Along Dundas from Spadina Avenue to Nathan Phillips Square you’ll find Toronto’s original famed Chinatown. Toronto is the home of Canada’s largest Chinese population, so it’s not unusual to note that there are 5 other main Chinese areas in the city. This market area is home to shops and restaurants that reflect the diversity of Asian cultures and cuisine including Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai.
A wealth of oriental shops and fruit markets spills out onto the street, and a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants feature such delicacies as dim sum. The intersection of Dundas and Spadina is the most visible symbol of a dynamic community. In fact, on weekends, the sidewalks are crammed with open-air food stalls, vendors, and thousands of people from all backgrounds eager to shop, eat, and socialize.
Come hungry when you visit Chinatown. The restaurants are a big attraction to visitors, as the familiar "North American Chinese" menu is all but non-existent here. Instead, chefs in the area produce a variety of authentic cuisines, including:
- Szechwan
- Hunan
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
Their ingredients are purchased fresh from the stalls lining the streets. And it's not unusual to pass dozens of shop windows lined with barbecued pork, duck, steamed buns, and other more exotic fare. Street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese to make tourists and locals feel at ease.
