This is the 2nd annual AsialiciousTO.  It is kicked off with a Carnival at Woodside Square south…read moreparking lot,  at Finch and McCowan. This year it was on 2021-09-10 to 12. The festival is to promote Asian culture. The event is free. There are food and other vendors. There is also a stage with many performances like dancers and singers.there are also movies at night and fireworks at 11pm. To get in, you have to scan a QR code and fill in a COVID questionnaire. To sit in the performance stage area, you have to register on the event website (presumably for contact tracing reasons if needed). Many food items are $8.00 including tax. There is no free WiFi. You may be able to get WiFi from nearby mall vendors. It is wheelchair accessible. Parking may be hard to find in the mall parking lot but it is possible. Review 2021-051 You can also find me on Instagram @chuan_chee. Thanks.

What a great food festival this is. Definitely one of the busiest food festivals in Toronto. The…read morefood items here are outrageous. Lots of seafood offerings on a sick, lots of meats on a stick. The flavours are not only Chinese, but also Indian inspired. Think Hakka. Make sure to try some of the tasty and interesting drinks, from fresh fruit drinks (some served in a pineapple), to ice teas to bubble teas. The perfect accompaniment on a hot summer day. The festival is very busy, so be prepared for the crowds. Parking can be a hassle, but there is lots of street parking in the surrounding neighbourhoods. On a hot summer day, you can step into the adjacent Pacific Mall to cool down. So, why not a 5 star review you ask me? Simple reason: The place has a very unappetizing smell. I asked around, and was informed that it's the Sticky Tofu. I do believe that people eat it as a novelty, like durian fruit. So, I hope I'm not being culturally insensitive when I mention it. But honestly, I think this festival would be much better if the Sticky Tofu truck was stuck on the 401. Sorry. In case I'm misunderstanding the whole Sticky Tofu thing, please enlighten me! Other than that, I would definitely recommend this food festival. As an added bonus, there is a stage with dance and song performances.

Taste of Asia just isn't what it used to be. Sure there's still lots of food stalls this year but…read moreit's a far cry from the past. It feels more like a community fair now with many non-food stalls like GO transit, embassy of India, MPs, plants and even Scientology (lol). Food options were good, but predominantly Chinese. There's a few Thai and other Asian cuisines but the variety was rather poor and selections were limited compared to a Night Market that I attended last year in New York. Food prices definitely went up by quite a bit this year ($20 for 4 scallops/oysters).

Are you tired of swimming through sticky people to get to some skewers? Do hour long waits for…read moreoverpriced, mediocre foods make you sad? Well, come on down to TO Food Fest! Actually, you can't. It's over. But maybe next year! On a gorgeous Sunday morning, friends and I headed down to experience some exotic treats. Getting there early enough meant we got to park in the lot in front of the community centre. So refreshing to have room to move around and to actually try all the things we wanted to try. I'll try to keep my descriptions short and sweet: DaanGo (aka. Masterchef Baker Siu): Asian inspired macarons (delicious), tarts, and the most Instagramable dessert ever: agar fruit marbles in syrup. $15 for 6 macarons and $6 for a cup of the cool fruit bubbles. Fish'D (by EDO): Salmon sushi burrito is exactly what you'd expect. Pretty delicious but also tastes exactly as you'd think a big sushi roll would taste like. $12 for a full one and $7 for half. Yakikuza: They did one thing and one thing only: bacon and shrimp okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake). And they did it so well. Deliciously fried batter with sauces and two strips of bacon + small shrimps. Oko-NOM-iyaki indeed. ($8) Teppan Ice Cream: Cute guys with nice arms rolling ice cream? Uhhh yes, please. I thought these rolled ice cream things would be kinda gimmicky but that was actually delicious. I got the lychee (real lychee pieces chopped up into the cream), with condensed milk and peanuts. $7 for some creamy, creamy goodness. There were a ton of other fantastic stalls/food trucks that I didn't get to try like Chocollata Gourmet (beautiful Brazilian truffles), the pork belly bao, and the liquid nitrogen frozen popcorn. Great variety, fantastic quality, and I was pretty stuffed after 2.5 hours there. As a note, yes there is a donation amount of $2 requested. Yes, it's voluntary. Yes, there are some lovely ladies that sit at the entrance and ask you, in a very polite way, to donate. If the setup makes you uncomfortable because you feel like you're being "forced" to donate, that's your stingy attitude making you feel that way, not the people there (*cough* other review..). (68/100) - 2016

