The Incredible Edible Bucket List: 365 must-try Toronto dishes

A silky and slightly sweet beef-bone broth loaded with braised and deeply spiced AAA Canadian short rib offset by a pile of fresh cilantro, basil and green onion. $30

Turkish pizza topped with ground beef, mozzarella and sujuk (fermented sausage). $25

$1–$1.85 each

$6 for two

$30 or $20 for kids under 10.

$16

$25

$11

$9.50–$18

$12–$18

$120

$23

Boldly seasoned steak, caramelized onions and mozzarella. $8

$270

Chef Eva Chin’s micro-­restaurant inside Hong Shing. $108 per person

A third-pound of house-smoked, thick-cut, appropriately fatty meat dressed with yellow mustard and stacked between two slices of fresh cut-to-order rye. $16.60. Photo by Shlomi Amiga

$26

Diced, battered and deep-fried conch served piping hot with a tangy dipping sauce. $10

$3.75–$4.50

$130. Photo by Jelena Subotic

Layers of fruit, cream and sponge cake inside a pricey Japanese crown melon that’s sliced open and cut into wedges tableside. Part of the omakase dinner. $300 per person. Photo by Nicole and Bagol

Like a Moroccan hot dog with house-made merguez sausage, fried shallots and chives. $7.50

A glittering green double-baked beauty filled with vibrant, creamy frangipane and bedazzled with Sicilian nuts. $9.50. Photo by Vicky Lam

$14

$8.85

$11. Photo by Ryan Nangreaves

$15

Breaded and fried white fish nestled in a toasted brioche bun with tangy pickled-eggplant tartar sauce, mustard greens and sweet ginger pickles. $22

$15

A Lev’s brioche bun stuffed with eight-hour-smoked meat and mango slaw, then drizzled with house citrus aïoli. $12–$20

$18

A feast that includes a pork banger, smoked English-style bacon, baked beans, a marinated portobello mushroom, a slow-roasted tomato, house black pudding, a choice of eggs and deep-fried bread. Served all day at the bar. $26

An Alpine après-ski spread that includes a melted mix of raclette and smoked gouda accompanied by soft pretzel, baguette, cornichons, pickled onions and mini potatoes. $44. Photo by Vicky Lam

$18.50

A tasting-menu feast that includes a cold seafood salad, an uni-topped seafood pancake, stone pot rice, and a selection of meats and veggies, all grilled tableside by a dedicated server slash grillmaster. For dessert: a mountain of seasonal bingsoo. $135 per person

Various prices

$20

House-made milk bread sandwiching fluffy scrambled eggs, cheddar, lettuce and a choice of dijon, spicy mayo or sweet mayo. $9

$18.95

$25

$5.45 each

From $5.45 for three pieces

A fat wodge of deeply satisfying and just-sweet-enough cake served with a pool of crème diplomate (a mix of pastry cream and whipped cream). $18

$19.50. Add garlic naan for $5. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$26

$12

$80

$10.90

$16

$18

$16.50

$22

$50–$495. Photo by Daniel Neuhaus

$16

$17–$18

$9 each

$20

Located inside the Monarch Tavern. $13.25. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$12–$22

$25

$21. Photo by Shlomi Amiga

$4

$17

This teeny-tiny takeout shop specializes in classic Trinbagonian dishes, like stews and curries wrapped in dhalpuri or served on rice. They also serve some of the city’s best street-style doubles, freshly fried bara topped with channa. We suggest ordering them with medium pepper and medium tamarind. $3.50

The quality of the regional classics here is top-notch—especially the vegetarian dishes. Bonus: it’s walking distance from Davisville station. From $23.65

$4 each

$13

$33

$9.50

$5.50

$19.50

$12

$8

$3.85

$24

$5.90 each

Located in the food court in the basement of the College Park Shops complex. $13.95

Most of the city’s best Tibetan restaurants are clustered in Parkdale, near the AGO or along Bloor West. Momo Ghar’s original location stands alone in Cabbagetown, and it’s worth a visit. The kurkure pork momos—breaded and tossed with a formidable amount of chili powder—are a must. $19

A whole sheet of still-attached pasta pockets, each filled with comté and chives, bathed in a silky beurre monté sauce with a splash of truffle oil, parmesan and olive oil. $25. Photo by Ryan Nangreaves

$14

$25

$22

$5.75 each

$24.25

$18

$14 for 12. Photo by Ashley van der Laan

$11.50

Various prices

A hefty milk-chocolate bar hiding a buttery bright-green mixture of pistachios and crunchy kataifi strands. $5

Go early in the morning, bring cash and wait until the tray is pulled from the oven—these are best eaten within minutes. $2.30 each

$13.50/lb.

