World Food Tour
Brampton is home to great restaurants and unique global dining experiences. The writers at bramptonist.com have recommended a few of their favourites.
African
MJ’S BBQ and Suya
This is a meat lover’s paradise! MJ’s is one of the few places in the region dedicated to suya, a traditional West African dish originating from the Hausa people of Nigeria. Beef or chicken is marinated with groundnut, ginger,
onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, tomato and salt, and then slow-cooked.
5 – 361 Parkhurst Sq.
Afro-Asian Fusion
Get Grill
Get Grill’s Chef Bab T fuses the flavours of his Nigerian heritage with his love for international cuisines. Recipes bring together the sweetness of Asian cuisine with bold African chilies. Also on the menu, African-Cajun and Mediterranean flavours meld in mouth-watering wraps and plates.
7910 Hurontario St.
Chinese
Green Bites Dumpling and Tea Bar
This family owned business explores flavour palates to enhance Brampton food culture with northern Chinese-style specialties. Fusion cuisine focuses on five varieties of handmade dumplings, L.A.-style crispy chicken wings, and authentic loose-leaf teas in a casual setting.
10 – 35 Resolution Dr.
Egyptian
Nahla’s Cuisine
Every dish on Nahla’s menu is an original recipe or has been adapted to Egyptian flavours and cooking techniques. The catering menu extends beyond shared plates and shawarma to other dishes such as stuffed roasted lamb, Egyptian vermicelli rice, and goulash.
8 – 20 Dewside Dr.
Filipino
Elsa’s Lutong Bahay
Small but mighty, Elsa’s Lutong Bahay is a busy family-owned restaurant that serves the cuisine of the northern Philippines. Base flavours of shrimp paste, soy sauce and fish sauces are infused with East Asian and Spanish influences. The menu includes noodles and meats such as beef shank, oxtail and pork.
65 Rutherford Rd. S.
Greek
Symposion Greek Cuisine
Symposion has been shouting “OPA!” and serving authentic Greek meals for two decades in this warm dining space. The cuisine traditionally uses olives, olive oil and classic Mediterranean flavours like eggplant, zucchini, cheese, lemon and herbs. Almost all produce is sourced locally.
9 & 10 – 148 Queen St. E.
Guyanese
Alima’s Roti and Pastry
Alima’s is an exceptionally busy take-out counter staffed by an incredible team of women, and owned by a husband-and-wife team. The rotis are fresh and fluffy, the food tastes home-style and the eatery also offers frozen curries to go. If you have a sweet tooth, try the pastries, tarts and coconut bread.
49 – 13 Kenview Blvd.
Indian – Chenai
Annalakshmi
This South Indian vegetarian eatery has endless options of savoury and healthy vegetarian delights. In addition to its specialty, crispy crepe-like dosas, Annalakshmi serves rice and lentil-based pancakes and fritters such as uttapam, vada and idlies accompanied by coconut and tomato chutneys.
3 & 4 – 10086 Hurontario St.
Indian – Gujurat
Honest Restaurant
Since this well-known Indian street food franchise opened its first location in Canada here in Brampton, it has consistently had line-ups out the door. Starring the cuisine of Gujurat, the restaurant is fully vegetarian. Dishes like pani puri, dahi puri, and bhaji pav stay true to authentic regional flavours.
16 – 1 Steeles Ave. E.
Indian – Kerala
Le Kochi
Kerala is known for its lush natural beauty. As the only Kerala-centric restaurant in Brampton, Le Kochi features an extensive menu of delights from India’s southwest coast. The cuisine uses coconut, chili and fragrant spices with various meats and seafood, and food is often cooked or served on banana leaves.
10 – 20 Dewside Dr.
Indian – Tandoor
King Tandoori
Known for grilled fish and succulent tandoori meats, King Tandoori is one of Brampton’s most popular restaurants. The family-owned franchise has two locations in the city. Everything is made-to-order using imaginative recipes and the chef’s years of culinary experience in Chandigarh, Punjab.
1 – 270 Rutherford Rd. S.,
11 & 12 – 107 Kennedy Rd. S.
(opening in Shoppers’ World)
Indian Fusion
FirangiFirangi is the epitome of a chic, South Asian gastro-restaurant. The chefs mix East Indian street food and Western flavours in a menu that comprises both regular meals and sharing plates, allowing guests to dabble in both traditional and fusion dishes.
