In 2022, Momofuku, one of the best restaurants in downtown Toronto, closed its doors after a decade in the space beside the Shangri-La. We've been waiting for a worthy successor ever since, and it seems to have arrived in the form of Mott 32 Toronto, a highly anticipated new Toronto restaurant from the global brand with locations in renowned cities including Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok.
It's not the first Canadian location; Mott 32 opened its first North American location in Vancouver in 2017. However, Toronto marks the restaurant empire's ninth location, spanning three floors at 190 University Avenue.
I was invited for a sneak peek and a decadent sampling of the delights on the menu before the eagerly awaited Chinese restaurant opened its door.
Mott 32 Toronto: The interior
One swing through the heavy oak double doors and I find myself on the ground floor, inside the lobby lounge area. This space will play host to Mott 32 Toronto's most relaxed dining enclave: a place where guests can enjoy a drink at the glorious bar, a snack menu and lunchtime dim sum.
The Mott 32 identity brushes almost every surface, from the bright green jade bricks (a sign of luck in Chinese culture) and literature decorating the walls to the weiqi-style ceilings, meant to emulate the world's oldest board game.
Mott 32 Toronto has taken over all three floors, a rarity in the restaurant brand's illustrious career and a sign that Toronto is a special location. Head up to the second floor and you'll find multiple private dining spaces, themed and designed meticulously, two of which have a circular table with a lazy Susan in the middle.
The main action happens on the third floor, with enough seating for 90 diners. The main dining room is light and airy, with plenty of natural light pouring in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. A central space is partially enclosed by glass and has eight corners, another sign of luck.
Off to the side, there's a moodier seating area called the Boom Boom Room, with plush banquettes draped in foliage made of plants and paintbrushes (a nod to the calligraphy that's found along the walls leading up to the third floor). This can also be used as a private dining space.
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Read moreMott 32 Toronto: The menu
The menu at Mott 32 Toronto crosses several regions of China. "It's authentic food from a few different regions, spanning China and Hong Kong," explains Xuan Mu, the co-founder and group managing director of Maximal Concepts, the restaurant group that includes Mott 32 in its portfolio. "[It's] predominantly Cantonese food, with some Beijing duck and some Chinese dumplings; Szechuan hot and spicy food ... to have it all under one roof is very rare."
The 42 Days Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck is the signature dish, served with steamed pancakes, thinly sliced cucumber and scallions, raw cane sugar and a house-made special hoisin sauce (which is impressively swirled by the server). Due to the intensive nature of the dish, guests should preorder this duck, carved tableside, ahead of their reservation.
The duck is sourced locally, something the restaurant is committed to whenever it opens a new global location. The training process at Mott 32 is also gruelling. "My team comes back and forth to make sure that we get the quality to the level it should be," says Mu. "People expect the same quality and flavours as they experienced in Hong Kong, or whatever restaurant they've been to."
My favourite dish is the barbecue Iberico pork with yellow mountain honey. This char siu (a Cantonese-style barbecued pork) is saucy and flavourful thanks to its generous glaze. I can taste the quality of the acorn-fed Spanish pigs in every bite. "We try to tweak to improve the ingredients to enhance our dishes," says Mu. "By using Iberico pork, it makes it more succulent and juicy, and gives it an amazing flavour."
Dim sum is made fresh daily at Mott 32 and is not to be missed. You won't get the bang for your buck that's common in Chinatown's dining rooms, but the flavour bomb of items like siu mai, featuring a runny, soft-boiled quail egg hidden inside iberico pork with black truffle, is worth savouring.
A fresh mango glutinous rice roll with coconut
On the dessert end of business, there are plenty of fruity offerings at Mott 32 Toronto. I've never had a sweet soup before but the Sweetened Mango Soup, with tofu and pomelo, is delicious and utterly unique in Toronto. When I visit, the Rose & Valrhona White Chocolate Panna Cotta also features mango, but flavours like lychee and raspberry tend to pop up.
Mott 32: The cocktails
The drink program at Mott 32 Toronto definitely comes to play, with punchy flavours and gorgeous spins on classics that have their own identity altogether. There's stiff competition, but the Hanami, served in a Burgundy wine glass, is a definite contender for favourite. The mix of gin, rye, umeshi (a Japanese liqueur made with plums) and ginger beer is a spin on the Moscow mule.
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"Similar to the chefs, the bar team gets trained in Hong Kong," says Mu. "The cocktails are a big part of Mott 32 and people love them. We create some local flavours and variations, which allows them a bit more creativity, but we always have our signature cocktails."
The Hong Kong Iced Tea is another riff that instead uses tequila, chia seeds and jasmine tea for a colourful and refreshing cocktail. The Forbidden Rose is a Mott 32 original, with vanilla-infused pisco, Soho Lychee liqueur and passionfruit for an aromatic sipper that'll whisk you away to a sultry night in Hong Kong.
Dinner and drinks for two: around $250 before tax and tip.
