Toronto events!!!

Toronto Fun Parties

Friday, November 30, 2018

The Best Late Night Korean Restaurants in Toronto

The best late night Korean restaurants in Toronto will satisfy your cravings for fried chicken and BBQ into the wee hours of the morning. There’s nothing more wholesome than a bowl of pork bone soup after the party, and luckily for us, there’s spots scattered across the city serve it 24 hours a day—or at least, very , very late.

Here are the best late night Korean restaurants in Toronto.

3 - The Owl

This Koreatown classic (once part of the The Owl of Minerva chain) has long been a reliable spot for generous portions of Korean comfort food, but the best part about it is that it’s open 24/7.
4 - Lim Ga Ne

An order of blood sausage at 4 a.m. might strike your fancy, it might not. Either way, this popular chain location by Finch station serves Soon Dae Gook and other traditional favourites 24 hours a day. There's another location in <a href="https://ift.tt/2ADbjGB> too.
9 - Mapo Korean BBQ

This Korean spot near Christie Pits can oblige cravings for spicy kimchi stew until 2 a.m. seven days a week. Aside from the steaming bowls of stew, menu highlights include bibimbap, roasted rice cakes with honey, and spicy pork hock.
8 - Doo Roo Ae

This anju bar at Yonge and Eglinton can be found bustling until last call nightly. The menu boasts an array of small plates and shareable platters including classic late night munchies like kimchi fried rice, toasted rice cakes, fried chicken and bo ssam.
5 - Huh Ga Ne

Take a seat on the floor at this 24-hour restaurant by at Yonge and Finch for their amazing PBL and table cooker. You’ll probably have to wait for a seat, but the short line is usually worth it.
6 - Kayagum

Yet another go-to in Koreatown North, this restaurant has a massive selection of Korean eats. Kimchi pancakes and bento boxes are all available at this 24-hour restaurant by Finch station.
7 - Oh Geul Buh Geul

Located on Yonge halfway between Finch and North York Centre stations, this boisterous restaurant gets packed with people hankering for late night Korean eats, available until 4 a.m.
10 - Ehwa Restaurant

The original Ehwa on Yonge may not be open anymore, but its newer counterpart on Isabella St. has become a hotspot for late night Korean. It’s mostly about getting drunk here, but they do have some killer food combos available until 2 a.m. every day.
11 - MyMy Chicken

Cheese and fried chicken: what more do you want after a night of drinking? This popular franchise from Korea has a location in the Annex and by <a href="https://ift.tt/2U5B3Vl York station</a> to fulfill those cravings for crispy, cheesy, chicken.

by Tanya Mok via blogTO

Uber might start delivering groceries in Toronto

Uber Eats is killing it right now, if you haven't noticed every single condo building in Toronto at all hours of the day and night.

Why go out to grab a burger when you can get one delivered straight to your door? Especially when it's raining or you don't feel like putting shoes on?

Aside from the obvious ill-effects on our health, bank accounts and society at large, food-delivery apps have been a godsend to busy young urbanites who now "order in" on an almost daily basis .

That's what Uber does. It revolutionizes human behaviour, for better or for worse, before we even know what's happening—and it looks like the ride hailing app-turned-global tech juggernaut is ready to move beyond taxis and restaurants.

A new job posting on Uber's Linkedin page states that the company is working on "a brand new product offering which will fundamentally evolve how people purchase their groceries."

"This is a newly formed team whose focus is developing a new business segment within the Uber portfolio," reads the listing, which was first spotted by Business Insider.

That team will be based right here in Toronto, where Uber has been on somewhat of a hiring spree for technical and creative workers.

It is not yet clear how the company plans to change the fresh food game, though one might venture to guess that grocery delivery is involved given how rapidly that industry is growing.

Whether Uber plans to partner with supermarkets to deliver groceries for them, a la Instacart or Inabuggy, or set up a warehouse to sell its own grocery products, like Amazon, remains to be seen.

"Our Eats team is always looking to expand into new areas where our technology can help people get food more easily and efficiently," said an Uber Spokesperson when asked about the rumours.

