Multicultural Restaurant Mix, Toronto
Toronto’s cultural melting pot shows in its food. From Little India to Little Portugal, and Koreatown to Little Italy, you’re likely to find it in Toronto—sometimes right next to each other, and sometimes all mixed up in culinary blending acts!
1112 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1H9, Canada
Poutini’s House of Poutine is arguably the city’s most popular poutinerie. The Classic variety features thick-cut French fries, savory cheese curds, and thick gravy lovingly served piping hot. Poutini’s is so revered that it has recently become a hotspot for marriage proposals.
93 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3, Canada
Stationed inside the St. Lawrence Market, a veritable treasure trove of edible goodness, Carousel Bakery is where you’ll find Hogtown’s original peameal bacon sandwich which manages to be both lunch and a history lesson all in one. Curing pork wasn’t something locals were familiar with until Englishman William Davies popped across the Atlantic in 1854. Opting to start up his own pork company, the Brit helped endow the city with its four-footed moniker. Anyways, the sandwich is jacked with peameal, smeared with mustard and tucked into a country bun. You can put other fixings on it, but the Carousel peeps may frown upon this impure act. Hey, if Anthony Bourdain ate here, that’s reason enough to go.
879 York Mills Rd, North York, ON M3B 1Y5, Canada
I love Persian cuisine, but I love art I don’t understand even more. Tough to decide which to show you here, but I went with the art. This gentleman does not look nearly as happy as I did after lunch, and I don’t know why. This shouldn’t keep you from sinking your teeth into the koobideh, or Iranian minced meat kebab. It was delicious, and had to have been on every plate in the house. The bread served along with my kebab was fresh and light, and the soup was a first for me; it was made with pomegranates and split peas, and was one of the more interesting dishes I’ve sampled in a good while. Speaking of the house, it’s open 24-hours—fantastic if the city has kept you up late at night. Please try and get a seat under this painting. Do it for me.
Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2K2, Canada
A trip to Toronto without a visit to Kensington Market doesn’t make any sense. Despite its diminutive size, this neighborhood packs plenty of activity within its boundaries. Arrive hungry: Restaurants and cafés dish out bites like tapas, poke, Salvadoran pupusas, Tibetan momos, and Ojibway-style fry-bread tacos. Secondhand shops are so plentiful that vintage fans will think they hit the jackpot, especially while browsing at standout shops Exile and Courage My Love. In warmer months, pedestrians crowd the streets, wandering from comic-book store to restaurant to art gallery all weekend long. The park at Bellevue Square is getting a much-needed makeover that will, when complete, add even more allure to this busy community.
