May Yan Seafood Restaurant 陸福海鮮酒家 — Restaurant in Toronto

May Yan Seafood Restaurant is one of the newest Chinese restaurants in Scarborough. It takes the place of one of my favourite Chinese restaurants that occupied this space previously. It looks and feels like the previous place but they gave up an adjoining unit to another business.

My cousin chose this place to celebrate his Dad's birthday. I have to say it was a good choice! The food was excellent! The menu seems familiar, almost the same as the previous place. It's probably the same chefs.

Our dishes included Lobster with Ginger and Green Onions, Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Green Onions, Deep Fried Chicken, Eggplant with Salted Fish, Beef with Broccoli in Bird's Nest (taro), Eggplant with Salted Fish in Hot Pot, and Sauteed Snow Peas Leaves with Garlic.

Our delicious meal started with complimentary house soup and ended with a warm green bean dessert, also complimentary.

The chicken was moist, crispy, flavourful, and very enjoyable.

The beef was tender and tasty while the broccoli was perfectly cooked and the taro nest was also very crispy.

The snow peas leaves were also very tasty, with lots of garlic, and perfectly cooked.

The fish was presented live at the table before being cooked. Although it needed some salt, it was very good.

The lobster was also presented live at our table before being cooked. Although I'm allergic to lobster, everybody else obviously enjoyed it to the last piece.

The eggplant, presented in a sizzling hot pot, looked good but is another dish that I don't care for. Everybody else enjoyed it.

I was looking for one of the signature dishes from the previous business, boneless whole Deep Fried Chicken Stuffed with Rice and Chinese Sausages, but I didn't see it on the menu. I did however see another diner post a picture of it. I'll have to go back and look again.

One of the drawbacks, for me, was a language barrier. Only one server spoke English (barely), and none of us spoke Chinese. Most of our ordering was done by pointing at items in the menu, listed in both English and Chinese. There are lots of menu items posted on the walls but in Chinese only. I'm not sure if we missed out on ordering anything else.

Despite the language difference, the service was very good and all the food tasted really good. I'll...

Oh boy, where do I even start? We heard about this place through word of mouth and some stellar Google reviews, so we were hyped to check it out. With a party of seven, we rolled in ready to feast, and this spot did not disappoint!

First up, the Roasted Squab: crispy skin, juicy meat. It was like a flavor explosion in every bite!

Then came the Prawn and Bitter Melon Sautéed with Salted Egg Yolk Coating. I wasn’t sure about the bitter melon at first, but that rich salted egg yolk is an absolute game-changer. Such a great combination.

The Crispy Fried Whole Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice was a total showstopper. The skin was perfectly crunchy, and that sticky rice inside was packed with umami.

We also got the Veggies Mix Served in a Big Bowl Carved from a Winter Melon, which was as fun to look at as it was to eat. The presentation was straight-up Instagram-worthy, and the veggies were fresh and flavorful, with the winter melon adding a subtle sweetness.

Then there was the Braised Whole Duck Stuffed with 8-Treasure Rice. OMG, this was next-level. The duck was tender, and the rice had all these amazing bits like chestnuts and dried shrimp that made every bite a little adventure.

And don’t even get me started on the Lobster in Special Soy Sauce, highly addictive! The lobster was cooked just right, sweet and succulent, with that soy sauce tying it all together like a culinary bow.

Oh, make sure you order their Daily House Soup. Ours was Dry Bok Choy and pork bone soup, packed with flavor and probably some kind of magic because it was that good.

The food was straight-up superb, and the service? Just as amazing.

Now, for the atmosphere, I gave it 3 stars, and here’s why. The place has a lot of history, and you can feel it in the old-school decorations. It’s got that classic, no-frills vibe. It’s super clean though, spotless even, but the decor isn’t fancy or shiny. It’s more like a cozy, lived-in spot that’s all about the food, not the glitz.

One thing to note: the washroom is on the lower level, and you’ve gotta go down some stairs, which could be tricky for seniors or anyone with mobility issues.

If you’re in Scarborough and craving some legit Chinese dishes, May Yan Seafood Restaurant is where it’s at.

We’re already planning our next...

This was our first time trying May Yan Seafood Restaurant after hearing about it through word of mouth. We had never been to this plaza before, and while the location is very convenient, right at the corner of Sheppard Avenue East and Midland Avenue, the plaza itself is quite outdated. It is not necessarily a major issue, but visually it can feel a bit dingy or tired. It does not reflect poorly on the restaurant itself, but it is something to be aware of if first impressions matter to you. On the bright side, there is lots of parking and we had no trouble finding a spot, which definitely makes it more accessible and convenient.

We called ahead to place a pickup order and decided to try the lobster yee mien (龍蝦伊麵). The price was $19.99 before tax, which came out to $22.60 in total. For lobster, this is honestly a very good deal, especially considering the portion size and how expensive seafood usually is at other restaurants. The noodles were nicely sauced and flavourful, and the lobster was cooked well. It really hit the spot and felt like a comforting, satisfying dish.

The service was okay. The staff were polite and efficient, but they were not especially warm or welcoming. Since this was our first time, it is hard to say whether this is always the case or if it just happened to be a quiet day. There was nothing wrong with the service, but it did not particularly stand out either.

Overall, May Yan seems like a good spot for classic Chinese dishes at affordable prices. While the setting may not be the most modern or visually appealing, the convenience of the location, the easy parking, and the fair pricing make it worth visiting. We are definitely interested in coming back to try other menu items...