Choose Your Own Adventure – Toronto! Post 2: Chinatown and Kensington Market

An ongoing series of ideas for how to spend your time in the city.

Post 2: Chinatown and Kensington Market

Start at Spadina station and hop on the streetcar ( also imagine me taking this route every morning on my way to work in the winter!)

You’ll start underground then pop up on the westerly border of the University of Toronto and be quickly whisked downtown towards Chinatown.

Get off the car at Dundas street and prepare for a little bit of Toronto’s great international and eclectic vibe. Walk north along Spadina (the way you just came down on the streetcar) and poke into any number of souvenir and knock off shops or one of the big Chinese grocers to check out all their neat produce.

If you are hungry, try Pho Hung (350 Spadina Ave, M-Sun 9.30am-11pm) at Spadina and St Andrew for a quick, easy and cheap fill up on Vietnamese noodle soup, Pho. Perfect for a cool day. Another great and McGrath family approved place for Chinatown eats is Lee Garden (331 Spadina Ave, F-Sat 4pm-1am, Sun - T 4pm-12pm) get there for an early dinner to avoid the lines and try the avocado cashew and beef dish-- to die for!

Tap Phong (360 Spadina Avenue M-Sun 10:30 am – 8 pm), on the west side of Spadina north of Pho Hung, is a huge Chinatown version of a house wares store. Great for browsing. Just north beyond Tap Phong is another favorite shop, BJ Trading Co. More stuff, all kinds of stuff, stuffed with stuff.

To get into Kensington Market head west on Baldwin, St Andrew or Nassau Streets. What I think is the most unique neighbourhood in Toronto, Kensington is full of pedestrians, little market shops, tons of second hand clothing (head to Kensington Avenue north of Dundas for all of these gems) and people from all walks of life. Bohemian and eclectic, Kensington is a definite must see.

While you are there, don’t miss the Blue Banana (250 August Ave, M-T: 11-6.30, F and Sat: 11-7, Sun 11-6.30), a new edition to the market that sells all sorts of neat gifts and crafts. Check out Urban Herbivore for tasty vegan sandwiches or if you prefer meat, go across the street to Big Fat Burrito (M-W:11 am- 10.30 p.m. T-Sat: 11am-10pm, Sun 11am–9pm.


And of course, what would a walking tour be without great coffee. Try the Americano at Ideal (84 Nassau St M-F 8-7, Sat 9- 7, Sun 10-6) or Moonbean (30 St Andrew St M-Sun 7-9) for a cup of coffee and a tasty treat.