Through intergenerational storytelling with more than 200 community members Let's Build a Collective Memory of Chinatown is an exhibition that explores how shared memory Students developed the exhibition as part of Assistant Professor, Linda Zhang’s 3B option studio alongside community members through interactive workshops at Cecil Community Centre Scadding Court Community and ERA Architects Focusing on architecture as a medium for community-led memory and storytelling the students were asked to think about the architectural strategies and materials used to help build community-led memory Waterloo Architecture students and community members collaborated through a series of interactive workshops Starting with traditional architectural site analysis the students delved into archival research at the City of Toronto Archives and the Chinese Canadian Archives to build a detailed historical understanding of the neighborhood's evolution they reconstructed models of lost Chinatown community spaces and businesses which became pivotal in community storytelling and co-designing initiatives that connected the past Interactive co-maps of Toronto’s Chinatowns weave personal stories with collective hopes for the neighbourhood's future “Cold” memories anchor Chinatown's legacy of anti-displacement organizing and mutual aid traditions “Hot” memories celebrate Chinatown as an everyday these memories honour Chinatown’s past while reminding us that Chinatown’s story is still being written every day Co-design models reimagine present-day spaces while honouring Chinatown’s history of placekeeping models and drawings from the exhibition have previously been displayed as part of various community events including a community gathering at the location of Kwong Chow Restaurant at the Kensington-Chinatown Local Immigration Partnership Network’s annual Newcomer Welcome Fair and more Following the installation at Riverside Gallery the exhibition will travel to Chinatown for an all-day Asian Heritage Month Event on May 30th presented in partnership with Kensington Chinatown Network Architectural models use archival documents to reconstruct displaced landmarks igniting old memories and new possibilities Let's Build a Collective Memory of Chinatown is on display at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture The exhibition features work by Samira El Badaui Co-presented by UWSA 3B Option Studio (Zhang), Planting Imagination, Cecil Community Centre and Scadding Court Community Centre Chinatown memory collectors an article by current Waterloo Architecture MArch student Simon Liao takes a closer look at the process through conversation with some of the voices behind the exhibition is online now at Spacing Magazine Contact Waterloo Architecture Support Waterloo Architecture Tours and directions Provide Website Feedback Musagetes Library Engineering Website Help Kensington Market and Chinatown are two of Toronto's most vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods Given they're just a few minutes away from each other it makes sense to wander through both areas in tandem—though you could easily pass an entire day exploring just one While completely eclectic in their own way you'll find these two hoods have a lot in common: in the face of imminent change and newer businesses arriving in flux both these cultural bastions manage to preserve a sense of the old while adapting to the new Here's how to spend a day in Kensington and Chinatown Whether you're craving some fried eggs or a basket of steamed har gow these neighbourhoods are basically built for early mornings where you'll get an amazing morning view of Chinatown with traditional cart service Grab some Cut Coffee from local Toronto roaster Sam James People-watching while sipping a cup of joe is basically a Kensington Market rite of passage. If coffee is what you need after too many orders of pork buns, head to cafes like Moonbean, Jimmy's, or Pamenar to enjoy their respective back patios While Chinatown doesn't offer many sit-down cafes, there's still caffeine to be found aplenty. Yeah, there's Sam James These traditional steeped coffees (iced too!) served with condensed milk are deadly: order one to go from any Vietnamese restaurant like Pho Pasteur or Xe Lua, a.k.a. Pho Train, and prepare for the buzz. A Yin Yang (half coffee, half tea) from Crimson Teas will do the job Shop rare ramen at the Japanese convenience store Sukoshi Mart Kensington Market and Chinatown are two of the most walkable areas in the city, so you could easily pass a few hours exploring Dragon City Mall (there's free WiFi) or soaking up some sun in the recently renovated Bellevue Park which might not seem like your ideal way to spend a day off White Rabbit Candy from the handful of Chinese groceries on Spadina; hard-to-find hot sauces from the Mexican market Perolas; rare ramen packets (and all the Totoro stuff) in the Japanese convenience store Sukoshi Mart—just try not to spend all your money before the day is done On the same coin, different side: a trip to Juicy Dumpling is totally worth the long Chinatown lunch lines go for the fact that six dumplings will only cost you $2.99 Samara Contemporary is both an art gallery and a shop Historically known as two of the most affordable neighbourhoods in the city shopping in Kensington Market and Chinatown still remains relatively cheap Record stores are aplenty in these parts as well: collectors could spend hours in Paradise Bound, Play De Record, or Sonic Boom The same goes for art galleries: tucked away in the more quiet parts of Kensington is where you'll find the teeny tiny Whippersnapper and Samara Contemporary showcasing work by local and international artists Decadent rings come from Dipped Donuts in Kensington Hong Kong-style afternoon tea is the epitome of a mid-day break, which you'll probably need after all this exploring. There are plenty of Chinese restaurants like House of Gourmet or Hong Kong Bistro offering outrageously cheap meals with sides of coffee or Hong Kong-style tea For something sweet, head to Bunner's for vegan baked goods, carrot cake from Wanda's Pie in the Sky, Koishi's ice cream sandwiches, or Dipped Donuts for decadent rings. There's also Hanabusa but those jiggly Japanese souffle pancakes are a meal of their own Pedestrian Sundays happen on the last weekend of every month in the summer It's all about community in these two neighbourhoods, and it's pretty likely you'll end up striking a conversation with someone at some point throughout the day, especially if it's a Pedestrian Sunday or the Kensington Market Art Fair Or, you, a new friend, and your good pal Mary Jane can all hang out at Hotbox Cafe's POTio, or you can hit up a cool workshop at the Chinatown community centre Tea Base There's also no shortage of walking tours dedicated specifically to Kensington and Chinatown. Signing up for a guided adventures courtesy of Tasty Tours Toronto or Savour Toronto is always a great way to meet some like-minded folks Green Tea's Chinatown location offers delicious eats from Huangzhou When it comes to the last meal of the day, Chinatown offers the bulk of the options, though Kensington Market does have a couple heavy hitters, like a splurge meal from the wine bar Grey Gardens or Mexican at El Rey Big Trouble Bar delivers with peach baiju and live DJs some nights As for the parties, Cold Tea and its back patio will always be a summer classic, and Big Trouble (no affiliation with the pizza) is the best spot for baiju and live DJs Join the thousands of Torontonians who’ve signed up for our free newsletter and get award-winning local journalism delivered to your inbox Why does Kensington-Chinatown have one of the highest rates of low-urgency emergency department visits in the city Kensington-Chinatown is one of Toronto’s most distinctive and vibrant neighbourhoods and colourful sights and sounds are all characteristics of this historic and quaint community 18,500 people call this part of Toronto home the largest of all the ethnic groups in the area Kensington-Chinatown also happens to have the highest rate of low-urgency emergency department (ED) visits among all neighbourhoods in the Mid-West sub-region How might the Kensington-Chinatown’s demographics explain its pattern of healthcare utilization We put this question out to the neighourhood’s healthcare stakeholder community: a cultural studies researcher “There are a lot of differences in how mainland Chinese immigrants perceive the healthcare system and how they use it,” said Han a PhD candidate in Communication and Culture at York University Her research interest lies in elder care among Chinese immigrant families One of these differences is that the primary care system in mainland China is under-developed and generally percieved to be providing lower-quality care compared to the hospital system and you’ll see a specialist normally on the same day,” Han explained “A lot of people are not aware that there is another layer of primary care here and that they need to go to the family doctors first That’s why they will go to the ED when they are sick Further complicating the matter is that people born in China are used to being proactive about their health one should not wait until diagnosed with a disease before seeking treatment they would just go to the hospital for a checkup.” Even among ethnic Chinese who’ve bought into the concept of primary care finding a family physician who speaks their language or understands their culture is a challenge three community pharmacists working in the area the shortage of Chinese-speaking family doctors help to explain the high rate of low-urgency ED visits “We are really short of Chinese family doctors in this area now Every day I get about 3 new people coming in asking pharmacists in this neighbourhood have become the go-to care providers for Chinese seniors to obtain health-related information “Most of the family doctors in this area are going to retire or have already retired,” said Xiao “There used to be 20 family doctors in this community,” recalled Johnny proudly rhyming off the names of these doctors What tends to happen is that retiring doctors will transfer their patients to those who are still practising practising doctors in this neighbourhood are experiencing exponential growths in their rosters majority of them have already stopped accepting new patients because they simply cannot manage the workload The combination of aging doctors retiring and existing doctors with exceedingly large rosters might explain why Kensington-Chinatown has one of the highest rates of low primary care continuity in the LHIN So what do these patients do when they get sick “They end up going to the ED,” said Stephen “Even when they just have a fever or a headache.” The proximity of this community to several downtown hospitals also creates a convenience factor “This population is so close to the hospital: Toronto Western “Soon they will all just go directly to the hospital; how much is this going to cost the government?” he wondered The logical solution to these challenges is to recruit new doctors to the area particularly those who speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin and understand the beliefs and values of the Chinese patient population this solution has its own set of challenges “The newly graduated [Chinese family doctors] don’t want to practise in Chinatown because they think it’s hard to deal with seniors with complicated