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Went to R&D downtown for Winterlicious and had a good experience overall. I ordered the scallops appetizer. It looked simple but had a lot of flavor. The mie goring we ordered was also very good, though I wish it came with more protein. My friend ordered the lamb spaducci as an appetizer, which he enjoyed. His kare kare main was a smaller portion, but was tasty. It did come with naan bread, which helped but didnt fill us up. For dessert, the three of us tried the panna cotta, chocolate cake, and honey toast. My favorite was the chocolate cake, but everyone had different preferences. I'd come back on a regular day to try more of their menu. I've been wanting to visit R&D for a while, and this was a solid first experience.
R&D interior is open and engaging, from the wall art to the modern light fixtures - you're not bored from the second you enter. The service at least during our visit was flawless - attentive, quick and welcoming. The food was authentic and masterfully prepared - super tasty even though we were not super hungry. Dessert was a surprising highlight too.
I came here recently for a celebration dinner with friends and had a great time! The food was fantastic, the service was responsive and quick, and the venue was great! In terms of some dishes I really enjoyed - the kale salad, beef carpaccio, fried chicken, crispy squid, and the foie gras sou. This last one was surprising to me bc it's an odd mix - it pairs the creamy foie gras in a sweeter, crumbly profiterole pastry cup with a bit of a jam. I really enjoyed it! The only dish I tried that I thought could really be improved was the eggplant. I found that it lacked char and the flavour of spices didn't bring out any of the sweetness in the eggplant so it tasted a bit one note. Overall though I think the flavours in the different dishes were really well balanced and very tasty. At R&D they take larger group orders in advance so we had to place our orders before we were there. I can see why they do it bc everything came out perfectly timed! It was also great to have ample seating - we were not crammed at all despite being a group of 8. I'd heard that this restaurant took a little while to get on its feet right after it opened which might explain the lower rating. I think they are fully in their stride now. I'd definitely come back!
This is definitely an upscale restaurant. We got the Peking duck, which you have to reserve ahead of time. For the price we paid, I was expecting the duck to be cut well and hot when served, but it was room temperature and not cut in thin slices. They cover up the poorly cut pieces under the presentation. It also cost extra to get more bao, hoisin sauce, and cucumbers, which I would have expected to be free. Presentation for all the dishes were very artistic, but the coziness and rich flavor that comes with Asian cuisine was missing. The one thing I enjoyed was the Crispy Squid, which was basically calamari. The service was otherwise great and our waitress was very kind. If you are looking for great ambience, this restaurant will satisfy it, but if you are looking for rich Asian food, I think you could go somewhere else for half the cost.
Overall: A // 5 stars I first visited R&D in 2023 and despite the excellent experience, it seemed to have never made it out of my large backlog of notes I've taken. Nevertheless, when I was visiting Toronto again in 2025, I was eager to make a return to try the rest of their menu. For 2023, I tried the Summerlicious menu, which was a menu of experimental dishes for the Toronto eats event, and was quite impressed by the innovative flavor profiles of every dish, especially the ones that are more Cantonese. During my second visit, their regular menu looked so great, that I couldn't tell you a single dish I didn't want to try!! The great thing about R&D is that you can't go wrong ordering as every item on the menu is tasty. During my first visit, I was able to met Eric, the owner of the restaurant and winner of Masterchef Canada S1; it was a pleasure to talk to him, watch him cook, and he was very kind checking in during the meal every few minutes to make sure everything was to expectations. During my second visit, unfortunately he was not there, but the staff was equally friendly and conversational, which contributes well into making every R&D dining experience that much better. Highly recommend. [PART I - 2023 Visit] (Lamb Skewers: A) - Impressively tender lamb with an abundance of spices and a waft-able fragrance that truly opens the appetite. Perfect appetizer. (Pork Fried Rice: A) - This looks like a humble dish, but is actually super impressive, highlighting the two popular Cantonese pork methods, cha siu and siu yuk, with the melts-in-your-mouth barbeque pork and pork chicharron. I hope this dish returns some day because it is very well crafted. (French Toast: C) - Ma Lai Go and Salted Egg Lava are two components that sound like they would work great together. I think the traditional cake is more fluffy and aerated, so the density here is a bit strange; similarly, usually a less runny custard could pair better. The hazelnut crumble adds a good crunch, and the berries are critical to add some much needed acidity. (Passionfruit Mojito: A+) - One of the highlight mocktails I've had, with the traditional forward notes of mojito taking an extra tropical detour with the passionfruit which also adds a beautiful color. [PART II - 2025 Visit] (Foie Gras Sou: A) - An intriguing appetizer that is a savory take on a cream puff with foie gras serving as the cream, and sour cherry adding as an acidic contrast. (Curry Siu Mai: B) - A pricier elevated take on the traditional siu mai, but I like the fusion of Thai flavors coming through with the mild spice and the coconut from the curry. I did find the siu mai to be a bit on the denser side, which could perhaps benefit from more fat. (Long Beans: A) - These beans are addictively tasting and impressively combines several distinct Canto flavors that work so well with each other, super impressed! There's the fat coming from the lap cheung, some earthiness from the black bean, and fresh tenderness from the bean. (R&D G&T: B) - Was very surprised to find kaffir-infused gin on the menu as I independently came up with kaffir-infused rum a few months back; love the cocktail, very refreshing and easy on the palette; the notes of calamansi are evident and coming through, though the honey may just be slightly overpowering, and the presentation mundane. (Peking Duck: A) - This duck is very peculiar as it is quite different than the ones I've had before. Notably, it uses western cooking techniques of serving it pink and fat rendered, allows the meat to be super tender and not require that traditionally large layer of fat. Additionally, the duck is aged for 24 hours, which helps build that flavor in the duck; however, this does seem to make the duck skin less crispy, which is my only critique of this dish. (Wok Lobster: A) - Show stopping presentation that truly explains the story behind the handle. If I had to guess, this appears to be an elevated take on the Cheese Lobster Yee Mein dish that is popular among the Canto regions, reimagined through feta, vermicelli, rice cracker, and wild greens which does a great job reducing the heaviness of the dish. Although I am not a fan of cheese, I think the dish worked well mostly, with most importantly the tender lobster -- however, the vermicelli was lumped together, so that remains a perplexing choice to me. (Sticky Toffee Pudding: A) - The asian spin on the toffee sauce using palm sugar is quite smart; the pairing of apple, cinnamon ice cream, and a date cake all work within the same fall flavor palette so beautifully, this is a must try dessert. The gold dust is an extra touch of elegance. Food: +1 Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: +1 Menu: +2 Overall: Insta/Beli/Yelp/TikTok: @amei_eats
This place has its name on the Michelin Recommendations Guide 2024 and the food was quite interesting! We tried their Michelin awarded dish R&D fried rice which came with mushroom and corn and the flavours were not something I had tasted before. The lobster vermicelli was quite good too and the Char Siu was just perfectly done! The crispy calamari was also another highlight of our night along with their truffle dimsum which was yet another delicious delight! We were also served with panna cotta towards the end of our meal coz we were celebrating a birthday which made the service extra special!
