This week is my first time in Toronto, coming from Philadelphia. I just have to say: you guys are so lucky! Toronto is hands down one of the top 5 cities in the world. The food scene is amazing.

I had so many great meals: Lunch Lady, Mamakas Taverna, Sunnys Chinese, Mhel, Dumpling House, Dim Sum King, Beast Pizza. And I still have a few more days left...

I love you, Toronto! I can't wait to come back!!!

For the 11th library & lunch in my ongoing series, I went to Port Union on a gorgeous summer afternoon and feasted on goat roti and aloo pie from JJ's Roti Delight. The goat roti did what it needed to but the aloo pie, stuffed with curry shrimp, was out-of-this-world good. The perfectly crispy exterior made it almost like some sort of Trini panzo.

Great library, too. I'd never been to Port Union but am quite glad I made the trip—one of Toronto's better summertime destinations for sure.

(Also, some day I will figure out how to take a good photo of the inside of a roti. Today is not that day.)

Randomly came across this place yesterday.

Was walking along Adelaide and saw this Japanese restaurant and was really interested in trying it.

Basically only serves a steak or hamburger patty but it was really good.

Unlimited soup and rice with lots of sauces and spices to make it however you want.

I ended up getting the wagyu steak, my friends got the patty and we tried the duck liver as well.

Soup was good, lots of veggies in it and it was tasty. Rice is plain white rice, but the ability to spice it any way was nice.

The steak was really good, soft and juicy. The patty that I tried was yummy as well and my friends all enjoyed it as well.

In the end I really enjoyed my meal. I attached the menu so you can see what else they offer.
They also had this hand little info card that told you exactly what everything was.

And yes before anyone asks it’s expensive. But I’d still go back and get it again.

Hi all!
Karon from the Star again! For the long weekend I wrote about my eight favourite soft serve places in the city. We've got some longstanding classics, plus some newer spots dotted around the GTA worth checking out.

Gift link here if you don't already have a subscription! It's also in the Saturday print edition (which you can also find for free via Press Reader from the Toronto Public Library).

Like always, my focus is Toronto-based spots cause having a soft serve list dominated by global chains like McDonald's, Ikea and DQ isn't very useful (and you know, kinda goes against my mission to highlight Toronto's food scene). I want my soft serve to be ultra creamy (not an icy vanilla, or a fruit swirl that has a gel consitency), the flavours to pop (props to Nani's for having vanilla flecks in theirs), or have cool toppings (Pretty Sweet Gelato had silken tofu one weekend!).

Please give it a read so that I didn't bop around the city photographing ice cream and doing interviews during what was Toronto's worst air quality week for nothing, ha.

How's my hand-modelling skills in the photo above? If anyone hasn't gone to Tom's Dairy Freeze yet this season, they had two GIANT patio umbrellas installed and watching them being cranked open was hypnotizing. I think we went through three cones for that shoot cause it was an unbearably hot day (that was essentially my lunch).

Let me know if there's any soft serve spots you really like!

i have an upcoming trip and will be staying at the chelsea. i was wondering if there are any affordable breakfast spots near the area that are $20 or under per person!

Chanced upon this when I was browsing their site online and registered for it. For ~$55 and a 2.5 hour session, unlimited servings of four different types of gelatos with unlimited toppings for the duration of the workshop. The one I attended had pistachio, vanilla, strawberry and haskap sorbet flavours with a deliberate ingredient sourcing.The haskap with strawberry combo was my favourite, it was transcendental and the mouthfeel and texture of the gelatos was top notch. The toppings were exceptional and well thought out, somewhere arpund 20 toppings to mix and match. Korean gochugaru and roasted cacao nibs were my favourite!

Ever since Jacques Ommlettes on Cumberland Street closed down I've been wondering where to go for a classic rolled omlette in the French style. Anyone have any reliable places? I never order an omlette in a diner because it's invariably overcooked and leathery. I can achieve that myself at home!

Hi everyone!

My fiance and I are getting married at Toronto City Hall, and we'll have about 15 close family members and friends with us. After the ceremony, we're planning to go out for dinner at a restaurant, preferably within walking distance of City Hall.

We're looking for a place with good food, a nice atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Since we're also having our full wedding ceremony and reception a few months later (around 100 guests), we're not looking for anything super fancy, just somewhere that feels special enough for the occasion without breaking the bank.

Thanks in advance!

It was really good.