Well, okay then. Stay tuned.


by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO

The Toronto Zoo is getting a monorail

Visitors to the Toronto Zoo will soon be able to ride from one section to another in style, as the construction of a magnetic levitation train in Scarborough moves closer to reality. 

The Toronto Zoo board voted unanimously this week to move forward with plans for a magnetic levitation (maglev) train as proposed by zoo staff earlier this month. Now, it's up to the developers, Magnovate Technologies, to secure funding. 

The company, based out of Edmonton, has to raise about $25 million. It also has to secure approval from the city and the zoo in a more finalized manner, but this should happen quickly if all goes according to plan. 

Once approved, the maglev train will become the first in North America to utilize the technology. It is currently used in parts of Asia at whopping speeds of up to 600 km/h. 

The futuristic train will definitely be an improvement to the zoo's notorious monorail, which caused headaches both literally and metaphorically for years. 

Tickets will cost approximately $12 to $15, and will be split among the zoo and Magnovate for about 15 years, after which the ride will belong to the zoo. Magnovate is building the train at no cost to the city. 


by Staff via blogTO

The top 10 gourmet gift baskets in Toronto for Christmas

Gift baskets in Toronto for Christmas presents don’t need to be boring, stuffy, old-fashioned wicker hampers wrapped in too many layers of cellophane, filled with weird stuff no one wants wasting away in the corner of an office. Modern bundles can contain anything from fancy cheeses to gourmet macarons to artisanal chocolate.

Here are my picks for the top gift baskets in Toronto right now. 

Cheese Boutique

This revered Etobicoke specialty foods shop custom-designs every single gift basket, working with your personal selections or making recommendations. Of course, specialty cheeses are in no short supply here, but panettone is an especially popular inclusion for Christmas.

Pusateri’s 

For a splurge, head to one of multiple locations of this boutique grocery store to splash out on a gift basket of anything from Brandon Olsen chocolates or Chuck Hughes products to a $330 caviar basket.

Farm Boy

Go for the Sweet Bounty fruit basket with pineapple, oranges, grapes, apples and pears, or the slightly more indulgent Gourmet Country Picnic with Farm Boy brand crackers and chocolate bars, chocolate hazelnut spread, snacks and cheeses from this organic grocery store with an Etobicoke location.

McEwan

Themed gift baskets take all the guesswork out of giving with options like a sweet and savoury basket, office sharing basket, festive basket and more from this gourmet grocer with multiple Toronto locations.

The Candy Bar

Design a custom curated candy basket based around your price point, rather than the other way around when you order from this darling Dundas West store.

SOMA

Gift baskets are themed around Christmas, drinking chocolate and love from this artisanal chocolatier in the Distillery and on King West.

Nadege

Colourful gift baskets oozing modern style are sure to impress, and the macarons and bonbons inside follow up on the promise of the pretty packaging from multiple Toronto locations of this patisserie.

The Rolling Pin

Epic gift baskets from this showstopper bakery near Avenue and Lawrence include a chocolate chip cookie mix, hot chocolate stick, cookies, jam, candy, a Rolling Pin mug, a popcorn lollipop, meringues, and (wait for it) chocolate-covered Oreos.

Stubbe

Gift baskets have lasting use beyond their original purpose from this Annex chocolatier, with a modern red non-denominational bowl or cute Christmas basket filled with items like truffles, bonbons, marzipan pine cones, chocolate ginger, orange peel and caramelized hazelnuts. 

Sorelle & Co.

Pastel gift askets from this allergen-free bakery with locations in Yorkville and Saks Food Hall might include items like biscotti and teas.


by Amy Carlberg via blogTO

Toronto's neighbourhood of the future will include 40% affordable housing

Data privacy, schmata privacy.

Sidewalk Labs just released its first draft plan for the futuristic mini-city it plans to build along Toronto's eastern waterfront—and if this is what an Orwellian nightmare looks like, well... pass the Ambien.

Quayside, as the forthcoming neighbourhood is set to be called, looks impressive on paper so far. Controversial data storage and intellectual property practices aside, it almost looks like the beginning of a perfectly inclusive and sustainable world. Looks like.

"For starters, it won't be all condos," wrote the company's public realm and 307 director Jesse Shapins in a blog post announcing the proposal. 