Michelin review. In case you didn't know this restaurant is on the Bib Gourmand list known for its good quality, good value cooking Food: Everything was delicious. Duck was juicy. We had it for Chinese new year. We need to order extra steamed buns to finish the whole duck. Note that you need to order the duck in advance. Service: Was quick. Very little waiting. Server was friendly. The menu was super simple with just a few items, loved the simplicity. Ambiance: Very nice interior, couldn't tell it was Chinese cuisine. Inside the restaurant there is also Daan Go Cake lab. We came during winterlicious, was surprisingly not packed. I'd definitely come back, they have my fav items on the menu, I need to try it!
I'm not sure what the low reviews here are about, but this is a restaurant that I always enjoy. For a duck that advertised as the best in the city, it certainly is in contention. It's tender, succulent, and full of flavor. The fried rice is also a must get every single time, I love the flavour and texture. I've tried a lot of the menu, and nothing has been bad, everything ranging from good to great. I wasn't quite call this place a must visit, but I would happily recommend it to anyone.
The restaurant itself is quite novel with its artwork and interior design. As for the staff, they were knowledgeable about the price offerings. As for the taste of the items themselves - no complaints. The atmosphere was a bit louder than expected, but aside from that, this place is great. Expect to spend a pretty dime here unless you get the Peking duck and split it amongst several people!
My party went to R&D initially to try the peking duck but we also got the shrimp toast, R&D fried rice, and crispy squid. The peking duck was my favorite amongst everything that I tried due to the flavourful duck with a simple pairing of hoisin sauce and cucumber and leeks. The fried rice was interesting with the crunchy texture and I enjoyed the spices in the squid dish. The shrimp toast was the least favorite for the table. All of the dishes were salty and oily, so I personally was unable to eat as much of it. That was unfortunate because this was quite an expensive meal. Another thing to note is that if you sit at the tables closer to the kitchen, you will smell like cooking/oil. This was a decent experience overall due to the welcoming staff and unique but sophisticated plating, but it isn't somewhere I'd rush to go back to.
Tried most dim sum items and Vietnamese carpaccio. The main problem is, most items feel like fusing for the sake of fusion. Kalbi kimchi bao: too salty. Kalbi is supposed to be a bit sweet, which would have worked better with the kimchi. Spinach dip spring rolls: (forget to take a photo, but it looks like an average spring roll anyway) essentially a deep fried spanakopita. The cheese made it tasted really dense. Because of that would benefit from a dipping sauce that usually comes with spring rolls. Truffle fun guo: not bad. Curry siu mai: also too salty. Foie gras sou: also didn't work well together. Vietnamese carpaccio: the only dish where the fusion makes sense. The crispy onion/shallot worked well with the beef slices, and the sauce as well. Overall it feels like dim sum is not their strong suit. Probably should have tried a duck dish instead.
We preordered the Peking duck and it was really good, skin was perfectly crispy with succulent meat. Baos were fluffy and fresh. I wish they didn't cut the cucumber crosswise and instead cut them into strips. I found them too thin and it would be nice to have a crunch as a contrast. Decent portion as well! We also ordered the brussel sprouts per the recommendation by our server and they didn't disappoint! Great flavour, sweet and savoury! The Raspberry Calpico Panna Cotta. It was yogurt based which is why it might have been labeled "Calpico" but I didn't really find it reminiscent of Calpico. It was still enjoyable but wouldn't order again. The raspberry sorbet was nice, though. Service was superb! Our drinks were also quite tasty. I had a Panton Peach which had great cardamom and peach flavour.
