Markham and Richmond Hill food guide: Highway 7, Pacific Mall and regional Chinese

Many Toronto food lovers will tell you that the region's best Chinese food is not downtown at all, but north of the city in Markham and Richmond Hill. These suburbs, in York Region, have large Chinese communities from Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, and their plazas and malls are packed with restaurants serving regional cooking at a very high standard. A food trip north is one of the great Toronto eating experiences.

Where are Markham and Richmond Hill?

Markham and Richmond Hill are cities just north of Toronto's Steeles Avenue boundary, in York Region. The busiest Chinese restaurant areas run along Highway 7 (sometimes called Regional Road 7), roughly from Bayview Avenue east past Kennedy Road, and around Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road on the Toronto border. A car is the easiest way to explore; York Region Transit and the Viva rapid buses run along Highway 7.

What is Pacific Mall?

Pacific Mall, at the northeast corner of Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road in Markham, is often described as the largest indoor East Asian shopping mall in North America. It is packed with small shops, and its food court and market area serve Hong Kong-style bakery items, Taiwanese snacks, bubble tea and much more. It is a fun, slightly chaotic place to graze, especially on weekends. Other large Asian malls and plazas nearby have their own food courts and restaurants.

What food should you try in Markham and Richmond Hill?

Kind of food	What to look for
Cantonese and dim sum	Large banquet halls with weekend dim sum
Hong Kong-style cafés	Milk tea, French toast, baked rice, noodles
Soup dumplings and Shanghainese	Xiaolongbao, pan-fried buns
Northern Chinese	Hand-made dumplings and noodles
Sichuan and Hunan	Spicy, numbing and smoky dishes
Cantonese barbecue	Roast duck, crispy pork and barbecue pork
Taiwanese	Beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken, shaved ice
Bakeries	Egg tarts, pineapple buns, cakes

How do you order at a Hong Kong-style café?

Hong Kong-style cafés, known as cha chaan teng, serve a mix of Cantonese and Western-influenced comfort food: baked pork chop rice, macaroni soup, Hong Kong French toast with syrup and peanut butter, and strong milk tea. Many offer set meals at breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, with a drink included. They are fast, busy and good value.

When is the best time to go for dim sum in Markham?

Weekend mornings are the busiest and liveliest, with families filling large dining rooms. Arrive at or soon after opening to avoid a long wait. Weekdays are calmer, and some restaurants discount dim sum early in the morning on weekdays.

Is it worth driving from downtown Toronto for Chinese food?

For many people, yes. The range and quality of regional Chinese cooking along Highway 7 is hard to match downtown, and prices are often similar or lower. Go with a group so you can share several dishes, and combine a dim sum lunch with a wander through a mall.

Is Markham good for vegetarians?

It can be. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, where everything is meat-free and often made with mock meats, have long been part of the Chinese food scene in the area, and most restaurants have tofu, vegetable and noodle dishes. Many sauces and stocks are meat- or seafood-based, though, so ask, and be careful with oyster sauce, fish sauce and lard if you are strict.

Do you need to speak Chinese to order?

No. Most restaurants have English menus and staff who speak English, though some dishes may only appear on a Chinese-language menu or on signs on the wall. Pointing at what other tables are eating, or asking for the house specialty, works well.

How much does it cost and do you tip?

Markham and Richmond Hill are generally good value for the quality, especially for dim sum and cafés. Ontario adds the 13 percent HST to restaurant bills. Tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount at table service, including dim sum.

What should you buy at a Hong Kong-style bakery?

Markham and Richmond Hill have many Chinese bakeries, and a box of buns makes a cheap breakfast, snack or gift. Look for:

• Pineapple buns, with a crackly sugar crust (they contain no pineapple).
• Egg tarts, with flaky or shortcrust pastry and a smooth custard.
• Cocktail buns, filled with sweet coconut.
• Barbecue pork buns, baked or steamed.
• Swiss rolls and sponge cakes, light and not too sweet.

Go in the morning for the freshest selection, and use the tongs and trays at the self-serve racks. Many bakeries also sell savoury buns that work as a quick lunch.

How to plan a food day in Markham

1. Drive or take transit north to Steeles and Kennedy.
2. Start with dim sum at a big Cantonese restaurant.
3. Browse Pacific Mall and its food court.
4. Drive west along Highway 7 for regional Chinese dinner.
5. Pick up bakery treats to take home.

On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the dishes you ordered, with photos, and see where friends you follow went. With so many restaurants along Highway 7, a list of tried-and-trusted spots saves a lot of guesswork.

More guides to read next:

• Mississauga and Brampton food guide: Punjabi, Pakistani and Caribbean food in Peel Region
• Ossington and Dundas West: a guide to Toronto's coolest food streets
• Eating in the PATH: a guide to Toronto's underground food courts

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.