Where to Find Gluten-Free Chinese Food in Toronto

The Hunt for Gluten-Free Chinese Food

Chinese food is one of those things that can be a little trickier to find gluten-free options for. Gluten is usually found in the obvious spots like tempura batter or dumpling dough, but it also hides in less obvious spots like sauces and marinades. While you’re beloved Chinese take-out joint might not be bustling with gluten-free options, all hope is not lost!

We’ve tracked down some amazing spots for gluten-free Chinese food in Toronto (and a few on the outskirts, but worth the trek) – so keep reading and get ready to face the tough choice of where to visit first!

Disclaimer: we cannot guarantee all restaurants featured on our blog are 100% safe for those with celiac disease or severe gluten intolerances. Always inform your server of any dietary restrictions you may have.

1. The Riz Gluten Free

The Riz Gluten-Free should be at the top of your list for gluten-free Chinese cuisine in Toronto, and for good reason. They actually have two different certifications to prove their gluten-free credentials are legit; one from the Gluten Intolerance Group (Gluten-Free Food Service Certification) and another from the Gluten-Free Food Program (GF-Verified). So yes, you could say they take their gluten-free menu very seriously.

Menu Highlights

There’s a lot to be excited by at The Riz, especially since they offer several menu items that are typically very tough to find gluten-free.

Gluten-free Tempura? Yup! Gluten-free crispy wontons? You bet!

Gluten-free dumplings? Yes – and several options!

The Riz has a huge variety of gluten-free options, and they also offer many vegetarian/vegan options too! This is definitely not a place you’ll get tired of visiting!

St. Clair West Location

They actually have two locations, with the Yonge/Lawrence location being 100% gluten-free and their St. Clair West location , which does have some gluten-containing menu items but still offers gluten-free options for a significant portion (probably 85-90%) of the menu.

2. Chin Chin Street Side Kitchen

Located down by the lake, Chin Chin Street Side Kitchen is another gluten-free dedicated restaurant in Toronto offering a “modern take on California Asian cuisine”. Their kitchens are gluten, dairy, and nut free as well as halal, and they offer several vegan dishes as well.

Menu Highlights

You can find many bowls (or rolls!) at Chin Chin’s inspired by classic Chinese take-out dishes like General Tso Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, or Beef and Broccoli.

A poke fan? You can choose from delicious sushi-grade salmon or soy-ginger marinated tofu, plus your choice of seasonings and toppings!

Craving something crispy? Try their “Chicken Bang Bang Bites”: gluten-free battered chicken with spicy mayo – wow!

Chin Chin Street Side Kitchen gets major points for being entirely gluten-free, as well as offering customers a lot of customization options.

3. C’est Bon Authentic Chinese Cuisine

About equal distance from Eglinton and Lawrence stations you’ll find C’est Bon Authentic Chinese Cuisine, and like their name suggests, you’ll find a wide variety of Chinese dishes here, with many gluten-free options as well.

Menu Highlights

C’est Bon has an impressively large menu, but they have clearly indicated which dishes are gluten-free so you don’t have to hunt around too much.

They offer several gluten-free fried rice dishes, lots of gluten-free soups, and even some gluten-free noodles dishes (made with gluten-free rice vermicelli).

4. The Bean Sprout

While technically the Bean Sprout is located in Vaughn, we absolutely cannot leave it off this list! We’ve got an entire Spotlight post about it which you can check out here.

The Bean Sprout has some of the best gluten-free alternatives to that beloved, American Chinese cuisine that we have ever seen! In fact, they are one of the few spots where you can enjoy gluten-free chicken balls – and who doesn’t love those?

Most importantly, the Bean Sprout is celiac-safe – yes, that’s correct! Celiac-safe Chinese food in Toronto!

If you can’t make it out to Vaughn to enjoy the Bean Sprout’s gluten-free Chinese food, don’t worry – they often hold “pop-ups” around Toronto (and other Ontario cities) where you can pickup some of your favourites.

5. Cynthia’s Chinese Restaurant (A little bit of a trek, but worth it!)

If you have access to a vehicle, or don’t mind a slightly longer TTC journey, then Cynthia‘s Chinese Restaurant should also be on your list! Located in Thornhill (though they also have two other locations, one in Newmarket and the other in Oakville), Cynthia’s Chinese Restaurant offers plenty of gluten-free options!

Travel tip: Taking TTC? Head to Finch station and either take a bus (about 30 minutes) or, alternatively, you could take an Uber/Lyft/taxi which is about a 15 minute ride.

There are many gluten-free options available at Cynthia’s Chinese. We recommend visiting their website to see the full menu offerings. Notable dishes include a variety of fried rice options (chicken, vegetable, pork, seafood…), noodle dishes, classics like beef & broccoli, and there are also many items that are plant-based or can be modified to be so.

Closing Thoughts

We are confident the above restaurants are sure to satisfy your cravings for gluten-free Chinese food in Toronto. As always, for those who need to be very strict about avoiding gluten, including the risks of cross-contamination, it is best to contact any restaurants in advance of your visit to ensure your gluten-free needs can be safely met!

Please let us know if you know of any restaurants offering gluten-free Chinese food in Toronto (or the GTA) so we can give them the spotlight they deserve!

Happy eating!