth of flavor that was perfect. Everything we ate was the best we've ever had. Service was prompt and kind without being overbearing. Also love seeing the food being made!

If you're looking for authentic northern Chinese cuisine, this is the place! Absolutely adored the staff there and the menu selection was just right. Highly recommend the pork dumplings as they are incredibly authentic although they run on the smaller side.

Easily some of the best dumplings in the city! I always recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Toronto for the first time. Friendly and efficient service, comfortable and inviting atmosphere, affordable pricing and the tastiest food! Everything is always made to perfection and tastes clean and fresh. The green bean dish (not shown in photos) is one of my favourites, along with the pork and chive dumplings. I have yet to find a dish I dislike on their menu!

Was visiting Kensington Market with my roommates and we decided to stop at Mother's Dumplings. It was pretty good! The service was kind of a mess, but it was pretty busy considering it was Thanksgiving weekend. Overall it was a good experience.

Iconic dumpling house in Chinatown well worth a visit with four or more friends so you can properly sample the menu. The pics don't do it justice. Get your dumplings steamed, fried or boiled. Great way to fuel a visit to Chinatown, Kensington, the AGO or all three.

I am a sucker for soup dumplings and this place did them very well. I also got their noodles and pork with black bean sauce, this was a little too salty for me. I will definitely be back to try their pan-fried buns! This place is a bit too pricey for me but despite that, it has a nostalgic atmosphere.

This was such and expensive meal... soooooo small portions... not that tasty. Really disappointed.

*this review is for takeout only* Okay the pan fried buns here are to die for. They are fried to perfection; the crispiness survives a journey in the delivery bag, and they are so so juicy. I also really enjoyed the tea eggs and bean paste pancake, which was sweet but not overly so. However I wouldn't recommend the congee as the portion was quite small for the price, and the taste was a bit too bland (had to add a lot of Lao gan ma, maybe my tastebuds are just fried lol). Overall would definitely recommend.

Not the best dining experience. Ordered a variety of steamed, boiled and pan fried dumplings which were good but not extraordinary. The seaweed salad was nice though. Service was terrible, frustrating to be honest because for some reason we were the only table that didn't get their complimentary tea. We weren't even offered water until we were more than halfway through out food. I had heard a lot of positive things about this place before going in but it just did not meet my expectations unfortunately.

Worth the trip for the dumplings. So many different types to choose from. Had a great meal there.

My daughter and I spent the evening in Chinatown and did a walk about stopping into Mother's for dinner. The service was great. The food didnt quite hit the mark. We ordered the General Tso chicken and pork and bok choy dumplings.

The place isn't the cleanest, the waiters aren't the best, the atmosphere is nothing special. But the food is absolutely amazing, Portions are great, price is fair. If they cared a little more this place would easily get a 5 star rating.

Absolutely a dumpling MUST. We checked this place out for dinner on a Saturday night when in Toronto. It is larger than it looks from the outside and we only waited a few minutes for a table. Service was quick and we got tea and our order in quickly. Don't expect fine dining, just really amazing, authentic food! We tried the potato pancake which was a cross between a traditional Eastern European pancake and a scallion pancake. Slightly bland but some soy sauce and sriracha sauce made it absolutely perfect. We tried veggie buns (2 in the order), steamed beef dumplings (6), and boiled vegetable scallion dumplings (12). The dumplings were flavorful, delicate, and amazing. The wrapper was light and wasn't overly doughy like many. They are on the small side so don't feel guilty for over ordering! The veggie buns were a bit heartier but also really good. The place is reasonably priced as our whole meal was under $35 CAD before tip.

Everything we had was bad. The saltiest general tsao chicken I've ever had and the chicken was so dry too. The noodles had no flavour whatsoever. If you've never tried Chinese food it may be a good place for you to try but if you're looking for authentic Chinese food, don't come here.

Date: Tuesday, 27 September 2022 Time: Lunch Category: Chinese food Number of person: 2 Price: $76 (incl. tax + gratuity); $38pp ($$$) Rating: 6.8/10 Introduction: Mother's Dumplings is a chinese restaurant located close to Toronto's chinatown. It just recently got its michelin guide award which I hope it did not change the restaurant significantly. I was not aware that it has the michelin guide award when I came here, so I did not have any expectation on it. So let's get down to business. Food: - J1. Garlic Fried Bok Choi ($14.55): The bok choi was very simple and that what made it good honestly. It is simple and nothing much and very much home cooking. (4/5) - B9. Steamed Juicy Pork Bun (8 pcs) ($13.65): The xlb is alright. Most of the juice has melted when it got cooked, but taste wise was alright. I personally dislike the thick dumpling skin. So it was not the very best, and I have tried better ones. Ginger was not served with the vinegar, so I guess this came from the southern part of China eating. (3/5) - C1. Pan Fried Pork and Bak Choi ($14.45): The pan fried dumpling was one of the better options to order in my opinion. I don't have to speak much for this because it was just good. (4/5) - D2. Green-onion Pancake ($7.05): The green onion pancake i just okay. Again, the wrap is too thick in my opinion, so it was just not that like the normal green scallion pancake. (3/5) - E8: Crystall Shrimp Dumpling ($8.95): The hargow was good in terms of price. It was cheap and got big shrimp inside it. Again, the skin is too thick, so it was not the best. (3/5) Conclusion: Overall, the food was so so. It was not the best but not the worst. I guess it would be the best in toronto? But it was definitely not comparable to vancouver's chinese restaurants. Our service lady was the loveliest though. I guess this is why the restaurant got more than 4 star rating because there are a lot of white who rate is according to the service. But don't get me wront, hey service was good. I was not so sure why this got michelin guide though, maybe the michelin critics were a bunch of white backwater chinese food critics? I guess they didnt an awesome job. I can also add why this was not part of michelin bib because it was pretty expensive too even for chinese food. Nonetheless, a lot of the skin or wrap are too thick; maybe it came from the southern part of China? As a chinese who likes to explore chinese food, this was just so so and some dishes are better from the northern part, including xlb. Xlb should have some juice that can be drunk inside the mouth and served with ginger. Anyway, this is not a michelin guide worthy. I hope this restaurant does not jack up the price. It is a good chinese restaurant for some comfort chinese food though. Cheers! All the best! P.S. To find a good chinese restaurant, find a 3.5/5 star rating one. Yes im chinese and i can confirm this. Source: trust me bro.

Amazing wonton soup. Cash or debit only. Overall very good experience. Welcomed with jasmine tea as we sat down. Would come back.