conditions,” Xiao shared They explained that for reasons such as wanting to “have an easy life” “work in a fancy clinic” or “go to where the money is at” they choose to head north to Markham or Richmond Hill instead Xu is a committee member of the Ontario Chinese Seniors Association an organization with 6 locations across the province that aims to support Chinese seniors and improve their quality of life by providing social activities and community services As the former president of the Toronto Chinatown branch Xu is still actively involved in organizing group activities for the fellow elderly residents He always gets to meet and chat with his peers and among the many things they talk about is their healthcare experience and opinion Xu has become increasingly aware of the challenges that Chinese seniors face as they try to access care in this neighbourhood “The biggest one has to be language barrier,” he said He explained that a lot of members are early immigrants from China who are not highly educated and do not speak English most face difficulty explaining their health conditions to non-Chinese-speaking doctors This is the reason why Chinese-speaking seniors who live outside of the neighbourhood are willing to make extra effort to travel to Chinatown clinics to see a Chinese family doctor Xu also shared with us his personal challenges with trying to understand and navigate the Canadian healthcare system when he first settled in Toronto and he said many of his peers resonate with his experience Getting health services is so different from how it was like back home (China),” he said Xu indicated that people don’t access primary care in mainland China; most people will just head straight to the hospital if they feel sick Compounding the issue of cultural misfit in health practices was the language barrier he was struggling with “I remember I had difficulty in finding Chinese information about available health services,” he said and thus poor awareness of primary care and other community resources might be the reason why some Chinese seniors are frequently using the ED for low-urgency matters University Health Network hospitals have the highest number of ED visits by residents of Kensington-Chinatown accounting for 22% of total visits from 2015 to 2016 Assistant Medical Director of ED at the University Health Network explained that although Toronto Western is a teaching hospital with a big focus on academic research it’s still very much like a community hospital for the local residents due to its unique location within Kensington-Chinatown He indicated that there are generally more low-urgency ED visits at the Toronto Western than say In terms of why there is particularly high use of services among Chinese seniors Sabbah suspects that this population may see the ED as a “one-stop shop” with 24/7 access to physician and nursing staff the ED still appears to be a “very appealing” place to many for obtaining multiple health services all at once all within the course of 12–24 hours,” he said Sabbah admitted that this may be a lot faster and easier than having to make several different stops around the neighbourhood It is especially convenient for seniors who have mobility issues or those who need to depend on others to assist them with traveling are self-employed or shop owners who do not want to take time off and risk losing business during the day to go see their family doctors some do not speak English and rely on family members they prefer waiting until their children are back from work to accompany them to seek care What happens then is that these patients will go to the ED after hours or during the weekend for services that should normally be accessed elsewhere through primary care resources Sabbah indicated that there is a belief among many immigrant groups while family doctors are less capable of responding to their needs Sabbah knows this to be true because when he asks his patients whether they saw a primary care doctor prior to visiting the ED he’s not a specialist,” or “this problem is too complicated for a general practitioner.” This perception of primary care, not surprisingly, is widely-held by those in mainland China, as studies have shown it’s not a perception that’s easy to shake particularly for seniors who have spent a large part of their life in that system Any meaningful solution to the low-urgency ED issue in Kensington-Chinatown must be designed in light of Below are some striking statistics about Kensington-Chinatown, relative to the 72 neighbourhoods in the Toronto Central LHIN. More stats like these can be found at the Toronto Central LHIN website People with no knowledge of English/French: 17% (rank 72 of 72) People living below low income measure: 39.3% (rank 71 of 72) Lone parent families: 47.1% (rank 71 of 72) Low primary care continuity: 25.3% (rank 68 of 72) Low-urgency ED visits per 1,000: 114.5 (rank: 58 of 72) Cheryl Tsui is a former contributor to The Local award-winning journalism thanks to the generous support of readers you're contributing to a new kind of journalism—in-depth from corners of Toronto too often overlooked recognize stories on everything from life expectancy to encampments to waste management to the bereavement industry Every year The Local conducts a diversity survey among staff and contributors Candidates for TDSB trustee in Ward 11 are up against winter weather and election fatigue in a ward that will have four votes in less than a year We are looking for motivated and thoughtful individuals to join our volunteer board of directors the program provides training and mentorship to aspiring and emerging journalists from communities underrepresented in Canadian media even the most modest bike lane proposal is met with outsized anger and fear Gather ‘round the warm glow of The Local Slack channel as we chat through our favourite stories of the year The 55-year old museum shuttered without warning one Friday in June Then devastated staff were given four months to dismantle it A former employee on the last days of a beloved institution The Toronto District School Board chair beat out former right-wing columnist Anthony Furey in a fiercely partisan battle The only place to find fact-checked biographies and election platform summaries for all the candidates in Ward 15—Don Valley West's by-election for city councillor on November 4 Join the thousands of Torontonians who've signed up for our free newsletter and get award-winning local journalism delivered to your inbox non-profit journalism from corners of Toronto too often overlooked You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Christina Wong and Daniel Innes explore Kensington Market One part of the book is prose; the other features illustrations An elderly can collector is the book’s main character Illustrator Daniel Innes wanted to pay tribute to the lost landmarks he missed The creators “Denison Avenue” track a crucial period for the city and shine a light on the immigrant experience through prose and pictures Whether it’s lining up at Kom Jug Yuen for a box of char siu on rice, popping into St. Andrew Poultry for whole raw chickens, heading up the stairs at Bright Pearl Restaurant, wondering if it really is haunted, Torontonians have fond memories of the many places in Kensington Market and downtown Chinatown that have shuttered over the years In the just-released book Denison Avenue ($33 Toronto-based author Christina Wong and illustrator Daniel Innes tell the story of these two neighbourhoods through the eyes of Cho Sum a fictional elderly Chinese immigrant who started to collect cans after the sudden death of her husband trying to survive in a city she no longer recognizes The book is split into two parts: Wong’s novella which takes readers back a decade ago when Honest Ed’s was nearing its end and the mayor’s drug problem was making international headlines The other half contains more than 100 illustrations by Innes depicting current and bygone storefronts and houses in Kensington Market and Chinatown The Star spoke with Wong and Innes about the language of Chinatown the dizzying speed of development and walking the line between preservation and change Tell me about your relationships with downtown Chinatown Innes: I moved to Toronto in around 2000 and lived mostly in Chinatown for more than 20 years During my time I’m seeing it slowly disappear I just wanted to pay tribute to what I miss The first (pandemic) lockdown happened when I was working on the book I couldn’t walk around to take photos or go to the Toronto Archives I’d notice the things I started to draw were starting to close Is that why you decided to tell the story from that viewpoint Wong: I find that anyone over 50 or 60 is rendered invisible at some point Wong: The book has the real citizenship letter (my grandmother received) that’s written on a typewriter and you can see the pen marks and office address It was important to me to add it into the book to pay homage to my family’s history I didn’t know much of their immigration story at the time and this helped me place their story within the city The things in (Cho Sum’s) kitchen are things I grew up seeing or what I found in cookie-tin boxes on my dad’s desk. The mention of David Wong Photography is actually inspired by Wong’s Photography on Chestnut Street, where my dad and grandparents got their portraits taken I guess adding these elements were my way of making sense of how they lived Almost all the dialogue is written phonetically in the Toisan dialect Even the names of businesses are referred to by their Chinese names rather than the more widely known English names Wong: Our family called (Honest Ed’s) Sam Chaan Lau or “three floors,” because that’s how big it was We called a lot of places after what they looked like rather than the actual names: 310 Spadina (where Oriental Harvest supermarket used to be) I wanted to incorporate Toisan because you rarely see or hear it in media and it’s often considered “lowbrow” or “village” talk which is what a lot of the early Chinese immigrants spoke and was the language of Chinatowns Speaking of Honest Ed’s, the book takes place about 10 years ago when news came out that the site was being redeveloped Wong: Honest Ed’s really set something off because it meant a lot to people I would always see a lot of seniors go in for their door-crashers Then more development in Kensington Market happened Innes: There was talk of a Walmart going just outside Kensington Market at that time but I think it made everyone more aware of these changes around the city a lot of places aren’t on that protected list Gentrification is the big theme of the book but is there a way to balance preservation and the inevitability of change whether it’s landmarks or long-standing restaurants Innes: I think there can be, but what’s happening now isn’t. A lot of proposed affordable housing isn’t affordable when the market rent is still more than $2,000 a month for a one bedroom. Wong: I do struggle with that because there are so many mom-and-pop places that are gone but I don’t want to resist new and interesting places coming in Can the people who are already there afford it It’s what you intend to do when you move into a neighbourhood Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account When it comes to institutions in Toronto’s Kensington-Chinatown neighbourhood, the El Mocambo is one of the few that can garner emotional reactions among people across the