"We're proposing that Quayside be made up of 50 per cent purpose-built rental, 40 per cent below-market rate housing, including a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing," he continued, "making sure that this community reflects the full diversity of Toronto."

In that vein, the California-based Google affiliate says it intends to address "the housing gridlock facing the city today" with new, ultra-efficient living technologies that optimize space.

Actual gridlock will be tackled with such innovations as waste-collecting robots, self-driving cars and underground truck tunnels, as well as by building exceptional bike, pedestrian and public transit infrastructure.

Shapins says that more than 9,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase of Quayside, with another 3,900 in office, retail, production and community expected to be located on site once the build is complete.

Also, all of the buildings at Quayside will be made of wood (or rather mass-timber, an increasingly popular style of development that's championed for its sustainability.)

A total of 12 mixed-use buildings are proposed in this version of the plan, all of them less than 30 storeys tall.

"This will be the greatest concentration of mass timber buildings in the world," reads a press release from Sidewalk Labs that also promises a 75 to 85 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to standard developments.

Of course, few things ever happen as planned, and this is only the very first public draft of a much larger "Master Innovation and Development Plan."

That master plan, when ready, will be reviewed by all levels of government, Waterfront Toronto, Alphabet, and the public before it is approved and even then, it could take another three to five years to build after that.

We also don't know who's going to own all of this stuff, as The Canadian Press points out, so don't go penning love letters to your personal garbage robot just yet.

We're still only just scratching the surface of what this experimental 'smart city' will be, but you can give Sidewalk Labs your input at the organization's fourth public roundtable on December 8.


by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO

Toronto Food Events: Hangover Pizza Battle, Hoppy Holidays, Rose Beef, Filipinoesque

Food events in Toronto this week waft forth the scent of cinnamon buns on the cheap as Cinnaholic opens up a new location. Hoppy Holiday is back with a festive offering of seasonal brews and a Golden Girls-inspired dinner series would like to thank you for being a friend.

Events you might want to check out:

Cinnaholic Grand Opening (November 30 @ Cinnaholic)
Winter is cinnamon season and the city's newest vegan c-bun chain is opening another location on the Danforth, where there'll be buns for a buck.
Fire Noodle Challenge (November 30 @ Galleria Supermarket)
Cold weather brings hot noodles and this challenge will see contestants battle it out during this free noodle eating contest with lots of prizes up for grabs.
Rainhard Brewing Holiday Party (December 1 @ Rainhard)
Celebrate the holidays in the Aleyards with Rainhard during this holiday party with plenty of brews on tap and a catered selection of yummy comfort food.
Beer. Diversity. (December 1 @ Muddy York Brewing Co.)
Craft beer connoisseur Ren Navarro is on hand to speak about representation and diversity in the industry and serve up a speciality brew.
Brunch Brunch Comedy (December 1 @ Comedy Bar)
A big spread of scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, fruit and coffee is on alongside standup comedy, drag, improv and poetry.
Grand Bizarre Grand Opening (December 1 @ Grand Bizarre)
A new player in the social dining game arrives by way of the Food Dudes and 10tation as this massive new hall opens with the world’s first food currency.
Filipinoesque Pop-Up (December 1-2 @ IN | A Lifestyle Space)
Traditional Filipino treats are on at this mini-market and ice cream bar courtesy of Filipino Fusion Desserts, talks and a mixer.
Rose Beef (December 2 - January 6 @ Glad Day Bookshop)
Rose and the gang once again take centre stage at this new Golden Girls-inspired dining series with curated comfort food, trivia and performances.
Hoppy Holidays (December 4 @ Berkeley Church)
The holidays are for hops and this annual beer festival is back with lots of brews and other libations on tap for the tasting.
Six Hands Dinner (December 5 @ R&D)
Chefs Alvin Leung, Eric Chong and Christopher Siu are coming together for a four-course dinner with an array of canapรฉs, pairings, and a meet and greet.
Big Reds Wine Tasting (December 5 @ D.W. Alexander)
Winter is all about big bodied red and the Toronto Wine Club is leading a tour through a selection of wines to keep you warm all season long.
Discover the Wines of Hungary (December 6 @ IWEG Drinks Academy)
Master Sommelier John Szabo is on hand to explore the wines of Hungary with wines supplied by the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa.
Free Chocolate Lava Souffle Pancakes (December 7-8 @ Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes)
Fuwa Fuwa is opening a second location and celebrating with a two-day give-away of their raspberry chocolate lava shuffle pancakes.
High Park Zoo Beer Launch (December 8 @ High Park Brewery)
A new brew inspired by the cuties at the High Park zoo is launching with a party featuring food by Mad Mexican, drinks and beer samples.
Hangover Pizza Battle (December 9 @ Village Pizza)
We've all been there and Blondie's and Village Pizza are battling it out to create the best pizza that soaks up everything from the night before, even the regrets.
Regent Park Multi-National Holiday Market (December 13 @ Toronto Centre for Community Learning and Development)
Foods from over ten countries around the world can be found at this big holiday market that includes tasting stations and a makers market.

