Toronto Chinatown food guide: eating your way along Spadina Avenue

Toronto's downtown Chinatown is one of the busiest and most lived-in food neighbourhoods in the city. Centred on the corner of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West, it spreads for several blocks in each direction with Cantonese barbecue shops, dumpling houses, hand-pulled noodle counters, Vietnamese pho restaurants, bakeries, fruit stands and late-night spots. It sits right next to Kensington Market, so the two make a natural food day together.

Where is Toronto's Chinatown?

The heart of downtown Chinatown is the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West, a short walk west of the Art Gallery of Ontario. The 510 Spadina streetcar runs through it, and the 505 Dundas streetcar crosses it. St. Patrick and Spadina subway stations are within walking distance. Toronto also has other Chinatowns and Chinese food areas, including East Chinatown at Gerrard and Broadview, and large suburban hubs in Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill.

What is the history of Toronto's Chinatown?

Toronto's first Chinatown grew up in the late 1800s near where City Hall now stands. When much of that area was cleared for the new City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square in the 1950s and 1960s, the Chinese community moved west along Dundas onto Spadina. The Spadina area had been the heart of Toronto's Jewish community and the garment district; as that community moved north, Chinese, and later Vietnamese, families and businesses moved in. Today the neighbourhood reflects all of those layers.

What should you eat in Toronto's Chinatown?

What	What to look for
Dim sum	Classic Cantonese brunch in large dining rooms
Cantonese barbecue	Roast duck, crispy pork belly and barbecue pork hanging in shop windows
Dumplings	Northern-style boiled and pan-fried dumplings
Hand-pulled noodles	Springy noodles made to order, often in beef broth
Pho	Vietnamese noodle soup, a big part of the neighbourhood
Bakery buns	Pineapple buns, egg tarts and barbecue pork buns
Hot pot	Cook-it-yourself dinners on cold nights

How do you order at a Chinese barbecue shop?

Barbecue shops display roast duck, soy sauce chicken, char siu (barbecue pork) and crispy pork belly in the window. Order by weight or by the portion, either to take home or on rice for a quick lunch. Tell the staff how much you want and whether you want it chopped. A plate of barbecue pork and crispy pork on rice is one of the best quick, cheap meals downtown.

Is Toronto's Chinatown good for cheap eats?

It is one of the best areas downtown for eating well on a budget. Dumplings, noodles, pho, barbecue on rice and bakery buns are all inexpensive, and portions are generous. Many places are casual counters where tipping is optional. At sit-down restaurants, tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount. Ontario adds the 13 percent HST to restaurant bills.

Is Chinatown open late?

Some restaurants in Chinatown stay open later than most of downtown, making it a useful stop after a show, a game or a night out. Hours change, so check before you go, especially on weeknights.

How do you combine Chinatown with Kensington Market?

Kensington Market is just west of Spadina, a few minutes' walk from the main Chinatown intersection. A classic Toronto food day starts with dim sum or dumplings in Chinatown, continues with a wander through Kensington's vintage shops, cafés and food stalls, and ends with a drink on one of Kensington's side streets. On Pedestrian Sundays in summer, Kensington closes some streets to cars.

What else is near Toronto's Chinatown?

• The Art Gallery of Ontario, a short walk east on Dundas.
• Grange Park, behind the gallery.
• Queen Street West, a few blocks south, for shopping and more restaurants.
• The University of Toronto, to the north.

Is there more than one Chinatown in Toronto?

Yes. Besides the main Chinatown on Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West, Toronto has a smaller East Chinatown around Gerrard Street East and Broadview Avenue, in the Riverdale area. It is quieter, with grocers, bakeries, barbecue shops and noodle and pho restaurants, and it is easy to reach by streetcar along Gerrard.

Beyond the city core, much of the region's newest Chinese food is in the suburbs, especially Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill, where large malls and plazas hold regional Chinese restaurants from all over China. Together they give Toronto one of the widest ranges of Chinese food in North America. Downtown Chinatown is the best place to start, and the suburbs are where to go next.

What should you know before visiting?

Chinatown is busy, especially on weekends, with crowded sidewalks and produce stands spilling out of shops. Some smaller restaurants are cash-friendly or have card minimums, so carry a little cash. Many restaurants have Chinese menus on the wall with dishes not on the English menu; ask about them. Weekend mornings are the busiest time for dim sum.

How can you support Chinatown's businesses?

Like many downtown Chinatowns, Toronto's faces pressure from rising rents and development. The best support is simple: eat and shop there, and tell people about the places you love. On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the dishes you ordered, with photos, and share a list of Chinatown favourites with friends, so the next person knows exactly which dumpling to order.

More guides to read next:

• Mississauga and Brampton food guide: Punjabi, Pakistani and Caribbean food in Peel Region
• CNE food guide: how to eat your way through the Ex
• Date night in Toronto: how to choose the right restaurant and neighbourhood

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