Lucky Red caters to the same market as Banh Mi Boys on Queen Street. They also serve an almost identical menu, but Lucky Red uses steamed/baked bao’s instead of baguettes that banh mi’s are served in. While Banh Mi Boys serve mostly Vietnamese and Korean inspired items, Lucky Red serves mainly Chinese items. They are also conveniently located in the middle of Chinatown. It’s a restaurant that is easy to find because the storefront stand out from the more traditional restaurants and stores you find along Spadina Avenue. The decor consists of contemporary design with traditional roots. The big red doors, the restaurant sign, and the zodiac wall mural reflect this concept.

318 Spadina Avenue, Toronto  |  Twitter  |  Website  |  Map

This is a fast food restaurant where you can dine-in or take your food to-go. We ordered the pork belly and the crispy fish steamed bao. The pork belly consisted of mustard greens, Luck sauce, peanuts, pickled cucumber and cilantro. The crispy fish had mayo, tamarind sauce, pickled onion, pickled fennel and cilantro. Both bao’s were light and filling. The components were a good balance in texture and flavour. I really enjoyed the crunch from the pickled vegetables that broke up an overall soft and meaty bao. Next time when I come back, I will definitely try a dessert bao and possibly a lo mein bowl.