Egg Rolls

[Aardvark]

Does anyone know of a place in Toronto that serves great egg rolls? I don't mean the crappy bean shoot stuffed ones that are everywhere. The best egg rolls I've ever had were from The Golden Palace in Ottawa. Round. ends crisped and full of stuff (meat etc). Almost like a mini cabbage roll.

The Golden Palace does a booming business in egg rolls and I've always been surprised that no one has adopted the formula in Toronto. If you're ever in Ottawa, you have to try them. If you've been there and have found something similar in Toronto, please enlighten.

[terrycar]

Mr. Pongs bar apparently does a tribute to the classic.

[prima]

Bumping this old thread.

Where do you go when you're craving egg rolls? Does anyone have a go-to for egg rolls in Chinatown?

[beach_cook]

Years ago, my guilty pleasure was Mr Pong's (south side Queen just west of Bathurst). Big, crammed full of veg, not greasy. Anyone know of anything similar?

[HandPay]

I moved to Toronto from Ottawa last summer and can't find any decent egg rolls in this city. Having grew up in Ottawa I didn't realize that the egg rolls there were unique. Like the original poster mentioned, everyone I have tried here is a crappy bean sprout filled mess that tastes like it came from a supermarket. No open ended ones (love the crispy burn ends) or plump meaty ones. Also, the little packages of plum sauce are gross, you need to have the sytrofoam container to really dunk with! Almost all restaurants I ever tried in Ottawa have decent egg rolls. Anyone have any suggestions? I live downtown, so hopefully something close by. I have tried several in Chinatown but no luck. PS. I mean egg rolls, not spring rolls. Thanks!

[Food Tourist]

i think the Drake is making some version of egg rolls that sound yummy at their Chinatown pop-up: http://www.thedrakehotel.ca/_ftp/menu...

[Food Tourist]

Drake eggrolls were disappointing. Nice shiitake-dominant (didn't taste chicken) interior but didn't enjoy wrapper.

[Herne]

I vote for the egg rolls at Li Chi Gardens in Toronto near the City Hall in the 70's and maybe 80's. I understand they are now in a small Plaza in the north of the City and had planned to move south. No sign of a move at the moment. No idea how their egg rolls are now but I know what people will expect if they do move back.

[atrius]

I second China House on Eglinton, just west of Bathurst. Best egg rolls I've had in Toronto.

[Poorboy]

I call them spring rolls and they are filled with ground meat, either chicken and/or pork. In order to get these I have had to resort to (and am very pleased with) ones I get from some Phillipino ladies that make these out of their homes. I buy several dozen at a time and freeze them until I need. They are better than what you can get in any restaurants that I have tried. When I want a few, I take them out, let them thaw and cook again in either a deep fryer or wok. I am looking for a commercial caterer that does these as I will post the info to this board. If anyone knows of a good place to buy Phillipine style spring rolls, I think the OP might be pleased.

[wano]

Costco sells frozen egg rolls made from California and the ingredients seem to indicate they may be what you are looking for (cabbage, pork, egg roll wrapper rather than sprin roll wrapper, etc). They may satisfy your need.

[Googs]

Any chance you care to share your connection Poorboy?

[Moimoi]

Unfortunately China House has closed, but thanks for reminding me of the place where I first experienced what a real egg roll is supposed to taste like, along with that crazy hot mustard that came with it... No one else seems to be offering any good suggestions on places in Toronto. There must be some... What about House of Chan on Eglinton? Do they do them?

-----
House of Chan
876 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C2B6, CA

[scr_north]

Hi all. It's May 30 2010 and I was wondering whether there were any updates on this. I just got back from Ottawa with a dozen Golden Palace egg rolls. As well as being open ended (not the flattened kind) they also give you a cup of plum sauce instead of those damn little packets they serve here in Toronto.
So, any update? Has anyone opened a chinese restaurent like Gows (they also make great sweet and sour chicken with a terrific light orange sauce instead of that thick, red glop that they use here. Geez, I sound bitter. Whover in Toronto opens a Golden Palace type restaurant is going to make a fortune.

[T Long]

Are we on the same page with definitions? For me, the open ended ones are called spring rolls, while the flattened end ones are the egg rolls. Going back decades, the Golden Palace egg rolls I liked a lot were the flattened ended ones. I prefer egg rolls over spring rolls (using my definition). To answer your main question, I have not come across a must-eat egg roll in Toronto yet.

[JennaBean]

The ones I had growing up in Kingston (Golden Dragon) were open ended and called egg rolls for sure. To me the difference is the wrapper. The egg roll wrapper is thicker and one layer. Whereas a spring roll wrapper is made up of many much thinner layers. IMO. :-)

[T Long]

Interesting...never came across this version before in all my years of eating Chinese food. Live and learn....thanks. Do the two version taste similar?..I would think the close contact with the deep frying oil in the open-ended version would make a difference.