$9.80 for two

$9.50 for six

$4 each

$29

This popular Syrian restaurant on shawarma row makes its own flatbreads, and the shawarma is top-notch, with a unique Syrian seasoning. The sujuk rolls—spiced beef wraps—are addictive. $22 for 12

Often imitated but never duplicated, this restaurant is the king when it comes to Vietnamese Singaporean wok-fried cooking—particularly their seafood. Market price

$23. Photo by Shlomi Amiga

Available January to May. Price varies

$7.75

$6 each. Photo by Pat Ozols

$11

An all-beef wiener cradled by a toasted bun and slathered in beef chili that his wife, Muna, makes daily. $8. Photo by Carmen Cheung

$12.50

$22

Weekends only. $16

$12. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$4.75

A plate of rice, plantain, sausage, pork belly, beans, avocado, steak, eggs and an arepa. $25

$12

$14

$10.65

$8.75

$3.25 each

$12

This restaurant makes excellent food and doubles as a hub for the area’s small but growing Uyghur community. $38

This Turkish grocery store is the place to stock up on dried peppers and pomegranate-flavoured everything, but it’s the counter at the back where you’ll find a bunch of locals eating pita and kebabs. Order the house lahmacun, flatbread topped with minced meat, onions, tomatoes, garlic and red peppers. $10

Cold noodles in an ox bone stock. $19. Photo by Ashley van der Laan

$18

Price varies according to weight

$26

$17

$20

A pork cutlet rolled in cream cheese, breaded and deep-fried. $25–$31

Decades after opening in a derelict plaza near Pearson airport, A-One still wears the crown for the best vegetarian samosas in the city. But the sleeper hit is the chana bhatura, chickpeas in a delicate sauce served with fried bread. $9

$13

$20

$9.80

Loaded with cevapi, burger patties, chicken breast, shish kebab, smoked sausage and breaded pork filet with kajmak. $109 and up

$26.75

$9–$10

$15–$20

With chicken and beef shawarma, rice, salad, tandoor bread and some of the city’s best hummus. $18

$4.50. Photo by Kendra Howard

A soft white bun layered with mortadella, mild salami, paper-thin slices of prosciutto, shredded lettuce, havarti, mayo, vinaigrette and a house giardiniera that cuts through each porky bite. $16

$15.95

A boozy rum-based cocktail for two heralded by a gong. $25

A Vietnamese take on beef carpaccio. Thin slices of Australian Tajima Wagyu are dressed in a lime vinaigrette and sprinkled with crunchy peanuts, crispy shallots and a blend of Thai herbs. $24

A stack of sliced sirloin, mortadella, chouriço and fried egg between two slabs of brioche, all smothered in melted emmenthal and topped with a peperoncino. $27

$7.50 for a quarter-loaf

These pyramid-shaped pastry pockets are packed with smoked brisket that’s been braised in a rich oxtail gravy. $9.75 each

With chicken liver mousse and sour cherry. $12

$3.25 each

A thick sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on a white kaiser, buttered and dressed with an ungodly (in a good way) amount of ketchup. $14

$23

$21

$28

Thin crêpes layered with eggs, deep-fried wonton crackers, green onion, cilantro, lettuce and house sauce, then rolled up like a Chinese breakfast burrito. $7

They sell out almost as soon as they’re pulled from the deep-fryer. $5

$3 slice, $22 whole cake

$8.50

Sundays only. $110 per person

$12.50. Photo by Vicky Lam

$7.35

$14

$17

$2.45 each

$13

A four-inch-tall, 14-layer brick of house-made pasta, slow-cooked beef bolognese, shredded mozzarella, parm and pecorino. $34

$14. Photo by Ashley van der Laan

A sandwich that’s equal parts pizza and salad. Two halves of a Lev Bakery challah bun are layered with mozzarella, DiNapoli tomato sauce and pepperoni, baked for a stint, then joined by crunchy caesar-dressed romaine for a hot-cool contrast. $15