city the El Mocambo has been operating at the same spot for 75 years and in recent decades there have been standing room-only concerts with huge names stopping by every so often The iconic location had a humble beginning in the late-1940s It started off by focusing on fine dining food with Mexican influences After being sold a couple of times and thanks to a new music booker the live-venue started hosting artists such as Ronnie Hawkins and Buddy Guy the establishment catapulted to notoriety in 1977 thanks to an opening act under the pseudonym of The Cockroaches during an April Wine concert “Concert-goers lost their mind when The Cockroaches turned out to be the Rolling Stones so our goal is that the Rolling Stones will come back here after their final world tour,” Mike Chalut “You never know who’s going to be on the stage and you never know what musical act will maybe go the bathroom beside you because it’s that intimate that you could be standing by Mick Jagger.” the list of visiting musicians grew in the following years to include U2 Chalut noted U2 played for $500 and tickets that September went for $3.50 Fast-forward to the 2010s and the building was in need of an overhaul if it was going to stay intact There was carpet (and) there was beer stains,” Chalut said “You could smoke (cigarette) butts in here closed a deal in 2015 to buy the El Mocambo “There are three legendary signs in this city: There’s Sam the Record Man and Michael literally took home that El Mocambo sign to his house and then thought they’re going to rip down the El Mocambo Why don’t I buy the building as well?'” Chalut said the building was stripped down to the studs in an extensive $37-million renovation the structure was outfitted with the latest technology including a broadcast control room for recording so nothing in the El Mocambo has been saved except the memories,” Chalut said “People that walk in these doors you know when you hear a concert here you’re not screaming at the person beside you There’s so much absorption with the way that we have created the venue.” In the upper main stage space dubbed ‘Under the Neon Palms,’ it can hold 475 people while the first-floor Starlight Room can hold up to 300 The El Mocambo has also pivoted to host weddings special events and corporate functions with a food menu designed by famous Toronto-based chef Mark McEwan “The future of the El Mocambo is extremely bright We’ve recently signed on with an incredible talent agency that is promising to bring us great concerts here in the fall,” Chalut said noting Billy Porter and David Foster were the most recent big names to visit the venue “We’ve really rolled out the red carpet to everyone we celebrate diversity here always … being in Kensington Market there’s always people that are celebrated and we continue to welcome the neighborhood A Canadian man arrested on vacation has been proven innocent Melissa Nakhavoly with why he is still being held in the Dominican Republic Warmer temperatures but showers are expected on-and-off for the next few days Meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai has your 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The Stewart Building previously served as administrative space for the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and sits at the southern edge of its Health Sciences District and the overall St George campus To the south and east is Toronto central hospital cluster including Toronto General Hospital and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre among others while medium and low-rise residential is found to the southwest. Following the initial September, 2024 submission, a community consultation was held in December. In the months that followed, the development team held meetings with City staff, resulting in the revisions to the plan that feature in this resubmission made by The Planning Partnership on behalf of the developers The revised proposal — in Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Toronto — maintains the same storey count and height of 205.3m, with heritage work overseen by ERA Architects but the tower has been shifted further south to increase its separation from the heritage structure and the western vestibule has been reconfigured for improved visibility of the west gable end. New podium levels would incorporate the Stewart Building while growing from its south and west sides The revised design increases the height of its eight-storey glazed reveal between Levels 4 and 11 providing a visual gap above the heritage roofline The podium has also been pulled further back from the southern lot line to increase the distance from Orde Street Public School to the south A landscaped open area is planned for the northeast corner of the lot The revised proposal increases the total unit count from 705 to 845 including 620 private student residence units The updated mix introduces more studio and two-bedroom layouts while reducing the number of three-bedroom units There would be six residential elevators (plus two institutional) resulting in a ratio of approximately one elevator per 141 units requiring quite high-speed motors for adequate service. Total Gross Floor Area has decreased to 45,374m² from 46,835m² with reductions in both residential (40,556m²) and institutional space (4,817m²) resulting in the Floor Space Index dropping from 18.77 to 18.18 times coverage of the 2,496m² lot Amenity spaces include 1,359m² of indoor facilities for student residents along with 423m² of indoor and 252m² of outdoor amenities for the market residential and institutional components Two levels of underground garage would accommodate 19 vehicles Bicycle parking has been expanded from 491 to 707 spaces divided among student housing (299 long-term Queen’s Park station on University Line 1 is less than 100m away placing the site within its Major Transit Station Area Surface transit includes the 506 Carlton streetcar along College Street and the 510 Spadina streetcar five blocks to the west protected lanes run along both College Street and University Avenue although the provincial government is planning to destroy the University Avenue bike lanes UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development you can learn more about it from our Database file you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page UrbanToronto has a research service, UTPro, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe — from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider that tracks projects from initial application. TorontoNewsToronto police identify victims who died in Kensington Market quadruple shootingBy Joshua FreemanOpens in new windowPublished: August 09, 2021 at 3:36PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved because while I'm in Little India a few times a year I spend more time in Chinatown and Kensington than I should began the tour with a short history of the the neighbourhoods telling us about the different waves of immigration that have changed the area so much so many times in the last 60 years We were also given some Chinese food recipes to try on our own with dishes appropriate for both meat-eaters and vegetarians With a bit of background knowledge on the area's cultural history and food we dove into the crowds and began the tour but because it also has lots of bags of fresh injera lying around something I'd previously only found near Dundas and Jarvis After a walk by the Kensington Community Centre, we stuck our heads into Cheese Magic (182 Baldwin). My Kensington cheese needs are almost always met by Global Cheese, but I was curious to visit the competition, and also to see if I could figure out what the fuss was about their staff including a Dutch Beemster that sold for 3.99 / 100 grams that I thought was the best of the bunch except with a taste that changes with every bite The all-male staff definitely was friendly and had the 'aw-shucks we're just the cheese guys' modesty that is probably the source of the attention they seem to get If anyone on the tour exchanged numbers with them it must have happened while my eyes were rolling to the back of my head from the Beemster Next we headed to Chocolate Addict (185 Baldwin) one of those stores I've walked by hundreds of times but never actually entered I have a feeling it's a place I'll be going back to Inside is everything you've ever wanted dipped in chocolate - and a few things you probably didn't: chocolate dipped fortune cookies The photo above is of chocolate-drizzled-peanut-butter-stuffed pretzels to give you an idea of the kinds of treats they have.. with the chili one being the hands-down favourite of the group Most of these treats go for less than three dollars making the place not only a haven for chocolate addicts We finally ended up on Augusta in the House of Spice (190 Augusta) Umbereen bought the group a bag of Spicy Chili Cashews a treat I've eyeballed many a time but never actually purchased (The above blurry picture is of said cashews and the blur is likely caused by the waves of heat emanating from the sealed bag) The fact that I single-handedly ate about 80% of the bag myself told me I'd be heading back for more After the House of Spice, the Kensington part of the tour was finished, so we headed to the Bright Pearl Restaurant (346 - 348 Spadina Ave) for Dim Sum, vegetables, noodles, and rice. I was more familiar with the building's ghost stories than its food but I'd been told it was considered a bit of a tourist trap by Dim Sum connoisseurs The restaurant was in many ways as advertized: insanely busy who brought the wrong food to the table once Not having visited some of the more recommended Dim Sum places in the city but I found the noodle and rice dishes more tasty than the dumplings that preceded the main course of the meal to conclude our tour in Ten Ren's Tea Shop (454 Dundas West) but there were about as many kinds of tea here as there were spices in the House of Spice so it's the kind of place you have to spend a few hours in if you want to try 'em all and I think it would have been perfect for newbies to the two neighbourhoods The only letdown was some of the food in the Bright Pearl but that was almost to be expected given the chaotic pace of the place Tomorrow the series continues in Greektown on the Danforth...All photos by me, except very top, by thatgirlsylvia from the blogTO Flickr pool Kensington Market and Chinatown are normally a lively pair of Toronto neighbourhoods attached at the hip but with everyone staying home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 they've fallen eerily quiet If you've ridden a packed Spadina streetcar on a weekend you know that's when these areas come alive, especially for Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Other types of businesses are still staying open as safely as possible as well, like Bikes on Wheels which is operating at minimal capacity and offering free shipping on online orders and delivery of new after the Ontario Goverment ordered all non-essential businesses to close Lots of front line grocery stores are remaining open which is great because it allows shoppers to support their small business and take the pressure off large stores at the same time where again grocers are far less overrun than larger outlets (or even than they normally are on an average Saturday) The Super 8 Hotel in Chinatown remains open, though Wyndham Hotels put out a statement warning that some services and amenities may be reduced.It's especially important to support Chinese businesses and small businesses in Chinatown right now as the community is facing an unfair amount of racism associated with COVID-19 A swath of Toronto's Chinatown neighbourhood is looking far different this month after being suddenly demolished for a residential building Residents are taking notice of the now-empty space stretching from Spadina and D'Arcy to Spadina and St where a block of businesses in the Spadina Court building once stood Most will remember the stretch as home to the beloved Rol San restaurant, along with Ding Dong Pastries & Cafe and a number of other retailers and offices Developers tear down a city block of Chinatown. Knowing how beloved #Rolsanrestaurant is, they offer a space in the new condo, but it is too small. Rol San relocates up the street at 388 Spadina Ave, T.O. This is their new home. Please visit and eat. They are delicious. 