Foodie’s paradise
Sweet, savoury fun in Scarborough,
Melissa Chong and Angie Chen take turns biting into a soft bun filled with Hawaiian-style pork and oozing with barbecue sauce.
“There’s too much to eat here,” says Chen, indicating the food stalls and trucks lining Lawrence Ave. E. “You have to share to taste more food.”
They’ve already had fresh coconut juice from a West Indian booth. And Chong has her eye on the Indian and Thai food vendors.
“I feel like I’m back in Malaysia,” she says with a laugh.
This weekend’s Taste of Lawrence festival offers not only international foods — Jamaican-fried kingfish, Somalian sabaya wraps, Malaysian murtabaks, peri-peri fries — but also music and cultural performances from the Caribbean, Middle East and South America.
“We wanted something that would bring people together and create a sense of pride in the community,” says Councillor Michael Thompson, who co-founded the festival 12 years ago after noticing constituents in the increasingly diverse community were wary of trying new shops and different foods.
“Here you have the sun shining, music playing, and people experimenting with different foods,” he says.
Over the years, the festival, stretching from Warden Ave. to Birchmount Rd., has grown, attracting more vendors and visitors from all parts of the GTA (there are more than 100 vendors selling food, clothing, and other items this year). Organizers expect about 150,000 visitors for this year’s festival, which began on Friday.
Elizabeth Sze and several family members who have driven in from Richmond Hill are sharing a plate of pad Thai, mango salad and sweet and sour tofu, as well as a large Spanish onion opened like a flower, dipped in spicy batter. They move on to a Hong Kong seafood stall for curry fish balls and scallops. “I’ll try everything,” says Sze.
This is the first year for Ahmed Duale’s Kal & Mooy food truck at the Taste of Lawrence.
“I targeted this event last year because so many people came and it was so multicultural,” says Duale, who specializes in East African dishes and has an eatery in Queen West. “I wanted to venture into Scarborough to introduce my food.”
After all, Scarborough is now known as an international food mecca. Earlier this year, American economist and food blogger Tyler Cowan wrote that Scarborough was the best ethnic food suburb he’d ever seen, after taking a tour with University of Toronto Scarborough campus representatives.
His post made the social media rounds.
“I definitely agree about Scarborough,” says Mohamed Eldakhakhni as he grills onions, tomatoes and chicken at his Egyptian-style shawarma booth. “It has all the foods — Mexican, Mediterranean, Chinese, Jamaican.”
This is his 12th year at the Taste of Lawrence.
“I grew up in Scarborough. That’s why I keep coming back,” he says.
The Taste of Lawrence continues through Sunday. But it’s not the only street festival this weekend.
Salsa-on-St. Clair celebrates Latin culture with food, music and dance lessons. It runs through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. on St. Clair Ave. W. from Winona Dr. to Christie St.
Afrofest showcases African music and vendors at Woodbine Park, Coxwell Ave. and Eastern Ave.
It also runs through Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m.
“It has all the foods — Mexican, Mediterranean, Chinese, Jamaican. . . . I grew up in Scarborough. That’s why I keep coming back.” MOHAMED ELDAKHAKHNI SHAWARMA VENDOR