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Toronto’s calling card—its ethnic diversity—offers up a potent mix of cuisines. But with that base, the city’s chefs are now pushing into new territory. Gone are the days of chefs gunning for white linen tablecloths; now pop-up vendors such as Fidel Gastro’s Lisa Marie and Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos draw a cult following big enough to open up brick-and-mortar locations.
And it’s not enough to have consistently good food: kitchens are pushed to be creative and embrace food trends. Spanish tapas and Korean fusion have replaced French and Thai as the newest crazes in the city and izakayas are out while ramen is in. Farm-to-table shows no sign of slowing down, with many menus citing the source of their meats and produce. While Toronto is still young as a foodie travel destination, it’s drawing in the crowds, or at a minimum world-famous chefs such as Daniel Boulud and David Chang, who have landed in Toronto with Café Boulud and Momofuku. And as locals will tell you, first come the chefs, then come the savvy foodie travelers, always posting a tweet or photo to Instagram at the city’s newest hot spots.
Like the appealingly bare-bones aesthetic of its space (exposed brick, hardwoods, and candlelight), this creative contemporary Pan-Asian bistro offers unadorned dishes that are jammed with flavor. After traveling for a year, chef-owner Tom Thai returned to Toronto with inspiration from Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean to produce a menu featuring tapas-style offerings like arctic char ceviche, lamb and duck prosciutto dumplings, and grilled side ribs with a sticky shallot glaze.
Brothers David, Philip, and Peter Chau have banh mi in their blood—their parents opened one of the original Vietnamese sandwich shops in Chinatown—but they've taken the classic and decked it out with top-notch ingredients such as melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, duck confit, and kalbi beef. Other offerings include Asian-inspired tacos and steamed bao.
Egg Club’s breakfast sandwiches are hailed as some of the best in the city because of their expertly folded eggs, which are housed in a sweet and soft Japanese milk bread called shokupan. Sandwiches are made in an open kitchen before your eyes and sauces are also created in-house. Add the hash brown to your order to experience a sweet and savory, heavenly potato creation.
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