by Lisa Power via blogTO

Toronto's indoor obstacle course is back open

Toronto Food Events: Hangover Pizza Battle, Hoppy Holidays, Rose Beef, Filipinoesque

Food events in Toronto this week waft forth the scent of cinnamon buns on the cheap as Cinnaholic opens up a new location. Hoppy Holiday is back with a festive offering of seasonal brews and a Golden Girls-inspired dinner series would like to thank you for being a friend.

Events you might want to check out:

Cinnaholic Grand Opening (November 30 @ Cinnaholic)
Winter is cinnamon season and the city's newest vegan c-bun chain is opening another location on the Danforth, where there'll be buns for a buck.
Fire Noodle Challenge (November 30 @ Galleria Supermarket)
Cold weather brings hot noodles and this challenge will see contestants battle it out during this free noodle eating contest with lots of prizes up for grabs.
Rainhard Brewing Holiday Party (December 1 @ Rainhard)
Celebrate the holidays in the Aleyards with Rainhard during this holiday party with plenty of brews on tap and a catered selection of yummy comfort food.
Beer. Diversity. (December 1 @ Muddy York Brewing Co.)
Craft beer connoisseur Ren Navarro is on hand to speak about representation and diversity in the industry and serve up a speciality brew.
Brunch Brunch Comedy (December 1 @ Comedy Bar)
A big spread of scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, fruit and coffee is on alongside standup comedy, drag, improv and poetry.
Grand Bizarre Grand Opening (December 1 @ Grand Bizarre)
A new player in the social dining game arrives by way of the Food Dudes and 10tation as this massive new hall opens with the world’s first food currency.
Filipinoesque Pop-Up (December 1-2 @ IN | A Lifestyle Space)
Traditional Filipino treats are on at this mini-market and ice cream bar courtesy of Filipino Fusion Desserts, talks and a mixer.
Rose Beef (December 2 - January 6 @ Glad Day Bookshop)
Rose and the gang once again take centre stage at this new Golden Girls-inspired dining series with curated comfort food, trivia and performances.
Hoppy Holidays (December 4 @ Berkeley Church)
The holidays are for hops and this annual beer festival is back with lots of brews and other libations on tap for the tasting.
Six Hands Dinner (December 5 @ R&D)
Chefs Alvin Leung, Eric Chong and Christopher Siu are coming together for a four-course dinner with an array of canapรฉs, pairings, and a meet and greet.
Big Reds Wine Tasting (December 5 @ D.W. Alexander)
Winter is all about big bodied red and the Toronto Wine Club is leading a tour through a selection of wines to keep you warm all season long.
Discover the Wines of Hungary (December 6 @ IWEG Drinks Academy)
Master Sommelier John Szabo is on hand to explore the wines of Hungary with wines supplied by the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa.
Free Chocolate Lava Souffle Pancakes (December 7-8 @ Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes)
Fuwa Fuwa is opening a second location and celebrating with a two-day give-away of their raspberry chocolate lava shuffle pancakes.
High Park Zoo Beer Launch (December 8 @ High Park Brewery)
A new brew inspired by the cuties at the High Park zoo is launching with a party featuring food by Mad Mexican, drinks and beer samples.
Hangover Pizza Battle (December 9 @ Village Pizza)
We've all been there and Blondie's and Village Pizza are battling it out to create the best pizza that soaks up everything from the night before, even the regrets.
Regent Park Multi-National Holiday Market (December 13 @ Toronto Centre for Community Learning and Development)
Foods from over ten countries around the world can be found at this big holiday market that includes tasting stations and a makers market.

by Lisa Power via blogTO

One of Toronto's favourite Chinese restaurants is closing

Drake just had the most action packed night in Toronto

It's Aubrey's world, guys, we're just living in it.

