Little Tibet in Parkdale, Toronto: momos, thukpa and how to eat there

Parkdale is a west-end Toronto neighbourhood centred on Queen Street West, west of Dufferin Street, with a mix of old apartment buildings, community services, cafés and restaurants. Within it, along Queen Street West, is the area known as Little Tibet, a cluster of Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants, shops and community spaces that has become one of Toronto's most distinctive food streets.

Little Tibet has no official boundary. What is clear is that Tibetan refugees began settling in Parkdale in the early 1970s, drawn by affordable housing, and that the community grew from there.

What is Tibetan food?

Tibetan cooking comes from a high, cold and dry landscape, and it is built around dumplings, noodles, broths, barley and meat such as yak, beef and lamb. In Toronto, restaurants also serve vegetarian dishes, and Nepalese, Indian and Chinese-influenced items.

What should you order in Little Tibet?

• Momos: steamed or fried dumplings with fillings such as beef, chicken, pork or vegetables, served with a spicy tomato and chili sauce. They are the dish most people come for.
• Thukpa: a hearty noodle soup with vegetables and meat, good on a cold day.
• Thenthuk: hand-pulled noodle soup, with torn pieces of dough in a broth.
• Shaptak and sha phaley: stir-fried meat dishes and fried meat-filled breads.
• Tingmo: steamed bread that goes with stews and curries.
• Butter tea and sweet milk tea: a salty butter tea is traditional in Tibet, and sweet milk tea is common in the restaurants.
• Hot sauce: many restaurants make their own chili sauce, and diners often ask for extra.

Menus vary by restaurant, and some use Nepali or Indian names. Ask your server what they recommend.

How do you eat at a Tibetan restaurant?

Order a few dishes to share. Momos arrive in a steamer, and you eat them with your hands or a fork, taking care with the hot juices inside. Soup and noodle dishes are filling. Many restaurants are small, informal and family run, with few tables, so go at a quiet time or be ready to wait.

What is the Momo Crawl?

An annual event, organized by a student group, where participants buy a passport and eat momos at several Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants in Parkdale. It raises awareness for the Tibetan cause. Dates and participants change, so check with the organizers.

What else is in Parkdale?

The neighbourhood has cafés, bars, independent shops and a long-standing community. Roncesvalles Avenue and its Polish food is a short walk or streetcar ride north-west. Queen Street West is served by the 501 streetcar, which makes Parkdale easy to reach from downtown without a car.

How do you eat respectfully in a changing neighbourhood?

Rising rents have pushed on many small businesses in Parkdale and across Toronto. If you value Little Tibet, eat in the family-run restaurants, buy from Tibetan-owned shops, and tip well. Treat the neighbourhood as a living community, not a theme.

What does it cost?

Momos and noodle soups are among the better-value meals in the city. Menu prices do not include tax. In Ontario, 13 percent HST is added at the bill. At a table with a server, a tip of 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount is normal.

Is Tibetan food good for vegetarians and people with allergies?

Many restaurants offer vegetable momos and vegetarian soups, but broths and sauces may contain meat, and kitchens often use wheat, soy and sesame. Tell your server about dietary needs.

How do you spend an afternoon in Little Tibet?

Start with lunch: a plate of momos and a bowl of thukpa. Walk along Queen Street West, looking at the small shops that sell prayer flags, books, jewellery and sweets. Stop for a milk tea. If you have time, walk to Lansdowne or Dufferin for the community centre and the city's other food streets. Eat again at dinner, since menus differ between restaurants.

What is the history behind the community?

Canada accepted Tibetan refugees under a resettlement program beginning around 1970, and some families chose Parkdale because rents were low and community services were nearby. Over time, family members arrived and the community grew. Tibetan restaurants became a way to share the food and to support the community. The neighbourhood has been affected by rising rents in recent years, which is why eating at the family-run places matters.

How do you keep up with a momo crawl?

A momo crawl is a lot of dumplings in a short street, and the notes make it a real comparison. In the Mosey app, rate each plate by name, such as steamed beef momos or thukpa, and write what stood out, for example "thin wrapper, juicy filling, hot sauce on the side". Add a tag such as Great Value or Group Dining, and put the ones you would go back to in a list called Little Tibet.

Invite your fellow crawlers with the link, and tag the person beside you under "Who were you with?" so they can add their own rating of the same dumpling.

More guides to read next:

• Mississauga and Brampton food guide: Punjabi, Pakistani and Caribbean food in Peel Region
• Thorncliffe Park food guide: Pakistani, Afghan and Indian restaurants on Overlea Boulevard
• Bloor West Village and High Park, Toronto: bakeries, pierogi and a park lunch

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.

After your next momo crawl, open the Mosey app and rate the plate you liked best.