Hakka Wow – Indian-style Chinese food with flair — Toronto Restaurants by Stephanie Dickison (2024)

Hakka restaurants in the GTA continue to mainly inhabit Scarborough, with some locations scattered throughout Markham. In Toronto, you’ll find just a handful of Indian-style Hakka Chinese eateries, including family-run Hakka Wowin Gerrard Indian Bazaar.

Owners Sunny Suwal and uncle Jimmy, originally from Nepal, have brought a wide range of Indian Hakka dishes to Toronto’s east end.

Global influences, Indian flavours

Years ago, residents of northern China were forced to leave their homeland with many migrating south, and others dispersing across the globe. This is why the Hakka Chinese are often referred to as “nomads.” Their rustic, soulful cuisine has influences from all over the globe. So, while Hakka food is much more than just Indian-style Chinese food, at Hakka Wow, predominately Indian flavours are mixed in with classic Chinese fare.

You’ll recognize dishes and ingredients from across many regions – from chow mein noodles and Szechuan beef, to pakoras and paneer.

Choose from an array of appetizers, soups, chop suey (crispy noodles), other noodles, rice dishes, mains (beef, chicken, seafood, vegetarian), Wow! specials, $8.88 lunch specials, and party trays.

“Gravy” + other important terms

No matter what kind of Hakka you have – traditional, Indian or Chinese – Sunny Suwal says the base of the dish always comes down to the sauce. “The flavour of the sauce is still there when you order it dry.”

On the menu, you’ll see many dishes come two ways: with “gravy” or “dry.” Neither is what you might expect. “Gravy” is not actually gravy, but a thick sauce. “Dry” denotes sauce, but thinner and less of it than gravy.

You’ll also want to get to know the various sauces on the menu. Here’s a breakdown of how Hakka Wow’s chefs make them:

  • Szechuan – cilantro-based, slightly sweet, and spicy
  • Chili – made with soya, ginger and garlic
  • Manchurian – soya-based with ginger, garlic and prominent coriander flavour
  • Spicy Garlic – lots of crushed garlic, and despite its moniker, the least spicy of all sauces.

Hakka specialties Special Soup ($9.88) and Manchurian Soup ($10-$13) are made with vegetable broth. The Special is moderately spicy, while the Manchurian features a blended garlic sauce, bolstered with coriander.

You’ll find a few straight-up Indian dishes scattered throughout the menu, such as Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken ($12.88) and one of the spiciest, Bombay Chicken (Gravy $10.88/Dry $11.88).

And a few Thai specialties as well, including Tom Yum Soup ($14-$16), Pad Thai ($9.88-$10.88) and Seafood Mains ($11.88-$12.88).

Still not sure the difference between Chow Mein and Chop Suey?

Order the Chop Suey for deep-fried wheat noodles topped with a subtly spiced sauce. More of an egg noodle lover? Get the Chow Mein, where noodles are stir-fried with fresh vegetables and your choice of sauce.

Hakka Wowalso offers Rice Noodles Hakka Style, which are wok-tossed with fresh vegetables and house special sauce.

Did you know?

The majority of dishes here are medium-spiced, using Indian spices and always, always ginger and garlic. Want to up the ante? Order dishes marked with a hot pepper for spicier fare.

Did you know that the Hakka food here is also Halal? That’s why you won’t find any pork or liquor on the menu.

A common misnomer about Hakka cuisine: don’t expect food to be too spicy, as in hot. It’s heavily spiced, but not particularly peppery or piquant.

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There are so many tastes, spices and combinations to discover with Hakka cuisine. It’s much more than Chinese food. It’s the result of diaspora and the enticing creations and flavours that followed.

Hakka Wow(1433 Gerrard St. E.) open for lunch and dinner six days a week – Monday to Sunday 12-11 pm, closed Tuesdays.

60 seats are available for dine in. Takeout and catering are also available.

Check out our Facebook album for more photos.

https://www.yellowpages.ca/articles/hakka-wow-indian-style-chinese-food-with-flair

Hakka Wow – Indian-style Chinese food with flair — Toronto Restaurants by Stephanie Dickison (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of Hakka Chinese food? ›

Hakka cuisine originated during the Song dynasty (960 to 1279 AD). Known for the unique taste and aroma of its meat-centric dishes, Hakka cuisine mostly consists of rice, pork, tofu, and preserved vegetables. Rice wine, soya sauce, ginger, garlic, and salt and fragrant herb are used for preservation and flavouring.

Why is Hakka food Indian? ›

Over 100 years ago the original recipes traveled from Mei Zhou, China to India with the Hakka people, who eventually settled in the village of Tangra, Calcutta. Over several generations, the marriage of oriental techniques with Indian ingredients evolved into a gastronomic explosion of taste.

What culture is Hakka food? ›

Hakka culture (Chinese: 客家文化) refers to the culture created by Hakka people, a Han Chinese subgroup, across Asia and the Americas. It encompasses the shared language, various art forms, food culture, folklore, and traditional customs.