Came here for the best duck in the city, and it might be! The plate was more than enough for the two of us, but we also ordered their brussel sprouts and a couple drinks: the tea time mai time and Buddha's secret passion. Both drinks were good, but Buddha's secret passion went down eassyyyy. Good quality was very good, brussel sprouts nice and tender and covered in a delicious slightly sweet chilli glaze. Duck was cooked perfectly, lots of meat to get through. The baos were also so soft. We were rationing our cucumbers and onions a bit, but I don't think we had to do that. Definitely a bit different than the typical Peking duck flavour, but still so delicious. Highly recommend! We split the milk toast dessert, it was about what you expect, a little on the sweeter side. Matcha ice cream was good. Everybody was so kind and attentive, our server was so great, he helped us plan the rest of our evening. The restaurant itself is a little darker, not too loud, which I really appreciated. Overall, great spot for a special occasion, could not recommend it more. We split the bill, I paid $128 after tax and tip
3 years ago
R&D stands for Rebel and Demon, the nicknames of the two owners, Eric Chong and Alvin Leung. The two met when Eric was a contestant and Alvin was a judge on MasterChef Canada. The space is modern and the food is Asian with a dim sum section of the menu. The dim sum section includes, shrimp toast, but also French onion spring rolls. The rest of the menu includes small dishes like shrimp toast or foie gras sou as well as large ones like wagyu beef or their R&D fried rice. One of their most famous dishes "Best Duck in the City" must be ordered 24 hours in advance and is best for a large party. It is big enough to fill up two people leaving no room left for their other excellent dishes, like the beef bao or the brussels sprouts. Although Asian restaurants are not normally known for their dessert, don't miss the sticky toffee pudding with Calvados cinnamon ice cream. The duck (tied with the wagyu) is the most expensive item on the menu at $120 cad, but you don't need to spend that much. A full dinner for four, including the duck, was just $300 usd with tip. The service was a little awkward at times, and the duck doesn't stay warm on the wooden board, but for the most part we really enjoyed our visit. read more
4 years ago
R&D was my pick for Christmas dinner this year after hearing about it from friends and being a long time masterchef fan. We made a reservation on their site and indicated that we wanted the Peking duck (which requires notice in advance if you want it, not available to order for walk ins). The restaurant has a little Daan Go section in the front which is perfect for getting desserts to go after dinner. We were seated immediately upon arriving and I loved the vibe of the place. It felt very intimate yet modern at the same time. Our server Ray was wonderful and made the night a wonderful experience. For appetizers, we got the scallop siu mai and the char siu bao. The siu mai was okay and I didn't particularly enjoy the gochujang in it. It was also quite pricey at 4 dollars a piece. The char siu bao tho was amazing!!! It had a crispy top and the filling was sweet and delicious. After filling our bellies up with that, our peking duck came out. Instead of the thin wraps that you usually get with peking duck, the dish came with baos to wrap the duck. The whole dish itself was more than filling for two people and the duck itself was super tender. Definitely a worth it experience. Overall, the service was great and the duck was delicious. PS. It was also cool seeing Eric Chong cook in the kitchen read more
4 years ago
I lucked out when my dad and I strolled into R&D and they had an extra duck for us and I'm glad I used all my luck here. This modern Asian restaurant is absolutely stunning with an industrial flair and a modern art mural at the end of the dining room. The staff was extremely nice and attentive, with great additional recommendations and prompt service. Onto the star of the meal, the Peking Duck. The duck arrived beautifully butchered highlighting the perfect cook of the bird and preserving the crispy skin. R&D brought a modern take to it with what felt like a slightly smoked duck, but a traditional sauce over top. It was served with bao buns, a delicious hoison and freshness from the leeks and cucumber. I am obsessed with the buns and it should be the standard for all duck. R&D set my new standard for what duck should taste like and the texture we should all expect. read more
4 years ago
This restaurant tries gentrifying Chinese food for non-Asian palates, with prices to match. R&D is famed for its peking duck, which was unremarkable compared to peking duck at virtually any Chinese restaurant in the GTA (note: outside downtown Toronto). The peking duck slices were gargantuan with thick bao buns to match, resulting in a flavour overload. I prefer the subtlety of traditional peking duck: with thinly sliced duck (mostly razor-thin duck skin) folded into delicate crepes. The pasta was unique but also a bit too heavy for my liking. read more
Great spot for a fun dinner with friends or a date night. We were seated at the bar, I enjoy the chance to see the food creation, as a plus the seats were also very comfy. Over all the place is very cool looking. But it is more than just a pretty face! Service was really attentive and friendly and offered useful insight on great service. Now to the food and drink: interesting list of cocktails, recommend starting with one and ask your server for a reco! The food was mostly excellent - I especially enjoyed the beef bao and the japanese curry squash (honestly i only orderednit because i felt like i needed a vegetable...it was delish!), and the mushroom fried rice. The only slight disappointment was the french onion spring roll, lots of rich meat and cheese fried, i love all those things but I would have enjoyed something on the plate sharp or crisp to balance it. Overall great experience! I will be back read more
7 years ago
Celebrated CNY with family at R&D Restaurant this year, and we really enjoyed our dinner there! R&D is owned by Chef Eric Chong, our first-ever winner of CTV's MasterChef Canada, and Chef Alvin Leung aka Demon Chef, one of the few self-taught chefs in the world to hold multiple Michelin stars! Together they brought R(ebel)&D(emon) to life :D The Peking Duck was absolutely out of this world! Learning about the extensive preparation process made us appreciate this duck even more! Some of our favourite highlights from that evening: - Chili Crab Onokomiyaki ($20) - Wok Lobster ($55) - Whole Roasted Peking Duck ($80) comes with roasted garlic hoisin sauce, cucumber, leeks, and steamed baos I also enjoyed their signature housemade CSB (cha siu bao) aka bbq pork bun! Must save room for that. On the other hand, the Dou Fu Fah aka a traditional silky tofu Chinese dessert was absolutely NOT traditional at all lolll. It was a more like an almond panna cotta, which was still delicious! The server did warn us before ordering, saying that if you LOVE the original dessert, you will be disappointed #lovehishonesty lmao. read more