Toronto's very own international rap superstar took the stage as promised last night at Chรขteau Le Jardin in Vaughan, for the launch of an exclusive member's only dinner concert series called Aprรจs Noir... albeit a little bit later than expected.

Hey, the event had already been postponed by months — what's a few more hours?

Billed as "a night out for Toronto's indulgent urban-dwelling elite class," the event also featured performances by Jessie Reyez and Mia Martina, art by Daniel Mazzone, and a menu curated by Chef Michael Punzo.

Cool for sure, but it's pretty safe to say that most of the people who shelled out nearly $1,000 a piece for tickets to the event were there to see Drake.

Drake, meanwhile, was at the Scotiabank Arena for a high-profile matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.

The Raptors ended up winning the game 131 - 128, with Kawhi Leonard scoring 37 points and Warriors superstar Kevin Durant scoring 51.

Durant and Drizzy "have a long history built on both trash talk and mutual respect," according to NBC Sports, so all eyes were on their cute court-side interactions.

At one point, the NBA All-Star gave Toronto's favourite son an over-the-jacket purple nurple.

Later, he gave the recording artist the jersey off his back.

Later still, Drake managed to get out of the stadium and into what I assume was some sort of vehicle.

Once on site, though, Drake delivered, showing plenty of love for Toronto and his fans.

"Damn, I thought this sh*t was a dinner, I didn’t even know people were turnt up in here like this," said the artist when he got on stage at the Chรขteau Le Jardin. 

"I didn't know if I should come out to, like, some slow jams or some sh*t, but I see you wanna go all the way up tonight," he laughed. "I'm ready. I like this."

"I go by the name of Drake in case you didn't know," he continued.

"I spent the past 5 months of my life going around the United States of America and telling everybody every night that I'm from the greatest city in the world: Toronto."

Nicely played, sir.

And if that wasn't sweet enough, the Grammy-winner invited a little kid up on stage with him while performing God's Plan.

"Yeah, put your Snapchat on, we gotta get turned up!" he said to the little boy, who he later referred to as "big OVO boss."

You can see more from the event last night on Instagram via the many brave fans who hoofed it out to Woodbridge just for Drake.


by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO

Toronto is going crazy for the BTS pop-up

The highly anticipated pop-up for BT21—a collaboration between K-pop megastars BTS and Korean brand Line Friends—was only just announced yesterday, but Toronto is already going nuts. 

There's hundreds of people waiting inside the mall to get their hands on some merch featuring the cute characters from the BT21 brand, designed by the Bangtan Boys themselves. 

There's no doubt The Toronto Army (BTS megafans) showed out.

The line up opened officially at 6 a.m. and apparently some people travelled hours to get there on time. 

But the Dedication Award goes to the first person in line, who says they got there at 12 a.m. The mall was definitely not open then. That's real love.

It's basically a BTS-dedicated party: there's even people blasting the boy band's favourite hits from portable speakers.

People are even Airdropping their fave BTS memes to each other. 

The store officially opened at 10 a.m., and people are finally getting a glimpse of what kind of merch they'll be able to buy. 

The first 700 people got free posters of the adorable characters like Chimmy and Tata. 

Those who didn't get their poster of choice are free to join the trading zone, where Army members are swapping Cookys for Mangs.

Meanwhile, the store has officially been flooded with people trying to purchase whatever BT21 merch they have in stock, like plush pillows and long sleeves.

While The Army will stan no matter what, some people are noting the merch isn't quite what they expected. For one, they don't have the standing plushies. Apparently they're also lacking in holiday merch and full-body keychains.

It doesn't look like they have too much on the shelves, hopefully they have more in the back?

If not, the rest of the Toronto Army better make it down to STC while supplies last.


by Tanya Mok via blogTO