CLOSED - Dragon Handroll

Update 2018-Jan.-28 Dragon Handroll appears to be closed for good, and I do mean "good".

Update 2014-Dec.-02: I have to drop Dragon Handroll a point on a return visit on a weeknight. It was back to Happy Panda again with burnt soup, "meh" sushi all tiny rolls and other strange flavours that didn't belong... and still no handrolls! The quality is inconsistent. I suggest to go on weekends for lunch when it was good.

Dragon Handroll is located at 2692 Eglinton Ave. E. in Scarborough, at the northwest corner at Brimley Road, just E. of Kennedy station and conveniently accessible by frequent buses along Eglinton Ave.

By now, already, you may have a slight twinge at the mention of this location, the former location of the Happy Panda, possibly the worst AYCE in Toronto of any notice I have ever reviewed. And, you would be right: Dragon Handroll is the Happy Panda, in the same building, with the same owners, same furniture and most of the same decor, but sans pandas, save the etchings on the glass tabletops that belie the location's past.


Given the notoriety, I was especially thorough in reviewing to ensure that the transition was successful and this wasn't just a rebranding to try to fool anyone. I wasn't disappointed. From the outset it was clear that at least the kitchen staff had been changed, as the food (also many of the same items) was much improved. I tried to sample as many dishes as time would allow. Also, due to reports of roaches on the internet (possibly just after re-opening,) I checked over the place as best I could and nothing was found. The owners doubtless would have attended to this ASAP; restaurants that don't do so risk immediate closure, at least in Toronto. There were, however, a couple of minor hygiene issues that I noted: the first sushi plate I chose had a grain of rice still adhering to it, and there was a little water remaining in the soup bowls.

There is no low-sodium soy sauce for the asking anywhere, but at least the regular sauce is fresh. Another much-improved condiment is the pickled ginger, which was now good and no longer tastes as floor cleaner could be imaged to. Wonton soup was good with tasty broth, although the wonton filling was a bit bland and "mystery meat" (probably pork.) Hot and sour soup was OK but missing sour "bite" though all the other flavours were present; another large improvement over the Happy Panda hot and sour soup that seemed perpetually burnt.

In the sushi bar there were many types of rolls, but unfortunately none of them were labelled... in these times of high mercury levels in some species of fish all fish products should be labelled, so the types are my best guesses. California, shrimp tempura, dragon and crab rolls were good. Salmon rolls were also good and with much more salmon than the tiny thin core previously. (I was able to definitely confirm that the sushi chef was new to Dragon Handroll and not a carry-over.) The sushi station is a (the?) new and welcome addition to Dragon Handroll.

Next, on to the entrees, which as noted are the same items as in the Happy Panda, although much better quality. Fried fish filet wasn't bad but again the fish type is unknown so I would be avoiding that. Chicken balls were another large improvement with a thin breading over a generous centre of tender chicken, as opposed to the tiny marble-sized balls of chicken suffocated in breading they were before. Lemon chicken is too sweet for my taste but was done properly and fresh. BBQ chicken legs were not bad but had nary a hint of either BBQ smokiness or crispy skin. Sweet and sour pork was likewise not bad. Breaded shrimp were good, at least in comparison to the way they were before, which was so dried out that they were crunchy; the seafood sauce was a little too heavy on the vinegar however. Stir-fried mixed vegetables (95% broccoli but that's just fine with me) was tasty. Mussels with black bean sauce well-done and missing the usual fishiness of this dish; quite good. Shanghai noodles were lacking in flavour and zest and evoked a strong "meh." Beef with mushrooms and vegetables was OK and had some savour. Fried chicken wings were excellent (must have just been put out)... fresh and juicy and better than at most other places, not dried to rigor mortis as they used to be; still no hot mustard packets for them though. Vegetable fried rice was excellent, flavourable and savoury without being salty. Curried fish balls were not bad. Egg rolls however were disappointing, oily and lacking in flavour.

Finally on the desserts, red bean ice cream was good, but green tea a touch freezer-burned. Cheesecake was good and fresh and other cakes were good as well. Everything was either OK or good, in contrast to many practically inedible items from before with nothing that could be described as good. All in all, congrats to the owners for recognizing and fixing the problems and I'm impressed at the turnaround. There's certainly still room for improvement but it's quite passable, and compared to before, that's enough. I may return for dinner for a re-review as I think there may be sashimi, and also even given the name of the place I didn't see a single handroll!

Rating: 6/10 (re-rated as per comment at top.)