4 years ago
Wanted to support Eric Chong, Canadian Asian winner of MasterChef Canada Season 1, so I came by for dinner on Sunday June 26 and ordered the following: HUSH & WONDER cocktail ** Liked it. Refreshing. Worth $15. Some other cocktails on the menu are priced $19. I usually don't want to spend more than $15 or $17 on a cocktail. ROASTED BEETS as the appie ** Liked it. Flavourful indeed. Will recommend it. @WOK_LOBSTER as a main ** Liked it, but won't get it again. Even though it is a delicious dish, I wouldn't spend $75 on it. I am happy to try it once since this dish originated from Eric Chong's iconic dish Lobster Chow Mein. WAGYU BEEF as another main ** American wagyu, not Japanese, so it is rather chewy and does not melt in your mouth like Japanese Wagyu. It is subjective to personal taste. I've been spoiled by various types of Japanese Wagyu in the past, so I'm not a huge fan of the American way. It is still a tasty dish - just not so much my type. Service was excellent. My server came from Vancouver like me. He also offered a couple of char siu baos on the house as we waited for our food to come. The char siu baos are unique and one of a kind, so I would recommend them for those who like regular char siu baos and want to give it a try. read more
7 years ago
Sign boards really work! My friend and I were walking by after visiting the Stüssy store and saw the $7 drinks sign so we decided to stop by. I love the feel of this place. Good music and Dragonball Z was playing on the TV at the bar! The decor with the mason jars and tea pots. I was feeling it. I wish I had tried some of the food from all the rave reviews but I had just eaten. I had the Tea-ki drink that was soo good and my friend had one of the other specialty drinks. His was a little spicy so I wasn't as into it as mine but it delicious as well. Our bartender was really friendly and made the drink recommendations. Next time I'm in Toronto I'll stop by again to try more. I really liked this spot. read more
I dunno about you but I absolutely love MasterChef Canada and am also always up to try one of the former contestants or judges restaurants...so when a recent trip to the 6 presented itself and the opportunity to hit up one that was both, how could I say no?? Right as you enter Toronto's Chinatown on Spadina ave you cross R&D (Rebel and Demon, nicknames for Chef Eric and Chef Alvin) it's a cozy narrow spot with a giant bar/chefs rail where you can see all the action of the kitchen unfold. I'm an absolute sucker for that... We had to pre order "the best duck in the city" but we figured we give a few other dishes a try before the star of the show. Started out with a lamb potsticker topped with chilli's and a kind of crunchy shell you got to break apart before you ate. Super fun dish indeed. The dumplings were definitely supple and tender. Not too sure about lamb, it was interesting but I thought it maybe was a too overpowering...all I got was lamb but good nonetheless. 2nd we had beef bao buns...absolutely delightful! Perfect ratio of filling to bun, that often gets messed up with bao. Beef was delicious and bun itself was perfectly steamed and tasted amazing. We then went on the main star of the evening...so you need to pre order this days in advance (it's 100 bucks too btw) and if you don't show up for your reso it's gonna cost you 30 bucks for the trouble...honestly if you order this and it goes to waste you're getting off light paying the 30. It is absolutely without question thee best duck I've ever had. Juicy, packed with flavour, kinda in a Peking style. You get the whole duck butchered into succulent pieces served on a cutting board. It's served with more steamed bao buns, cucumber, leeks, and hoisin...perfect combination. It'll be unlikely I'll have duck better than that ever. We got to meet chef Eric which was certainly cool and even got a glimpse of the Demon Chef Alvin himself. The service was top notch in every way...truly a wonderful experience front to back...worth every penny Do yourself the favour Cheers Andy read more
A unique experience with DanGo in the front, and an open concept kitchen in plain view. Dishes were unique and definitely asian fusion. Not sure that people who prefer traditional chinese cuisine would appreciate the creativity behind the dishes though. We got beets, scallop siu mai and the pasta with caviar (sorry forgot the names). The beets and pasta stole the show for us. The squidink pasta was in a very simple sauce, but the different flavors of the caviar really stood out (perhaps the reason why the sauce was very basic). I would get this dish again as I really enjoyed it. We were confused as to why they would plate squid ink pasta on a black plate, would have expected some contrast in color, but perhaps it hides the amount of caviar quite well. The price was quite fair for the food and quality we had. Masterchef was also working on the night of our reservation so that was nice to see too, for those who are fans. read more
Winterlicious- the time to try restaurants out of your comfort zone and experience new things! Cue in R&D! I was so excited to try this place out after my friends said they loved this place. The atmosphere is nice and I love the vibe it gives off- the open kitchen so if you are close by you can watch the magic happen! We came pretty late for dinner so it wasn't super busy but I could picture this place buzzing! The loss for the star is the service our table had. The server would blatantly ignore my questions when I would ask in regards to the menu, I thought that was quite rude. Especially, since it's my first time at R&D. Now onto the food, it was my first time trying Bao. It was not bad! I think my brain was hoping for a coco bread texture but it was so soft like a pillow. It was a good way to start a meal. For my main I ordered the Beef Curry Lo mein and it was the best part of the meal! The portion was a little on the small side but then again it's Winterlicious! It had a good taste and it was quite filling even for the portion. Ended the night off with the rice pudding to be different from the rest of the table, it was scrumptious and a perfect way to end the meal off. I would totally go here again and get something off the regular menu. Apparently they are known for their duck and I saw quite a few orders coming out so it must be popular! read more
