It’s been a week since leaving Toronto and though I’m happy to be back with family and friends, I miss the convenience of living downtown, the city itself, and of course the people I’ve met along the way. So I wanted to do a quick recap of my experiences, and also share with you different places that I visited for those that are planning a trip there.
To prevent this post from going on for 30 pages, I’m going to do different posts for food, coffee shops and sites to visit. For all my foodies out there, the Toronto food scene will surprise you! Only exception… maybe stay in Vancouver for sushi.
Breakfast/Brunch Spots
Eggspectation
Seems to always be busy, so get there early to avoid lineups (but then again, this applies to all brunch places). I’ve only been here once and the eggs benny was pretty good but the smoothie I ordered was really watered down. This place is really close to Eaton Centre (the mall) if you wanted to do a bit of shopping after.
Kost
I discovered this gem 2 months into living at my apartment. It’s located at the 44th floor of the Bisha Hotel and the view is gorgeous. There’s an outdoor pool and patio seating but sadly, I didn’t get to experience that because it was still cold out. The place makes you feel like you’re on vacation in Hawaii. The food and drinks were pretty pricey and the quality was decent, but you’re pretty much paying for the view more than anything. Would recommend if you’re looking for a little getaway.
J’s Apron
This was one of the first brunch spots I went to in Toronto. It’s a super cute and cozy place and they serve anything from sandwiches, salads to salmon aburi. I got the salmon oshi and it was pretty good that came with really addictive truffle chips on the side. There are a lot of good spots on this street.
Café Cancan
This is a French place located down the street from J’s Apron and the interiors are fully decorated in pink with cute paintings on the wall and an incredible bar spot. The food was delicious, I got the petit dejeuner. A great spot for Instagram pictures as well.
School
This was the most expensive brunch I had in Toronto, but also the most delicious. My friend and I ordered a meal each and a dessert to share. I got the chicken and waffles and for dessert we ordered the blueberry pancakes (Black n Blue Flapjacks). The chicken was super juicy and crispy but the brown sugar butter and hot honey sauce was what made the meal. The blueberry pancakes were so delicious and fluffy and the sauce drizzled on top was heavenly. I will definitely be making a trip back there.
White Brick Kitchen
I remember very clearly there was a huge snow storm happening outside when I walked into White Brick Kitchen hoping that it would be less busy than usual, but I was wrong. There were some dedicated breakfast lovers there lining up for the “best chicken and waffles” in town. So, being an avid chicken and waffle lover I had to order it. Honestly, I didn’t love it. There wasn’t sauce to go with it, you eat it dry or with maple syrup and the chicken wasn’t prepared like fried chicken, they basically laid chicken tenders on top of a waffle.
Film Café
Very cute Japanese café but kind of loud so I’m not sure if it’s the best study spot, but the breakfast I had there was delicious! I had the California Okonomiyaki and it was very tasty. They also have some interesting drinks on their Specialty Drinks menu, I got the matchocolate and I really liked it. The interior was adorable, living up to its name; they projected old cartoons on one of the walls in the café. I’ve never seen a film themed café before so I thought that was pretty cool.
Cacao 70
I was very tempted to get a sweet crepe for breakfast but I went for a more health conscious choice and got the meat lover omelette instead which came with a plate of fruits and chocolate that you could dip them in. The omelette was delicious and very filling. Just a warning though, the portions here are pretty big. I wish I got to try more of what they’re known for, the chocolatey stuff but I heard they’re opening one in Vancouver so I will definitely be paying a visit.
Oretta
This was some overpriced pizza but it was delicious nonetheless. Again, I think I was here for the interior more than anything but the atmosphere was nice.
Lunch
Burro Burrito
This is a quick burrito spot with extremely friendly staff. I would say it’s pretty comparable to chipotle, the chicken burrito I had was really yummy. I try not to eat straight corn tortilla so I got their tomato flour alternative which was equally as good.
Banh Mi Boys
If you love viet subs, this is the spot for you. They also serve Baos there, but I’ve personally never tried any. I tried the chicken, pork belly and duck confit one and the most flavourful was the chicken one. This is a quick and easy meal that won’t disappoint.
Habiba (Richmond Street)
What caught my eye was the large sign at the front of the store that said $5 for ¼ chicken. It comes with rice and some lettuce, couldn’t ask for a more balanced meal. The chicken is well seasoned and is drizzled with yummy sauces. I also ask for some of the sauce that the chicken is sitting in to be poured on top for extra flavourful goodness.
Cheap Eats in Kensington Market!
Jumbo Empanadas
The cheese empanada reminded me of my all-time favourite bread to eat; cheesy bread. This was extremely affordable, filling, and delicious. What more can you ask for?
Seven Lives
Again, affordable tacos that were very tasty!
Dinner
Pai
I’ve never had quite as good Thai food as I did here (maybe because I’ve never been to Thailand). The place is huge but it’s still completely packed for lunch and dinner on most days.
Pho Hung
Just your average pho place. I tried ordering a satay pho (which is what I would normally get in Vancouver) but the broth wasn’t as creamy as the one I usually have in Vancouver.