This was one of the first food festivals I visited this year and it stood out as better than ok…read more 6.5/10 marks. 1. Beware of the lines and many people butting, many new lines being formed, and wait time can take a while. But the people are friendly, just a lack of organization can make things frustrating. 2. Smoke from skewered meats EVERYWHERE. 3. There were 3-4 food trucks so not as many as I imagined. Tried Cluck Clucks (my chicken waffle go-to place) and Formocha (great wheel cake!), and Busters Sea Cove (never going back because of their highly disappointing tacos).

This is an Asian food market on a much smaller scale than say Night It Up or Taste of Asia. The…read morefamiliar smells of grilled meats and stinky tofu dominate the air. Many of the usual night market vendors are present (Chatime, Tea Shop 168, Formocha, Osaka original takoyaki, okonomiyaki, AA Grills raindrop cakes, Wei's smelly tofu, Mama Bear smelly tofu, and several of the grilled skewer purveyors). Kanto by Tita Flips was also present, selling calamansi ice tea and pork skewers. Because this market occupies the parking lot at Metro Square, attendants direct drivers to park at the nearby Greek Orthodox Church parking lot. There is a main stage but there was no entertainment at the time hubby and I were there. Worth going to if you have time to spare this weekend but probably many won't spend a lot of time here (mainly because of the relatively fewer food options available).

This event is smaller than Night it Up which has one fringe benefit... it was less crowded…read more This venue provides no seating, so people come and go more readily. After the initial influx in the mornings and lunch hours the crowds quickly dissipate. I could tell since I can see the venue from my condo so I can choose an appropriate time to go. One thing about the venue this time compared to some other time I *approached* it was the stinky tofu smell wasn't too strong. I recall one time they had the smell so strong I just turned around once I reached the corner. They have a good selection of food, but nothing unique. There are some that are misses and cheaper for a good reason. e.g. the $3 tornado fries vs the $9 tornado fries in the next store, the $3 one I got left much to be desired. Another miss after a long wait was the $10 squid tepanyaki. It smelled so good while they were making it but the end result was so rubbery I didn't enjoy it much. Honorable mentions: I had the deep fried onigiri. $7 for 2. I liked the fact that it had a crispy texture and was enjoying it but realizing that there was absolutely nothing inside but rice was a major disappointment. Fried tofu in volcano sauce ($8 but $15 with drink and takoyaki combo) somehow they made this crispy for a relatively long period in the sauce. The sauce had a mild kick to it but blends well with the crispness of the tofu. The lemonade drink with mint wasn't bad either. Top 3: The Osaka okonomiyaki for $7 was pretty good. However, I knew this store from work so I am biased in it. It was crispy and considering we ate this AFTER everything else we didn't feel bloated. This was my 3rd favorite. The Vietnamese (I am guessing from their script) Oh Ah Jen (fried oyster pancake) was quite good. I don't think I had an oyster pancake like that before (perhaps it's not something I commonly order at Pho places) but it was different from the HK places that's for sure. It had bean sprouts (which I don't normally like) but it had large chunks of oysters and the sprouts covered some of the sauce's flavors so it didn't get too strong. This was my number 2 The i-migo takoyaki was probably the best takoyaki I've had even compared to the ones I had in the Little Japan at the Philippines and J-Town's events. It was like a cream puff but instead of the pastry, it was takoyaki batter and instead of ice cream it was a bunch of takoyaki stuff. This is my number 1 favorite in the event. Unfortunately, there are a number of lower class people smoking around and this includes the staff at some of the stalls specific example was at i-migo which I just had to tolerate to get their takoyaki. Some suggestions for a future event. #1 get their security to deal with smokers especially among the staff. #2 disallow booths from putting up their own blaring music (I had to deal with that with the i-migo booth) #3 provide free wifi for the occasion #4 provide a Yelp review meter for each booth along with a QR code so we can rate. #5 manage the wash stalls better, there was no water in them 2 hours before closing time. #6 put in a Legendary Pokemon hunt. Pro-tip: go to Gong-Cha for tea afterwards, much better drink and you can start writing your reviews because they have free wifi and seating. Not to mention have a fully plumbed sink and toilet if needed.

