The (multi-media!) results are as follows.
Hankering to expand our palettes, we took to the streets with empty stomachs and open minds to see what Toronto’s Chinatown had to offer. What we found were tasty and terrifying possibilities at every turn . From dried seafood to bubble tea and $2 dim sum, the district’s got something for every curious foodie. Here’s our list of the day’s weird and wonderful discoveries:
What: Durian fruit
Where: Hua-Sheng Supermarket, 293-299 Spadina Ave.
How much: $0.99 for 1lb, $2.99 for a frozen packet.
Smells like rotting fruit. The taste? Not what you’d expect. It’s off-sweet, with a hint of savoury. The texture is similar to that of a mango – soft and gooey.
Would we try it again? Maybe, if we were mentally prepared for the surprising flavour of that first bite.
What: Avocado milkshake
Where: Trung Tam Giai Khat Bubble Tea Shop, 449 Dundas St. W.
How much: $2.99 for a small milkshake.
Tastes like an un-salted avocado, in milkshake form. We didn’t see how it was made, but there’s definitely some dairy in there. Not as sweet as your typical milkshake, and the tapioca bubbles at the bottom threw a few of our taste buds off.
Would we try it again? We’re gonna stick with avocado in salads or in sushi. An extreme avocado lover might go for this, though.
What: Whole, dried sardines.
Where: ShunHing Dried Seafood, Ginseng & Herbs, 469 Dundas St. W
How much: Free (they wouldn’t sell us just one… apparently people buy these in bulk?)
This tastes exactly like it smells—awful. Be careful not to get the tail stuck in your molars, and try not to look these little guys in the eye while you’re scarfing them down.
Would we try it again? Hell no.
What: Aloe Vera Water / Young Coconut Juice w. pulp
Where: Hua-Sheng Supermarket, 293-299 Spadina Ave.
How much: $0.99 for a bottle.
If you can get past the clear globules floating around in the bottle, the Aloe water actually tastes pretty good—kind of like a tangy grape juice. We can only imagine the wonders it did on our post-weekend, booze-burned throats. The coconut juice, on the other hand, tasted far less like a pina colada than we’d hoped: its chunky texture turned us off.
Would we try it again? Aloe, yes. Coco-NOT.
What: $2 dollar dim sum.
Where: Bright Pearl Restaurant, 346 Spadina Ave.
How much: $12.57 for the four of us.
After braving the aforementioned samplings, we decided to treat ourselves to a much-needed feast. And feast we did, for a price that none of us (except Derek, practically a Bright Pearl VIP) could believe. We ordered some steamed sticky rice with meat in banana leaves; shrimp dumplings and rice noodles; and delicious steamed buns with BBQ pork. We left feeling satisfied, and no more broke than we were when we entered.
Would we try it again? We’ve made plans to return this weekend.
For our photo slideshow, click here.
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