Markham's most beloved dim sum destination. On Sundays the carts fly by with har gow, siu mai, turnip cake, and char siu bao from 9am to 3pm. The quality and variety rivals Hong Kong itself — no exaggeration.
Neighbourhood: Markham · Address: 4354 Steeles Ave E, Markham, ON · Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–3pm, 5–10pm | Sat–Sun 9am–3pm, 5–10pm · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (905) 477-2222 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Ambassador Chinese Restaurant is where to go in Markham for a true Hong Kong-style dim sum cart experience. You’ll catch classic dishes still steaming and plated right at your table, served fast and hot all weekend long.
Unlike most GTA dim sum spots using pre-printed menus, Ambassador stays true to old-school carts, so you actually see and smell the food before choosing. Their har gow and char siu bao are consistently restaurant-replicated benchmarks, and weekend variety is wider than you’ll find almost anywhere outside Hong Kong.
Ambassador Chinese Restaurant is the Markham destination for serious dim sum — the Sunday morning ritual that draws extended Chinese families from across the northeastern GTA to fill a dining room the size of a small arena with the noise and motion of hundreds of people eating simultaneously. The experience is, for those unfamiliar with banquet-hall dim sum culture, an event as much as a meal.
The format at Ambassador is traditional cart service: servers push stainless steel carts through the dining room, calling out what they carry, and diners flag what they want as the carts pass. The pacing is quick and the selection comprehensive — in a two-hour Sunday morning session, a table of four will encounter thirty or more different preparations, from the essential har gow and siu mai to more adventurous territory like phoenix claws, tripe in black bean sauce, and various rice noodle rolls.
The quality benchmark here is the cheung fun — rice noodle sheets wrapped around shrimp or beef, silky and properly thin, sauced with sweet soy. Ambassador's version is among the best in the GTA and the one that regulars cite when comparing this restaurant to its competitors. The egg tarts — Portuguese-style in a flaky tart shell — emerge hot from the kitchen late in the session and are a highlight.
Arriving before 10am on Sundays is non-negotiable for avoiding waits. The restaurant accommodates walk-ins but families of 8–12 take the large round tables quickly, and by 10:30am the main room is at capacity.
Cart-service dim sum has servers pushing carts of prepared dishes through the dining room. You flag what you want as carts pass, the server stamps your bill, and the dishes arrive at your table immediately. At Ambassador, scan for the har gow cart (shrimp dumplings) and siu mai cart first — these are the standards. Ask what is on unfamiliar carts; the servers are accustomed to explaining dishes.
Arrive by 9:30–10am on Sundays to get a table without a wait. By 10:30am the dining room is full and waits extend to 30–45 minutes. The dim sum service runs until approximately 3pm, with the best selection of dishes during the 9:30am–12pm window.
The har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp), and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) are the must-orders. Ambassador excels at all three. The egg tarts (Portuguese style) are exceptional — get them when the cart appears or they sell out. Pork spare ribs in black bean sauce and char siu bao round out a complete dim sum spread.
Dim sum at Ambassador runs approximately $5–10 per plate, with most plates serving 2–4 pieces. A full Sunday morning dim sum for a table of four ordering extensively across 8–12 dishes typically totals $60–90 before drinks and tip. Cash and card both accepted.
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