$15

$4.50

$17

$20

Stuffed with a choice of plant-based protein (we like the carne asada) and dressed with guac, lettuce, beans, red rice, mozzarella and tofu-based chipotle crema. $18. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$32. Photo by Daniel Neuhaus

$7

With fries, gravy, coleslaw, pickles and buns. $39

$24 for four

A pile of guilty-pleasure frites covered in a mitigating mix of greens, diced tomatoes, pickled banana peppers and onions two ways (pickled, crispy) in an everything dressing. $8. Photo by Carmen Cheung

A Filipino brunch plate loaded with house longanisa, garlic rice, two fried eggs and atchara. $20

Two pieces of chicken, curly fries and mac salad. $21

$99

Golden strands made with 100 egg yolks per batch and cloaked in an ultra-luxurious sauce of St. Brigid’s butter and 24-month-aged parmigiano-­reggiano. $78. Photo by Nicole and Bagol

$5 each

$29

$16

Loaded with scrambled eggs, butter-­sautéed dates, dried apricots, walnuts, salty feta and barbari bread. $19

For Levantine Arabic food, head to Leaside. Everything here is about low-and-slow cooking and taking the time to enjoy your meal. The mansaf is lamb leg served with rice and an ample amount of yogurt that you can either drizzle over the jewelled rice or drink straight-up. $27

This Vietnamese lunch counter is located inside a pickleball hall. $7

$15. Photo by Daniel Neuhaus

Choice of draft, but keep it traditionally German with Common Good’s helles. $16

A sweet and boozy blend of toasted milk bread rum, coffee, coffee liqueur, condensed milk and chocolate bitters. $19

A utensil-free Filipino feast that feeds up to five hungry people. $272

$27

$25

$14. Photo by Jelena Subotic

From $13.25

$9 for three

This spot has been an institution in Toronto’s Iranian community for decades. What started as a humble takeout counter has grown into a hotspot for sit-down dining. The barg kebab, marinated filet mignon in a secret blend of house spices, is cooked over charcoal and served on jewelled rice. $32

$25

Mac and cheese topped with fried chicken. $17

$14 for two

$3.50

$5 (cash) or $5.65 (card)

Tossed with fresh herbs and a spicy lime Thai dressing. $16. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$33

$12.50 for a half-pound

$15

From $5.95

A festive blend of three kinds of rum, ube, coconut orgeat and pineapple juice. $18. Photo by Derek Shapton

Marinated herring served with fried potatoes, pickled red onion and dark rye bread. $22

$3.50–$5.50

Pasta with fresh lobster. $37

$7

$25.60

Fried pork-stuffed buns with crisp, golden-brown bottoms. $10 for four

$16 for two

$11

Spiked with Ketel One vodka and Galliano, then shaped using a very fun but very NSFW mould. $14. Photo by Ashley van der Laan

$14–$21

With scallops and Chinese sausage. $20.75

$18

Kettle chips topped with prosciutto and guindilla peppers. $15. Photo by Jelena Subotic

Friday to Sunday only. $19 for a half-pound

From $75

We’re in the midst of a biryani renaissance right now, but you can’t go wrong with this Keralan kitchen’s chicken, beef or vegetarian versions. From $12

$7.60 a slice

Chargrilled pork chop over rice with a fried egg, salad greens, pickled veggies and a thick slice of cha trung hap (like a Vietnamese meatloaf). If you’re having trouble finding the place, look for the shipping container in the back alley. $17. Photo by @siao.shots

While the really good stuff tends to be in Brampton and Mississauga, Blessinglicious’s jollof rice is a first-place contender. It’s wonderfully spicy, with that characteristic tomato essence. $12

$23

$9. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$27

The stretch of Danforth from Main to Victoria Park has quickly become what is now colloquially known as Bangla Town. Akin to Little India 30 years ago, it’s a vibrant strip of Bangladeshi and Bengali cafés and restaurants brimming with life and foot traffic. The tehari slow-cooked biryani with spiced beef is the go-to Bangladeshi dish here. $13

$16

With buttermilk fried chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and Baba’s cucumber salad. $24

This small but fun Korean kitchen is popular with locals and students for its expansive menu, which includes everything from hot pot to barbecue, but the spicy seafood jjajangmyeon—a comforting bowl of black bean noodle soup topped with shrimp and tons of red chilies—is the move. $25