What is the difference between Hakka dry and gravy? ›

On the menu, you'll see many dishes come two ways: with “gravy” or “dry.” Neither is what you might expect. “Gravy” is not actually gravy, but a thick sauce. “Dry” denotes sauce, but thinner and less of it than gravy.

Is Hakka different from Chinese? ›

The Hakka are a unique ethnic branch of "Han" Chinese whose beginnings can be traced from the Yellow River area. It is believed they are the earliest "Han" settlers in China. The term Hakka, literally translated into "guest family," was used by the natives of southern China to distinguish the Hakka from themselves.

Is Hakka Chinese healthy? ›

High In Protein: Hakka noodles are prepared from wheat flour, which is high in protein. As a result, vegetarians can get plenty of protein from them. Low In Fat And Calories: Hakka noodles are a great option for people trying to lose weight because they are low in calories and fat (between 150 and 200).

What is an example of a Hakka food? ›

Notable dishes
EnglishTraditional ChinesePinyin
Beef meatball soup牛肉丸湯níuròuwán tāng
Dongjiang salt-baked chicken東江鹽焗雞dōngjiāng yánjú jī
Duck stuffed with glutinous rice糯米鴨nuòmǐ yā
Fried pork with fermented tofu
5 more rows

Are Hakka people Indian? ›

the Hakkas are Han Chinese originating solely from the Central Plain; the Hakkas are northern Han Chinese from the Central Plain with some inflow of Han Chinese from the south; the Hakkas are southern Han Chinese with some inflow of northern Han Chinese from the Central Plain.

What is the difference between Hakka and chow mein? ›

Chowmein is a type of noodles that is mainly cooked using the style prescribed by ancient Taishanese. This is the basic difference between Hakka Noodles and Chowmein. There is no major difference in the cookings tyle of chowmein. Chowmein and Hakka Noodles are known to be the same dish across the world.

What is eat in Hakka? ›

Hakka uses [sit˥] 食, like Cantonese [sɪk˨] for the verb 'to eat' and 飲 [jɐm˧˥] (Hakka [jim˧˩]) for 'to drink', unlike Mandarin which prefers chī 吃 (Hakka [kʰiɛt˩]) as 'to eat' and 喝; hē (Hakka [hɔt˩]) as 'to drink' where the meanings in Hakka are different, 'to stutter' and 'to be thirsty' respectively.

Why did Hakka people leave China? ›

The most accepted theory today is that the Hakka are largely northern Han Chinese who progressively migrated south, fleeing war, poverty, and chaos.

Is Hakka similar to Cantonese? ›

The best-known dialect is the Hakka of Mei county (now in Meizhou), in Guangdong, which has the same initial and final consonants and the same syllabic nasal sounds (nasals that function as vowels) as standard Cantonese but has a vowel system resembling that of Modern Standard Chinese.

What religion is Hakka? ›

The Hakka religion is similar to the religions of the Han Chinese people, in that they worship their ancestors and follow a combination of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and folk religion. A large number of Hakka people converted to Christianity, however, in the 19th and 20th centuries.

What is Indian Hakka Chinese? ›

Indian Chinese cuisine, Chinese Indian cuisine, Sino-Indian cuisine, Chindian cuisine, Hakka Chinese or Desi-Chinese cuisine is a distinct style of Chinese cuisine adapted to Indian tastes, combining Chinese foods with Indian flavours and spices.

What are the characteristics of Hakka food? ›

The ingredients are sourced locally as much as possible, with mainly vegetables and not so much seafood. The main cooking methods are steaming, stewing, and slow-cooking in order to keep the original flavor of the food. "Savory, aromatic, and fatty" are the key features of Hakka cuisine.

Is Hakka Noodles and spaghetti same? ›

Hakka noodles are a type of Chinese noodle made from unleavened wheat dough, and they are often stir-fried with vegetables, meat, and sauces. Spaghetti, on the other hand, is a type of Italian pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water.

What is gravy called in India? ›

White gravy in Indian cuisine is often referred to as “white sauce” or “basic white curry.” It serves as a versatile base for various dishes, providing a creamy and mildly flavored sauce. Here's a simple recipe for basic Indian white gravy: Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter or ghee.

What are the 4 basic Indian gravy? ›

Hariyali Gravy.
  • Onion Tomato Masala: This is also known as brown onion gravy or onion tomato gravy. ...
  • Makhni Gravy: This is a very popular gravy from north India and is used for many preparations such as murgh makhni, paneer makhni, etc. ...
  • White Gravy: This gravy is white to blonde in colour. ...
  • Hariyali Gravy:

Where did the Hakka Chinese come from? ›

The Hakka people, also known as Hakka Han, Chinese Kejia, or K'o-chia people, are an ethnic group believed to be a native group of Han China, originally from the Henan and Shanxi provinces of the Huang He valley in northern China.

What is the meaning of a Hakka? ›

Definition of 'Hakka'

1. a member of a Chinese people originally of northern China, now widely distributed throughout southeastern China, in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and in Southeast Asia.

When did the Hakka start? ›

Modern haka

The 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team began a tradition by performing haka during an international tour. The common use of haka by the national rugby union team before matches, beginning with The Original All Blacks in 1905, has made one type of haka familiar. Some events have caused protests.

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