Before I begin, I'm informing the reader that I'm from LA and love Masterchef Canada (and of course Masterchef US). With that in mind, I saw the first season and watched the next three straight to find out about Eric Chong (season 1 winner) and his restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. It's called R&D due to his former background as an engineer. You walk in and can see some engineering aspects in the way the place is built. The interesting touch is the lights that are U shaped but produce light in the bar where I chose to sit. Behind the bar, there are a lot of different trinkets from Chef Eric's life and to the left in front of the kitchen is a picture of Chef Alvin who assisted in completing Eric's dream of being a restauranteur. To top it all off, playing on the TV above me was Bruce Lee movies with subtitles. I wasn't looked after right away but as I got looks from the workers, I soon saw Chef Eric and he came to welcome me. I was pretty stoked to not only come to his restaurant to eat but meet him as well. He is a humble person so telling him I enjoyed his time on the show was much appreciated but too much for the man. On to dinner. I never had dim dum before so I chose to start out with Grandpa's Fun Guo which came with three dumplings filled with chicken, bamboo, and truffle. They were warm and fluffy and while mine almost got stuck to one another, I saved it from messing up and ate complete deliciousness. For the entree, I chose the R&D fried rice with pork belly that according to Chef Eric was marinated for two days in brown sugar, oyster sauce and I believe soy sauce as well. The rice consisted of Chinese olive leaf, smoked portobello mushrooms, egg, peas, and corn. It turned out the bowl that it came in held quite a bit for me to eat and surprisingly, I had to take the rest home. It was an experience I won't ever forget as the bartender and Chef Eric made my time very special. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of Masterchef Canada to come and have Chef Eric's food and be the second one from America to say they're a fan. I was the first and that's a true honor for this Yelp Elitist. read more
3 years ago
Delicious asian dishes by a Master Chef! If you are coming here for authentic Chinese food, this definitely is not the spot, however, the western spin on these dishes are objectively super tasty! We got the duck and it truly as the best in the city -- the duck is raised by their own private farm and it is very juicy and tender. The fried rice might have to be my favourite though -- the different textural elements made it a great experience read more
3 years ago
First time at R&D with a group of friends. Very pleasant surprise - my favourite old fashioned in Toronto. As for the food: Dim Sum: * CSB - sweet, delicious treat. * PORK & CRAB SIU MAI - can definitely taste the crab, and the chili. Very good * GRANDPA'S FUN GUO - by far the table favourite - absolutely delicious, and to me a must-try if you visit. Duck: Great - definitely needs a second order of bao and sauce + cucumber to accompany it, and gotta order a day in advance, but definitely worth it. The only minor complaint is the skin wasn't as crispy as expected but nevertheless super delicious. Dessert: STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING - the ice cream that comes with it is good, combo of ice cream + toffee has a little bit of a cough syrup vibe but not in a bad way. KALAMANSI TART - the nicest presentation dish, quite heavy on the meringue - imho would be better with a bit less, but would still get it again. Service was incredibly nice and pleasant, very quick (the place was quite empty at 5pm on a Sunday) read more
we checked this place out after hearing about it on the bib gourmand list, a michelin guide-recommended restaurant for under $60 per plate. first impression when we walked in, no one greeted or welcomed us. being a well-known restaurant for the price point, we expected someone to be at the front but the location of welcome table wasn't clear to begin with. We looked around for someone to help us for about 5 minutes until someone asked us if we had a reservation. we were seated at the very end of the bar/chef's rail (right where we can see the chefs cooking in front of us), near the other shop (daan go bakery, they share the same location). the server was very attentive and kind and ensured that we had everything that we needed. we started off with the drink of the day, which was impressive. It was the first point for us since the fusion of the curry with the beverage was unique and worked well. we continued with two of the recommended dishes of the day, the fried rice and the ceviche. the ceviche was delicious, the mixture of flavours was good. the fried rice, however, wasn't... anything special? we feel that they actually skimped on the most important ingredient, and that's what we thought we paid for in the first place. the size was smaller than the average chinese restaurant. we expected the smaller size from a more expensive place, but it still didn't match the price point. we then ordered the dessert which tasted okay but nothing to rave about. we also saw containers of snacks that can be bought from the grocery store? not sure which desserts they were for but that was a bit of a put down, feeling like the meals weren't all made in the kitchen or can just be put together at home. throughout our time at the restaurant, we noticed that eric checked in on us periodically and that's probably one of the positives of the restaurant. the location, ambiance, and entrees aren't ravable in my opinion. all the meals with tip came out to be around $150. we probably wouldn't come here for chinese food (or fusion of) next time. read more
4 years ago
Went here for Lunar New Year dinner, sat at the Chef's rail-Counter seating. It was a cool and neat experience, while the chefs are busy making amazing and delicious food they take the time to chat with you. Ambiance was nice, not too loud but loud enough to hear patrons having a great time. read more
I normally do not do Asian fusion, but it was Lunar New Year weekend and this restaurant featured a unique Year of the Ox menu and it is also a part of the O&B group, so I gave this place a shot and was it ever worth it! Everything pretty much turned out to be picture perfect and ready in their cute little take home meal kits!! I only did not give this place a perfect 5 stars, because I felt like the falafel that I added was a bit overpriced since it was $15 for 6 pcs or $2.50 each... Also as someone who prefers a seagan and/or Pescatarian diet, there was not enough veggies in their Chinese New Year Celebration Menu for two! The prosperity sashimi was perfect though! It was raw yellowtail served with with ponzu sauce, cucumber and garlic ships. Probably my favourite dish from what we ordered. Love the truffle and wild rooms in the wealthy dumplings, but too bad it had chicken, so it was mostly my boyfriend's. The 4 pcs of grilled duck and lamb skewers were all seasoned with Sichuan and shiso shinichurri. My boyfriend really enjoyed these. Their roasted eggplant had fermented chilies, Sichuan garlic butter, and Singapore crunch to it. My mom makes really good eggplant, but this was pretty good, too. Their Year of the Ox Longevity Noodle included flank steak, black pepper sauce, bell peppers, book choy, bean spouts and egg noodle. Practically all of the veggies was in this dish, but again I chose this menu mainly as a gift to my boyfriend. Desserts included: Lava cake "Nian Gao", which was a palm sugar custard with cookie crumb for the base and pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. It tasted pretty similar to a creme brûlée. This set for 2 was for $90. The lava cake and falafel were add-ons. However, I probably should never have ordered the falafels and instead ordered something else (probably soup), despite the fact that it came with curry. Everything tasted great, but nothing really stood out to me. At least we were quite full at the end, but I will save perfect scores for when I can dine-in again. The missing in-person service just makes the experience less enjoyable, especially since I could have easily added more veggies or a soup on the spot, while I am dining inside... still gave them decent 20% tips though. but check out our latest Vlog on this restaurant featured on LionxPanda!! read more
