Urban Hakka – 3305 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4N 2L8
Country: India     
Must-try dish: Hot and Sour Soup
Seating: Indoor seating & Outdoor Seating  
Dinner guests: Pornstar Sam, Suited Sebastien, The Vulture & Uncle Yusuf
The high: The prices are very affordable for the amount of food. 
The low: The atmosphere and service in the restaurant aren’t welcoming. 

Hakka cuisine is the style of Chinese food eaten across India. It tends to be spicy, and each dish has an Indian flair differentiating it from classic Chinese flavours. The dishes consist of soups, noodles, rice, grilled meats, breaded meats, saucy meats, and the occasional vegetable. But beware that when it says “Szechuan Style”, there won’t be the iconic peppercorns that distinguish dishes from that region of China. It’ll be spicy though! 

We kicked off the meal with two soups – the best deal in the house. We ordered a “small” bowl of Hot and Sour Soup and Manchurian Soup, both of which come in very large bowls and only cost $6 each. The portions are generous, and you could have one as a meal alone and be full at the end of it. 

The Hot and Sour Soup is tangy. The level of spice is determined upon ordering it, but keep in mind that this type of food is famous for its heat. Even as a soup, each bite had its own character, making it an exciting dish to define the flavour profiles. On the other hand, the Manchurian Soup had a meatier taste that some favoured. Both soups are a great option to begin the meal. 

The appetizer course was shareable for the group. The Shrimp Pakoras are large shrimp deep-fried in batter that come with a dipping sauce. The batter itself is thin, which balances an otherwise heavy dish. For those less in favour of shellfish, there’s a fish option available too. The Chicken Lollipop are battered pieces of dark meat on the bone that resemble a lollipop. What you see is what you get, and this is certainly a crowd-pleaser! 

Rice and noodle dishes are reliable options in Asian cuisine. In this case, the Sichuan-Style Beef Chow Mein was so good that we debated getting a second order before realizing that there was too much food. The noodles are saucy and tossed with seasoned slices of beef. This dish is perfection. Similarly, the Hakka-Style Egg Fried Rice was a hit in the group. If you can’t do fried rice well, you might as well not have a restaurant. Aside from the soup, the noodle and rice dishes were enjoyed most by the people at our table. 

When it comes to the sauteed meat dishes, there’s the option to get them in a saucy gravy or for it to be dry. Always get the gravy. The Manchurian Chicken is battered and then cooked in a spicy sauce that goes well over rice. It’s heavy because of the fried meat, but the flavour combination was excellent. Our last and least favoruite dish was the Bombay Fish. The ratio of batter to fish was off, and it was difficult to taste any fish at all. Due to this, the sauce and the entire dish were lack-luster in comparison to the rest of the meal. 

Hakka restaurants are showing up more across Toronto, largely due to the Indian and Chinese populations in the city, but also because the cuisine itself is flavourful for many people who like Eastern spices and sauces. This is only our second Hakka restaurant to date, but we’re looking forward to learning and eating more of this cuisine. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)