Toronto's little ethnic enclaves deliver big on food and culture
Almost 47% of Toronto's population is foreign-born — around 3.3 million people. Solmaz Khosrowshahian is one of them. She came from Iran to study here 20 years ago and quickly decided to stick around. Today, she's best known as food blogger the Curious Creature.
'Beyond having a large immigrant population like other major cities, the diversity within our immigrant population is astonishing,' she said. 'Here you'll meet immigrants from a vast range of countries, including some from the most remote parts of the globe.'
So next time you're in town, why not see the world? Below we've rounded up Toronto's most intriguing ethnic enclaves.
Little Malta
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4 In Little Malta, Little Dumplings owner Bashir Muyne is showcasing Moorish cuisine.
Toronto Star via Getty Images
A little speck of land in the middle of the Med, Malta is famed for its alluring mishmash of Arabic, Italian and English. But in the early 20th century, tens of thousands of its citizens escaped to Toronto. They settled around Dundas Street and St. John's Road in the Junction 'hood, creating the tiny town nicknamed Little Malta — as signs now attest.
The modernist church there, St. Paul the Apostle, is run by Franciscan fathers from the island, and there's a sports and culture hub, the Melita Soccer Club, named after the same team in St. Julian's back home. Stop by the Malta Bake Shop for a pastizzi — the flaky fist-sized calzone filled with either ricotta or spicy, mushy peas — or ftira, the pizza-like bread topped with sliced potatoes, olives and tomatoes.
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Make an appointment to view a curiosity shop-like collection at the Maltese-Canadian Museum on the same strip.
Greektown
4 Over in vibrant Greektown, a monument to Alexander the Great celebrates an ancient culture.
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Astoria's got competition. 'The streets here are lined with Greek restaurants, barbers, churches, shops and parks where locals gather daily,' said Solmaz. 'An early morning walk can often feel like a stroll through any Greek city with yayas and papous out for their daily coffee meetups.'
This 'hood, also known as the Danforth, is ground zero for Greek goodies: Athens Pastries serves up killer spanakopita and bougatsa, or go to Mezes for the namesake snacks plus a Greek coffee at Phyllo Cafe (come extra hungry between Aug. 11 and 13 for the nabe-wide food fest Taste of the Danforth).
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Catch a show at the Danforth Music Hall, once a Greek-language movie house, and pick up some quirky souvenirs at the La Di Da Boutique.
Little Tibet
4 A woman gives thanks an altar before scarfing up some momo dumplings at Loga's Corner.
Toronto Star via Getty Images
This is one of the newer immigrant nabes to emerge, as thousands of Tibetans fled the oppression in their homeland during the late 1990s. They settled in Parkdale, clustering mostly at the junction of Queen and Jameson. It's now the largest Tibetan community overseas, and you'll likely see saffron-robed monks and women in traditional robes known as chubas.
Karma Sonam Dargye Ling Buddhist Temple on Maynard Avenue is a community hub, and you can pick up everything from Tibetan singing bowls to cashmere shawls at Himalayan Creation. Steamed dumplings known as momos are a staple of Tibetan cuisine — try tangy jhol momo from Himalayan Kitchen, or classic steamed and fried momos at Loga's Corner.
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Meanwhile, Tiny Cafe sells nothing but six types of momos, including vegan options.
Little Jamaica
4 Heroes from back home are honored with a 1,200-foot-long mural on Reggae Lane in Toronto's Little Jamaica.
Destination Toronto
Look for the black, green and gold flags and banners on Eglinton Avenue West just past Marlee Avenue, and you'll know you've stumbled upon one of the earliest Black communities in Canada. Jamaicans arrived here in huge numbers in the 1960s and while gentrification has started upending this 'hood, city officially have designated it a cultural district.
Snap an Insta-ready shot or two at Reggae Lane, which depicts icons of the genre in a 1,200-foot-long mural or buy classic reggae, ska and Rasta apparel at Treajah Isle Records.
'Ask anyone in the neighborhood which spot serves up the best patties or jerk chicken and you're bound to get into a heated debate,' said Solmaz. Start off at Sheryl's Authentic Caribbean Cuisine, then compare it with Kingston 12. After, pick up a spicy, molasses-spiked bulla cake at Sun-Light Bakery.
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