Visiting Toronto?

LeafSteel

GO LEAFS GO!!!
Mar 5, 2014
5,753
8,670
Toronto
There used to be a restaurant called Lin Garden (Indo-Chinese Hakka cuisine) basically chinese food cooked in indian spices that was freakin' amazing. Am on the lookout for a new place if anyone knows quote this post
Chung Moi in Scarborough is easily my favourite Hakka go to.
Hot & Sour soup
Chicken pakoras
Chili chicken…

Maaaaan, once you go Hakka you don’t go backa…..
The Brass Rail
Is that dive still open???? Reminds me of when I dj’d at Zanzibar when I was in university. Brass Rail was the “good” place and Jilly’s was where you went to get crabs or stabbed… .. lol.
 

Golden_Jet

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
22,894
11,196
Gather round and listen to the tales of a man who grew up in Pickering but spent a lot of time downtown. Put aside your tourist traps, I'm going to whisper the hidden gems any visitor needs to know about. This is the stuff only real Torontonians like myself are keen to...

The CN Tower

When you get off the barge that towed you to our town, you might see a very tall tower. The "CN" tower, named after it's creator Charles Newberg, is the second tallest building in Toronto. The other one is invisible, so I'd recommend seeking this one out. Unfortunately they don't permit visitors to climb it's tall bones, but you can get some great pictures from the ground and a neat souvenir mug.

Pizza Pizza

Only in Toronto. The best slice you'll find bar none.

The CNE

Little known pop up carnival that randomly spawns at different dates each year. Locals are so tired of it by this point that it's basically empty, enjoy taking your family around the various attractions in quiet solitude. Gets better every year.
Pizza Pizza is terrible, like any of the big chains.

I always recommend HHOF to visit.
 

Da Cool Rula

Registered User
Sep 8, 2017
2,903
1,684
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Hi folks,

Traveling to Toronto and have some questions? Ask them here!

Also, feel free to recommend any "must visit" locations for visitors!
Very nice inviting thread bro. Respect to you.

If you are a foodie and planning on visiting Toronto

MUST LIST: (according to me at least - close enough to downtown)
1) Taste of Danforth (best lamb ever!!! I guarantee you)
2) Little Italy (best Italian food in all of Canada YUP!!!)
3) Gerrard Street (Indian/Pakistiani cuisine) -> you will get to sample different varieties other than the freakin (boring) butter chicken LOL (P.S. Always avoid buffets the food isn't as good)
4) Chinatown (amazing amount of different chinese cuisine that is usually authentic unlike the beef/broccolli westernized chinese food)
5) Mandrin in Toronto (Young/Eglington) is the best there is when it comes to chinese buffet in all of Ontario IMO. Tremendous amount of options.

There used to be a restaurant called Lin Garden (Indo-Chinese Hakka cuisine) basically chinese food cooked in indian spices that was freakin' amazing. Am on the lookout for a new place if anyone knows quote this post


CN Tower is freakin' over rated IMO (but try the walk if you must lol); I assume since you are reading this on hockey board you will most definitely visit Hockey HoF (downtown); other attractions I'd recommend

1) Ripley's Aquarium (downtown)
2) Art Gallery of Ontario (downtown)
3) Jay's game (if you are baseball fan only Canadian team anyway ;))

Niagra falls is a given but meh...

If you are young (in 20s) stay downtown, there are plenty of "fun" activities to do downtown.

If you are visiting with family the kids will love Ripley's Aquarium; you can try Toronto zoo too kids would love that as well but plan well ahead.


Last but not the least young and old alike -> If you have the innerchild make sure to visit the Wonderland and go on the "drop zone" ;). Btw don't buy food there its expensive and crap btw. Just bring some snacks and then go crazy downtown with food ;)
Wow I'm from Toronto for 59 years. This is a beautiful writeup. Thank you

Christ, Pizza Pizza and Mandarin are food recommendations? Next you’ll be sending people to McDonalds for the best burgers in town. Lol.
Lol

Treliving HIGHLY recommends Boston Pizza.
No man gotta go with papa johns
 

Metroid

Слава Україні!!
Sep 6, 2006
5,233
5,532
Hellmouth
Word of warning, don’t drive into the city If you want to keep your sanity.
I never drive past Dundas west subway station/Roncesvalles. If I need to go further into the city, I transit it. That's my invisible line of "hell no I ain't taking my car past this line" lol
 

Budz

Registered User
Jan 28, 2013
1,879
2,248
The Brass Rail

In my best nudie bar announcer voice…

Put your hands together, for the lively, the vivacious …. Serenity. She’s sure to put a little rise in your Levi’s guys.
 

