Outside Ottawa

Cha Kee Restaurant offers a modern take on Hong Kong-style café fare with a stylish space and broad menu. While some dishes hit the mark—especially the pork chop noodles and creative twist on French toast—others suffered from inconsistency, particularly the curry beef brisket.

Linh Anh Vietnamese Cuisine is a bustling spot in Unionville with all tables full during our visit—a great sign. Despite the crowd, service was efficient and the kitchen delivered a range of standout dishes. While pho may be the go-to here, their expanded menu includes items not commonly found at similar restaurants, and they do them very well.

Panash Bakery offers a variety of Chinese and Asian-style baked goods in a modern, clean setting. While some items delivered on expected textures and flavours, others fell flat either due to dryness or misleading presentation. It’s a decent stop if you’re nearby, but not everything is worth a try.

Kingsfield Chinese Cuisine is a slightly upscale dim sum spot in Markham with attentive service and a modern setting. The experience overall was pleasant, and the service stood out as one of the stronger aspects. While several dim sum staples were well-executed, others missed the mark in flavour or presentation.

Good Taste Casserole Rice isn’t trying to impress with decor—it’s all about delivering hearty, delicious clay pot rice. The space is unassuming, but the food speaks for itself. Each order comes with a light vegetable soup and a side of Shanghai bok choy, which was well-cooked and helped balance the protein-heavy mains. It’s ultimately serves such nice and hearty meals at a very reasonable or even low price for what you get.