Rol San Restaurant

For fun, we only ordered dim sum we have never eaten before. As always, Rol San was a great experience. Their food is delicious, and their service has suddenly improved. The service was never bad, but it was never overly attentive or friendly. This time, we had so many people checking on us, and we got all the things we asked for without ever having to ask a second time. Surprisingly, the duck feet were delicious. They are served cold, and they are sour, spicy, and a little sweet. I would highly recommend them!

Would recommend booking ahead of time as they do tend to get busy. Their service is super fast and got our food within minutes. The quality and taste of the meals we got were delicious. My boyfriend loved the eggplant dish and I loved the spicy calamari. The restaurant was packed and alot of chatter but was such a good first time experience. Would come again to try other options off their menu.

Rol San is a typical Chinese restaurant, serving Cantonese style cuisine, dim sum dishes, noodle dishes, fried noodles, etc. The decor is clean and modern. Service is excellent and the dim sum dishes we ordered came out fast and piping hot. Perhaps the benefit of sitting on the 3rd floor, where the kitchen is located. We did wait 20 minutes for a table and did not know they had a 3rd floor. The food was very good, perhaps a little on the salty side, but that is nothing unusual for Chinese cuisine. We ordered their char sui bao, which was really tasty. We ordered a baked version and that was also very good. We also had the beef tripe, har gow, etc. The usual dim sum items and all were delicious.

Came here with a friend the other day. TTC was delayed so I arrived first and had to wait. Two groups came after me, and the server almost skipped me to seat them instead. When I asked if there was a table, he even questioned whether my friend was really coming and how long it would take. If the policy is to seat only when the whole party arrives, they should clearly say so at the start. Later they did seat me, but when paying I found 15% tip had already been added without any notice. That really bothered me—tipping should be my choice unless the restaurant makes it clear upfront. Food-wise, the fried rice and sesame balls were delicious, but the rest was average. The female server was nice, but overall the experience left me disappointed.

Was seated at a two-top table originally, which sounds appropriate for two people but their tables are super small. The table is already almost a third occupied with the tea and the sauce tray, so unless you’re just ordering one or two dishes then you’re already pretty limited. Once we placed our order, they saw how many dishes we wanted and combined the table beside us closer to us to fit all the dishes - which is good. No complaints on the food - it’s what you’d expect from a place like this and Rol San has been around for a long time, so they know what they’re doing. The food came out pretty quick for the most part. This was except for the crispy half chicken, which came maybe 20 min or so after everything else was on our table and we were already eating for a bit. They include gratuity in their bill even though it’s only two of us and didn’t mention it - which they really should. That doesn’t translate well from a customer service standpoint. I noticed too late after I paid because I tipped as one usually would, and we had to ask a manager to refund the payment so that I could pay the original amount.

I have to say, the food was mediocre and overpriced for the quality. I expected better in Toronto’s Chinatown. We were a group of four, and the restaurant automatically added a 15% tip to the bill without informing us. For reference, under Ontario’s Elimination of Automatic Tips Act, 2010 (Bill 81), restaurants are not allowed to add automatic service charges in regular dining situations (only for private functions or banquets). On top of that, they charge $1.50 per person for tea if you pay by credit card, but waive the fee if you pay cash. Overall, a disappointing experience.

Rol San was one of the most disappointing dining experiences I have had in Toronto. The food was forgettable, the service was non existent with no greeting, no explanation and no check ins, just plates dropped on the table without a word. To make it worse, a 15% gratuity was automatically added for two people. That is not hospitality, that is a scam. When food and service both fail, being forced to tip feels insulting. I came here because of the reviews, but this will be my last visit.

I came on a Sunday evening for two and was seated right away. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food is made to order and comes without delay hot and fresh. Dumpling orders come with four pieces. I would recommend the mushroom dumplings and the shrimp and chive dumplings. The portion for the Singapore noodles was very generous.