When I came to Toronto, friends brought me to different food festivals, and Night It Up! was the…read morelargest. They've hosted at Markham Civic Centre every year, but this time was at the newly constructed downtown Markham plaza. Loud music and a campground of tents attracted the crowd as I turned on the corner of the street. But what made it memorable was that strong irresistibly-overwhelming smell - a passionate love or a vehemently hate for stinky tofu. I bought it from the Smelly Tofu food truck - the only Hong Kong-style among the three vendors. I sat front stage watching live performances as I enjoyed this guilty pleasure of nauseating messy snack. Young singers from @thesingingschool showcased their remarkable skills - from "Love The Way You Lie" and "Hold My Hand" to even their original songs. A group of children as little as a few years old were dancing. I roamed the area finding carnival games like fish catching, spin-the-wheel, jumbo Jenga and more. And before leaving, I hunted for my last bite - there was corn on the cob, skewers, flatbreads, takoyaki, seafood pancakes, leek pie and more - I opted in for the beef pie instead. What an amazing night!

Location This event is now hosted on Enterprise, in the same…read moreplaza as Good Catch, Goodlife and the VIP cinemas. Parking (including underground) is quite limited there - so best to come carpooling or explore nearby parking. One good thing is that the organizer does have a designated parking area setup for people coming in. Setup There are multiple vendors - from food, drinks to small gifts, organizations and even non-profits to promote anything! There are also festivities and live performances based on a schedule - so make sure to grab a seat if you want to watch any of them. I usually come for the food - to see what's new and exciting and what is not out there in restaurants. Inflation over the years have risen a lot of prices - so it could range anywhere from $10 for a drink to $15-$20 for food. Quantity wise - depending on where you look - can vary. You may have to spend at least 1-2 dishes to feel full. It's a staple yearly event that happens in Markham - definitely do check it out - and you may little hidden surprises !

So good to be back!!!…read more After missing out on this festival last year due to the pandemic and other events we finally made it back this year to the Unionville Festival. This year it was held on June 4th and was a special event for us as it was my daughter's birthday as well. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday this year, she said she wanted to go to the Unionville Festival, so off we went. The Unionville Festival is an annual event hosted by the Unionville BIA. For more info, you can look them up at https://unionvilleinfo.com. Almost all of the businesses on Main Street Unionville offer something for families to do. The stores and restaurants are open, and some companies have booths or offer street food. It's also attended by several other vendors from the Markham area. There is much for kids to do as some of the locations have children's activities. The Varley Gallery had art-related activities for the kids. For grown-ups, there is a beer tent, and of course, the restaurant, bars and patios are open if you're looking for an 'adult' drink. Many of the shops are open for shopping and there are street vendors too. This is only a one-day festival but there is enough for two days. We had a great time as we ran into many people we knew, had some street food, and the kids had fun at the Fred Varley Gallery, we had dinner at the Old Country Inn, which doubled as one of the beer tents. It was a good day for us, as we shopped, we ate, we ran into friends and had a great time. Check out this once-a-year event for yourself.