💖 pic.twitter.com/PFzhOqqdCD Rol San and its iconic neon signage famously moved just up and across the street from 323 Spadina Ave but there has been no news yet about whether any of the remaining businesses have had such luck Ding Dong permanently shuttered months earlier in December Residents are taking notice of the empty space where the building once stood Coming to the corner is a new residential building from Podium Developments and Montgomery Sisam Architects with retail on the bottom and apartments above it's not overpriced condos coming to the site The block used to be home to a row of businesses in Spadina Court, including a bakery,jeweller, doctor's office, and the famous Rol San wondering why long-running businesses in a low-rise and historic area of the downtown core had to be lost for the cause when there are so many other places in Toronto to build up Many are also wondering whether rent prices will be affordable A rendering of what the corner is slated to eventually look like — a big change from its former self. Image from Montgomery Sisam Architects "Resistance is futile. The developers are literally steam rolling communities aided and abetted by city council and the corrupt provincial government," one person commented on a post sharing photos of the location in popular local Facebook group Weird Toronto Others add that the community has been fighting the project for years through consultation meetings where their concerns were apparently left unheard A recent post about the construction has been gaining traction in the Weird Toronto Facebook group There is also the concern about the character of the neighbourhood and the precedence such builds set for redevelopment in culturally significant areas like Kensington-Chinatown The builder has earmarked only 10 per cent of units in the complex as affordable a one-bedroom unit was expected to run about $2,500 per month "We've seen SO MANY community members speak up about their concerns about this development in the last year," advocacy group Friends of Chinatown wrote on Twitter at the time "Discussions about gentrification and racism despite our community’s repeated demands for 100% rent-geared-to-income affordable housing at the new development a few concede that some things do have to be given up to build more housing in the city A few are (sarcastically) holding out hope that those helming the construction will throw in a music venue community centre or something other than another Starbucks or outpost of a fast food chain Toronto’s Chinatown on Spadina and Dundas has witnessed a lot of ownership changes over the years a condo developer purchased 315 to 325 Spadina Ave which led to the displacement of 10 longstanding businesses including the beloved Rol San dim sum restaurant In response to the rapid changes in their beloved neighbourhood residents came together to form the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust and her team will soon be conducting a census on the ownership of buildings in Chinatown They want to speak to all residents about how to keep local land in community hands managing director of the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust sitting in the garden of Cecil Community Centre they exist because groups of people do not have systemic power and therefore the answer is to build collective power,” Tam explained “If you can’t provide housing security for yourself and acquire property because you have been made illegal as an individual a good strategy is to come together with other people and buy it as a democratic and non-profit organization together.” The Toronto Chinatown Land Trust drew inspiration from one of its sister organizations Executive director Joshua Barndt says the trust bought its first building in 2019 — and now own 85 properties Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust celebrates the acquisition of 26 Maynard Ave the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust lobbied the City of Toronto to set up a program that helps nonprofit organizations purchase buildings and maintain affordable housing The City then proposed the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) program which went on to help the Kensington Market Community Land Trust before officially launching in 2022 we went from just an idea of residents trying to respond to the the crisis on the ground community-controlled organization that owns a big housing stock and provides a lot of affordable housing and has a vision to keep doing that in a really big and impactful way,” Barndt said co-chair of Kensington Market Community Land Trust stands outside 54/56 Kensington Ave the Kensington trust bought 54 and 56 Kensington Ave Co-chair Dominique Russell credits Parkdale for playing a big role in helping them get started from … [the] Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust who is a sort of sister organization,” Russell explained “We were able to kind of step into the process of figuring out whether we can buy the building but also all the building analysis that you need to do with your due diligence period We were very lucky in being able to have support to get that done.” Toronto Chinatown Land Trust at their first annual general meeting With guidance from the Kensington and Parkdale trusts a professor of geography and planning at the University of Toronto also played an important role in setting the Chinatown trust up for success Tam said all the trusts have an inclusive and broad approach to solving Toronto’s housing crisis because Kamizaki shared his time “It’s been one big sister teaching the next group we also now need to pay it forward to the next group Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust taught Kensington Market Community Land Trust Kensington Market Community [Land] Trust taught Toronto’s Chinatown Land Trust how to do it,” she added When people feel blue, a funny cat photo can help lighten the mood, or at least that's the idea behind a bunch of Look at my cat posters found around Toronto lately The posters are plastered around Koreatown and most feature a large photo of a cat and the phrase "LOOK AT MY CAT" on the top and another sentence at the bottom such as "Isn't she neat?" or "How great is this cat?" A post shared by meanbobean (@lookatmycat_to) The poster campaign started in November as the work of three people, called Mean Bo Bean A spokesperson for the group tells blogTO she does street art under another name but wanted to do something to cheer people up this fall A post shared by meanbobean (@lookatmycat_to) So she thought making street art would be a way to relax and get their minds off things "And I know that one thing when people are feeling down that makes them feel better is always talking about their pets." She decided to create posters featuring their cats with their pets on them and some funny little things and we went around and put them up and it really did cheer everybody up," she says "The plan was not just to cheer them up but to have people walking down the street and see something unexpected and stupid and silly and laugh." A post shared by meanbobean (@lookatmycat_to) The idea is a just simple and fun way to lighten people's days "Everybody wants everybody to look at pictures of their cats right?" she says "And now we're forcing people on the streets to look at them." The group has done about 15 different versions of the posters with photos of their cats or the cats of friends There are now copycat (pun intended) posters around the city too A post shared by meanbobean (@lookatmycat_to) The group plans to continue making the posters in the new year and spread out to more neighbourhoods around the city "So just the response we've gotten from people saying how much it made them in a better mood that day or something," say the creators Mean Bo Bean Airbnb has caused plenty of controversy since it first arrived in Toronto It's had quite the impact on housing supply in the GTA and now Kensington Market residents are trying to do something about it Community group Friends of Kensington Market has launched No Ghost Hotels a campaign to raise awareness about Airbnbs run by a businessperson who doesn't live there As it stands, No Ghost Hotels says unregulated Airbnbs create fewer long-term housing options, a breakdown of community, an increase in rental prices, prioritization of profit over community interests, and incentivization for landlords to use renovictions to push out existing tenants there are 216 high-availability listings in Kensington-Chinatown which means entire homes or apartments that are highly available year-round for tourists because no one actually lives there 69.9 per cent of hosts on the platform have multiple high-availability listings "hosts with multiple listings are more likely to be running a business and would be in violation of most short term rental laws designed to protect residential housing." high availability means being booked for about half the year one of the threats to a livable Toronto is unregulated Airbnb hosts turning long-term rental units into short-stay units A relatively small number of hosts purchase disproportionate amounts of housing and convert them to be used exclusively as Airbnbs," they say Signs advertising the campaign have recently been spotted across Kensington Market Activists are asking Airbnb users to use hosts with less than three listings and be extra cautious of full-home listings They're also asking travelers to try and rent Airbnbs in less saturated neighbourhoods They ask that if travelers do find themselves in a ghost hotel and want to help they leave a review for the host that describes the problem to potential future guests our artists and our community," one Kensington resident said in a video about the issue "We strongly encourage tourism and development GT speak to the media on Thursday after Bennett was released on bail The man at the centre of the David Chen citizen’s arrest case has been banned the serial shoplifter at the centre of the David Chen citizen’s arrest case has been banned from Chinatown and Kensington Market — at least until he returns for sentencing on Dec What happens at his sentencing is anyone’s guess but shop owners would like to see a three-year ban imposed at that point and possibly jail time they are relieved that a provincial court judge ordered Bennett into a 28-day in-house program to treat his addiction to crack cocaine and banned him from Chinatown and Kensington Market Bennett has a string of 43 