9 years ago
Love the hip atmosphere inside and their appetizers seem like their strong suit as they are very unique & intriguing! //THE FOOD// I came here for Winterlicious 2018 ($33 3-course meal) and also to try their CSB (char Siu bao = Chinese BBQ buns) upon strong recommendations. CSB (5/5)- seeing that it was $8 for 2 buns I was skeptical of it being worth it. But the reviews were so right!! The buns were delicious. The crispy and sweet bun dough is a nice twist on the typical traditional buns. The filling was generous and tasted like the Chinese BBQ pork I'm familiar with but with a saucier and sweeter taste. Cereal Prawl Tart (4/5)- tons of textures happening, from the crunchy shrimp flavoured topping, crumbly tart crust, and fish mousse. There's a slight spiciness too that compliments the seafood flavours. Sweet&Sour Tonkatsu (2.5/5)- good portion size but it was underwhelming. The dish was barely warm and the only hot thing about this dish was the siracha-tasting sauce that was drizzled over the black rice. I felt like there wasn't too much thought that went into this dish. The pork loin was good but the breading on the exterior wasn't crispy as it might've been sitting in the sauce for too long. Milo Panna Cotta (3/5)- basically chocolate pudding with some Oreo crumbles and mini marshmallow. Nothing that outstanding, however, I did try my friend's winterlicious dessert of Yuzu Meringue Tart and liked that MUCH better. //ATMOSPHERE// Very cool ceiling light fixtures and open kitchen so you get to see the food being made ! Looks like there's a lot of space since there are bar and table seatings. Eric Chong (the owner of the restaurant & master chef Canada winner) was cooking the night that I went, he's super nice and even let me take a selfie with him haha! //OVERALL THOUGHTS// I'm glad I finally got to try R&D! Their winterlicious menu is a miss for me, their dishes came out barely warm (a common complaint of all the other customers sitting around me) and wasn't anything too special. I would be interested in coming back, but only to try more of regular menu appetizers! read more
7 years ago
Came here for winterlicious and was not disappointed. I highly recommend trying the duck--it takes 3 hours to prepare and costs $80, but totally worth the price! The only criticism I have for the winterlicoous menu is theinclusion of a poke bowl in the entrees section. The rest of the menu was fairly Cantonese/Chinese cuisine, so the tuna poke looked very out of place. Needless to say I didn't get it this time around; would be interested to see what others thought of it. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
Went with a friend to try out the restaurant since we pass by it often. Duck was good but not $120 good, it also didn't really taste like peking duck, definitely more of a roast duck. I personally don't enjoy having baos instead of the wraps since it's a bjt heavy but the baos themselves were fine. Ube panna cotta was good and unique. Overall, it was a good experience but felt pretty overhyped. Probably not the best duck in the city, you can definitely find better and cheaper in north york. read more
Winterlicious is great for R&D time. Thai & other ingredients added spicy life to the boneless salmon and beef brisket noodles dishes. The brisket was both lean and tender. Both dishes were incredibly yummy. The pandan cheesecake in a glass is a fantastic desert. The only negative is the portions are much more healthy than happy size. R&D is a repeat 5 star place! read more
7 years ago
Super friendly staff and comfortable decor. Had two of the lychee drinks that were fresh, sweet and fun. The food was bomb. Got there after a batch of the csb pork buns had just come out of the oven. They were so warm and tasty. The savory bbq pork complemented the sweet, soft bun on the outside. We were lucky enough to have ordered the last duck of the day. It was brought to us before they sliced it up and they told the story of how it got there--where it came from, its preparation process. It was impressive to understand all the work, spices and flavors that go into it. Once it came sliced up it did not disappoint. The outside was crispy perfection and the meat was incredibly moist and soft. Very well cooked. Accompanied it with a chili sauce and I was hooked. Will be back! read more
3 years ago
R&D is located on Spadina close to Dundas St W. in between the hustle and bustle of Chinatown. Opened by Masterchef Canada winner, Eric Chong, and Michelin star chef Alvin Leung, you would think that this would be a recipe for success. However, after my experience there for Summerlicious this year, I left disappointed and underwhelmed by the food and experience. This will probably be my first and last time eating at R&D. The decor of the restaurant is definitely nice, especially the bar. My brother and I got seated on the circular round tables left of the bar. One complaint is the height of the tables and chairs. It was uncomfortable as the table felt too low (especially for a person who may be taller) and too close together. I almost felt like I could have accidentally hit or punch the customer seated beside me. Ordering off the Summerlicious menu, we tried a variety of items, which hopefully, gave us a glimpse of what R&D would be about. For appetizers, we both ordered the kalbi tostada which was delicious; only complaint is that when you name a dish "kalbi" on the menu, one would expect the meat to comprise of beef. However, in this dish, they used pork tenderloin which should not be considered "kalbi". Nonetheless, the appetizer was great. For mains I ordered the braised beef lo mein and my brother ordered the mac and cheese. The braised beef lo mein was too salty for my tastes, especially when it is cooked in black bean sauce. The saltiness was too much and I had to keep drinking water as a result. The mac and cheese had a unique take on it with the satay sauce but the macaroni pasta itself was overcooked. Unfortunately, both dishes sounded great on the menu and had problems with execution. Lastly, for desserts I ordered the matcha cake while my brother ordered the korean pancake. The desserts were disappointing, to say the least. My matcha cake was over baked, hard to cut through, and generally very dry. I could have made a better cake myself at home. The Korean pancake was tough to eat with a spoon and wasn't better than the matcha cake. Overall, the food and experience was underwhelming. It left me with a disappointing experience and I would not return, not even to try the regular menu. The staff were friendly and service would what you would expect (not the best, but not the worst either). The price I paid for what I got was not worthy, in my opinion. Better to eat somewhere else. read more
