Toronto Express Canadian Food Tour: 90 Min with Our Founder

5.0 (11 reviews) 1 h 30 min Free cancellation

out of 5

11 reviews

5.0

Toronto Express Canadian Food Tour: 90 Min with Our Founder — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Toronto Express Canadian Food Tour: 90 Min with Our Founder, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Ninety minutes with Jusep Sim — Toronto's culinary insider and founder of the award-winning Chopsticks+Forks. No lines: these shops are his friends, we walk in, they feed us, and no money changes hands — not at the counters, not with him. He doesn't accept gratuity. If you loved it, spend it here, on them.

Seven Canadian must-eats and sips across four iconic stops, from St. Lawrence Market — first on National Geographic's top 10 food markets list — to the cobblestone lanes of the Distillery District.

You'll taste: the "Original" peameal bacon sandwich with maple syrup at Carousel Bakery, a Nanaimo bar at Eve's Temptations, poutine with Montreal smoked meat and an iced London Fog at Sweetie Pie, and a "scotch" butter tart at Tartistry.

Bringing kids or grandparents? Built for you — flat ground, an easy pace, and a menu picky eaters love. Children 2–12 book at a reduced rate. Travelling with teens? Message us — we'll make you the coolest parents on the trip.

Private and Luxury Walking Tours Street Food Tours Short term availability Weather Dependent - Low

At a glance

Duration: 1 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 16 people
People per booking: 1–14
Guide: English
Operated by: Chopsticks and Forks

Ages: Infants (0–2 years) · Children (3–7 years) · Youth (8–12 years) · Adults (13–64 years) · Seniors (65–120 years)

What is included

Included

Included: All gratuities (we don't accept tips) - please go shopping at our friends.
Included: Stop #1: Carousel Bakery - Peameal Bacon Sandwich, just like the way Bourdain and Emeril loved it.
Included: Lunch: 7 tastings, 4 stops, no lines, no waits, no tips, just food and stories.
Included: Stop #3 - Sweetie Pie Bakery: Poutine, topped with Montreal smoked-meat with your Iced London Fog.
Included: 90-minute guided walking tour with a Chopsticks+Forks Culinary Storyteller
Included: Stop #2 - Eve's Temptations: Nanaimo Bar, a West Coast birth but a Canadian favourite. A Must!
Included: Priority entry at every stop — you will not queue
Included: Stop #4 - Tartistry: Scotch Butter Tart - A "Distillery District Only" butter tart with scotch.

Not included

Not included: Time for shopping or exploring - We do not rush, but we keep the pace where each restaurant expects

Itinerary

St. Lawrence Market

45 min

Two hundred years of feeding Toronto, 120+ vendors under one roof — and first on National Geographic's list of the world's top 10 food markets, ahead of London's Borough Market. St. Lawrence Market is not a tourist attraction that sells food; it is a working market that became an attraction by being excellent for two centuries.

Our hour here moves stall to stall the way regulars shop: recent tastings have included a peameal bacon sandwich — the market's signature — fresh seafood, and a second sweet treat to finish. Your Culinary Storyteller knows the families behind the counters, which is the difference between eating at the market and being introduced to it.

The tour ends here, in the middle of the market — on purpose. Guests regularly stay to shop, armed with our shortlist of what to carry home. One walk barely scratches the surface of how Toronto eats.
Distillery District

45 min

A national historic site and one of Toronto's proudest transformations: once the Victorian-era Gooderham & Worts distillery, today a pedestrian-only village of cobblestone lanes, galleries, and artisan kitchens — often called the largest collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America.

This is where our walk begins, at Sweetie Pie Bakery on Tank House Lane. Over our hour here, recent tastings have included two savoury bites, a signature alcohol-free cocktail, and a sweet treat worth saving room for. Between tastings, your Culinary Storyteller tells the story the buildings can't: how whisky built this corner of the city, why it fell silent, and how food brought it back to life.

Cameras welcome — the lanes photograph beautifully in every season.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Meeting Spot:

St. Lawrence Market - North Building

92 Front Street East

Your host and Storyteller will be by the entrance to welcome you.

End point

The tour ends at the Distillery District with a sweet ending at Tartistry.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Mobility: Due to the uneven "Cobblestone Roads" for a good portion of our tour with over 1 km of walking over 1.5 hours - This Experience is not recommended for people that have mobility difficulties.
Our friends cook their family recipes as they always have, so we can't accommodate gluten, dairy, or nut allergies, and we don't offer a vegan option. Vegetarian and pescatarian versions are available — just tell us when you book.
Halal/Kosher guests: Unfortunately, due to the Express nature of this tour, we can only offer you our Vegetarian option. Please advise at booking.