This hidden shop sells an impressive lineup of smoked fish products. (Be warned: you must order ahead.) Try the hot smoked and peppered salmon or the hot smoked black cod. Various prices

$2.50 each

$18

$14. Photo by Daniel Neuhaus

Available before 2:30 p.m. $7.55

$5 each

Thornhill’s substantial Korean population lines up for the house-made gyoza here. The kalmandu-guk is served with hand-cut noodles in a creamy broth. $17

$14

Not only does Khorak stock imported Iranian goods, but it’s also a great place to load up for a dinner party. Head to the back and grab some sangak bread ($5), then go to the cold counter and get all the dips you can carry, including beetroot ($9.29), pressed yogurt ($8) and baba ghanouj ($9).

$24.50

$13–$19.50

Plaza Latina is an institution in this city. There are at least a dozen restaurants here from all parts of Latin and South America. At this Colombian stall, start with the cheese empanada ($2.50 each) and follow it up with any of the daily sopas (market price).

Chicken stew cooked in pomegranate and walnuts. $22

$12

The gold-standard ramen has always been outside of the city, and this one is well worth the drive. Pork ramen gets all the love, but this is one of the few places where you need to trust us and try the chicken broth. $22

From $5.20. Photo by Vicky Lam

$20–$30. Photo by Vicky Lam

This Polish institution is a grocer, a deli and a butcher in one—and they make amazing cabbage rolls. They’re available only on Wednesdays, and you have to ask for them at the butcher counter. $15

$22. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$16

$24

$10

$24

$18

$15

$11.80

$16

Crunchy croquettes topped with a house aïoli made with shrimp heads, then sprinkled with chives. $18

$24

Little golden-brown coils of baked pizza dough slathered in butter, herbs, garlic and parm. Served with marinara for dunking. $14. Photo by Jelena Subotic

A mix of fresh grilled corn, roasted poblanos and manchego, deep-fried in a gluten-free batter, drizzled with hot honey and finished with chives. House ranch comes on the side. $11. Photo by Ryan Nangreaves

A sesame bun cradling plant-based chicken fried in a blend of secret spices and topped with iceberg lettuce, pickles and spicy mayo. $17

Sardinian pasta pockets crammed with potato, chive and pecorino, served in a parmigiano brodo and drizzled with olive oil. $25

$14

A choice of egg (fried or scrambled), carb (the ginormous puri is the way to go), aloo dum (potato-based curry), chana, chutney and a ramekin of salad. $10

$14–$16

$30

A beef sausage in a house-made bun dressed with coleslaw, onion, cheddar, corn sauce, ketchup, mayo, mustard and—the clincher—potato sticks. $12.50

Market price

A pillowy rolled omelette seasoned with white soy and dashi and served with shichimi (an aromatic blend of spices including chili, orange peel and sesame) for dipping. $18

Their 18-square-foot storefront is like a sunny slice of Miami on Spadina. $10

Juicy shish tawouk and boneless fried, served with hot sauce, beet-pickled turnips and lettuce leaves for DIY wraps. $40 for a half-chicken. Photo by Ashley van der Laan

A four-piece maki stuffed with avocado and vegan mayo, rolled in baked rice pearls and tobiko arare, and topped with roasted king oyster mushrooms, Japanese shibazuke and truffle sauce. $18

Two-day-fermented dough topped with a kicky rosé sauce and creamy fior di latte. $5.75

A veggie pie topped with provolone, bocconcini, parmigiano and basil. $22–$28

An all-beef link topped with seaweed, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo and fried onions. $14. Photo by Ryan Nangreaves

A crusty Blackbird baguette (or focaccia) loaded with paper-thin slices of deep-red jamon ibérico and dressed to order with grated fresh tomato and extra-virgin olive oil. $20

A Detroit-style pie topped with tomato sauce, tandoori-­spiced paneer, sliced red onion, scallion and a few brushstrokes of pickled mango chutney. $24–$36

$22.50

$48

With bread-and-butter pickles, toast, dijon and habanero. $26

Garnished with Cool Ranch Doritos. $14

$23

$13

You choose the animal. $200 per person

Each one is shaped like a tiny koi and speckled with squid ink to mimic the fish’s distinctive markings. $29 for two