1st time writing as an Elite member. So glad to have tried and sample R&D during its first week of opening. This is not an ordinary Chinese food restaurant, you really need to love the creativity and concept behind the menu. Both Demon Chef (Alvin Leung 3 stars Michelin Chef) and Eric Chong (winner of MasterChef Canada season one) has a passion in merging Cantonese cuisine with Canadian food. The General Sanders' Chicken is a must! Serve with HK favourite egg waffle, maple syrup and Kung Pao sauce. The CSB (BBQ pork bun) is baked with flaky top and tender pork, only available after 6pm. Definitely not as affordable as restaurants down the street but is an unforgettable meal that the extreme taste stays in your mind. Chef du Cuisine Nelson Tsai is also a great addition to the restaurant! PS-amazing cocktail list with Peking Duck infused whisky & black garlic + Chinese mushroom vodka & oolong gin.....what a great idea for east meets west! read more
8 years ago
Full disclosure, I came for the happy hour and it was so worth it! The cocktails are definitely all on the sweeter side, with a big emphasis on Asian flavours! The best was the Garden Geisha, which was a nice and light drinks with floral and cucumber notes, the monkey see, monkey do, which was a nice twist on a gin and tonic and not too sweet, the Yokozuna's G&T was a little sweeter, but had a beautiful oolong undertone that was super original, Cameron's kick was reminiscent of a Shirley Temple, and definitely on the sweeter side, but enjoyable the way juice is enjoyable! The Baos were tasty and a nice spin with the classic filling, and the crunchy bun (personally I still like the steamed white bun versions the best), but these were a super tasty spin on a classic. The octopus was super tasty as well with lots of different sauces, and perfectly cooked! I would definitely come back for the drinks and a snack! The happy hour cocktails are a hit! PRO TIP: the bar for happy hour opens 30 minutes before the kitchen if you want to maximize your happy hour cocktail time! read more
Came by after creeping on Instagram with a friend. The menu, the photos looked great! Venue, music, vibe, service; 4 stars! Food - don't bother. I ordered a thai basil bourbon smash. My basil looked sad, it made me sad. It was just wilted with some brown spots. While the drink was fine, (on the sweet side for those who don't like it sweet) ... for that price you expect them shell out a dollar for a bunch of fresh thai basil or don't serve it at all with the garnish. We ordered the fried chicken with donut. I would personally rather have used my calorie quota for KFC or Popeyes. The chicken was so dry, the batter was nothing special. Cronut - really? Do you really know what a cronut is? It was small, greasy, the only things it had in common with a cronut would be it's carbs and its round shape. We end up eating a bit of the chicken ,wash it down with a bite of cronut, it was a vicious cycle. We didn't want it but we didn't want to waste it. Total regret wasting a meal here. We cheer ourselves up by finding a better meal elsewhere right after. read more
it's really not all that. I had received a lot of hype around it when i told friends I was going here and they really set my expectations high. we were here for a birthday- a group of 20 I want to say, and they were accommodating. but as you can imagine with a group so large, service is at times compromised. what I didn't like: the shared bathrooms. I do not appreciate touching a toilet seat in between meals. especially when the conditions of the bathrooms aren't clean. it really grossed me out. also, there weren't many vegetarian options. especially for one of the guests who was pregnant, they couldn't even make an exception and whip something for her. onto the pictures I posted of my meals: 1) the servings were incredibly small that even after my apps and main course I was still hungry. the lobster linguini was good but nothing amazing to rave about. we had asked for separate bills from the beginning, yet somehow incorrect items were still added to bills and it took longer then necessary to pay. read more
Where do I even begin? We got a dinner reservation here for our anniversary so expectations were high, especially after seeing the claim that they have the best duck in the city. I should have been suspicious right from the start when my partner said they offer gift cards, $250 for $200. No good restaurants would do such a thing. We came in and I was a bit taken aback by the daan go cake lab counter in the front. Apparently they shared the same location wt a dessert place? Points immediately subtracted for ambiance. The kitchen was right at the front so you have to walk through chaos and traffic before reaching your table. We were seated and right away I noticed how closely the tables were spaced. I had to squeeze my 5'3 petite frame though the gap to get to my seat. We sat down and the table was a bit wobby and I felt as though I'm sitting right next to a bunch of strangers. So no privacy nor intimacy. We got greeted by a different waiting staff from the one who walked us to the table. Interesting that they don't assign one staff to each table. That's a huge red flag for how the service will be mediocre as they all split the tips so nobody will care to go above and beyond. We already ordered the duck 24 hours in advance (that's a requirement), but decided to get other things such as kalbi baos, shrimp toast and the cabbage they had on their special menu. Everything was average if not mediocre. They're all just a try hard version of an authentic Chinese dish. I wasn't impressed, especially with the steep price tag. I could see that they were trying to be intentional with their food but efforts alone are not enough to make good food. But that's not the reason why our dinner got spoiled. The real reason was that one of the staff was very rude. He kept rushing us. Provided us with takeout containers for the duck even when we were still eating. Asked if we wanted the bill while we were still waiting for dessert. Kept bumping into my partner while taking orders from the table next to us without apologizing. That's some ridiculous service and unhappy staff you have there, dear R&D owners and managers. The second worst part was that the dinner table right next to us was so loud, and because all tables were close together we could hear them loud and clear. I wasn't expecting stranger guests at my anniversary dinner. Overall, 0/5 for ambiance and service, 3/5 for the food and 2/5 for the price tag. We will not come back and will strong advise all of our friends from going here. Worst dinner experience I've had in a while. read more
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Oliver B.
