Hong Kong Night at Toronto’s acclaimed DaiLo restaurant was one to remember as chefs Alvin Leung and Nick Liu reunited for a special Summerlicious menu, collaborating to fuse flavours from East and West.
“Demon Chef x Ninja Chef,” brought the two together on July 20 for a celebration of Hong Kong and Canadian culinary talent, in partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The dinner was a celebration of the two chefs and their styles, and the upcoming 2025 Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival in October.
“We’re promoting Hong Kong and we’re also promoting Canada,” Leung said. “I think Hong Kong and Canada have a great relationship.”
The two chefs collaborated in Hong Kong last year for a 6-hands dinner at 2024 Taste Around Town, and the event in Toronto focused on “Hong Kong’s fearless culinary spirit while celebrating Canadian innovation.”
“Being able to create new dishes, with different styles, collaborating again with Alvin,” was the best part of the event for Liu. “[T]o see his style and to see his food and be inspired by some of the dishes that he does really enables me to get out of the box and create new things.”
“So, going to Hong Kong and working with Alvin,” Liu said, “and seeing what ingredients he uses and then going in the dining room again and eating those things… It’s magic. The magic of the kitchen versus the magic of the dining room.”
The menu for the evening in Toronto was truly wow-worthy, from Kaviari caviar and bonito potato espuma, to spot prawn with HK dried shrimp mayo and fermented shrimp sauce, and the A5 Wagyu with Ontario asparagus, garlic scape salsa, egg yolk soy, butter dashi glaze, with mustard blossom.
There was Atlantic halibut with PEI mussels, lychee, and Pacific sea urchin, and smokey pea dumplings with chanterelles, pea shoots, summer truffle, duck dashi nage, and bone marrow crumb.
To top it all off, the meal finished with a new take on the classic Hong Kong wife cake, dubbed the modern wife cake, with berries, mochi, meringue, maple, and coconut gelato.
The collaboration included Southbrook wines from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canadian seafood, and produce, and uniquely Hong Kong ingredients, including dry shrimp, and fermented clams.
“Hong Kong [was] basically a port fishing village, so the original dishes are very rustic,” Leung said, and his goal was to deliver some of those flavours and the roots of the city, including rich umami, alongside Canadian notes.
Liu also hopes that the event was inspiring for food lovers. “I hope when people come here, it’ll inspire them to go to more of these dining experiences across the city or different countries.”
“Food is one of the most powerful ways to connect cultures–and this summer, we’re proud to showcase the culinary creativity that links Hong Kong and Canada,” said Jorge Lee, senior manager for marketing & public relations, Hong Kong Tourism Board of Canada. “These chef collaborations highlight the shared talent and deep ties between our two regions, and invite Canadians to discover the world-class dining experiences waiting for them in Hong Kong.”
For those who love gastronomy, there is one more chance to enjoy a celebration of Hong Kong food during the Visa Infinite Dining Series at Langdon Hall with Chef Vicky Cheng on July 25, 2025. Acclaimed Chef Vicky Cheng (Wing and VEA, Hong Kong) will reunite with his Canadian mentor, Chef Jason Bangerter for an exclusive dinner in Cambridge, Ontario.
This year’s Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival runs from October 23 to 26 at the Central Harbourfront, along Victoria Harbour. From the incredible dining to the lively city streets, the stunning views, and culture, Hong Kong is one of a kind and well worth a trip to explore.
Featured photo: Chef Kasey Chan with chefs Alvin Leung and Nick Liu at DaiLo
Photos courtesy Epicurean Social/Matthew Neubauer.