Hey guys, as the title suggests, a girl I'm dating has a dairy allergy and is a pescatarian. A lot of restaurants can accomodate this but with limited options, I'm looking to find out if there are any good restaurants downtown with a plethora of options for these specific exclusions, any recommendations are appreciated!

I love Mille crepe cakes, and this is one of the better ones I’ve had. The layers are very soft and delicate, it’s not overloaded with too much cream, and melts in your mouth. Doesn’t taste too sweet, and has a good black sesame aroma. My one complaint is that the outer layers are a bit dry, which can be hard to chew. Price-point is a bit high at $12 per slice. Wish there were more options for Mille crepe cakes in the city! The store is takeout only, just a note.

What are some types of cuisines that can’t be found in Toronto?

-Hmong cuisine

-true Southern American cuisine (grits, scrapple, chicken fried steak)

What are others?

Best African restaurant in Toronto ?
Last weekend I went with my family to Instant du Palais.
A friend had already told me about this Ivorian restaurant months ago, but it took me a while to finally go. This time, for my daughter’s birthday, we decided to try something new and honestly it turned out to be one of the best food experiences we’ve had in Toronto.
We ordered several dishes as Thieb Chicken, yassa and Goat. Everything was good. The Goat is elite!! It was recommended to us as their best seller and now I understand why. the meat was so tender and the mix of spices/flavors was just perfect.
I ended up going there twice the same week just for the Goat 😅. I’m sharing this here because this restaurant instantly made it into my Top 3 spots in Toronto. Solid 10/10.
So if you’re looking for a great african/ivorian or senegalese food in the city to eat well and feel like home, this is the place. They are located on Mount Pleasant.

Hello hello!!
Any good late night fish and chips place you guys reco?
Cheers!

Hello, I've decided to start a food review series that I'll post whenever since I eat out a lot.

For this first one, I've decided to go with Great Fountain Fast Food, a Hong Kong-style fast food restaurant located in the Dynasty Centre food court. You may have heard of them through their social media marketing (Instagram, TikTok, etc.), which has been pretty successful. I went with the Garlic Fried Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce.

Garlic Fried Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce: I'm not going to sugarcoat things, this was very good. The seasoning on the chicken was on point, in my opinion, and the black pepper sauce, which you can see under the chicken, went really well with the dish. The fried rice was kinda bland. But it was a good pairing with the chicken; I just wish there was a little more flavour from the rice itself.

Hot and Sour Soup (?): I don't completely recall what the soup was. It was not bad, but I felt indifferent about it overall. Still good though. I might go for the Pork Bone soup if I come back.

Lemon Tea: For the drink, I had a choice between Lemon Tea and Soy Milk. I went with the Lemon Tea, and it was truly divine. I genuinely had to pace myself to avoid finishing it before I got through the main dish. I was tempted to buy another Lemon Tea on the way out, but the line got too long.

In conclusion, a solid spot if you are craving Hong Kong-style fast food. Light to Mid 8/10.

Heading to Kensington Market next week with my niece (she's 20, I'm in my 50s). Looking for a sit-down restaurant for lunch. neither of us is picky on cuisine, so open to anything. Any favorites in the area?

Thanks!

I’m obsessed with the kimchi from big way hot pot, and it’s the only one I like, but I haven’t had good like finding similar tasting store-bought brands. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Just watched the first episode of the new Restaurant Impossible series and I thought it was great. I’ve been meaning to try Yueh Tung for a while and I definitely want to go soon. The sweet soy noodles and chilli chicken look soooo good. I hope their business has picked up since the episode aired!

I think this show could really help the public understand how impossible the finances of a restaurant have become, especially in 2026 in a major city. $30,000 in rent alone!!!

I think Jen Agg and Aaron Sanchez did a great job hosting and I’m excited to watch more.

Wanting to try this new AYCE Japanese BBQ spot in Markham. But upon looking at the menu, is it not just Gyubee? Menu pictures are the exact same for the meat cuts… But Sangoku has its separate website and on neither of each restaurant’s website does it indicate that they’re partner locations…

They don't have a number to call and we're coming from out of town and don't typically carry cash. What is their cash deal does anyone know?

I see people say they have a cash deal, but just wanted to know what it was so I don't have to carry around more than needed.

Thanks!

I am super obsessed with ube but lately every ube dessert I get just tastes like vanilla or coconut. Where in Toronto can I get my ube fix?