Living in Leslieville, I’m always on the lookout for a good Chinese food restaurant. I’ve heard from several locals that Pearl Court on Gerrard St. E. is a solid bet for Chinese food so I decided to check it out on a recent holiday Monday with a friend. Pearl Court is located on the south side of Gerrard St. E. in the heart of East Chinatown. The popular Andrea’s Bakery is right next door.
We were greeted immediately upon arriving at about 3 p.m. and advised we could sit anywhere considering it wasn’t too busy. The interior of Pearl Court is several notches above Toronto’s standard Chinese food restaurants, although the decor is a bit dated.
Our server offered us a very fragrant Jasmine tea to start while we perused the menu. Although Dim Sum is served all day at Pearl Court, we opted to order off the regular menu.
We each started with a serving of spring rolls, which are served in pairs: Pork Spring Rolls, $3.80, for my dining partner and Vegetarian Spring Rolls, $3.80, for me.
My Vegetarian Spring Rolls were fine: I’ve had better and I’ve had worse. They could have been a bit crispier and the batter could have been a bit lighter, but I would probably still order them again on any future visits.
My dining partner ordered the Shrimp Wonton Soup, $4.75, and let me have a taste. While my partner found it a bit bland, I, on the other hand, enjoyed the soup, savouring the tender shrimp wontons.
I ordered the Shrimps, Scallops, Squid and Vegetables on Crispy Thin Egg Noodles, $13.95. The shrimps and scallops were delicious, very tender, while the squid was too chewy for me. The Baby Bok Choy was fresh and tasted great with the crispy egg noodles. I would have liked to see more scallops in this dish as I think I counted only two. I was not overly fond of the sauce, which tasted like there was too much corn starch added.
My dining partner ordered the Beef with Chinese Broccoli, $11.59, and loved the fresh vegetables in this dish. She said the beef was very tender and there was a generous portion in the dish.
Our visit to Pearl Court on Gerrard St. E. was pleasant. The service was very good and the food was fine. I would like to return to try their Dim Sum.
