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Published on January 20, 2023.
By: Lavanya Kathirgamanathan
Toronto’s food culture is bursting at the seams with lively hubs and restaurants, it is essentially an industry that will never sleep. The best restaurants of the city are always awake and are ready to serve you at any time of day. Many of these restaurants across the city are run by families who want their culture showcased in the city. By the year 2036, 1/3 of the population in Canada will be people of colour. This is about 31% to 36% of the population that will be looking for these familiar and diverse cuisines
Anytime you visit Toronto, rest assured you will feel comforted and welcomed by a plate of food created by business owners who dedicate their craft to serve you a part of their culture. Specifically, there are many Black owned restaurants to choose from in different parts of the city. With over 100 restaurants, you cannot go wrong with grabbing a local bite that is served with love.
Listed below are three Black owned restaurants that you need to check out this summer. It is always important to show these local chefs your support!
Rendez-Vous Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant
Location: 1408 Danforth Ave, Toronto
Banchi Kinde is the executive chef and owner of Rendez-Vous Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant. She established this restaurant to bring authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes to Toronto and its people to embrace Ethiopian culture. The food she serves within these dishes are inspired by her fathers experiences travelling around different parts of her home country of Ethiopia.
While Kinde was growing up, her father, as a former governor of different areas of Ethiopia, travelled a lot. When he would return from these different regions, he would bring back the influences of the different cultures and experiences of these regions, and their dishes for Kinde. This inspired her to become aware of the cultural diversity of the country, and its neighbour Eritrea. The vision was to create a place where people could get a taste of the different dishes and flavours.
Link to photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTnNQjULapE/?hl=en
Afrobeat Kitchen
Location: 1165 Bloor St W, Toronto
Victor Ugwueke, chef and owner of Afrobeat Kitchen, launched the restaurant in 2017. He used social media as an outlet to attract attention towards his restaurant to bring people together and try out his homemade dishes rooting back to his Nigerian home cooked meals. After losing his job during the pandemic, Ugwueke decided to join his brother-in-law, using his restaurant space to curate recipes for people to come and try to enjoy the taste of Nigeria. This allowed Ugwueke to bring his ideas to life and give him a comfortable feel to his future and his business, which is now Afrobeat Kitchen!
Link to photo: https://www.instagram.com/afrobeatkitchen/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgue2u4upuL/?hl=en
Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen
Location: 104 Portland St.
Link to photo: https://www.instagram.com/chubbysjamaican/
Who can say no to trying out a new Caribbean food place? Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen is known for its delicious take on Caribbean cuisine. These dishes are inspired by home cooked meals rooted in the food culture of Jamaica. This place dedicates their love and respect to Jamaican food and does it effortlessly . As soon as you walk in the restaurant, you can feel the excitement within the ambiance .
Link to photo:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg19Lc7r2Dw/
There are over one hundred Black Owned restaurants to choose from! Provided below is a list of other places you can check out in the city if you want to grab something flavourful and delicious to eat:
Location: 149 Baldwin St, Toronto
Location: 596 Danforth Ave, Toronto
Location: 678 Yonge St, Toronto
African Delight Café and Restaurant
Location: 1180 Bloor St W, Toronto
Location: 1943 Avenue Rd, Toronto
160 Baldwin St #3, Toronto
Always support local eateries!
Lavanya Kathirgamanathan is one of the Writers for this year’s publication at Black Voice. She’s a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she studied Journalism and will further her education in Human Resources at George Brown College. Lavanya has experience writing for multiple publications and has her own food blog on social media. Lavanya’s main goal as a writer for the Black Voice publication is to showcase Black excellence within the community, and in the city of Toronto.