#11 CHINATOWN
DATE: Saturday, June 14, 2014
TIME:
For rock-bottom deals and delicious meals, you can't beat Spadina Avenue, the heart of Toronto's Chinese community. Aromatic, bustling, and brightly lit, the pan Asian streetscape will have you thinking you've landed in Shanghai.
Ahoy! Today we are taking on Chinatown. A busy section of the city, easily accessible by transit, what gems will we discover today?
I don't live that far away from Chinatown, but I don't come here often. Spadina is super busy in this section and can be a nightmare to drive through (lots of traffic lights, lots of waiting around for people to parallel park) but Spadina does have dedicated streetcar lanes so take the streetcar!
Pretty much every Toronto student does a Geography or Business field trip to Chinatown (and Kesington Market - that will be another walk to come). High school.... good times.
I remember doing that field trip in grade 9... in french!
What can't I say about Chinatown? It's prolly everything you expect to see, hear, and smell --
1. Chinatown Centre (222 Spadina Ave)
The shopping mall has has an ever-changing warren of stalls and is fun for browsing.
I've never been here before, but it reminds me very much of a smaller "Pacific Mall" with all the small shops, beauty parlors, travel agencies etc...
but a Super 8?! really?
They're watching World Cup of Soccer action. Apparently that's thing to do when you're a midaged + man. Go to your local mall and watch the game.
Well it is the World Cup!
and it was Italy vs England!
Alma hat shopping.
and all less than $10!
It's the type of hat I want..
Just don't dig the flowery part.
Hmmm.... should she, shouldn't she?
Those are screaming Mon's name!
Just what I need - a 2 in 1 - purse and a set of bling!
Told you!
If I wasn't certain I was in a mall, I may have thought I was in the basement of a demented serial killer (unlike your friendly neighborhood serial killer like Dexter Morgan)
2. Furama Cakes and Deserts Garden (248 Spadina Ave.)
Indulge in sweet steamed buns and delicious egg-dough pastries.
Whenever my mom went downtown, she'd always bring home a box of Furama pastries.
It was always exciting to cut the red string that sealed the goodies -- BBQ pork buns, coconut buns, red bean buns... yum...
It was the end of the day, so not much selection left...
But Mon seems really happy beside the buns
So along the Spadina street car lanes, there are these decorative posts with the various Chinese zodiac animals. Years ago I suggested to Alma that we take a picture of everything single one of them, to which Alma groaned and rolled her eyes. But Alma knows by now to just say yes to my crazy ideas and I'll either forget about them or change my mind. That is also my mom's strategy.
This is a dragon. Some of you muggles may think it is the only mythical animal in the list of 12. And that is why you are a muggle.
(Wow, I sound crazy. I'm really not. Just trying to be funny and give my Harry Potter reference.)
3. Gold Stone Noodles (266 Spadina Ave.)
...to sample the succulent fare.
I know I've been here with my parents a long, long time ago...
All I can recall was it being jam packed and sitting near the back.
4. Dragon City (280 Spadina Ave)
....to browse the eclectic shops
More men watching the match.
FYI : Italy won 2-0
Ah, now this is stereotypical Chinatown (in any city.) The street markets. Though not nearly as busy as it would be say on a Sunday afternoon.
Look at these jack fruits!
Don't think I've ever tried some.
Huge! My hand is there for size reference.... then I remembered I have large man-hands.
So here's an average sized orange for reference
I'm surprised that this restaurant didn't make the list - but this place has been there forever! A many a time where the girls and I would meet on a cold day and have some Pho and if we're feeling really indulgent a milkshake!
It's house-speciality Vietnamese submarine sandwiches - pork and pickled vegetables on a baguette - are delicious and cheap.
As I type this I think to myself I could go for a vietnamese prawn sandwich. Do they have these?
I don't even think I've ever had a prawn sandwich before...
But yeah, for about $2, you can get a really decent banh mi sandwich here... I remember being introduced to this place when my bro was dating a vietnamese girl in college. I must admit Banh mi sandwiches aren't for everyone tho... you have to like cilantro.
...sample 23 varities of steamed and friend dumplings
Mmmm. Perhaps we should return for some sampling.
Indeed!
I mean - they have an orange thumbs up rating right on their sign!
7. Tap Phong (360 Spadina Ave)
Think Chinese Wal-mart
Chinese Wal-mart indeed!
Will need to come to peruse. We were kicked out cause it was closing time.
I never thought of it like that, but they definitely have everything!
Hehe, it was you just reading the card.
8. Plaiter Place (382 Spadina Ave)
... for handsome wicker items and finely made baskets.
They have some really great lanterns here.
I bought a couple small ones for my room in high school
Right after taking the last pic I see the sign saying saying no cameras....
and then I took out my phone again to take the next pic.
Mon is reminded of a Gilmore Girl's episode "A Tisket A Tasket".
Jess kinda explains it best -
JESS: The person who buys the basket wins the company of the person who makes the basket for lunch. Basket, basket maker, guy who didn’t bring enough money.
This is the basket I chose --- Mon couldn't decide!
9. Rotman's Hat Shop and Haberdashery (345 Spadina Ave)
... a city institution- and one of the few shops that remain from the street's Jewish heyday.
In an everchanging city, where constantly sites on our walks are closing down, I was quite pleased that thus far everything on the cards were still there. Until this one. Insert sad face. Sounds like it would have been neat. This is what it is now:
Hmm. Like that word "haberdashery". Think I need to adapt it into my daily venacular.
10. Lee Garden (331 Spadina Ave)
Considered by many to be the best traditional Chinese restaurant in town.
It is widely popular!
A table for 2?
a table for 2 with a really big appetite
Careto read my tea leaves? I see monkey wearing a t-shirt with his left arm up in the air. What does that mean?
We're ready to order!
Shanghai noodles with chicken and shrimp.
Yum.
Hey just last week, my international Chinese students said shanghai noodles aren't authentic. (Though they may have not understood the question)
Yum.
Bit of the night lights in Chinatown.
Wow, these was really an unusually quiet night for Chinatown
MONICA RATING: Well, a nice night, nice walk. Can't say for sure, but think Chinatown in any North American city is about the same. Great place for deals - so if you're a tourist looking for some souvenirs, probably would get more value for your dollar here. That being said, feel like this is more appropriate for local Torontonians than tourists. Kind of disappointed there wasn't a dim sum venue on the walk or a grocery store. Think I'll give it 3.5 Chinese symbols (that I have no idea what they mean and hope I'm not being offense) out of 5.
Alma's Rating: I feel like I grew up shopping/exploring Chinatown - first with my mom and then later with my high school friends... so I feel like I know it but don't anymore. While a lot of the shops are changing into more trendy places, there are a few staples that still remain. I'm also surprised like Mon that the cards didn't mention a dim sum place -- or the art supplies store Gwartzmann's or for the concert goers the El Mocambo!
I give this walk a 3/5
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