Hunan Restaurant 湖南菜馆 — Restaurant in Toronto

When I was 18, I attended a school in Hunan province, China. It was my first time away from home. Hunan cuisine became my favourite food but I couldn’t get anywhere else in Canada. Decades later, my Hunan friend took me to this restaurant, the first bite of a stir fried dish, it reminded me of my time in Hunan! It smells delicious, the dishes shine from a light coating of cooking oil. It’s hot, spicy, savoury, a hint of sourness, it’s a perfect example of Samin Norsat’s theory of “salt fat acid heat” (It’s a book which turned to a Netflix show). A bowl of rice is a must pair to the food, as you can’t put your chopsticks down because it’s just too tasty, while sniffing since it’s just perfectly spicy. You are on a trip to Hunan province. This is real authentic Hunan food, you can find pickled daikon, pickled yard long beans, smoked bamboo shoots, and La meat (preserved pork on the menu, it’s a low smoked meat in a lot Hunan regions)! You also wouldn’t care if you come here by yourself, for such good food, you just don’t give a damn if people judge you eating alone. Your brain will be busy analyzing what’s in my mouth that is so tasty! My only complaint is the music, they often play sad melodies that reminded me of my friends from decades ago. … Last Note, how do you tell it’s authentic Hunan dish? No...

LOCATED IN THE SAME STORE AS FOUR FOUR SOUTH VILLAGE Overall, flavours are great, just a bit too oily. Around $20.50 (incl tax+tip) per person for the 3 of us, we were full and had leftovers!

What we ordered: Stir Fried Beef with Cumin ($16.99): (3.5/5) Flavour was SOOO good and regular spicy was quite spicy. I think the green stuff was garlic shoots. The beef used was quite lean and very soft. Big portion.

Stir Fried Preserved Pork with Garlic ($16.99): (4/5) The preserved pork made the dish overall a little too salty for me and because the cut was pork belly, it was quite oily and fatty. It came with garlic shoots too. Overall flavours were good, big portion too.

Fried Rice with Soy Sauce and Pork Butter ($12.99): (4/5) Simple, it only had eggs in it + whatever seasonings they used but it was very flavourful. Too oily for me though, and the portion was very small compared to fried rice dishes from other places. Paired super well with the meat dishes we ordered and really helped with the spice (because the rice wasn't spicy)!

Definitely coming back to try their other dishes and might just get plain white rice to go...

🔥 $18.99 Giant Pork Bone Casserole in Toronto!

If you love bold flavors and big portions, this Hunan spot is a must-try! Feels just like home with dishes full of smoky, spicy goodness.

🍖 Soy-Braised Pork Bone Casserole ($18.99) Huge clay pot, packed with fall-off-the-bone pork！Bone marrow is so rich and flavorful, and sweet potato noodles & napa cabbage soak up all the goodness Pro tip: Pour the broth over rice = next-level meal!

🌶️ Smoked Bamboo Shoots with Preserved Pork Savory, smoky, and spicy Perfect with rice!

🍜 Fried Rice Noodles with Green Beans Sour, chewy, and super satisfying Rich pork lard aroma, plus egg for extra texture

🐖 Stir-Fried Pork Belly Crispy, juicy, and pure Hunan soul Toss it over rice or mix into noodles

🥦 Potted Cauliflower Crisp & flavorful, a great balance to all the meats

📣 Pro Tips: ✅ The pork bone casserole is best for two people ✅ Best combo: 1 clay pot + 1 stir-fried dish + rice ✅ Not a spice fan? Order garlic cucumbers or coconut red bean cake to cool down ✅ Take leftovers home, add broth, and turn them into hot pot!

🔥 Huge portions, authentic flavors, great value—this...