/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25843782/dasung3.jpg "Dasung’s new portable E Ink monitor has a 60Hz refresh rate")
It’s a typical Sunday afternoon in November at Dragon City Mall in the heart of Toronto’s Chinatown. Most of the building’s vendors are experiencing a slow weekend. That is, except for one: Sky Dragon Restaurant.
The 30-year-old establishment, which serves dim sum at noon sharp, is working at full capacity. The vibe is loud, colourful and chaotic while servers push carts dishing out shrimp dumplings, BBQ pork buns and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf.
Whistles and claps build up as Vietnamese-Canadian cinematographer Andrew Nguyen leaps into the dining room. Mr. Nguyen describes his drag persona, Gei Ping Hohl, as “the fifth, lost member” of South Korean K-Pop band, Blackpink. The finale of the drag queen’s performance has her on the restaurant floor, beside a fallen fried noodle, doling out a breathy introduction: “Welcome to Queens of Dim Sum everyone! Do you wanna snack?”
Canada’s Drag Race star, Minhi Wang, is known for high energy choreography. She twerks beside a dish of tofu dumplings during her lip-synch of Cher’s version of ‘Walking In Memphis,’ while inviting the audience into her performance.
The patrons answer with a resounding “yes” and it has been that way since Queens of Dim Sum kicked off its first brunch on May 28, 2022. The event has been able to lure Asian families – many of whom are coming from church – to sit down and break bun with multigenerational members of the LGBTQ community.
Queens of Dim Sum isn’t just special because it’s the only dim sum drag brunch of its kind in Toronto. Beyond the dazzling performances and wig-snatching antics, the event creates something meaningful by breaking down barriers and challenging stigmas. It fosters a sense of inclusivity and community for those who need it most, while also providing a platform for under-represented LGBTQ talent within the Asian community.
“What makes Queens of Dim Sum so revolutionary is that drag is taking place in a traditionally cultural space,” says the event’s co-founder Ryan Tran. “It brings together so many groups of people from different belief systems, ages and walks of life,” he says. “People often leave with a deeper sense of empathy and understanding of one another.”
Queer Chinese filmmaker Lulu Wei is one of those people. The Toronto-based talent was so enamoured by the event, she directed a PBS documentary that explored the social significance of the brunch.
“Queens of Dim Sum takes over traditionally Asian cultural spaces and turns them queer,” she said of the happening. “Attending is like being surrounded by my traditional family and my chosen family.”
Mr. Tran says 25-plus acts have graced the Sky Dragon stage since Queens of Dim Sum started nearly three years ago. “The thing that never changes is how diverse the audience keeps getting.”
“We have people who have never seen drag in their life, like uncles, aunts, parents and grandparents who are reminded of ancient Chinese theatre when male performers would take on female roles,” Mr. Tran says. “Beside them, you’ll get die-hard Gen X or Gen Z drag fans who know the names of every major king or queen by heart.”
Co-founder and MC of Queens of Dim Sum, DJ Sumation, introduces each performer and cues up the music. ‘Our lineup of kings and queens get to express, celebrate, poke fun at their backgrounds in an over-the-top way… in front of audiences who understand and applaud what they are doing,’ he says.
Co-founder Sum Wong, who also goes by DJ Sumation, loves watching the audience. The artists invite guests into their act and attendees become part of performance. “Diners end up looking at each other to see how each table is reacting to all the outrageousness and opulence approaching them,” he says.
Drag artist Minhi Wang was a highlight of this particular event. The 39-year-old was a front-runner in the most recent season of Canada’s Drag Race and possesses the physicality of an Olympic gymnast along with the comic timing of Margaret Cho. Flirting with Sky Dragon’s servers and chasing their carts became part of her high-energy choreography.
“Listen, there’s so many queens out there… if you can swing a cat, you’ll hit one,” she says of the rise in drag popularity. “So, this means you have to play to your strengths, and I think for many of us that means looking into your own culture to stand out and have something that connects to you.”
Minhi Wang, who is Chinese, Australian and Canadian, wore 1980s post-Mao fashion (think oversized ruffles, bold primary colours and shiny fabrics). The audience stuffed $5, $10 and $20 bills into her two outfits, one of which included flashy tights and a pink fanny pack. Her final look cross-referenced Real Housewives of Melbourne and prom movies from the era of excess.
“The best part of Queens of Dim Sum is dreaming up something that blends different eras, cultures and references so that everyone at the table – regardless of age – could connect to and be a part of [it],” she says.
And Mr. Wong is thrilled the venue encourages performers to re-examine their ancestry without having to tone down their identity.
Filipino drag king Krēme Inakuchi lunges through the dining room in a pink singlet. ‘Watching each table interact with the talent adds to the excitement of the event,’ says event organizer, DJ Sumation.
“One of the things we are most proud of is the fact that we made a space for drag artists to perform Asian songs or interpret English pop hits in a way that speaks directly to their background,” he says.
Traditional Mandarin and Filipino songs have made their way onto this stage, and some acts have reinterpreted dramatic parts of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with comic aplomb.
“For these drag queens and drag kings to have a place to do material which speaks to their heritage is rare because bars on Queen Street or Church Street want them to do English Top 20 music hits,” he says. “Not that many bars will book Asian performers if they do Asian numbers or songs. We wanted to change that.”
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