convictions for shoplifting in the area and has failed at drug treatment before he pleaded guilty to three more offences stemming from the theft of flowers at the Jungle Fruit Mart on Kensington Ave Bennett was at the centre of the now-famous citizen’s arrest case that caught Chen in a legal quagmire A judge cleared the shop owner of assault and forcible confinement charges for chasing and apprehending Bennett last May after he returned to steal flowers from his Lucky Moose Food Market a family friend posted bail of $500 for Bennett at Old City Hall court took a cab to the Salvation Army Maxwell Meighen Centre on Sherbourne St. where the 52-year-old drug addict entered himself in the Turning Point Program a soft-spoken Bennett said he was happy with the judge’s bail conditions “I won’t be down there at all,” he said of Chinatown Bennett said he hoped the rehab program will help him get his life on track The success of the treatment program will affect his sentencing “I hope this drug treatment works for him this time It didn’t work before,” his wife said outside the courthouse his family would like to see him graduate to a longer-term drug treatment program “He doesn’t belong in jail,” said his wife The couple have been together for more than 30 years and have six children has asked that Ng be allowed to give a victim impact statement at Bennett’s sentencing Shi said a ban on Bennett means shop owners won’t have to go through what Chen went through “This allows them to protect their property in a way that is non-confrontational preventative in nature and hopefully this will also send a clear signal to Mr Bennett that he is not to do it again,” Shi said Banning criminals from certain areas is not an unusual bail condition a man was banned from the Entertainment District for a year after pleading guilty to roughing up a bouncer and resisting arrest Ng collected 37 signatures from Chinatown shopkeepers concerned about protecting their property Chen and Ng said the ban forcing Bennett out of their area might be bad news for shopkeepers elsewhere “I’ve heard from shop owners in Parkdale that he’s been there too,” Chen said A local community group is urging the organizers of a Saturday event in Toronto's Chinatown neighbourhood to reconsider the potential repercussions of pitting two prominent voices from opposite sides of the political spectrum against one another during a live An exact time for the event will not be released until the day of but promotional materials promise that it will be streamed live NOW Magazine reports that 25 people will also be allowed to watch the show in person The IRL event will be outdoors, held within the courtyard of Chinatown Centre at 222 Spadina Ave., a space otherwise known as the Chinatown Anti Displacement Garden It's also of note that Sa'd and Sky have been beefing online A post shared by 420 Cannabis Court (@420cannabiscourt) Calling Sky a "known agitator from anti-mask, anti-lockdown, and anti-vax rallies across the country," the group points out that Sky was recently arrested and criminally charged for allegedly uttering death threats "Using his public platform and private social networks Sky inspires copycat actions such as the harassment of small and large businesses on camera," reads the FOTM post "We have concerns that those sharing his sentiments against businesses and racialized individuals will be in attendance resistant to following the 'physical distancing' advertised in event promotions." A post shared by Friends of Chinatown TO (FOCT) (@friendsofchinatownto) FOKM is concerned that the event could put vulnerable community members at risk, as Sky's anti-mask supporters obviously refuse to abide by most public health orders "A crowd of unvaccinated anti-maskers would endanger racialized especially during a time when various grassroots organizations have been working to get first and second doses to the neighbourhood with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the city," the group continues "As community members we do not condone this event and we express our genuine concern for those who live and work in the neighbourhood We urge that this event be canceled for the safety of the community." Said Sky of the event on Instagram: "Because I welcome dissenting voices.. and we all know she's been DYING to meet me." Tommy Rodgers 2 This week, UrbanToronto's annual Growth To Watch For series continues with another overview of the new and ongoing development expected to impact Toronto's nieghbourhoods this year Picking up where we left off in last week's Bloor West coverage we move east of Bathurst to look at projects northwest of Downtown in The Annex these areas are experiencing an influx of new residential density with taller buildings gradually re-shaping the urban fabric of many local streetscapes compared to areas like the Entertainment District where an entire new landscape is being created by high-rises replacing former vacant lots and adapted industrial architecture these long-established neighbourhoods are experiencing more incremental growth In lieu of the radical density increases seen across some parts of the city the areas northwest of Downtown—ranging approximately from Queen to Dupont between Bathurst and University/Avenue Road—are evolving more gradually often in an effort to preserve the social and architectural character of established neighbourhoods While most of the projects underway do not number among the city's tallest or most talked about many of these projects will nonetheless have significant impacts on their surroundings. set to begin construction before the year's end image retrieved from Tridel's live construction camera providing ground-level retail and a rooftop patio Adding to this burgeoning neighbourhood in the heart of Chinatown look for the building's opening sometime this year bringing high-rise density to the popular intersection As the building continues rising and making its presence known in the predominantly low-rise neighbourhood look for the tower to top off sometime in 2016 A little further west along College Street, Tribute Communities' The College Condominium has topped off at its full height of 15 storeys. The Core Architects condo development will add 226 new residential units to the busy Kensington/Chinatown area Cladding continues to be installed as it moves toward completion The College Condominium captured on January 21st Also in the Kensington area, the smaller scale 335 College inches toward completion. The narrow, four-storey residential building designed by George Popper Architect has topped off and is receiving its final exterior finishes An exciting new addition to Queen's Park Circle is progressing quickly as University of Toronto's Jackman Law Building Expansion works toward a 2016 completion. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and B+H Architects the gently curving form of the building is fully constructed as cladding continues to be installed on all facades complete with the restored neoclassical 1902 Flavelle House This addition looks to add a new architectural gem amongst some of the city's best on the university campus Jackman Law Building Expansion captured in late-December image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor salsa with small but efficiently designed spaces available in a variety of configurations Stay tuned as this building begins to rise out of the ground in 2016 Smart House excavation captured on January 27th image by UrbanToronto Forum owner Edward Skira could ago under construction later this year Daniels Faculty of Architecture captured in late-December Another welcome addition to University of Toronto's downtown campus is the new Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship, currently with excavation well underway. Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects look for the building to rise above grade sometime in 2016 U of T: Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship captured on January 21st Jumping over to the Annex, excavation is nearing completion at the site of Mansouri's Perry Condos. The 11-storey mid-rise building, designed by Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects will add 45 luxury boutique condos on a quiet side street in the north Annex a 30-storey high-rise building neighbouring Knightstone's previously mentioned University Place Perhaps the area that will undergo the most drastic change in the coming years is along McCaul Street near OCAD. With the design revealed just this past year, Grange Park will be undergoing a revitalization, with construction beginning later this year, targeted for completion in 2017. Form Condos a mid-rise building located near the southeast corner of the park along McCaul is currently working its way through the planning process with a re-application submitted to the City back in December. Possibly the most exciting proposal in this area was unveiled at the most recent Design Review Panel with Artists' Alley a massive mixed-use multi-tower redevelopment stretching between McCaul and Simcoe Streets south of Dundas Stay tuned as we wait for updates on how these proposals will reshape the Grange Park neighbourhood with a For Sale sign appearing on the property at 10 Prince Arthur. What do you think of the projects that are transforming this area Leave a comment at the bottom of this page or join in on the conversation on one of our associated Forum threads check out our dataBase files (linked below) and Forum threads Make a donation of any amount below in order to watch this webinar Watch as we explore Chinatown community land trusts' vibrant histories and promising futures For decades Chinatowns all over North America have been at the vanguard of community ownership These neighborhoods were established during a time when East Asian communities faced discrimination elsewhere leading families and merchants to band together They collectively acquired properties to provide homes and spaces for their businesses from aging buildings to the allure of these properties to external investors The close proximity of Chinatowns to downtown areas brings both rising property taxes and constant offers from speculative investors Our event will shed light on these issues and explore how emerging community land trusts are working tirelessly to address them Register today and hear solutions hailing from cities such as Los Angeles She was the first staff and executive director of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust where she acquired the organization’s first building acquisition securing 12-units of deeply affordable residential units from further speculation Chiyi serves on the advisory board of Montreal Chinatown’s JIA Foundation,BC’s Union Cooperative Initiative and the first elected board of the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts She leads a public course on community land trusts with the Esturary Institute She co-developed “Planning and Designing for Community Power” a graduate urban design course at the University of Toronto She frequently supports groups from all corners of turtle island exploring community ownership and wealth building as an anti-displacement strategy for racial & economic justice Pay as little or as much as you want or nothing at all Your donation helps Next City to program future events like this one Those who’ve contributed have paid $10.00 on average Provide your address to receive a free gift. Free gifts