Lai Wah Heen Celebrates One Year Back in Toronto With a Fresh Take on Cantonese Fine Dining
TORONTO, ON — August 18, 2026 — One year after reopening following a two-year hiatus and extensive renovation, Lai Wah Heen is entering a new chapter while staying rooted in the Cantonese traditions that have defined the restaurant for more than three decades.
Located in downtown Toronto, the Cantonese fine dining destination is led by husband-and-wife owners Gary and Ming, who have chosen to build on the restaurant’s established identity rather than reinvent it entirely.
At the heart of Lai Wah Heen’s approach is the belief that Cantonese cuisine has never been static. Shaped over centuries by trade, migration and cultural exchange, the cuisine has continued to embrace new ingredients and influences while preserving the techniques and principles at its foundation.
For Lai Wah Heen, that evolution means bringing traditional Cantonese techniques into conversation with contemporary ideas, new ingredients and the experiences of a new generation. That philosophy extends throughout the restaurant’s culinary and beverage programs, led by Executive Chef Heyden Sin, Executive Dim Sum Chef Victor Huang and Executive Pastry Chef Ying Long.
Bringing Cantonese Tradition to Canadian Soil
One of the most distinctive parts of Lai Wah Heen’s culinary program is Dragon Farm, a pesticide-free farm in Norfolk County, Ontario.
Acquired and developed by Gary in 2020, the farm grows Chinese vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and specialty produce from seeds sourced from China. The ingredients are grown specifically for Lai Wah Heen, creating a direct connection between the restaurant’s Cantonese roots and its home in Canada.
Executive Chef Heyden Sin brings a background grounded in traditional Cantonese cooking and contemporary technique. Guangzhou-trained, Sin studied under his uncle, Chef Guo Hui Tan, one of Guangzhou’s Top Ten Chefs and an early pioneer of molecular gastronomy in Cantonese fine dining.
He later worked in luxury hotel kitchens in China and South Korea, including Conrad, Ritz-Carlton and Hilton, before bringing his experience to Lai Wah Heen.
His à la carte menu combines traditional preparations with premium seafood, Canadian proteins and ingredients grown specifically at Dragon Farm.
Among the highlights are San Bei Norway Black Cod ($65), inspired by the aromatic three-cup preparation and finished with sesame oil, yellow wine, soy and basil, and Canadian Prime Short Rib ($77), paired with Hong Kong oyster sauce and a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction.
An 11-Course Cantonese Tasting Menu
For a more immersive dining experience, Lai Wah Heen offers an 11-course tasting menu priced at $180 per person.
The menu moves through dim sum, seafood, premium proteins and pastry, balancing traditional Cantonese techniques with contemporary presentation.
Highlights include the Koi Fish Dumpling, with scallop and prawn hand-shaped into a delicate koi and served with spinach consommé, as well as Lobster Har Gow featuring lobster, prawn and uni.
Chef Sin also leads the restaurant’s Chef’s Table, an intimate and interactive experience inspired by the Cantonese Merchant’s Feast. The menu is shaped around the season and the best ingredients available, including produce harvested from Dragon Farm. Throughout the meal, dishes are prepared and demonstrated, giving guests a closer look at the ingredients and techniques behind the cuisine.
Dim Sum With Premium Ingredients
Lai Wah Heen’s dim sum program is led by Executive Dim Sum Chef Victor Huang, who brings more than two decades of experience to the discipline.
Huang trained under acclaimed dim sum master Xiao Hong Huang before working alongside Chef Sin under the mentorship of Chef Guo Hui Tan. He later served as Executive Dim Sum Chef at The Shilla Seoul, one of South Korea’s leading luxury hotels.
Available à la carte and as part of Lai Wah Heen’s set menus, the dim sum selection combines traditional handwork with premium ingredients and intricate presentation.
Highlights include Hokkaido Uni Siu Mai ($32), pairing heritage pork with sea urchin and scallion oil, and Lobster Har Gow ($33) with lobster, green pea and green onion.
A Cantonese Take on Afternoon Tea
The restaurant’s pastry program is led by Executive Pastry Chef Ying Long, who reinterprets traditional flavours through French pastry techniques, Cantonese herbal traditions and seasonal Canadian ingredients.
Long previously worked as a jewellery designer for luxury jeweller Chow Tai Fook, a background that continues to influence her attention to detail, form and presentation.
Lai Wah Heen’s High Tea puts a Cantonese spin on the afternoon tea experience, combining dim sum, savoury dishes and pastry from Monday to Friday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Guests can build platters featuring five to nine selections, including Pear-Shaped Crispy Dumpling, Roasted Duck Spring Roll and Lychee Shrimp Balls, along with Long’s signature Swan Pastry filled with sweet lotus paste.
Hong Kong Memories Behind the Cocktail Program
Lai Wah Heen’s beverage program extends the restaurant’s culinary philosophy into its cocktail menu.
The cocktail program was curated by Oliver Leung, co-owner of Suite 115, alongside Suite 115 Designer and Senior Bartender Jasmine Zhu. Rooted in the flavours, memories and everyday rituals of Hong Kong, the program transforms familiar elements of Hong Kong culture into contemporary cocktails.
Among the featured drinks is The 852, which combines Hong Kong lemon tea and Ribena and is served with an egg tart. Ginger & Scallion draws inspiration from the condiment traditionally served alongside Cantonese barbecue, poached chicken and steamed fish, while Dragon Eye offers a floral, spirit-forward interpretation of longan, a childhood fruit whose name translates to “dragon’s eye.”
Wine and Tea Inspired by the Cantonese Table
The wine program is led by Beverage and Talent Director Peony Cen, who is WSET Level 3 certified and currently pursuing Level 4.
Rather than relying solely on conventional pairing rules, Cen approaches wine through the principles of the Cantonese table, considering how acidity, minerality and mature wines can complement ingredients and flavours such as roasted meats, steamed seafood, dried tangerine peel, tea and aged ingredients.
The restaurant’s tea program is led by Tea Sommelier Isaac Paluga, who oversees Lai Wah Heen’s Chinese tea collection and service.
Selections include Jin Jun Mei from Fujian province, Da Hong Pao from the Wuyi Mountains and Snow Tibetan Chrysanthemum from western China. The collection also includes Organic Fig Leaf Tea, grown at Dragon Farm in Ontario and roasted in Lai Wah Heen’s kitchen, where it develops notes of toasted coconut, vanilla and maple.
A Refreshed Space Inspired by Hong Kong and Shanghai
The restaurant’s new chapter also extends to its interior.
Designed in collaboration with Alfred Wong of Studio CK, Lai Wah Heen’s 6,800-square-foot interior draws inspiration from the elegance of Hong Kong and Shanghai. Jade marble, gold accents, sculptural lighting and warm textures shape the space.
The 115-seat restaurant also features four private and semi-private dining spaces: Sol, which seats up to 25 guests and includes a private entrance, bar and washroom; Lune, which seats 12; Silk Road, which seats 14 and includes a projection-ready wall; and Starlit, a semi-private space that seats 14.
About Lai Wah Heen
Originally established in 1995, Lai Wah Heen continues to build on its Cantonese identity by bringing together traditional techniques, contemporary approaches and Canadian ingredients, including produce grown specifically for the restaurant at Dragon Farm.
For Toronto diners looking for a contemporary expression of Cantonese fine dining, Lai Wah Heen offers an experience that connects culinary tradition with the ingredients, people and influences shaping the cuisine today.
Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut Street, Toronto, Ontario
Hours of Operation
Monday–Thursday: 10:30 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