Eyedea

The Legend Continues
Jan 29, 2012
27,553
3,343
Toronto, Ontario
If you are a foodie and planning on visiting Toronto

MUST LIST: (according to me at least - close enough to downtown)
1) Taste of Danforth (best lamb ever!!! I guarantee you)
2) Little Italy (best Italian food in all of Canada YUP!!!)
3) Gerrard Street (Indian/Pakistiani cuisine) -> you will get to sample different varieties other than the freakin (boring) butter chicken LOL (P.S. Always avoid buffets the food isn't as good)
4) Chinatown (amazing amount of different chinese cuisine that is usually authentic unlike the beef/broccolli westernized chinese food)
5) Mandrin in Toronto (Young/Eglington) is the best there is when it comes to chinese buffet in all of Ontario IMO. Tremendous amount of options.

There used to be a restaurant called Lin Garden (Indo-Chinese Hakka cuisine) basically chinese food cooked in indian spices that was freakin' amazing. Am on the lookout for a new place if anyone knows quote this post

Danforth is a nice walkable area but if someone is searching for Greek food I’d recommend Greek Grill just north of the area at Pape/O’Connor. I’d have to ask if they still serve it but they were also the only ones I knew of that sold kokoretsi.

For gyros, I haven’t been in awhile but Souvlike has been the closest to the ones you’d find in Greece. Pretty much everyone else uses ground meat.

When it comes to Chinese food, just pick a place in Scarborough. Honestly, any type of cuisine, just pick a spot in Scarborough. I can’t speak on a lot of the “touristy” attractions of Toronto but one great thing about the city is that Scarborough is the food capital of the world.
 
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TheGreenTBer

shut off the power while I take a big shit
Apr 30, 2021
9,427
11,222
I really thought describing the CN Tower and Pizza Pizza as "hidden gems" would be sarcastic enough for everyone to pick up on, but I guess not...
I've only been to Toronto a few times in my life but my shitpost-sniffer picked it up :laugh:

I liked the invisible building line lol
 

tmlms13

Registered User
Apr 11, 2012
6,629
4,437
Waterloo, Ontario
Treliving HIGHLY recommends Boston Pizza.

I went to BP in Waterloo a few weeks ago. I was literally the only customer in the entire place. No one in the bar, no one in the dining room.

Also went there during the Leafs playoffs, there were maybe 10-15 people in the bar and the dining room was completely empty.

Maybe its just this place but damn BP is going to go broke if it's like that everywhere else.
 

Nineteen67

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Dec 12, 2017
22,909
10,196
I remember when there were some great sports bar and restaurants near the Dome. Grapevine, Gretzky, little hole in he wall on King between Spadina and Blue Jays way, bunch on Front.

It was a buzzing area.
 

DutchHockeyGuy

Registered User
Mar 8, 2007
137
141
There are a number of cool AirBnB's in the complex around the arena. Pretty cool to just step out of the elevator near the entrance to the rink.

My food recommendationd, is to find a place that sells smoked meat. The one I went to was about a 25 minute walk from the arena, but I cannot remember the name. Equaled what I had in Montreal. Does anyone here know which place I mean?

I am currently debating with myself wether the current team inspires me enough to spent money on another trip to Toronto this fall. Saw them in Dallas last season, that was fun too. So many Leafs-fans in the arena.
 

Nineteen67

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Dec 12, 2017
22,909
10,196
There are a number of cool AirBnB's in the complex around the arena. Pretty cool to just step out of the elevator near the entrance to the rink.

My food recommendationd, is to find a place that sells smoked meat. The one I went to was about a 25 minute walk from the arena, but I cannot remember the name. Equaled what I had in Montreal. Does anyone here know which place I mean?

I am currently debating with myself wether the current team inspires me enough to spent money on another trip to Toronto this fall. Saw them in Dallas last season, that was fun too. So many Leafs-fans in the arena.
I recommend you go see them in Vegas.

In my experience it’s much cheaper, there’s more to do, and everything from travel to getting around is easier.
 
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