Guides
A directory tells you who exists. These tell you what to ask, what things cost, and where to start. Every business named in them is in the directory, with its own number, so nothing here sends you to a dead end.
Caribbean food in Old Toronto and the west endThe oldest Caribbean food geography in the city, the shops that have held the same unit for twenty years, and what the west end does better than anywhere. Every kitchen with its own number.
Caribbean food in Scarborough: where to go for jerk, roti and pattiesThe Scarborough Caribbean kitchens worth the drive, what each one is known for, and how to order roti, jerk and doubles without getting it wrong. Every place with its own phone number.
Caribbean food in EtobicokeThe Etobicoke Caribbean kitchens worth knowing, why so many of them are counters attached to a grocery, and what that tells you before you order. Every one with its own number to ring.
Caribbean caterers for a Toronto weddingHow Caribbean wedding catering is priced, what to ask before you book, and how much food a hall of 150 actually needs. The caterers to start with, and why you should ring nearly a year ahead.
Chinatown on Spadina: where to eat dim sum, noodles and Vietnamese phoToronto's downtown Chinatown around Spadina and Dundas, what to order at a dim sum house versus a noodle shop, and the phone number for every kitchen.Chinese food in North York: dim sum, noodles and WillowdaleWhere to eat Chinese food in North York, from dim sum to hand-pulled noodles around Yonge and Finch, and the phone number for every kitchen.Filipino food in Toronto: sisig, lechon, kamayan and where to goHow to order Filipino food in Toronto, what a kamayan feast is, and the kitchens worth knowing. Every place with its own phone number.
Greektown on the Danforth: where to eat souvlaki, meze and grilled fishToronto's Greektown on the Danforth, how to order a proper meze table, and the phone number for every taverna.Japanese food in Toronto: sushi, ramen, izakaya and how to orderHow to tell a real sushi bar from a combo shop, what an izakaya is for, and where to eat Japanese food across Toronto. Every place with its own phone number.
Koreatown on Bloor: where to eat Korean BBQ, fried chicken and tofu stewToronto's Koreatown on Bloor Street West, how to order at a barbecue table versus a stew house, and the phone number for every kitchen.Latin American food in Toronto: arepas, empanadas, pupusas and where to goHow to eat your way across Latin American Toronto, from Colombian to Peruvian to Salvadoran, and the phone number for every kitchen.
Little Ethiopia on the Danforth: where to eat injera, tibs and Ethiopian coffeeThe Ethiopian and Eritrean kitchens clustered on the east Danforth, what to order if you have never eaten with injera, and the phone number for every one.
Little India on Gerrard: where to eat South Asian food and buy sweetsToronto's Gerrard India Bazaar, what to order across North and South Indian kitchens, and the phone number for every one.
Little Italy on College: where to eat pasta, pizza and proper espressoToronto's Little Italy on College Street, how to tell a real trattoria from a room trading on the name, and the phone number for every kitchen.
Little Jamaica: the Caribbean food still on Eglinton WestThe Jamaican and Caribbean kitchens holding the Eglinton West strip after a decade of LRT construction, what each is known for, and the phone number for every one.Little Portugal on Dundas West: churrasco chicken, custard tarts and where to goToronto's Little Portugal on Dundas West, how to order piri piri chicken and a proper custard tart, and the phone number for every kitchen.Mexican food in Toronto: tacos, al pastor and how to tell the real thingHow to spot real Mexican food in Toronto, what to order at a taqueria, and the kitchens worth going to. Every place with its own phone number.Middle Eastern food in Toronto: shawarma, kebab, mezze and where to goHow to tell shawarma from kebab, Lebanese from Persian, and where to eat Middle Eastern food across Toronto. Every place with its own phone number.South Asian food in Scarborough: Sri Lankan, Tamil and IndianWhere to eat Sri Lankan, Tamil and Indian food in Scarborough, how to order kothu and a good dosa, and the phone number for every kitchen.Thai food in Toronto: how to order past pad thai and where to goHow to order real Thai food in Toronto, what to ask for beyond pad thai, and the kitchens worth going to. Every place with its own phone number.
Where to buy Ankara and African wax print in TorontoHow to buy real wax print in Toronto, tell it from the wax-look copy, and work out how many yards you need for a full outfit. The fabric shops to start with, and the one question to ask on the phone.
Where to buy Caribbean groceries in Toronto: scotch bonnet, ackee, saltfish and moreThe Caribbean and West Indian grocery shops across Toronto, what to buy at each kind, and how to stock a Caribbean kitchen without guessing. Every shop with its own phone number.
Where to get curry goat in TorontoWhat separates a proper curry goat from a tough one, the Jamaican and Guyanese styles you will meet in Toronto, and how to order it. The Caribbean kitchens to try, with their own number to ring.
Where to get doubles in TorontoWhat doubles actually are, how to order them the way a Trini does, and how to spot a stall that makes its own bara. The Caribbean kitchens to try, with their own number to ring.Where to get jerk chicken in Toronto: how to tell the real thingHow to spot proper jerk chicken in Toronto, why the drum matters, and the kitchens across the city that do it right. Every place with its own phone number.
Where to get oxtail in TorontoWhat good oxtail actually is, why it sells out by the afternoon, and how to tell a kitchen that browns it properly from one that boils it grey. The Caribbean kitchens to try, with their own number to ring first.Where to get pho in Toronto: how to read the bowl and where to slurp itHow to order Vietnamese pho in Toronto, what the cuts and the herbs are for, and the kitchens that make a proper broth. Every place with its own phone number.
Where to get roti in TorontoRoti is the bread, not the dish, and knowing the difference changes how you order. Dhalpuri, buss-up-shut and the fillings that go in them, plus the Caribbean kitchens to try.
Where to stay for Caribana weekend in TorontoThe Grand Parade is at Exhibition Place, the city fills up, and the good rooms go early. Where to base yourself, how to get to the parade without a car, and the independent places to stay.
Where to eat Caribbean food in TorontoTwenty-seven Caribbean kitchens across the six boroughs, what each part of the city is known for, and how to tell a good roti shop from a bad one before you order.
Where to buy fabric in TorontoTwelve fabric shops across the city, what each end of the trade is good for, and the questions to ask before you buy six metres of something you have only seen on a roll.
Booking a hall in Toronto: what to ask before you pay a depositEvent venues in Toronto run from a church basement to a room with a liquor licence and a loading bay. The questions below are the ones that decide which one you have actually booked.
Finding a hair salon in Toronto that can actually do your hairThere are 286 hair salons in this directory. The problem was never supply, it is working out which ones have done hair like yours before, and how to ask without a wasted appointment.
West African food in Toronto, and how to order itEighteen African kitchens across the city. What the staples actually are, which dishes to start with if you have never eaten this food, and why the swallow matters more than the soup.