cannot be shipped to locations outside of the United States Browse all webinars » View all → and support the spread of solutions that liberate cities Add Chinatown London to your bucket list of new spots to discover From funky bubble tea vendors and hidden speakeasies to trending beauty shops and dim sum parlours Chinatown London is the West End’s very own haven of exciting East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) culture and cuisine Here is Chinatown London’s guide on how to make the most out of a summer day out at this iconic destination We all know Londoners love to take to the streets when summer arrives Before the crowds descend when lunchtime hits take a morning stroll beneath the sea of red lanterns and under the magnificent Chinese gates shining in picture-perfect glory for that famous snap Follow the wafting scent of freshly baked goods floating out of Golden Gate Cakeshop and Chinatown Bakery and pick up a grab-and-go breakfast from one of Chinatown’s much-loved Cantonese bakeries Here you’ll find an almost limitless selection of sweet and savoury bakes from creamy custard pastries and signature barbecue pork buns to fluffy pandan chiffon cakes many of the restaurants down Chinatown’s main pedestrianised thoroughfares have tables on the streets for diners to feast at take a moment to look up and snap the two striking gigantic Chinese lanterns that have recently been unveiled in the area for the summer season Some of Chinatown London’s top summer picks Chinese culinary specialists Plum Valley make a delicious whole steamed sea bass with garlic and chilli – true summer bliss when served with simple steamed rice and washed down with a refreshing chrysanthemum tea Sichuan experts Jinli have a whole section devoted to Chinese cold dishes (liangcai (凉菜)) featuring the likes of shredded chicken in chilli oil and marinated smashed cucumber Malaysian hotspot Rasa Sayang has a cracking BBQ menu with skewered tiger prawns classic chicken satay and spicy sambal skate while Viet Food serves up bowls of delicate and aromatic pho broth – unexpectedly revitalising in the summer heat Chinatown London recommends moseying along the towering aisles of the area’s specialist supermarkets (such as SeeWoo and New Loon Moon) to pick up some fresh tropical fruits like dragon fruit a Korean goods emporium that retails mix-and-match flavours of mochi balls Back to School Scoop 2022 | Find information on kids’ activities including science workshops fencing and dance classes to keep your little ones active and music classes to keep them learning something new Categories Greater Toronto Area These are the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, and I’m confident to say that Toronto has one of the best vegan scenes in the world It’s an incredibly vegan-friendly city with loads of options for those seeking delicious plant-based foods We’ve got vegan restaurants devoted entirely to Asian food and the largest vegan food festival in North America Toronto has come a long way since I first went vegan back in 2009 which help run this site at no extra cost to you I remember going to the OG vegan/vegetarian spot in Toronto I couldn’t believe that everything on the menu was vegan I am happy to report on the best vegan restaurants in Toronto regularly Since I first wrote this article back in 2015 While a few Toronto vegan restaurants have closed a massive amount of establishments have opened their doors I’ll be organizing the best vegan restaurants in Toronto by neighborhood Most of these are 100% vegan or vegetarian, but I’ll also list a few veg-friendly spots that I love, too. When you’re planning to visit Toronto there’s a good chance that there’s some delish vegan food right around the corner Here is a map of all of the Toronto vegan restaurants Feel free to save this map to reference it at a later date Click the little star at the top of the map to save it to your own collection of Google Maps There weren’t always many spots to grab a vegan meal in The Junction and High Park in the west end of Toronto Bunner’s Bakeshop has always been an excellent mainstay for desserts there’s an entirely vegan grocery store in The Junction From the folks at Sausage Party, there’s a new vegan deli in town! Aunty Em’s Deli & Cafe operates in the Earlscourt neighbourhood in Toronto’s west end There are sweet treats like vegan Portuguese tarts Bellona Kitchen is a plant-inspired kitchen serving up delectable vegetarian and vegan Italian cuisine They aim to “capture family nights at Nonna’s” by creating healthy veggie dishes without sacrificing any flavour You’ll find that the majority of dishes are vegan or can be made vegan on request We loved the Crumbled Sausage and Cremini Mushroom pizza and the Spiced Tofu I can’t wait to return to sample more of the menu Caked Coffee is a lovely family owned small business in Toronto that’s 100% vegan It’s right down the street for High Park making it the perfect pit stop after a stroll in the park They are a bakery and coffee shop offering espresso beverages and freshly baked plant-based desserts You’ll find all of your caffeinated favourites on the menu This is one of my favourite coffee shops in Toronto with warm and friendly service GIA is a plant-forward restaurant specializing in vegan meals though they do have some vegetarian offerings It’s one of the first restaurants in Canada to be recognized and recommended by the Michelin guide Justin and I had the most amazing feast of Italian-inspired cuisine at Gia Restaurant It’s one of our new favourite spots in the city Good Rebel is Toronto’s 100% vegan grocery store and it’s the only completely vegan grocery store in the city It’s wonderful to be able to shop there without needing to check labels or figure out if there are any hidden animal products in anything They carry a lot of unique and difficult to find items that you won’t see at your average food mart I love that there are entire cases devoted to vegan cheese and tons of yummy chocolate bars and sweets The Goods offers plant-based whole foods meals that are equally delicious as they are nourishing and meal kits if you’d rather make your meals fresh at home The Goods aims to make it easy for you to eat fresh Machino Donuts is a vegan donut shop in Toronto open from Friday to Sunday Their donuts look so delectable and come in an assortment of amazing flavors It’s also possible to order letter donuts so you can spell out people’s names or words in donuts For anyone who remembers the original Rancho Relaxo, it was a Mexican restaurant in the late 90s and early 2000s. In fact, my old band played there a couple of times! Nowadays, there are two Rancho Relaxo To Go locations (in The Junction and Etobicoke) offering yummy Mexican food and even dating back to the earlier days of Rancho Relaxo clearly marked on the menu with a little “v” I’m in love with their jerk tofu and crispy cauliflower tacos Sorry I’ve Got Plants has 100% vegan meal kits that also happen to be low waste You don’t need to opt in to a larger meal plan or subscription service and you can make their meals in 20 minutes or less This is fantastic if you’re not sure what to make for dinner or run out of groceries – just order meal kits from Sorry I’ve Got Plants Thien Tam is an all vegetarian mostly vegan Asian restaurant in the Junction Japanese and Thai cuisine into tasty Asian fusion dishes V’s Caribbean is a vegan restaurant offering Jamaican and Caribbean dishes I stopped by V’s Caribbean for takeout There are an assortment of dishes like curry soy chunks You can try a plate where you can sample a little bit of everything I also recommend trying one of their rotis When a collection of vegan restaurants called themselves “Vegandale” as a tongue-in-cheek play on Parkdale it stirred up quite a bit of controversy relating to the ongoing gentrification of the neighborhood I don’t blame a few vegan restaurants in Toronto for a much larger issue and shifted their location over the past couple of years Here’s an updated list of the top Toronto vegan restaurants in Parkdale Cici’s Pizza is a vegan-friendly pizzeria where you can add vegan cheese to any of their veggie pizzas They have a wide variety of veggie toppings Rustic Cosmo Cafe is Parkdale’s original coffeehouse and an institution in the neighbourhood for 25 years The chickpea salad sandwich is their vegan offering but many items can be made vegan by using tofu so it isn’t a problem to make these substitutions The Vegan Danish Bakery has two locations The Parkdale location used to be called the Copenhagen Cafe I thoroughly adore both locations as it’s the perfect place for a coffee and a sweet treat The Vegan Danish Bakery has 100% plant-based cakes We’ve brought home several pastries in the past and I loved dining here for breakfast: a bagel with dill cream cheese West Queen West is a fantastic neighborhood to find vegan food From Queen Street West to Trinity Bellwoods and up to Little Italy Fat Choi is all about Asian vegan eats Owned and operated by a local family who run Soos Toronto the cuisine is a combination of Chinese and Malaysian she wanted to incorporate more plant-based cuisine into their business Fresh is one of the first vegan restaurants I ever visited in Toronto and now there are several locations across Toronto They have expanded into Mississauga and will also open in Hamilton soon They’ve been completely vegan since 1999 and take pride in being Toronto’s first vegan restaurant Fresh is known for their freshly pressed juices and smoothies and offer a great takeaway option for those working in the city Be sure to always order yourself some quinoa onion rings because they’re the best La Bartola is an upscale purely plant-based Mexican restaurant that serves innovative and exciting cuisine This isn’t your ordinary Mexican fare and I’m already dreaming about eating there when I browse the menu online but I’ve heard it’s well worth it M!lk Dessert Bar is a 100% vegan dessert and drink shop You can order their ice cream by the pint in the off season or visit their sidewalk gelato shop in the summer Odd Burger popped onto the vegan scene as “Globally Local” restaurant in London and made headlines as the first vegan fast food restaurant that offered drive-thru they’ve changed their name to Odd Burger The fast food chain is expanding rapidly from Toronto to Windsor with several new locations opening up this summer They’ve even gone public on the stock market I first tried Odd Burger at the Vegandale festival in Toronto and loved their cheeseburger I’ve tried their chicken burger and it was fantastic I can’t wait to visit more of their locations in the future as they’re such a vegan Canadian success story Pizza Libretto has authentic Neapolitan pizza and they’ve got five locations in Toronto They have lots of vegetarian pizzas on the menu and you can make all of them vegan by subbing in their house made vegan fior di latte (mozzarella) With several Planta restaurants in Toronto (and Miami!) Tsuchi Cafe is a vegan Japanese cafe in Toronto that I’m sure you’ll love They have a number of plant-based beverages that are super unique and unlike any others that I’ve seen in Toronto (that are vegan Definitely try the Miso Caramel Macchiato if you get the chance Tsuchi Cafe is also really well known for their plant-based Japanese desserts including their traditional offerings and seasonal varieties and the area surrounding College Street has been vegan