What We Loved At The Taste Of Toronto

This past weekend was chock-full of fun food and drink events, from the Beer Festival to the Toronto Japanese Summer Festival, but one that is new to the city (and internationally-acclaimed to boot) is the Taste of Toronto. Taste Festivals have been occurring throughout the world in major cities for over 10 years, and Toronto was picked as the first North American city to launch in. Was it a success? Yes very much so. That said, it wasn’t cheap.

Showcasing 18 of Toronto’s top chefs and restaurateurs (plus another five pop-ups during certain sessions), over 30 local producers, wineries, and beer companies, Taste of Toronto was most definitely well attended and much enjoyed by hungry Torontonians. Special stage presentations by the featured chefs made the event interactive, including a class where a chef taught guests how to make a dish and then tasted each to tell them what was missing (or not missing). With each guest at their own cooking station, aspiring home cooks reserved their spots early on leading to sold-out sessions everyday.

Griddled Crab and Prawn Roll, Harbord Room

The food offerings were excellent, however, the prices were not cheap. Not that this is a surprise given that this is how Taste Festivals work worldwide. The currency at the fest is called crowns, with one crown equaling one dollar. Food offerings were anywhere between six crowns and ten crowns, while beer, cocktails, and wine were between five and eight crowns. In most cases, portions were far larger than sample size, yet smaller than a full portion size.

Pulled Chicken Slider, Los Colibris

For us, highlights of the festival included: Carl Heinrich’s (Richmond Station) Station Burger served on Milk Bun with OKA Sliced Cheese and Beet Chutney (even though you can get it at Richmond Station, it’s always a pleasure to indulge in); Corey Vitellio’s (THR&Co, The Harbord Room) Griddled Crab and Prawn Roll with Spicy Pickled Cucumber, Avocado and Crispy Bacon; and Mark McEwan’s Crispy Fried Chicken on a Buttermilk Bun. We also loved the Paella from Patria (which we always enjoy), the Mole Poblano and Pulled Chicken Slider from Los Colibris, the Crispy Rice from Khao San Road, and the Acharuli from Byblos.

Crispy Rice, Khao San Road

Other highlights were the Whitehaven Wine tent, who partnered with Neptune Oysters and brought in special Australian oysters that were delicious and meaty. Sold at only $1 a pop with a glass of wine at $5, this was a great pit-stop amidst the busy festival.

All in all, it was a great event, but also a very expensive one being that our total bill for two people was $120 (before the $60 entrance fee for two), and we tried a total of eight dishes, with three small glasses of wine each. We also spent an extra $20 at the local vendors on take home items. That being said, when can one experience all these amazing chefs putting out their best in one venue? Rarely… so it’s not a bad deal after all.

What were your favourite samples from the Taste of Toronto Festival? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.