Mr. Gao Restaurant 高老庄 — Restaurant in Mississauga

Northern-Chinese restaurant that does its specialities in a class of their own. I've lived in Mississauga since 2001 and watched the city become more international, and this place is a wonderful example of the benefits that come with it. My wife is Taiwanese, and goodness knows she has high standards for the various Chinese restaurants out there, and we've eaten all over Taiwan--the "family spots" and not the touristy places. We've been to Mr. Gao now about 15 times, and I can tell you that this restaurant is underrated and a great alternative when your favourite spots are lined up. Gao is a family business: the son runs the front, and when I asked him on our first visit "what's good," he pointed out which dishes are "mom and dad's cooking." These are the ones you want to try. My favourite is N2 on the new (March 2018) menu: a pot of chicken and pork ribs. Get the real "family version" complete with chilies and green onions. If you're a Westerner like me, and you like spicy food (like spicy wings and ribs, etc) assure the server that you want the "real spicy version." We've eaten at all the top Chinese-food spots in the city, and you won't find this dish this fantastic anywhere else. Get some bowls of rice to even out the meat as needed. Also get L4: this is a clay-pot soup that comes boiling to your table, and it's also outstanding: pickled cabbage, thinly sliced pork, tofu, and glass noodles. I've eaten this kind of dish in dozens of places, but this one has a superb balance of the pickled bite and the fresh ingredients. This with the chicken-and-ribs hotpot, a vegetable side, and a couple of bowls of white rice will hit the spot. And like I said, ask for the "full flavour" version. Naturally, this restaurant is new, so it had some growing pains at first, but after about 15 visits, we've never had an issue. The restaurant offers a variety of foods from Chinese styles (since the market essentially demands that they cater to various tastes and Westerners), so order Kungpao chicken if you must. But take it from me: ask the son about their specialities. He'll tell you honestly, and his parents can make some fantastic Northern-Chinese dishes. The place isn't as well-known as some places, so this is also an excellent choice when you want to get in and get to a table....

Truly fantastic. Of the many Asian restaurants in Mississauga, this one is a hidden gem that stands out from the rest. I honestly recommend everyone to try this unique spot, it will impress you.

We were a large party of 13 and they sat us in a VIP-style booth in a private section of the restaurant. Their service is wonderful; they have knowledgeable waiters (ask for their opinion on dish combinations!) and the chef even came out to give us the history of certain Mongolian dishes.

Notable dishes we ordered: Half a lamb (must be ordered minimum 2 days in advance) which was slow cooked for 4 hours. Served with two side “sauces”: a spicy rub and a chives rub. Both added great dynamic and depth to the lamb. Spicy glass noodles. While quite spicy, one of my favourites of the night. Noodles were cooked perfectly. Skewers (Lamb, beef, and beef tendon). Delicious appetizers, highly recommended. Pork Dumplings. Some of the best dumplings I’ve had taste and texture wise. I have to note a great crispy-ness on the base of the dumplings that are often missed in many restaurants. This is a sign of them being freshly pan-fried. They even gave us an off-menu dessert, on the house!

Food: 5/5 Prices: 4/5 Staff and service: 5/5 Decor and...

WHAT TO TRY?!

Their lamb skewers are good! Not that gamey tasting and the seasoning is just right.

We came for their soft opening and it's still really new restaurant because they didn't have a lot of the items on the menu. They came from Hamilton where they had a restaurant there as well.

The food we ordered tasted good and the service was excellent. I especially liked the sweet and sour honey spare ribs and the garlic veggies.

Portion sizes of the clay pots can be big so it's enough to share with two people at least.

Don't be alarmed with the decor though. I think they didn't renovate much after the takeover from the previous restaurant (used to be a middle eastern restaurant) so a lot of the look and feel is very similar to the restaurant previously.

LAST TIP?!

Order the soup noodle dishes in a clay pot if you want a good meal for a good price. For $9.99, the portion size looks decent to either eat alone if you're hungry or share with...