China House, 925 Eglinton West, at Bathurst, 416-781-9121
Though Toronto’s foremost Chinese restaurant is likely Susur Lee’s Shang in NYC, this long-running – 50 years and counting – throwback is certainly the city’s most iconic. A riot of red ‘n’ black lacquered chinoiserie, the retro room is entered by bridge over a moat and dominated by an overgrown bonsai tree. Faux, of course. At round linen-draped tables topped with Lazy Susans, old-school servers dressed in dinner jackets deliver a card that hasn’t changed since the 50s, listing house specialties like crisply battered deep-fried chicken wrapped with bacon, and outrageously plump egg rolls bursting with shrimp and barbecue pork. Susur would approve.