friendly for quite some time It’s no surprise that the laidback hippie vibes of Kensington extend to its restaurants and caring about our animal friends Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant has been around forever – since 1991 but they’ve always been a predominantly vegan establishment It’s one of Toronto’s oldest vegan Asian restaurants and it’s beloved by many you may have trouble choosing what to order Bunner’s Bake Shop is a vegan and gluten-free bakery in Kensington Market (their original location in the Junction sadly closed) The baked goods are prepared not only for vegans but those with food sensitivities and allergies And guess what – they taste just as delicious as traditional baked goods There’s bread, cookies, cinnamon buns, brownies, cake, cupcakes, and the list goes on. They even have a vegan version of cream eggs during Easter. It’s no wonder that Bunner’s has won many awards as Best Bakery in the city. For fans of Bunner’s, the owners have released their own cookbook available for purchase While I haven’t visited Eat Nabati yet “blending flavours of the Middle East with the North’s harvest” and they are Toronto’s first vegan Middle Eastern restaurant or fries with a number of fillings: falafel Their food is reminiscent of what you’d find in Middle Eastern markets and street food It’s one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto Free Times Cafe is a long standing veg-friendly establishment in the city Free Times Cafe has served authentic Jewish Some of the vegan options on the menu include a vegan burger Greens Vegetarian Restaurant turned completely vegan in 2015 Hawker (formerly known as TVX) is an upscale vegan restaurant located in Kensington Market Their small plates are quite innovative and meant to be shared among the table The dishes are always changing according to what’s in season so you’ll likely have a new experience each time you visit Some of the plates you can try right now are “God’s Work” (romano beans roti) and “Earth” (oyster mushrooms and intriguing cocktails (also available as mocktails) Their hot sauce and in-house chickpea cheese can be purchased and used in your own creations at home The Hogtown Vegan offers the ultimate vegan comfort food The menu features comforting soul cuisine found in the American south We’ve gone to Hogtown a couple of times and it’s always a great choice We’ve tried the “fries supremacy” (fries topped with nacho cheese the “unchicken burger” (pictured with a side of mac & cheese) We could barely move after eating all of that food King’s Vegetarian Food is a wholesaler of delicious vegan food products, served at all of their restaurants and now in many grocery stores across the province. King’s Cafe is their restaurant in downtown Toronto, and Zen Gardens is the name of the restaurant in Mississauga although I tend to order the same things every time: the wonton soup (the best ever!) I feel like I haven’t tried many Asian restaurants in Toronto because I tend to keep going back to King’s Cafe when I’m in the city Saigon Lotus is a Vietnamese vegan restaurant in Kensington Market that you need to check out They’ve even got plant-based milks for vegan bubble tea I need to return to Saigon Lotus because I’d love to try one of the traditional desserts gone vegan Veggie D’Light is a vegan Caribbean restaurant in Kensington Market where their meals are made with non-GMO organic veggies They can also accommodate gluten-free diets Try one of their vegan meals or roti with jerk seitan They’ve also got gluten-free pizza cakes and kombucha tonics You won’t have any problem finding vegan food in downtown Toronto These are among the best vegan restaurants in Toronto especially if you’re seeking 100% plant-based finds I imagine that you could walk into most downtown Toronto restaurants and find at least one vegan item on the menu Avelo Restaurant Avelo offers tasting menus in multiple courses (three and eight courses) that continually rotate with the seasons Avelo is situated inside an old Victorian home The upstairs bar is more casual with cocktails Basil Box is a vegan-friendly chain restaurant around Toronto and the GTA Their food is inspired by the street markets of Southeast Asia plus all of the vegan options are clearly marked with a V Cafe Landwer has four locations in Toronto Every vegan offering has a V beside it on the menu You can choose from a plant-based breakfast plate I highly recommend ordering the plant-based shawarma It’s my absolute favourite and I’ve tried it multiple times and you can’t go wrong with a latte from Cafe Landwer either Copper Branch is a chain of vegan restaurants that originated in Montreal They’ve made their way down to Toronto and they use non-GMO and organic ingredients where it’s possible Copper Branch features meals that are healthy and hearty Copper Branch has partnered with Just Egg and Field Roast for some awesome breakfast bagels I’ve dined at Earl’s with some friends before and was pleased to see a full plant-based menu at this non-veg restaurant chain you can choose from: crispy sushi tofu tacos (pictured above) Evviva is a veg-friendly breakfast and lunch restaurant in Toronto and Vaughan They have a massive vegan brunch menu where you can create your own vegan omelette and even a “vegan slam platter” with eggs Fresh has several locations in Toronto and beyond Please check out the description under the Queen Street West heading for more details you can visit Fresh on Front or Fresh on Spadina The Glad Day Bookshop is the world’s oldest LGBTQ bookshop They have a veg-friendly cafe with the vegan options clearly marked Ashley dined here when she was visiting Toronto and loved it Il Fornello is a veg-friendly casual/fine dining Italian restaurant with multiple locations across the city Il Fornello has a separate plant-based menu with a long list of dishes: various kinds of pasta This is a great spot to bring your friends or family that might not necessarily want to go to a vegan restaurant but there’s a vegan menu so you can stick to your plant-based diet Kupfert & Kim is a plant-based quick service restaurant with many locations across Toronto They focus on whole foods and make almost everything in house Karine’s is located in the food court of a small downtown shopping centre there’s a vegan and gluten-free all day breakfast and an assortment of vegan baked treats that change by the day Khao San Road is a veg-friendly restaurant They have an entire vegan menu with so many great selections There are starters like fresh rolls and squash fritters Lao Lao Bar is a vegan-friendly restaurant in Toronto serving reinterpreted and elevated versions of Lao cuisine There is a plant-based section of the menu with numerous options for vegans drunken noodles and an assortment of curries It’s one of the more extensive vegan menus at an Asian restaurant in Toronto and I’m glad that it has its own section on the menu PAI is a northern Thai restaurant with two locations: one downtown and PAI Uptown While it’s not a completely plant-based establishment Try anything from the vegan menu: the Khao Soi Phosome is a veg-friendly Vietnamese restaurant in Cabbagetown They have a separate vegan menu so you can ensure that everything is prepared without animal products Ramen Isshin serves authentic Japanese ramen They have one location on College and one on Queen Some of their dishes include: the vegan platter vegetarian ramen (you’ll need to ask to substitute the egg noodles Everything on the menu that’s vegan is labelled as such the vegetarian ramen doesn’t appear to be vegan unless you substitute the noodles Rosalinda is a 100% vegan restaurant featuring seasonal produce and a great wine list I really enjoyed the tacos and the burrito bowl Salad King is a veg-friendly Thai eatery on Yonge Street and they also have a second location on Queen Street West I’ve dined at their Yonge location and had a great experience There’s a little leaf by every dish that can be made vegan The servers were really knowledgeable and helpful Even though it’s not an entirely plant-based restaurant I’d go back to Salad King again in the future The Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto offers a vegan afternoon tea upon request I actually had the pleasure of enjoying a vegan high tea during a media event and I was so pleasantly surprised by all of the little tasty desserts and the elegantly presented sandwiches Definitely treat yourself to this if you get the chance Want to host your own vegan afternoon tea at home? I’ve got tons of tips and recipes for you so you can host your own plant-based English tea party Soy Boys is a 100% plant-based burger restaurant that’s newly opened Can’t wait to try this one for myself I’ve been to WVRST more times than I can count While it isn’t an entirely vegan spot There are several kinds of vegan sausages and you can choose your own toppings It’s set up like a German beer hall with long picnic tables They have two locations: one on King Street West and one inside Union Station and the areas surrounding Bloor Street West have tons of vegan offerings A few local favorites have closed this past year but there seem to be more vegan restaurant openings than closures these days While Annapura Vegetarian Restaurant is not entirely vegan it is a very vegan friendly Indian restaurant You’ll find a little “v” next to all of the vegan meals (and a “gf” for gluten-free) and a slice of chocolate tofu mousse pie for dessert Bloomer’s started mostly as a vegan bakery and coffee shop but has since blossomed into a full serve vegan restaurant While you can still stop in for a cuppa and a donut you can also enjoy sumptuous choices from the menu like a tempeh reuben sandwich Or you can choose to stop for a beer and appetizers Eva’s Original Chimneys has always been very vegan-friendly Many cones are marked as vegan on the menu Guerilla Burger is 100% vegan with many deluxe burgers and Happy Taco is also 100% vegan Fennel Organic Eatery is a 100% vegan establishment tucked inside Noah’s Naturals They offer a takeout buffet with 18+ different hot and cold items daily I have not dined at Govinda’s restaurant yet though I tried their food on location at the Festival of India this past summer The menu is mostly vegan and some items are vegetarian You really can’t beat the price – a full buffet with the price of $10/adult It’s likely the most inexpensive vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the city I can’t wait to try the food at the restaurant as the meal at the Festival of India was quite good Grey Tiger is an artist operated cocktail bar The establishment is entirely vegetarian with lots of vegan options Kensington Natural Bakery has operated since 1980 They also have products suitable for many allergies I love how Kensington Natural Bakery doesn’t overinflate the prices based on the fact that it’s vegan or gluten-free and the gluten-free ones are labeled as such Kupfert & Kim has several locations in Toronto Please check out the description under the Downtown heading for more details Pizza Del Arte isn’t 100% vegan You can also make your own vegan pizzas with vegan cheese Some options from the vegan menu: vegan cheeseburger Planta Yorkville is a casual/upscale vegan dining experience and the menu has a variety of small and large plates The small plates are perfect for sharing: cauliflower tots Selam Restaurant offers vegan Ethiopian dishes through Selam Vegan where all of the