Toronto’s first family of Hakka

Dear reader,

As a kid who grew up in a WASPier corner of the burbs, I’ve heard every outlandish accusation ever hurled at Chinese restaurants: that the cooks use dicey meat, that the food causes allergic reactions, that I only enjoyed them because I’m Chinese myself.
Even still, some of my happiest moments as a child were eating at Chinese restaurants. Watching my grandma meticulously order enormous quantities of my favourites made me dizzy with excitement. To this day, the sight of a heavily laden lazy Susan ignites tingles in my heart.
And Torontonians have come around. Today, some of the city’s most celebrated establishments and chefs are cooking Chinese cuisine. (Full disclosure: one of those chefs happens to be my brother, Braden Chong, of Mimi and Sunnys.) Chief among those establishments is Yueh Tung, Toronto’s first-ever Hakka joint and the subject of Table Talk’s top post this week. It’s a story of immigrant perseverance and how the love of food from the homeland brought a family back from the brink.

If you told my grandma in her twenties that her future grandson would forgo a white-collar career to cook in a Chinese restaurant, she might have fled back to Hong Kong in horror. But now she couldn’t be more proud, which speaks to just how much Toronto has evolved for the better.

Also in today’s newsletter: a comprehensive breakdown of Toronto’s best new patios. Plus, what’s on the menu at Standard Time, Geary’s new kitchen residency. For all our food-and-drink coverage, visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition.

Michael Liu and Mei Wang opened Yueh Tung, Toronto’s first Hakka restaurant, in 1986. Now, they’re handing over the keys to two of their daughters, Joanna and Jeanette. We sat down with the Lius to talk about their incredible legacy and what’s next.

From Little India to the Junction and every neighbourhood in between, here’s Toronto Life’s ranking of the city’s best new patios for snacking, sipping and people-watching.

Geary’s beloved listening bar, Standard Time, has branched out, now hosting a kitchen residency for world-wandering chefs. First up: an umami-forward menu from the culinary minds at SeeYouSoon.

In the latest issue: our city-wide survey of who earns what. Plus, the shooting that ruptured Leslieville, why everybody suddenly has adult ADHD, the best new patios for summer sipping, and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.