Swatow: Late Night Chinese with Familiar Strangers

mmm Swatow, so filling and cheap too!

Thanks for the detail, Victor. Do you work there? heh.

I love your suggestions and will definitely try the lemon chicken next time. We were all getting one dish each, so I could only pick one, not 10... i have to respect everyone else's likes and dislikes.

I'm also the nut in the group who wants the *least* fried foods possible, so as you can imagine, that narrows what i'm opt to pick. I'm glad you've got your faves in there for readers to give a shot.

We do eat Chinese often (including at home as my partner (who went with the beef) is Chinese, so I understand about the prep... I describe it all, as I like to do no matter where i'm reviewing, 'cause those who don't know will probably want to before ordering too much starch or baking soda laced foods at 3am in the morning. ;)

The picture review is nice. But I'm afraid you have likely not had the optimum experience here.

First off, the items you ordered are good, but not the best they have to offer.

Good choices were the GT Chicken, and the soup. However you missed their deep fried squid (I read some of you can't eat it, but I'm wondering if that's I "won't" eat it, because this you will enjoy even if you don't enjoy seafood.). Your noodle dish should have been chicken fried noodle. You beef should have been chosen on a hot plate w/ assorted veggies. You should also give the wonton noodles a go, esp if you are here on your own.

From your review, I may assume that you do not eat at Chinese restaurants that often?
- The chicken is tender because it is generally made from dark meat from the thigh and leg. Also, it stays more tender when marinated and with corn starch applied. There is nothing wrong with the meat.
- Sauces come in all kinds of consistency, and I would suggest not taking any extra sauce, i.e. avoid serving yourself too much sauce.
- You must order your dishes with balance. Considering which items are staples, and which items are for a flavor kick. I.e. a simple noodle to go with your GT chicken, or a lighter lemon chicken to go with a spicy squid.
- If you don't drink tea, you need to get another drink. It is expected that you will have plenty of liquids to clear your palette of both flavor and grease while you eat.

Try going with one of those regulars you see in there and have someone who knows their Chinese food order for you.
But the following will not disappoint:
- Spicy Deep Fried Squid (or Spicy Deep Fried Shrimp)
- General Tao's Chicken
- Chicken Fried Noodles
- Won Ton Noodle
- Beef with black bean sauce on Hotplate
- Lemon Chicken
- Sweet and sour soup
Add chicken fried rice for filler if need be.

Great atmosphere at Swatow. I'd eat there more often, except it's RAMMED all the time!

mm...the best midnight snack in the city.

"night-owl clubhouse ..crowd of regulars"

including 52 Division getting takeout.

Those plates look really delicious.

Sorry to break the bad news but Chinatown hasn't been the same since Markham and Richmond Hill was developed more than ten years ago. Swatow has loads of MSG, which I think is the based for any and all of their clear broth soups.

The vegetables aren't cut... so you often get roots attached to your guylan, and because they are so thick, they outside is soggy while the inside remains raw.

The sauces are straight out of the bottle, and there is a lot of sauce which I presume is used to cover the low quality of their meat. Forget seafood.

The fluorescent lights and mirrors make McDonald's decor look nice. Don't look down at the floor, unless you want to see what some guy was eating there two weeks ago.

If you have ever eaten good Chinese food, you won't want to eat here. Just like any other cuisine, you get what you pay for. $3.75 gets you, well, just less than four dollars worth of food, if you can call it that.

And at 3am, we do just that Jonah... 'cause no one owns a car to drive to Richmond Hill and next-to-nothing would be open anyhow. Were this dinner, the situation would be different.

I like Swatow. But, once a place starts being the "in place" to be, for me, it is time to move on. There are at least 3 other places in Chinatown downtown with better food, better service, and most importantly, fewer to no hipsters.