$30

$19

$16.50

$21.50

Piled with two cabbage rolls, six pierogies, two schnitzel, vegetables and salad. $65

$14

$13.50

$18

$13

Sundays only. $92 per person

$45

$13

$10

$14

Available at their new Kensington Market location. $21

$12.25

$2.85 each

$24

The Village by the Grange has one of the most multicultural food courts in the city, with more than a dozen incredible stalls on one floor. At the very back, you’ll find one of Toronto’s best Indonesian food shops. Get the otak otak, grilled fish cakes wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. $12

$16

$8 for four

$3.50 each

$5 each

Each bowl is filled to the brim with rich 12-hour tonkotsu broth, chewy noodles, fresh garlic, crunchy sprouts and a porky trifecta: belly, bone marrow and fat. Only 100 bowls are made every day, so when they sell out—no soup for you. Photo by Shlomi Amiga

$16

$20 for two

Add a small side of charro beans ($7) and some cornbread ($6). $24

$36. Photo by Shlomi Amiga

$16

A bag of corn chips loaded with dry-aged beef chili (made with fermented Pixian chili bean paste and sansho pepper) for an Asian twist on the classic southwestern snack. $16

Be sure to make good use of the jar of pikliz that arrives at the table. $19

$11

From $36

The Jamaican patty is an absolute rite of passage in Toronto. And Norma’s Patties at this Junction spot are, in our humble opinion, the city’s best. Get the oxtail, ackee and salt fish or the classic beef—there’s no wrong choice. $4.15–$5.75

$17

$21

$180. Photo by Jelena Subotic

Price varies

This place has developed a cult following among North York’s Turkish community. There’s minimal seating and a small menu with a focus on kebabs—like liver cooked over charcoal and wrapped tightly in a blistered pita—and a few sides. $12.50

$15

$8.50

$36–$50

A high-octane sipper made with rum, Amaro Averna, Campari and mezcal. $25

$6

A haute take on the much-loved McCain staple sweet. $12. Photo by Jelena Subotic

A spicy tomato-based noodle soup served with braised pork. This Vietnamese Thai spot specializes in a unique blend of cultures as well as hard-to-find northern Thai dishes. $15

$21

$27

An alien-green falafel patty made with Ontario chickpeas and a nebula of fresh herbs, topped with a thick slice of tomato, pickles and a dollop of vegan aïoli. $9. Photo by Jelena Subotic

$29. Photo by Kendra Howard

Topped with a cheese blend, kothu roti, mango chutney, sour cream, green onions, Cala­brian chilies, fresh cilantro and coconut sambol. $25–$38

$22

$4

This new Sri Lankan, Sinhalese and Tamil spot is located on a quiet stretch of Lawrence Avenue in eastern Scarborough. The lamprais—rice and curry wrapped in banana leaf with chicken or mutton—is the thing to get. $20

$5.50

This is the perfect place for late-morning feasts around a lazy Susan. Get as much as you can and share—and don’t pass on the har gow or any of the cheung fun (steamed rice noodle rolls). Various prices

This spot produces some of the best Roman pies in the city. $33

Chartwell Shopping Centre has long been recognized for its iconic Hong Kongese and Shanghainese spots. Hit up the food court for the roast duck on rice with a side of braised Chinese broccoli. $13

Desta is a family-owned Ethiopian butcher shop. Talk to whomever is behind the counter and ask for the local version of injera topped with doro wat, slow-cooked chicken in Ethiopian spices. $25

$15.50–$17.50

Stuffed peppers with shrimp and cheese. $27

$18

$5.50

Hand-pulled noodles with braised chicken. $20

$24

$16.25

$11.25

We are a hot sauce nation—long gone are the days when you had to rely on sriracha. FOC sources all its peppers from growers in southwestern Ontario. $14

$14.80

$14.50

Made in the kitchen’s wood-fired pizza oven. $14 per pound. Photo by Daniel Neuhaus

A Sichuan gem located in a tiny but impres- sive food court at the bottom of a condo complex. $13

$24

Raw marinated crab in soy sauce. $26. Photo by Tiffany Leigh

$18. Photo by Nicole and Bagol

$9

$9

$45/kg

$18.95

A bevy of battered and deep-fried delights that could include shrimp, smelt, salmon, calamari, whiting, sole, anchovies, cod or sardines. $27. Photo by Tiffany Leigh