Besides agreeing on a date, securing a babysitter and bribing the kids to behave, the most challenging part of eating out in Toronto is simply deciding where to go. With the official motto, “Diversity Our Strength,” it should come as no surprise that our city has an ever-evolving, eclectic food scene. And, with some of the world’s most interesting, most revered and popular food chains setting up shop in T.O., it seems that our varied cravings and serious appetites haven’t gone unnoticed.
When it comes to food, we are spoiled beyond words for choice. Come to think of it, you may want to start planning next year’s outings, today.
Cafe Landwer
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Established in Berlin in 1919, the company behind Cafe Landwer relocated to Israel during WWII and now boasts more than 70 locations worldwide. A first in Canada, the Thornhill location offers family-friendly dining from breakfast to dinner, bolstered by the company’s commitment to brewing the perfect cup of coffee. The food, a blend of Mediterranean and Italian flavours, ranges from halloumi shakshuka and famous schnitzel to hearty, plant-based red wine stew.
Cauldron Ice Cream
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Going out for ice cream used to be good enough. Until now. Now your kids know that they can get the sweet treat crafted from liquid nitrogen and its tell-tale foggy plume of smoke, stuffed into a puffle cone (akin to edible bubble wrap but a thousand times tastier) and formed into the shape of an ephemeral rose. In one short year, California-based Cauldron Ice Cream has upped Toronto’s frozen dessert game and kicked regular cones to the curb. With flavours like Post Melone (honey melon), Sun, Moon & Stars (oolong, jasmine and green tea) and H2O Rose (essence of rose with rose sugar), it’s easy to understand why the kids, and Instagram, can’t get enough.
Chotto Matte
If approval from the Financial District’s trendy, moneyed crowd means anything, then Chotto Matte has it made. With its colourful, edgy design and electric flavours, a Japanese/Peruvian fusion known as Nikkei cuisine, it’s currently the place to see and be seen while you savour fresh modern fare and elaborate cocktails that deliver unique tastes with a side of spectacle. Order the Holy Water, watch it go up in flames, and you’ll know what we mean.
Dal Moro’s Fresh Pasta To Go
When nonna (or, let’s be real, whoever’s on dinner duty) is too tired to cook, Dal Moro’s authentic Italian dishes are a portable life-saver. The brain-child of Venetian chef Gabriele Dal Moro, this fast-casual chain is home to traditional hand-made pasta and sauces neatly packed in portable, take-out containers. Mix and match everyone’s favourites, from spaghetti with Bolognese to fusilli with amatriciana, and the only thing missing will be a bottle of Italy’s finest vino.
Jollibee
Fried chicken and sweet, banana-ketchup spiked spaghetti may not jump to mind as exemplars of Filipino cuisine but, thanks to the country’s largest fast-food chain, these treats are now synonymous with home for Filipino ex-pats everywhere. First opened here in 2018 to huge fanfare and truly impressive lines, Jollibee now has three downtown locations. Opt for the chain’s Crispy Jolly Chicken with a side of gravy, Aloha Yum Burger complete with a pineapple ring and peach/mango hand pie and you’ll begin to understand all the fuss.
Konjiki Ramen
In the few years since ramen fever swept the Six, the number of noodle shops that have popped up is downright dizzying. Yet, once you hear that this Tokyo-based shop was once voted “Best Ramen in Japan” and was recently awarded a Michelin star, you’ll know exactly where to go. Every one of chef and founder Atsushi Yamamoto’s dishes, from the signature clam broth ramen to the unconventional lobster and vegetarian ramen, is built on rigid standards and unmatched attention to detail. Broths simmer for days and noodles are crafted on a machine imported from Japan. Satisfying and slurp-able, noodle bowls are what successful family meals are made of.
Ladurée
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With its opulent, pastel rooms, its towers of macarons and architectural pastries, Ladurée is like a meticulously-curated pastry theme park, as much about the experience as it is about the taste. Yet, with every morsel prepared to exacting standards passed down from the company’s French laboratory, from sweet to savoury, nothing misses a beat. This is a place to feel pampered, to linger, to savour exquisite bites and, perhaps, to buy a treat to take home for the kids.
QJD Peking Duck Restaurant
With food served to the strike of a gong, it’s hard to beat the pomp and entertainment of this Chinese export. Also known as Quanjude, this Peking duck chain is one of China’s oldest and most well-known. Its Markham location, the first in North America, is chic without being stuffy, offering the namesake dish with all the trimmings as well as plenty of other traditional plates. Smaller diners will love assembling and rolling their own duck-filled crepes. They’ll also get a kick out of duckling-shaped pastries for dessert so plan accordingly.
Yang Braised Chicken Rice
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A recent import to the city, Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice grew from one location in China in 2011 to more than 6000 worldwide by 2017. The secret behind the chain’s rapid growth and immense popularity? A single-item menu offering tradition, comfort and health all rolled into one. Drop in to one of Toronto’s seven locations and choose between regular, authentic or spicy. The rest, from the tender, bite-sized pieces of chicken to the signature sauce and accompanying veg, are all taken care of.
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Category: restaurants
