In 2025, it’s rare to leave a restaurant and pay less than $40 for a meal-for-two (inclusive of taxes and gratuities). At Mom’s Pan-Fried Bun it’s not only a possibility, but you may also leave with leftovers.

Every table gets an order of the pan-fried buns ($7.99 for 4) and since there’s a constant rotation of them cooking, it’s usually the quickest to arrive. With a choice of “fresh meat” or “braised”, the fresh pork version is more traditional and didn’t disappoint. With a thin steamed shell and well toasted bottom, each palm-sized bun had a decent meat-to-dough ratio and was fluffy and juicy.

I’d pass on the Mom's special steamed pork soup dumplings ($5.99 for 6) as there’s nothing special about them. In fact, the overly pulverized filling, thick wrapper, and non-existent soup makes these taste like the xiao long bao you’d find frozen at the supermarket.

The pan-fried pork dumplings ($6.99 for 8) are better, at least the filling had the crumbly texture you’d expect from something made at a restaurant. Like the buns, they had a well toasted crust, but these seem to be pre-boiled and then pan-fried to order as while the wrapper was sizzling hot, the inside was lukewarm.

Vegetable haters rejoice as Mom’s Pan-Fried Buns is all meat and carbohydrates. The closest vegetable dish they have on the menu is the tomato flavour noodle soup with fried pork chop ($9.99). While the menu describes the dish as having bean sprouts and antler mushrooms, none arrived in our bowl. Rather, it was heavy on the pork chop with a couple of bean curd sticks and cilantro to complement.

I preferred the stronger flavours of the braised beef noodle soup ($9.99), which holds up against the soft chewy noodles. Once again, while there were plenty of bite-sized beef cubes, there wasn’t much else other than bean curd stick. All in all, the noodles were fine but could really benefit from being served hotter and the actual noodles cooked less.

The honey garlic fried chicken wings ($6.99 for 6) are surprisingly delicious with its uber crispy coating. I liked that the sauce was drizzled on, rather than tossing the wings in it, so there was just enough for flavour without being drenched. And thankfully, these were actually hot, making me want more after one crunchy bite.

Their deep-fried rice cake with brown sugar syrup ($2.90 for 6) was also crispy and incorporates an airiness that’s almost churro like. It’s just a shame there’s so little of the watery syrup that’s served in a vessel built into the dish that makes it difficult to dip. They should just drizzle the sauce on top, like the chicken wings, to ensure they are better coated.

Given you can self-order through a QR code at the table, I’d recommend ordering in batches to ensure the dessert comes after the meal. Our red bean paste pie ($3.50) was one of the first things to arrive so by the end of the meal the pastry was dry and cool. At least the red bean paste was thick and sugary, so it was well flavoured despite not containing much filling.

Mom’s Pan-Fried Bun’s dining room is small and densely packed with tables, so I’d recommend visiting as a table of two – anything more and be prepared for a longer wait. Even during our weekday lunch visits the place was packed with a Tetris feeling vibe as tables were split and pushed apart and people squeezing through cracks to get to chairs. The only saving grace was the food arrives quickly so tables turn over in quick succession. 

Toronto’s diversity of Chinese restaurants is increasing. Once primarily populated with Cantonese and Shanghainese style cuisine, there are now so many establishments focused on distinct regions of China. A newcomer is Bao & Broth, which spotlights dishes from the Henan region.

Being one of the northern cities of China, Henan cuisine consists of warm broths and comfort food. At Bao & Broth they focus on both, with of course their bao (Chinese for bun) being a staple item. The four fresh fried bao with shrimp and pork ($10.99) was stuffed with chives, scrambled egg, pork, and a full shrimp, all encapsulated into a thin lightly pan-fried wrapper.

The dough to filling ratio was great with the palm-sized baos only having a thin layer of bun that’s elastic enough to withstand being poked and prodded. Yet, it desperately needed more salt and more cooking time in the pan to really give it a crisp exterior.

Similarly, the rocket leaves mung bean soup noodle ($8.99) was very bland. Such a shame as I rather enjoyed the mixture of vegetables contained in the thick broth. The lack of seasoning could easily be rectified if Bao & Broth just left some salt and soy sauce at the table.

I’d also urge the chef to cook the noodles less as I found the ones in the mung bean soup too soft. Meanwhile, the pasta was perfectly cooked in the Henan braised noodles with pork and veggies ($13.99), wonderfully chewy and having an aromatic wok hay. Unlike the other two dishes, the scallion soy sauce added much needed flavour and even the pork belly slices were previously braised before being stir fried then steamed.

Bao & Broth dining room is small so you may want to go during off hours to avoid waiting. Even during our Tuesday lunch visit, the restaurant was 80% filled before noon. Tables of two, of different ages, sat around chatting while enjoying their soup, noodles, and buns. A comforting sight indeed.