Kim Moon Bakery

438 Dundas West
Phone: 416 977 1933

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Posted by Lisa
July 16, 2008

Currently 4.63/5
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Rating: 4.6/5 (8 votes cast)

I go to Kim Moon Bakery for breakfast when Toronto's feeling like Hong Kong - polluted, muggy, and crowded. I guess it's the weather that gives me a craving for congee and racing papers. And while there is probably better congee in the GTA, there are few options so convenient and reassuring as Kim Moon.

Walking along Dundas, I stop by the newspaper vendor on the insurance building's stoop. Half-hidden by a concrete post, he's easy to miss--he's usually in earnest conversation and mostly sells the Chinese papers. But he always has one or two copies of the Star or the Globe, so I get a paper--it's not Hong Kong horse racing, but that's OK, I don't know anyone who bets on the horses in Toronto, it's not politically correct. Then I walk the rest of the block to Kim Moon Bakery.

As the sign suggests, there's a bakery here--the winter melon pastries are the nicest I've found in Chinatown--but Kim Moon is really a restaurant, and its windows are currently obscured by bubble tea advertisements. I've never actually seen anyone inside drinking such a thing; you want bubble tea? Go somewhere else.

Past the bakery display cases, there's a plainly-decorated restaurant. Where, when I arrived the other day at 8:30am, the best round tables were already occupied by elderly men reading the papers and drinking iced milky tea and watery coffee, a few little plates at their elbows.

This is breakfast without the dim sum trolley performance; customers just order a few basic things from the waitress. There's reassuring sticky rice in lotus leaf, a variety of buns and pastries (including the essential little custard tarts), and a brief menu. I order the sticky rice and tarts, along with an iced tea and my favourite winter melon pastry. But the key for this kind of breakfast, for me, is congee. Plain, ordinary, white congee.
Technically, congee is rice soup, thickened with dry shredded scallops and yuba skin; these days, most places use instant starch. Congee is a bit like chicken noodle soup: it's not about glamour, it's not very photogenic, and everyone has their own favourite recipe. It's straight-forward stuff, the kind of food that grandmothers foist on anyone who dares to complain about a cold or upset stomach. Before adding hot sauce, congee tastes vaguely like porridge, without that regretful leaden oatmeal feeling afterwards.

Within forty minutes, instead of feeling muggy and irritable and wishing myself absolutely anywhere else but Toronto, I've polished off my congee and the Kim Moon pastries, I've drunk enough iced tea with condensed milk to sweeten an army, and I actually feel ready to confront the day.

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I like this place, good dim sum.
Friendly staff.

Posted by: Brandon at July 13, 2008 3:18 AM

Nobody betting on horses in Toronto? Get thee to Woodbine!

Prices?

Posted by: Gloria at July 16, 2008 11:06 AM

I've always wanted to try congee, there is even a Congee King just around the corner from where I live, but I'm intimidated by the idea of a food which you have to flavour and spice yourself.
I think I need some "congee for dummies" instructions. anyone?

Posted by: Laura Bee at July 16, 2008 11:11 AM

Great food review! I like the overall narrative as well. Thanks!

Posted by: mmmmmmmmmmmmmm at July 16, 2008 11:15 AM

... uhmm... where's the review? This reads more like a journal entry than a restaurant review.

Thanks for your explanation of congee. Can you tell us how the food tasted? You say that congee is sometimes made with instant starch. Is Kim Moon's made this way?

What are the pastries like? Are there many to choose from? What did the winter melon taste like? How to the custard tarts compare to those of other ethnic groups? (Personally, I had a custard tart the other day from Yung Sing bakery that was vile. Too watery and eggy when compared to Portuguese custard tarts.).

You don't mention service, pricing, or taste... Why should we go here and not some other place?

Posted by: Dave at July 16, 2008 11:17 AM

Laura: It comes with all kinds of dressings. Just order whatever sounds good. My favourite is just simple shredded pork and preserved egg.

By the way, it would be very bizarre to compare Chinese custard tarts to Portuguese tarts in this type of review. A Chinese tart should be evaluated in consideration of other Chinese tarts, not a completely different style of the same type of pastry. We don't review Italian pasta in consideration of Asian noodles.

Posted by: Gloria at July 16, 2008 11:29 AM

Hah! Nice story. It's very true about the old men reading the newspaper at this restaurant.

