Review: Local Toronto Food Tours

There are food tours and then there are FOOD TOURS. There are tour guides and then there are TOUR GUIDES. In an industry where there’s a seemingly endless supply of options for those looking to get a “taste” of the city, finding a company that runs a solid food tour is harder than you’d think. Thankfully, there are some people doing it right out there — and I’m so so proud that there’s one right here in my hometown of Toronto! I’ve been on hundreds of food tours around the globe and would put my recent outing with Local Toronto Food Tours on my top three list…

Why? Well, I expect three things when I head out on a food tour: I want great food (obvi), I want to learn about the local culture & cuisines AND I want to be entertained. Too much to ask? I think not. It’s a simple formula, but many tour companies fail to fulfill these expectations — either I learn nothing about the cuisine, the tour guide is boring/not engaging or the food is sub-par (likely spots the company can make the most $$ on). Fortunately, Local Toronto Food Tours avoids these pitfalls and exceeded all of my expectations. Their Kensington Market & Chinatown Food Tour is fun, informative and tasty. Here’s what you can expect:

The Food – Local Toronto Food Tours

There are seven stops on the Kensington Market & Chinatown Food Tour, including 12+ different food & drink tastings! You will NOT leave this tour hungry, trust me! It’s a great mix of sweet & savoury, snacks & meals and ethnic eats that represent the diversity of the neighbourhood. Here’s where we ate:

1. Mother’s Dumplings – Can you believe these guys make 3, 000 dumplings a day?! At this stop we got a little glimpse inside the process, learned a bit about the history of the restaurant and got a 101 chopstick & sauce lesson as we devoured our dumplings. I have dined at Mother’s Dumplings before, but left with a newfound appreciation for the resto after this tour.

2. Mashion Bakery – Here we got a history lesson about our not-so-great past when it comes to Chinese immigration (including the Chinese Exclusion Act), talked about the difference between pastéis de nata and Chinese egg tarts and learned about our vibrant Chinatown.

3. Chinese Traditional Buns – OK, I’m not sure how I’ve never eaten here, but their Dan Dan Noodles are pretty amaze. At this stop we learned about the Ma family (they’ve owned the restaurant for the past 18 years), northern Chinese cuisine and our guide Michael even shared his own chili oil recipe with us!

4. Global Cheese – I’ve been coming to this cheese shop for years so it was nice to see it highlighted on the tour. We were presented with a huge platter as soon as we walked in and challenged to finish it all (which we happily did). Everyone loved the Honey-Mead Washed Goat Cheese from Blyth Farm and the 5 Brothers Cheese from Gunn’s Hill!

5. Golden Patty – I learned something new: I knew nothing about the Toronto patty wars back in the 80’s so I found that bit of history very fascinating. We also chatted about Jamaican immigration and the large Jamaican community here in Toronto while we ate our flaky and spicy patties. Yum!

6. Fresco’s Fish and Chips – Although this place doesn’t look like much from the outside, these guys serve up some of the best fish and chips in the city. Their fish is Ocean Wise certified and coated in Miss Vickie’s chips (not sure if this is a secret so shhh)! The fries are also delish — the owner tested out dozens of potatoes before settling on the one.

7. Pancho’s Bakery – We ended our tour on a sweet note in Kensington Market. The churros at Pancho’s are always on point — especially when they’re oozing with dulce de leche. I almost didn’t have room for mine because I was so full, but one look at these babies and I quickly found some room…

The Tour Guide – Local Toronto Food Tours

In my opinion, tour guides can either make or break a food tour (and certainly shape your impression of a city). They should be informed, engaging and fun. Our guide Michael was all of those things and more. I was the only Torontonian on our tour and was honestly so proud that he was repping our beaut city. His depth of knowledge about our history, food culture & cuisine made this a food tour I’ll never forget! For many visitors, tour guides are the only locals they spend a significant amount of time with so having an amazing guide like Michael makes a huge difference in how they experience our city.

The Other Stuff – Local Toronto Food Tours

I know I personally have a lot of questions before booking a food tour, so here’s some information I think you’ll find useful:

Group Size – The maximum group size is 16 people. While it may sound like a large group, ours was that size and it felt juuuust right. Our guide engaged with us all, kept us together as we ate our way through Chinatown and Kensington Market and made sure everyone’s needs were taken care of.

The Pace – I find a lot of food tours are either too rushed or too slow. This one was literally perfect. Enough time for everyone to eat, use the washrooms, relax and chat!

Length Of Tour & Getting Around – This is a 3 hour tour and you’ll be walking about 1.3 km. Nothing strenuous, but make sure you show up with the right gear if it’s raining (they run tours rain/shine).

Dietary Restrictions – I know many of you have them and I’m happy to report that these guys can accommodate! Just let them know beforehand so they can make arrangements. There was a vegetarian & someone with a severe allergy on my tour and they were taken care of.

Cost – Adults are $59 CAD + tax which is well worth it in my opinion. You can also use promo code “SPRINGSUMMER” for 20% off when you book here.

Beyond The Food – Lastly, what makes this tour different than most food tours I’ve been on is how they weave in cultural/historical stops along the way (from street art and a concert venue to a synagogue and notable homes). These breaks gave everyone in the group time to digest and — more importantly — gave us all a deeper understanding of Toronto!

A huge thanks to Local Toronto Food Tours for hosting me on this tour and sponsoring this post so I can share my experience with you guys. As always, reviews and opinions are my very own.