A Toronto couple is offering a one-of-a-kind food tour on the Danforth, which will bring participants around the neighbourhood to experience a unique dining and tourism experience.
Aashim Aggarwal and Amaara Dhanji are two "food nerds" who have been exploring all over Toronto this summer––visiting restaurants with cuisines from across the world along the way. After documenting it on their socials, their "Toronto Global Eats Challenge Series" became popular across the whole city, even going as far as Montreal. Currently they have visited over 40 different restaurants and have now decided to bring people along with them on their journey with their own curated Global Food Tour in Toronto.
While many local restaurants were suffering during the pandemic, the challenge focused on showcasing local businesses and hidden gems that make Toronto such a vibrant city full of amazing food. They’ve chatted with many of the restaurants and been told that hundreds of people visited from their videos, which was a big boost for their business during COVID. Most importantly, many people that went to these restaurants had never tried the cuisine before, which was Aashim and Amaara’s goal.
The Global Food Tour is a food and walking tour on the Danforth, with a focus on the underrepresented neighbourhoods beyond Greektown.
"By locals, for locals. Yes, you can be a tourist in your own city," Aashim says.
The tour is offered on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first set of dates are already sold out, but the next group of spots is set to start Sept. 25. Attendees will be in small groups of eight to keep it intimate and easy to make food-loving friends. The tour will include lots of delicious and diverse food, with over four different kinds of cuisines with more than 10 food and drink tastings along the way.
As the tour proceeds through different neighbourhoods, Amaara and Aashim will share the history of the area, point out key landmarks and highlight the local businesses that make the Danforth a special place. Every attendee gets a copy of Aashim and Amaara’s local guide after the tour, filled with their favourite eats, sips and things to do in the area.
As an added incentive to participate, $5 from every tour ticket sold goes to FoodShareTO, an organization that does incredible work to build a sustainable and equitable food system in the city.
"When guests come on our tour, they can be confident that they’re supporting local businesses and organizations that make our city a better, more vibrant place to live," they said.
The tour offers off-menu tastings to introduce guests to different cuisines, which are perfectly portioned for individual diners. Guests don’t just eat at each of the food tour stops––Aashim and Amaara bring in the owners, chefs and other key members of their staff behind the restaurants to share their stories, demonstrate how the dishes are made and immerse guests in their cultures.
Aashim and Amaara met on a dating app and were instantly connected over food. All of their first dates were centred around trying new foods and eventually cooking difficult recipes together. For Amaara, this love stemmed from how food and travel are the pillars of her family. Her grandma wanted to become a chef her whole life and was an amazing cook. Growing up very close to her, Amaara had always appreciated trying and sharing new cuisines and a love for feeding people.
For Aashim, his appreciation for food stems from his experience farming throughout university. During this time, Aashim discovered first-hand the beautiful journey of how food goes from farm to table, and he created a deep relationship with the fundamentals of what we eat. This passion has extended into a love for cooking and constantly scouring Reddit threads for a hidden Toronto food gem.
Tickets for the tour are available on Eventbrite. The tour is easily accessible by car, bike or transit (the tour starts and ends at a TTC station). Vegetarians can be accommodated, and other allergies or dietary restrictions can reach out and be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
