Taste of Toronto

Taste of Toronto is a four day foodie event that takes place at the spacious outdoor location of Fork York.

This event was definitely the height of my foodie festival experience with a plethora of restaurant exhibitors, pop-up food vendors, cooking demonstrations, classes, and top tier chefs.

With so much amazing food to choose from it was difficult to select just a few dishes to try but I narrowed it down to 6, which just happened to be from some of the hottest and buzz-worthy restaurants in Toronto.

Hudson Kitchen 

First up was a light and fresh salad that blew my taste buds out of the water.

Hudson Kitchen is a full-service dining restaurant at Dundas and Palmerstone that serves up Progressive American dishes that showcase classic foods kicked up a notch with whimsy and adventure.

The Dish: Zucchini Salad with Buffalo ricotta, mint, and almond

Fresh ribbons of yellow and green zucchini, combined with the rich creamy texture of the buffalo ricotta and the crunch from the almonds made for one of the most well balanced salads I’ve even eaten!

Find out more about Hudson Kitchen and their exciting menu : http://www.hudsonkitchen.com/

Fat Pasha 

Next up was Mediterranean hot spot Fat Pasha that showcases Israeli and Sephardic cuisines. Their booth at the festival was lively and friendly with lots of interaction between kitchen and guests.

The Dish: Fat Pasha’s Falafel Pita with cabbage slaw, sour pickles and tahini

Now, I wouldn’t consider myself a Falafel connoisseur but I have tried a fair amount of falafel in my time and this was right up there with with some of the best  authentic Israeli falafel.

The slightly warmed pita was filled with the delicious chickpea balls that were perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and topped with a bright acidic cabbage slaw and creamy tahini sauce.

I knew this was a good dish when others came up to me while I was eating it and asked where I’d gotten it from.

Check them out: http://www.fatpasha.com/

JaBistro 

Showcasing carefully crafted modern Japanese cuisine, JaBistro is the younger cousin of the Guu Restaurant family, owned by James HyunSoo Kim.

The Dish: Blowtorched & Pressed Sushi with Shrimp, Mackerel, and Salmon

This tasted pretty much as exciting as it sounds. It took regular old sushi up a level with expertly prepared bites highlighed by  concentrated, pressed  flavours

Find out more at: http://www.jabistro.com/

Barque Smokehouse 

Labeled as some of the best barbeque in Toronto, Barque is definitely a must try on my list of restaurants to visit. This was the station with the longest lineup by far but for good reasoning.

The Dish: Barque Rack O’ Bama: Baby Back Ribs (rubbed, smoked, and basted). Served with a potato, corn, and candied smoked bacon salad.

I got a glimpse into their expert smoke work and BBQ flavouring with the  these delicious ribs. I could taste the time and effort that was put into the smoking and basting process which resulted in a falloff the bone flavour bursting bite.

Visit their Roncesvalles location: barque.ca/

Bymark 

Part of Mark McEwan’s group of popular  restaurants, Bymark  is a fine dining spot located in the Toronto financial district.

 

At Taste of TO they were serving up rich and succulent lobster poutine.

Chunks of butter braised lobster  served with perfectly crispy fries and a classic bearnaise sauce.. what could be bad?!

See more of their delicious dishes here: bymark.mcewangroup.ca/

Richmond Station 

This is a Toronto gem which I`ve had the chance to try ( new post to come soon on that!). They have a contemporary menu that exemplifies seasonal, well thought out dishes with bold, harmonic flavours.

The Dish: Station Ice Cream Sundae

A delicious sweat treat to end off an amazing foodie festival!

Find out more here: richmondstation.ca/

Taste of Toronto was an expertly run event with a jam packed schedule and list of activities that exposed guests to a wide range of foodie adventures. Can`t wait for next years event!