Dining at the edge of the city
A Scarborough food tour of sorts.
Whenever someone asks me where the good food is in Toronto, I tell them: “you gotta get out to the ‘burbs.”
It’s definitely a bias of mine. It’s undeniable that there are plenty of amazing restaurants downtown as well, but I grew up on the edges of the city, in Scarborough, right where the city is unfolding into York Region and Pickering—the extreme northeast.
Increasingly, though, the non-Scarboroughians are catching on. Whenever someone (especially someone who maybe didn’t grow up in the city) finds out I’m from Scarborough, they’re all like: “Oh, I heard there’s a lot of good food there. Where should I eat?”
So, here’s where I’d take you on a Scarborough food tour.
You gotta start your day with dim sum.
It’s the Canto kid in me, but nothing hits like waking up on Sunday morning and going to yum cha. I mourn the days where the dim sum ladies would roll their steaming carts past your table and you take whatever strikes your fancy. But, it’s ok: dim sum is still the best possible breakfast. Yes, there are fine dim sum places downtown. But nothing beats the places in Scarborough, where the dim sum chefs are Chinese expats who trained in the art of dim sum cooking back home. Head to Casa Deluz (1571 Sandhurst Cir) for some high quality yum cha classics (your har gow, siu mai) and some more bougie stuff (we’re talking Peking duck served with bao buns rather than pancakes and super fragrant garlic fried rice with massive tiger prawns). You know they’re legit because they have zero social media presence and no website. Just show up, be seated, and enjoy.
Get a glizzy.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am the world’s biggest hot dog fan. I will literally go to the bank to get cash just to get a hot dog. But the dogs at Nasir’s are something special. Located in the parking lot of a mosque on Lawrence Avenue East, Nasir Alhuttam has been serving up halal hot dogs for over 15 years. And it’s not just that the dogs are halal: there are so many topping options that take an already transcendent experience (eating a hot dog) to the next level. You can get a Jerk dog, a beef chili dog, or just a plain old dog that you and load up with free toppings. Nasir’s has some of the best, and the widest selection, of toppings of any hot dog cart in the city.
You need Hakka food.
Though I love Yueh Tung at Bay and Dundas, Hakka food is a Scarborough staple. (Quick culture note: While there is a group of people in China called the Hakka, “Hakka cuisine” is the product of Chinese migrant workers and their descendents living in India.) My favourite is Lucky Chinese Restaurant, which has two locations on Lawrence Avenue East. Their Hakka chow mein is to die for, as is the chilli fish.
Afternoon tea at a cha chaan teng
The absolute best afternoon pick-me-up can be found at a cha chaan teng (or, a Hong Kong style cafe). If you’ve read anything else I’ve ever written, you’ll know that I’m a cha chaan teng stan: the food is an amazing blend of Cantonese flavours with western influences served alongside delicious drinks like milk tea. And, most of these cafes have afternoon tea specials. My favourite is Cafe le Majestik (2900 Markham Road, unit A45) where their eggs are always fluffy, tea is always fragrant and noodles come heavy with the wok hay flavour. Try the satay beef instant noodle—the beef is soft and tender and the satay sauce bleeds into the light broth for a balanced saltiness. Or, grab a sweet treat, which Cafe le Majestik is well-known for. Their Insta-worthy animal milk pudding is as adorable as it is delicious, lightly sweet and bouncy. Of course, wash it all down with a Hong Kong style milk tea.
It’s not Scarborough without Caribbean food, either.
When I talked to the chefs behind Ayla, who lived and worked in Barbados for a few years, we all agreed how lucky we are to live in a city that has so much Caribbean food. It’s something I took for granted for a long time: it wasn’t until I went to university and met people who didn’t grow up here that I realized that most Canadian towns and cities really only have a few Caribbean restaurants, if any. Most Torontonians, especially those in Scarborough, have a very strong opinion on what the best Jerk chicken, or doubles, or patties are. My humble take: Inner Circle (101-707 Kennedy Rd), a Guyanese family-owned restaurant that reopened here after closing its Port Union location a few years ago. Their oxtail is always fall-off-the-bone, their doubles stuffed to the brim with curried chickpeas, and the affordable lunch specials are anything but skimpy. And, do yourself a favour: get the rum cake.
Finish the day with dessert
I definitely have more of a “savoury tooth” than a sweet tooth, but I truly believe no meal is complete without dessert. I love soft serve ice cream as much as the next person, but something about Thai rolled ice cream just hits the spot. QQ Thai Ice Cream on Midland Avenue never disappoints. With a fairly big menu, there’s a flavour for every taste. I really like the Green Giant, which is matcha ice cream topped with strawberries, and Taro Taro, which is taro ice cream (duh) topped with Froot Loops.
Three bites I can’t stop thinking about:
🦀: Soy raw marinaded crab at JungSooNe Bonga. A friend and I have been on a journey to find the best Korean raw marinaded in the city and this place is a real contender with sweet, fresh flesh.
🍩: Mikaté (African doughnuts), which are sort of like beignets, at Nganda African Street Food. Served warm with lots and lots of chocolate sauce.
🐠: Thai salmon salad at I’m a Little Hot Crab (yes, that’s what it’s called, it’s amazing). Salmon sashimi stacked high and swimming in Thai spices and calamansi.