Neighbourhood Crawl: What Kardinal Offishall loves about Queen West

Kardinal Offishall is Canada’s hip hop ambassador and one of Toronto’s pioneering rappers. When he was growing up, his family moved frequently, bouncing around Scarborough, Flemingdon Park and Oakwood Village. Today, as head of Global A&R at Def Jam Recordings, he splits his time between his home in Vaughan and his Queen West pied-à-terre, hosting celebrities at his three-bedroom loft. “There’s a pulse here,” he says. “Queen West has its own energy.” This year, he drops his new EP, Everyday, Sometimes, and it hits close to home—he filmed the video for its single, “Let Em Out,” in the Queen alleys at the foot of his loft. Here, he takes us on a tour of his favourite haunts.

Sanko Trading Co.

“My wife was raised in Japan, so we like to pop in here and pick up anything from candies to toys to specialty foods. They have so many different items, and part of the fun is ­seeing what’s new. Maybe it’s a red bean–flavoured Kit Kat or a new type of soda. We’ve visited Japan several times, and whenever we start missing it, we come here. It’s our mini source of Japanese culture.’’ 730 Queen St. W., toronto-sanko.com

Noble Street Studios

“I’ve always had my own studio where I record by myself, but when it comes to collaborative sessions, I like vibing in a big space. At Noble Street, we’ve done some great things. Just the other day, we recorded a Toronto choir for Skip Marley’s album. Around 2015, when Will Smith was in town filming Suicide Squad, I got a call to record with him at Noble. It was legendary, but the music never got released.” 17 Noble St., noblestreetstudios.com

Spectacle

“This place carries so many different types of glasses, and they make and sell their own line named after Toronto streets. Years ago, I bought a pair inspired by a street in Oakwood Village. They know glasses, and they know what you need.” 752 Queen St. W., spectaclelovesyou.com

Related: What Sook-Yin Lee loves about Kensington Market

Ali’s Roti

“Ali’s is downtown’s best roti. I’ve taken many visitors from around the world here. My staple is the paratha roti. If you’re on the move and need to bet on one meal to last you, it’s the best bang for your buck. Once you see how huge their roti is, you won’t question the value. And their ice cream is good too.” 1446 Queen St. W., alisroti.ca

Call and Response

“I discovered this place many moons ago. I needed something to wear to an awards show, and someone told me to go here. Apparently they used to dress Prince. If it was good enough for Prince, it was good enough for me. I’d say about 60 to 70 per cent of my red-carpet outfits have been from Call and Response. Shout-out to owners Cathy, Lori and Annie—they craft some of the most intricate clothes in the world.” 793 Queen St. W., second floor, callandresponseclothing.com

Harlem Restaurant

“For Black folks in Toronto, this spot is more than a restaurant; it’s a gathering place. It closed for six years, and we really missed it. Now it’s reopened. The staff are so welcoming, and the food is top-notch. I love their Shrimp Rundown, and the candied plantain is out of control. They smoke the jerk chicken out back in the alley, which is fantastic. They’ve also got a dance floor and a stage, so at any time, it can go from a chill dinner to an all-out party.” 745 Queen St. W., harlemrestaurant.com

Related: After closing six years ago, Harlem Restaurant has returned to Queen West