Hong Fatt in Toronto’s Chinatown hits many of the stereotypes of a classic Chinatown restaurant – there are pig/duck carcasses hanging in the window, the food is cheap, the interior is sparse with harsh fluorescent lighting and the staff speak minimal English. What Hong Fatt does have, however, which cannot be said for all Chinatown restaurants, is delicious food.

Hong Fatt specializes in Chinese bbq pork and duck. The animals are bbq’d whole and hung in the front window under glowing red lights to keep warm. You order your meal at the front counter and watch as they cut off your portion of meat from the animals and chop them up with a giant cleaver. The bbq’d meat is then put over steamed rice with a small side of veggies (cabbage, broccoli and carrots are all on rotation). Next, they will ask if you want bbq sauce and the answer should always be “yes”. The sauce here is different than the thick, sweet & tangy, Ketchup based bbq sauce you may be familiar with. Here, it is more of a demi-glace sauce or loose gravy that is both sweet and savory and soaks into your rice.

While there are a few table and chairs towards the back of the restaurant, most people get takeaway – you can order single portion meals or order your bbq meat by the half-pound or full pound.

Pro tip: bring your order home and top it with a fried egg (runny yolk is a must here).