vegan dishes are prepared separately from the meat ones You can also opt for a cup of traditional Ethiopian coffee Everything on the vegan menu is also gluten-free Tenon Vegan Sushi is a 100% vegan sushi restaurant offering fresh and tasty Japanese cuisine The menu is vast and offers all of your favorites gone plant-based and Riverdale) is really starting to come into its own with a growing vegan scene While the east end used to feel a bit ripped off when it comes to vegan restaurants there are more than a few great choices nowadays Animal Liberation Kitchen is a little vegan restaurant with a few seats that operates mostly for takeout They have tons of delicious plant-based meals including the kimchi mac n cheese (pictured above and highly recommend!) ALK is a great little spot and I urge you to check them out Fun fact: Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara stopped by for a meal here Cinnaholic is a 100% vegan cinnamon bun cafe that has 54 locations across the USA and Canada and they specialize in cinnamon buns and cookie dough scoops Everything is so decadent and makes for the perfect sweet treat They have numerous flavours of cinnamon buns to order or you can build your own creation Il Fornello has several locations in Toronto and beyond Italian For Vegan is an entirely plant-based Italian restaurant on the Danforth It’s operated by the same folks who run Il Fornello They’ve got all of the Italian classics: pasta Jinglepear Deli is a vegan It’s so wonderful to walk into a grocery store and be able to eat everything – no label checking required There are pantry staples and prepared foods Try some of their take-out selections if you want a bite on the go KASPACE Cafe is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant serving Jamaican and vegan soul food and one of the highlights is a full vegan brunch menu This is an instance where really healthy food can still be super tasty La Vegan is a 100% vegan restaurant specializing in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine There are many authentic dishes featuring the flavours of African food that you need to try La Vegan’s website describes it as “vegetable plates of paradise” Nutbar is a superfood snack cafe You’ll find coffee and matcha drinks Everything on the menu appears to be vegan except for the addition of honey to some items and dairy products as an option for coffee With a name like “Off the Hook“ you wouldn’t expect to find many vegan options that couldn’t be farther from the truth there are lots of plant-based offerings on the menu and they’re all clearly marked with a V There’s maple fried brussels sprouts and vegan fish and chips made out of deep fried banana blossoms Papyrus is a veg-friendly Egyptian restaurant on the Danforth Vegan items are denoted clearly on the menu with a V and the majority of the menu appears to be vegan I was really excited when I saw their menu posted on their front door as I was walking past one day and I can’t wait to dine here sometime Plant Lyfe is a 100% plant-based cafe in Leslieville featuring nutritious and delicious fare There’s a vast menu of food and drink There’s also a full cafe with espresso beverages they’re set to launch their vegan afternoon tea Rendez-Vous Ethiopian Restaurant is a vegan-friendly establishment serving Ethiopian food to Toronto since 2001 Everything on the vegetarian portion of their menu looks to be vegan They also have a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at the restaurant The Social Gardener is a vegetarian I browsed their menu and everything looked to be vegan You can also find a big selection of coffee Tori’s Bakeshop is one of my favorite vegan bakeries in Toronto and it’s been around for a long time it’s Toronto’s first vegan cafe that opened back in 2012 They’re always a fav of mine at Toronto Vegfest and I love making a special trip out to The Beaches to pay them a visit They’ve got delicious baked goods and some of the best coffee in Toronto Tori’s bakes everything fresh daily using local organic and seasonal ingredients wherever possible There is a great selection of gluten-free treats Udupi Palace is a vegetarian Indian restaurant Every vegan meal has a V next to it on the menu Vegan I Thali is an Afro-Caribbean vegan food restaurant and grocery store All of their food is vegan (they are considered vegetarian because their grocery store sells honey) While the Yonge & Eglinton / Uptown Toronto region doesn’t have a ton of vegan options (aside from fast food chains there are a couple of spots where you’ll surely find some delicious vegan food Khau Gully (eating street) has healthy Indian eats many of which are marked as vegan on the menu Nutbar has a couple of locations in Toronto Please check out the description under the East End heading for more details Visiting north of Toronto or live in North York and area Here are the best vegan restaurants in Toronto’s north end that you need to check out Bean House is a bit of a hidden gem and I hadn’t heard of it until I was researching this article They sell 100% vegan bean cakes that you can take home with you They are also open for breakfast and lunch although the cafe itself is vegetarian (serves dairy and eggs) Celebrity Pure Vegetarian is a 100% vegan Caribbean restaurant in Toronto. It’s a small restaurant that’s mostly designed for takeout. Every meal comes with a selection of four hot dishes, plus a side salad. Although I haven’t dined here yet, it totally reminds me of Ras Rody’s in Negril Jamaica – and that was so delicious that it makes me excited to try Celebrity Pure Vegetarian I’ve tried Chic Peas‘ food at Toronto VegFest in the past and it was amazing I can’t wait to make it out to their location in North York sometime soon they are offering fresh vegan food and treats for pickup and local delivery in the GTA Chic Peas also has cooking classes from time to time Flower Lantern Vegetarian Restaurant in North York is a Chinese restaurant with a combination of vegetarian and vegan offerings Be sure to inquire as to which items on the menu are vegan Nanashake has 100% vegan ice cream and frozen desserts that are made out of bananas I tried one of their popsicles at Vegfest and it was a yummy treat PHO 90 is a Vietnamese restaurant on Weston Road There are many classic dishes gone plant-based Sweets from the Earth is a popular dessert company in Toronto You can find their products at their Bakery Outlet near Keele & Steeles or in grocery stores across Canada SFTE makes some of one of the first ever vegan cakes that I was able to buy at a grocery store when I first went vegan 12 years ago I still enjoy their sweets and they’re continually coming out with new products You’ll find Tenon Vegan Sushi on Bloor but the original Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine is located in Markham This is a predominantly vegan sushi restaurant with just a few items containing dairy or eggs (that are clearly marked) Whether you visit Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine or Tenon Vegan Sushi (we’ve been to both) The original location of the Vegan Danish Bakery is in Thornhill Please take a look under the Parkdale heading to read more details Vegwood is a vegan restaurant with sandwiches and comforting mock meat dishes Try the jerk unchicken sandwich or the tofu ribs and rice They once had an all you can eat brunch option that will hopefully be returning soon I admit that I need to frequent many of these Etobicoke vegan restaurants but I was delighted to find quite a few veg-friendly spots when there weren’t many in the past Here are the top vegan and vegetarian establishments in Etobicoke Allin Mikuna Soups is a family owned and operated business in Etobicoke that’s vegetarian and mostly vegan You can also buy some of their soup mixes to make their soup at home Meltwich is a grilled cheese restaurant with a whole plant-based section you’ll find vegan offerings like the crispy Nashville vegan melt Rancho Relaxo to Go has two locations in Toronto (Etobicoke and Junction Triangle) Take a look at the description under the Junction section above for more details Thrive Organic Kitchen serves vegetarian and raw dishes with an emphasis on superfoods I had the opportunity to try quite a few Scarborough vegan and veg-friendly restaurants when I was working in the area I don’t have photos for many of the spots as you don’t really think about taking pictures of food on your work lunch break I’ll try to grab some photos on future visits The Buddhist Vegetarian Kitchen is a longtime Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Scarborough The portions are quite large and it’s relatively inexpensive to dine there It’s a little difficult to tell what is vegan vs vegetarian Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant is located within the Splendid China Mall in Markham and I heard great things about it from a vegan friend of mine many years ago Ital Vital is a Caribbean restaurant in Scarborough that you must try and they serve a different menu each day (posted on their Instagram) Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant in Scarborough is a Chinese restaurant with a vast menu and the staff is aware of which dishes are vegan Even though the menu isn’t entirely vegan The Roti Hut was one of my favorite spots when I worked in Scarborough whether you decide to grab a roti or a rice bowl I loved getting the chana and potato roti or bowl The Veggie Thali is a 100% vegan Indian restaurant in Scarborough Looking for more vegan content from Toronto and the GTA I’ve written tons of vegan restaurant guides for destinations across Canada and around the world Here are a few more Canadian cities with fantastic vegan food options: What About Travel Insurance?You should never leave home without it Get a travel insurance quote in seconds with the best rates Lauren is the full-time travel blogger and content creator behind Justin Plus Lauren She started Justin Plus Lauren in 2013 and has travelled to 50+ countries around the world Lauren is an expert on vegan travel as one of the very first vegan travel bloggers She also focuses on outdoor adventure travel and creating amazing travel itineraries for cities and small towns Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Don’t forget Burger Tree inside the Kupfert and Kim at Yonge and Eglinton However Simon’s Wok has been closed for over two years most comprehensive guide to Toronto’s vegan spots I have ever accidentally stumbled upon on the internet!! Thanks so much for putting this all together and organizing it the way you did So much appreciation for also keeping the list up to date as well! I try my best to keep it up to date and I think there are even a few new spots I need to add :) As far as the best vegan brunch in Toronto goes I would definitely have to vote for Cosmic Treats!! I'm a part-time traveler and full time travel blogger and content creator I love writing about outdoor adventures and nature Justin Plus Lauren is one of the first vegan travel blogs I've been vegan since 2009 and vegetarian all my life I love sharing the best vegan food from around the world in my guides I'm also very passionate about sustainable travel and responsible wildlife tourism You'll only find ethical travel experiences on this website You can learn more about me here. I also own a second blog called Ontario Hiking Contact Lauren at justinpluslauren@gmail.com © 2025 Justin Plus Lauren | Privacy Policy