This was my first year attending the Unionville Festival and it definitely will not be my last! The…read moreevent is organized thoroughly with a variety of vendors. To my knowledge, the number of vendors are increasing dramatically every year. Happening at Main Street Unionville, this festival is good for everyone and anyone. From bars, to family friendly restaurants AND cute little patios, there is something to do for everyone. Main Street Unionville is closed off for this festival all weekend so you can literally walk around this beautiful section of Markham while getting to know/enjoy different local businesses. The Opening Parade was also awesome! There was a lot of different cultural representations alongside great music. After the Parade there were a few entertaining performances that occurred at Carlton and Main Street. The festival was a lot fun and I really enjoyed the street musicians jamming out. Will definitely come back next year :)

My rating is 4.5 stars. Despite some tough ribs that I got, I'll round up for organization and…read morefriendliness. For years, I'd drive by Thomson Memorial Park when Scarborough Ribfest was on and I'd continue driving. It looked amazing, but the parking looked insane that it was too much for me to handle. I was doing some research on my phone that had nothing to do with food. I saw an ad for Scarborough Ribfest being in drive-thru format at Centennial College's Ashtonbee Campus and it piqued my interest. I decided to head over here to grab some dinner on a rare Sunday outing. I knew where the campus was. I had no idea where the main entrance was, though. Luckily, signs saved me and guided me over to the venue without a hitch. There were lot of staff from The Rotary Club of Scarborough helping out. One asked whether I was here for the ribfest and pointed me over to another section where donations were being taken. Oddly, I was prepared with change and placed it in the bucket. Another woman handed me a menu. I took a slow drive over to the ribbers, mesmerized by the various food trucks out on my drive over there. The menu had four rib vendors. I went with the one that offered mac and cheese, which was Sticky Fingers. I had food from this place at the Mississauga Ribfest a few years ago. I loved their food there and needed to revisit it. The woman at Sticky Fingers was great. I wanted the full rack dinner and asked if I could get a side order of mac and cheese. She checked with her advisor, came back, and said yes. I said yes, too, as if I were getting married to said mac and cheese. I didn't want to get a tub of it, but you could for $10. I paid using my debit card. I tipped and tapped. Done! The folks at Sticky Fingers were so nice. I got my food, thanked the woman, and headed out. I passed by the food trucks, which ranged from funnel cakes, to my favourite, Tiny Tom's Donuts. I knew that my dinner would be way too much food for one meal, so I decided to bypass the trucks and head home. I chowed down when I got home. I was disappointed with how dry the ribs were. Perhaps it was the luck of the rib rack draw. The ribs weren't meaty, except for a handful of them in the centre. As a result, they were tough and I felt like I was gnawing on leather. My poor tired jaw! Bummer. They weren't like that at Mississauga Ribfest. The sauce was delicious, though. The baked beans and coleslaw, however, were excellent. The baked beans were flavourful, savoury, and yummy. The coleslaw was crunchy and had lots of flavour. I could so order more sides. The mac and cheese was so creamy. It was excellent, too. I know that I'd be okay getting a tub of it next time. What stands out is how organized and friendly folks from the Rotary were. It was my first drive-thru ribfest and this one provided the best introduction to this format. (312)

The ribs at Gator bbq were awesome! Games too pricy!! 3 games of Skeeball, $10!!! C'mon, now. 3…read moredarts to burst balloons, $10!!! 3 basketballs, $10!!! Etc., etc. Rides decent, except ferris wheel not working on Civic Monday.

We visited each rib station in order from left to right. The first one we went to was Billy Bones…read moreBBQ. They boasted "best sauce runner up" in 2015 and "best ribs runner" in 2014. It was really nice that one of the guys there gave us a short spiel on how their pork ribs are simply the best. Out of the ribs I tried that day, I really enjoyed the ones from Billy Bones BBQ the most.

Great event and especially since I went first night it was nice and cool and the lines weren't that…read morebad at all