Big Mac Bao
A joke on paper, a genuinely good bun in practice. Order it first.
Chinese · Little Italy
DaiLo
大佬
New Chinese cooking on College that never once plays it safe
ChineseLittle Italy, Toronto$$$Details being confirmed
The review
DaiLo is what happens when a chef with French training decides to cook the food he grew up with and refuses to make it legible to anyone else's expectations. Nick Liu's menu is Hakka-rooted, technique-heavy, and consistently surprising in a way very few Toronto restaurants manage past year three.
The fried watermelon and pork belly is the dish everyone talks about, and after a decade nobody has convincingly copied it. The Big Mac bao reads like a joke and eats like a properly built bun. Truffle chow mein is excessive and you should order it anyway.
Honest notes: portions are small relative to the bill, the room gets loud once it fills, and it is closed at the start of the week. Come for the ideas, not the volume.
What to order
Fried Watermelon & Pork Belly西瓜炸五花
The signature, and still the strangest good thing on any Toronto menu.
Truffle Chow Mein
Indulgent to the point of silly, and completely worth it.
What works
- A genuinely original point of view
- Cocktail programme keeps up with the kitchen
- Vegetarian dishes are properly considered
What doesn’t
- Portions are small for the money
- Closed early in the week
- Room fills and gets loud
Verdict
Fried watermelon, Big Mac bao, truffle chow mein. Come hungry for ideas.