Dim Sum is good here, I'm also a fan of the curried beef buns they bake also.

Posted by: Malcolm Bastien at July 16, 2008 11:34 AM

Gloria, I agree... But I would like to know what the texture is like, the taste, etc. (Like yesterday's comparision of rotis and burritos). Comparisons are not being made anywhere in this review other than "And while there is probably better congee in the GTA, there are few options so convenient and reassuring as Kim Moon."

Great... So right away we are told that their is probably someplace better. How is it better? Where can we find that place?

I don't know - I just find this review lacking important information.

Posted by: Dave at July 16, 2008 11:37 AM

Oy vey... My grammar is slipping. Forgive the spelling errors and what I had meant to say was "So right away we are told that there is probably..."

Posted by: Dave at July 16, 2008 11:39 AM

I have to admit that i'm a bit of a cart whore when it comes to dim sum and love the theatrics but there's something fantastically authentic, tasty and unpretentious about the dim sum card at kim moon. whenever i'm in the mood for dim sum without the fuss, this is my go to place!

Posted by: frank at July 16, 2008 11:54 AM

Dave, that's very fair to say, although I guess it should be considered that at what point does a review of Kim Moon turn into one of its competitors? It does point out that maybe the strength of Kim Moon is in its location and its style of service, rather than just its cuisine.

But yes, I definitely agree more information would be helpful; I myself asked for pricing, which is always good to know. The author writes with really good colour, but it's pretty short on the quality of the food itself.

Posted by: Gloria at July 16, 2008 12:04 PM

True dat. It's just that there's nothing really to say whether it's good or not. And location is definitely not a selling point for a lot of people. I mean, it's relative to the writer in this case. I live in North York, so it's not worth it to me to come down.

However, I may have a crappy place next door to me, but I might think it's worth it to check this place out if it were great (like sushi restaurants on Bloor).

I don't expect a review to mention other places that are better (unless they are reviewed as well), but I'd like to know a little about the place supposedly being written about.

Posted by: Dave at July 16, 2008 12:41 PM

funny, the chinese characters for Kim Moon actually mean Golden Gate(ie Golden Gate Bridge in SF)..and instant starch is really rice mixed with baking soda, so the rice will soften faster when being cooked in water..

Posted by: jack at July 16, 2008 2:39 PM

Dave: Really good point about the relativity of locations.

I'm only a 30-minute streetcar ride from downtown ... and I work and go to school there, so I guess I forget about that :P

Posted by: Gloria at July 16, 2008 3:42 PM

am i the only one here who is repulsed by the thought of eating what is in those pictures for breakfast?

Posted by: jody at July 16, 2008 4:11 PM

yes, you are the only one.. just like the way I feel about big fat donuts for breakfast, taco for lunch, and pizza for dinner.. and sugar filled cup cakes

Posted by: jack at July 16, 2008 8:08 PM

hey Laura Bee, the ultimate congee can be found at Congee Wong. I've only been to the North York location but you can be assured that it will have been worth the trip.

Posted by: CL at July 18, 2008 8:54 AM

You forgot to mention the best part about eating congee: eating congee with "Chinese donuts"! (As pictured in the congee, and sitting to the left of the bowl.)

Nothing better than eating fried crispy dough for breakfast.

Posted by: Elle Driver at July 18, 2008 1:02 PM

I went there on Sat on your recommendation. the Congee sucked really bad, I couldn't even finish it (I dont rememebr the last time I didn't finish the food I ordered so I'm not picky at all.
The milk shake was horrible (tasted like sweet water).

The only things good about this place were the pastries.
Otherwise, dont waste your money.

Posted by: scatterbrain at July 21, 2008 2:39 PM

congee is not for everyone, esp non-asians.. only the smart ones can appreciate it..those who are into lemon chicken and egg drop soup will probably have trouble eating real chinese food

Posted by: jack at July 24, 2008 11:48 PM

@jack:
"only the smart ones can appreciate it."

hahaha that is the most idiotic statement I have ever heard. who knew there are snobby Asian food lovers out there too lol.

I love Asian food, I lived in China/korea/Japan for 2 years I love Asian food but that doesn't mean that I have to like EVERY Asian food. Even people who were born there dont all have the same taste. lol dont be an idiot lol.

haha your comment is still making me chuckle lol thanx for making me laugh loool.

Posted by: scatterbrain at July 25, 2008 12:07 PM