Hi Song, thank you for dining with us and sharing your feedback. We…
8 years ago
Full disclosure this review reflects - coming here during dinner service ($33) during Winterlicious 2019. My girlfriend likes MasterChef, so she's been dying to check this place out. Let's get straight into it. 1. Decor - hip and trendy, hipster faux Chinese - with some Mao's cladding the walls. Pretty chic! 2. Kitchen - open! In our visit we peered in and saw Eric Chong working the line 3. Menu - Winterlicious set of 3. I had the lettuce wraps (a little spicy, but good!), seared salmon belly (silky like butter, a little salty for my taste), and apple tart (an instant classic). Delicious! 4. Beverages - even during the promo they had drink specials which is uncommon. $7 cocktails - I got the garden geisha (nicely balanced, sweet with a light bitter finish) 5. Value - Definitely good value, great ability to taste a bit of everything! read more
I was a bit skeptical coming here for date night as R&D was only rated 3.5/5 on Yelp and I expected way better since the masterminds behind R&D is Eric Chong and Alvin Leung.. but I am happy that I decided to take the chance and come by as my boyfriend and I loved everything we ordered! Reservation was a breeze - I booked it online through their website and made sure I reserved a duck in the special notes section. *Note: R&D needs at least a 12 hour notice if you plan to order the duck so definitely reserve it ahead of time! I reserved it a week in advance, and even confirmed via e-mail the morning of to make sure there would be a duck available for me (you probably don't have to, but I did just for my peace of mind lol). We were greeted by Eric Chong himself when we walked in and were seated promptly by another server. Service was just a tad slow throughout our meal but our server was very apologetic - during this pandemic we do understand service might not be perfect. For food, we ordered the wok lobster, peking duck and CSB. Holy! Every dish was so delicious and mouth-watering, my boyfriend literally kept saying it was so good after every bite LOL. The wok lobster dish was very buttery and rich - the lobster was soo tender and juicy and some parts of the lobster were fried, which gave the dish a nice texture overall. Peking duck was magnificent, so meaty and tasted so good with the soft baos! It was a BIG portion.. definitely for a group of 3-4. My bf said he would've preferred it if the duck had more fatty pieces like traditional chinese restaurants, but I prefer it just the way R&D prepared it, tasted a lot cleaner and lean so I guess it really depends on your personal preference! The CSB was the star of the show!! It is one of their popular dishes and I can see why... it is the bbq pork stuffed bun you'd find at your typical dim sum restaurants but the western touch by R&D made the char siu bun x10 better... the dough exterior was flaky and crispy, and the filling was soo savory. This is a MUST order here LOL! Should be no surprise given its branding but the bill was pretty hefty so it is definitely not a spot where I'd frequent (unless you rich rich than you know, I understand because R&D is the bomb dot com), but it is perfect for a date night/girls night here and here! I can't wait to come back!! I'd probably order the CSB for take-out if I'm in the area though :P read more
I've passed by this place a few times and wanted to try it out. I finally went with a group of friends and overall it was just ok. It was not busy when we arrived around 7 on a weeknight so we were able to get a table without reservations. Note that it did pick up a bit after 8. The decor here is pretty cool. I really liked the cylinders suspended from the ceiling and the dining area is fairly spacious. The selection on the menu was decent and there were a fair number of dishes to choose from. We asked the waitress for recommendations and went with the beef tataki and seafood chow mein for mains as the chow mein was supposed to be a take on the winning dish for the chef during Masterchef Canada. We also had the fun guo and crispy pork belly bao for apps. The chow mein was not bad but I didn't like the beef tataki. I don't know if it was me but I found it a little bland and it would not be something I would want to have here again. The bao was ok but I feel like I've had better at other restaurants. The item I liked most was the fun guo. It looked really flat and not too appealing when it first came out but it was delicious when I tasted it so definitely recommend it. For dessert we also tried the mango panna cotta which was fairly decent. Service wise the waitress came by every so often to check on us so definitely no complaints in that regard. Overall I thought R&D was ok. I expected more from the food and left a little disappointed. I may come back in the future to have the duck and more of the appetizers. read more
I have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and debunk the average reviews it got on Yelp. I came here with an open mind and left feeling like the highest I can give it is a 3.5/5 overall and would come back here just for cocktails. Food: I had the Winterlicious lunch menu: BBQ Pulled Pork Croquettes 3/5 - This dish was okay. The gong bo sauce went very well with it. But the texture wasn't what I expected, more like crab cakes. Macanese Seafood Curry - 3/5 - I would give it a 2/5 if it wasn't for all the seafood in it. This dish really should have came with a side of rice or noodles. It was a bowl full of curry without anything to go with it. I saw other tables maybe got the heads up and ordered rice with it. Sticky Toffee Pudding 3/5 - It was good. Bai Tai cocktail 5/5 - I've heard great things about the cocktails and this was very unique and well done. Service: 4/5 Our server was very friendly and despite there being a bottle of water at our table for us, she still came by and poured water for us when our glass was more than half empty which I really appreciated and didn't expect. Honourable mention: I wanted to give recognition to the really cool decor and really neat wall art. Also, I noticed the restaurant is accessible, there is a lift right at the front of the restaurant for those that are not able to walk up the stairs. A very important feature to make it accessible for all food and drink lovers. read more
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