Ramen Isshin
Best Ramen place in Toronto, definitely go check it out. I would recommend the one on College street because the other location is a tad more expensive with smaller portions.
Hanmoto
The menu isn’t too big but that makes it perfect for an indecisive person like me. The food was delicious; they come in small plates but actually end up being really filling. My friend and I ordered 4 dishes between the two of us. They do a bunch of Japanese tapas. We ordered the dyno wings, salmon aburi, Hamachi tartare, and the uni-bomb. Come early because they’re a small place that fills up fast!
Pinky’s Caphe
Under the same owner of Hanmoto, I did not expect anything less from Pinky’s Caphe. If you love butter beef, they do a similar rendition of it but I seriously have not seen it made like this before. They were looked like beef sushi rolls. We also got the so fly rice which was very tasty and the tiger’s milk ceviche. I just loved it there; the restaurant itself looks like a house from the outside. How cute!
Mr. Tonkatsu
I went there twice and I got the same thing both times because it was so good I was reluctant to try anything else on the menu. I got the Pork Loin Katsu, you won’t regret it!
Momofuku
I had the ramen here and I didn’t think it was anything special to be honest but it’s still worth trying.
Fresh
This is a good place to go if you’re looking for a cleanse from eating too many heavy flavoured meals or want to be ‘healthy’. The salads are pretty good but I usually go for the tofu steak tacos. It tastes good so it makes me question how healthy it really is…maybe I’m just lying to myself.
Piggy’s
I had the UFO fried rice and the Tteok-bokki, I feel like I don’t have enough Korean food to judge if it was the best but I thought it was pretty good!
Saigon Lotus
This was my first time having “fake meat” and eating a vegetarian pho bowl. I was pleasantly surprised, and the broth was pretty tasty as well.
Jinya
I thought this ramen place was pretty good too but that might just be me being biased because I love eating ramen.
Jackpot Chicken
Jackpot Chicken makes delicious Hainanese chicken and it comes with seasoned rice as well. The chicken is really fresh but I think the rice is what really ties the dish together. I only allowed myself to have this once a week because it’s really greasy (but delicious).
Lawai'a Poke
The poke here was pretty good, the portion was pretty big and the interior was also cute with a very Hawaiian themed wall.
Desserts
Bang Bang Ice-cream
They have the most unique ice-cream flavours here and they let you try as many as you want before you have to decide what to order. The first time I went, I got the ice cream sandwich with two different flavoured cookies and two ice cream flavours. All the flavours were so creamy and delicious that it made it really difficult to pick what I wanted.
Kekou
The ice-cream and popsicles here are really good as well! I came to this more often because it was closer than Bang Bang Ice-cream. I’ve tried durian, almond tofu and rosewater pistachio flavours but I think my favourite was the almond tofu. Take me baaaack!
Tsujiri
This is green tea heaven. My friend and I went bonkers and ordered a sundae, a normal matcha twist cone and a rare yuzu cheesecake. I am so happy they’re coming to Vancouver because that way, I can get my daily dose of green tea!
Little Pebbles (Kensington)
Cute little café that does desserts and drinks. I tried the Yuzu Cheesecake and Chocolate Milk Tea Mille Feuille.
Hanabusa Café
The Japanese pancakes were really fluffy but personally, I don’t think it was worth the price. The interior is super cute though.
Sukoshi Mart
I was so used to eating frozen mochi from frozen yogurt stores that I wasn’t expecting fresh made mochi to be that soft. It was definitely an eye opener; they also have lots of treats in this Japanese supermarket. I tried the little packaged puddings as well and they were pretty yummy; a perfect midnight snack.
Drinks
Bar Reyna
This was one of the first bars I went to in Toronto. Not being an avid drinker myself, I still loved the drink I got and I especially loved the fact that you couldn’t really taste the alcohol in it. I ordered the London Fog cocktail. I didn’t have much of the skinny fries myself since I was super full heading into the bar but I hear they are delicious.
Bar Chef
WOW. If you have a couple extra bucks to spend and you’re feeling boujee, I would definitely recommend a night out here. The drinks are amazing. They are both visually appealing and go down easy. My personal favourite was the coconut mojito. I also tried the Spring Thaw and the Apricot. The presentation was insane; there was a layer of fog around my drink from the dry ice. The lighting in there definitely sets the mood and is a great spot for a girl’s night out or even a date? I mean, you know it’s good when Drake and Kanye hang out here.
Shamone
Came here for one of my coworkers birthday and the bartenders made her a special lychee drink that was delicious. It’s a small neighbourhood bar that doesn’t get super busy but it was a really cute spot. There were 2 bartenders manning the bar the entire night; such troopers.
Trinity Common
If you’re looking for a bumpin’ place to have drinks and snacks at, this might be a nice hub to hideout at. There are also large screens that broadcast sports. I’m not a huge fan of beer so I would ask for a cider instead, the ginger peach cider was good!
Stay tuned for more about Toronto :)