Restaurant regulars know quality

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This article was published 25/11/2015 (3631 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I met with Cindy Wu and her husband Guang Han Wu in their simple, elegant dining room at the Toy Sun Restaurant at 1133 Henderson Hwy.

The young parents of three boys (aged six, four and two) have owned and operated the authentic Chinese restaurant for nearly two years. They have changed the look of the restaurant and done wonders with the menu.

Chef Guang Han was well known in the southern part of Winnipeg when he cooked at Huangpu River on Pembina Highway.  Free Press food critic Marion Warhaft had given him a glowing review and his restaurant earned a four-star rating in December, 2012.

Over the past year Toy Sun has begun to develop some regular clientele, Cindy said.

“It is very hard the first year but when customers try the food, they like it and they come back.
“We both came from Guangdong, China, opposite the sea from Hong Kong. Chinese people love to eat, so we know what good food can be like.

“For me the Canadian style of cooking is very simple but we can cook very complicated dishes and try to think of different kinds of foods —because we love to eat!”

Guang Han has taken his time constructing a menu with the classic Canadian Chinese favorites but made sure to create dishes that outdo the norm.

“Our chicken balls have extra chicken and our breaded shrimp is paired with a spicy sauce that people absolutely love,” Cindy said.

“We have new items like the light-breaded orange almond chicken and oat wheat Chicken, which has a very light batter ,like a tempura.”

Toy Sun’s $8.99 lunch buffet has a rotating menu from Tuesday to Friday.

“We try to make things interesting with different styles of shrimp, chicken wings or ribs for lunch,” Cindy said. “Sometimes people don’t know we have a really nice dining room, but our regulars come often, they know what is good!”

For more information, visit toysunrestaurant.com

Evan Comstock is a community correspondent for East Kildonan.