[scr_north]

Hi all. I agree with JennaBean that the difference between and Egg Roll and a Spring Roll is the wrapper. I should have taken a photo. It could be the difference in frying that accounts for some of the taste difference but the plum sauce as well is different. It seems more like home-made (at less thick then the pkt sauce and is great for dipping).
Still seems that Toronto is a desert as far as egg rolls go. Damn.

[Food Tourist]

Coincidentally, I am also on the hunt for a really good homemade eggroll in the GTA. I think that article in Toronto Life a couple of months ago got me on this search!

[cowhound]

China House on Eglinton. They're huge and made on the premises, not frozen, full of shrimp and bbq pork and veggies more than cabbage.

[smitt]

I've been trying to find a decent eggroll in Toronto for years now. If Ottawa can have so many great places to get them, why is it so hard for Toronto? Every time I get an eggroll in Toronto is is a sour, overcooked, bad smelling disaster. :(

Golden Palace rules. Wongs is great. Eggroll Plus in Kanata.

[T Long]

This is one of the great food mysteries....there are so many people in Toronto who have not experienced a really good egg roll. Coincidently, my last great egg roll was also eaten in Ottawa...of all places.

[spetzee]

Ottawa's Wong's Palace has the best egg rolls!! I just finished eating some my sister brought back- Still awesome! Wong's Palace on Carling Ave across from Britannia Theatre. It's been there at least 35 years, and I've missed those open-ended egg rolls since we moved to Toronto 25 years ago.Too bad they don't deliver!!!

[alfie]

I grew up in Windsor and there was a restaurant called ING'S that served those exact type of eggrolls. The food there was amazing;just great north american chinese food,abolutely nothing authentic about it.

I really do miss those types of eggrolls and their distinct taste.Since that restaurant went out of business years ago,I don't think I have ever had anything like them.Its a shame....

[jillian1953]

You may not remember your post from back in 2006 on this site but I was reading about your tatse for ING's egg rools..I LOVED their egg rolls and was wondering if you know of any other place in Windsor who makes the same as ING's did.For over a year I went there and a sign was posted on the door re: renovations..Years later I am still craving these..lol.Thank you for any help you can provide..

Jill

[alfie]

Hi-sorry I didn't see your message until now-you know I have been searching for those types of egg rolls for ever with absolutely no luck. I no longer live in Windsor but I have family that does and they have not been able to find anything,,,I don't know why that particular restaurant made them that way, or why there has not been anything similar. Its actually pretty sad....

[Atahualpa]

I've never had these egg rolls from Ottawa. But, from the description, there is a take-away on Donlands (Donlands Chinese?) that does something similar. They are very very large and stuffed with whatever filling you choose. However, they are not really crispy and they are very, very greasy. I certianly don't like them. But, they might be close to what you're looking for. At least enough to make you irate at how they pale in comparison.

[olivergail]

Oh, I suddenly have a craving for the eggrolls from 3 now-defunct Montreal restaurants:

Ruby Foo's
Pumpernick's
House of Wong

[cheesymama]

I kept hoping someone out there knew of a place in Toronto. I too love these egg rolls. I'm usually in Ottawa 3 or 4 times a year and buy them unfried, bring them home to Toronto, freeze them then fry them up fresh at home.

[dinin and dishin]

Do you know if they'll deliver..maybe courier? mmmmmmmm :)

Maybe you could set up a small delivery service with Aardvark and I as your first customers.

You know the only other think I had that was even close was Vietnamese Imperial Rolls. Of course I had these in Vancouver and haven't found (or tried to find) them here in TO.

[Aardvark]

They are so popular with some people that I believe that they will ship them out of town however I have never done it myself.

I always get them hot rather than cold. I have tried them both ways and prefer them hot. I was never able to quite replicate the taste with the cold ones for some strange reason. Hot ones that I put in the fridge and reheat taste as good as when they were first bought.

[dinin and dishin]

OMG, I've been looking for the name of the famous egg roll restaurant in Ottawa for (I'm embarrassed to say) almost 15 years. Thanks. Way back then, a friend from California was passing through the GTA after visiting his Mom in Ottawa and he brought these amazing egg rolls with him. Needless to say, none made it as far as California, and I've been craving them ever since.

I've looked, but I've never found egg rolls like the ones from the Golden Palace. Hopefully other hounds in the GTA will be able to help.

Of course now that I know the name, a road trip may be in order.

[Aardvark]

Glad to oblige. :-) They are still the same although I haven't been there in a couple of years.