14 – 2880 Queen St. E.
Irish
Maguires
Reminiscent of a traditional tavern, with walls covered in Irish memorabilia, this restaurant serves hearty staples like meat and potatoes. Maguires is also a bustling spot for live music or to watch soccer and rugby.
126 – 284 Queen St. E.
Italian
That Italian Place
Think of a Sunday dinner with Nonna: this casual Italian restaurant has its origins in Calabria, the “toe of the boot” of southern Italy. Family recipes trace back to the owner’s grandfather, who became a cook during the Second World War. That Italian Place installed Brampton’s first Neapolitan oven – to bake pizzas at 950°F – when it expanded in 2017.
31–33 – 470 Chrysler Dr.
Japanese
Sushi House
Sushi House is one of Brampton’s only a-la-carte Japanese restaurants and is known for maintaining a high quality of fish. Aside from sushi and sashimi, Sushi House offers teriyaki and traditional noodle soups.
4 – 135 Main St. N.
Jamaican – Negril
Jamaica House Jerk
After learning his grandparents’ recipes while living in beachy Negril, Jamaica, the chef brought the island flavours to Brampton. Jamaican jerk flavours are infused with pepper, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, thyme and Scotch bonnet peppers. Seating is limited, but take-out is available.
23 & 24 – 145 Clarence St.
Jamaican – Old Harbour
Xaymaca
A family that has roots in Old Harbour, the island’s largest fishing town, owns this beautiful dine-in Jamaican restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the chef’s specialty is seafood, but the menu has other contemporary offerings like jerk pulled pork sliders and coconut and shrimp pasta.
3 – 30 Kennedy Rd. S.
Jordanian
Shawarma Queen
Shawarma Queen opened seven years ago, just one month after the owners moved to Canada from Jordan, and represents the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. The shawarma is the original family recipe, and the menu includes a Canadian shawarma poutine.
105 – 10 Gillingham Dr.
Nicaraguan
Segovia Coffee Company
This shop’s owners are originally from Nicaragua, from which Segovia’s gourmet coffee originates. Beans are sustainably grown in the mountains of Nicaragua and imported here. Other specialties include horchata, a sweet rice and cinnamon drink. Enjoy small bites like empanadas and alfajores.
46 Main St. N.
North American
Food Fight Barbeque Bar
Food Fight specializes in meats smoked over Ontario hickory and maple wood, seasoned with sensational house-made sauces such as mango habanero and coffee jerk. The menu also includes a smoked vegan burger.
100 Maritime Ontario Blvd.
Palestinian
Fattoush Mediterranean Grill
Fattoush’s recipes have been perfected through a 25-year family history of running a restaurant in Haifa, Israel. On special occasions, the restaurant carries a regional specialty called amba, a pickled mango condiment.
2 – 17 Ray Lawson Blvd.
Portuguese
Churrasqueira Nova Esperanca
Serving Brampton for nearly two decades, this take-out restaurant is known for its charity work and exceptional Portuguese food. This cuisine uses a variety of spices and herbs that include piri piri (chili peppers), black pepper, cinnamon, saffron, garlic, bay leaf and parsley, on seafood and poultry.
2 – 110 Brickyard Way
Serbian
The Queen Gypsy
This eclectic restaurant across from City Hall in downtown Brampton serves authentic Serbian cuisine, which is simple and light on spices, relying on fresh ingredients to accentuate flavours. Serbian food comes from a melting pot between the Mediterranean and Central Europe.
10 Main St. S.
South African
The Pie Guyz
This family business is a spin off from “The Pie Hut” in Phoenix, South Africa, just outside of Durban. Pie Guyz makes individually sized pies for international palettes, as well as Cornish beef pasties, kebab rolls and dessert pies. If you crave heat, try the vindaloo pie.
12 – 2120 North Park Dr.
South Asian – Hakka-Style
Hakka #1
Hakka recipes are Indo-Chinese adaptations of the Hakka-Chinese cuisine from Kolkata, India. Dishes are cooked with garlic, onions, chili and sometimes soy sauce. The menu also includes boldly flavoured Szechuan-style and Manchurian dishes. A cheerful dining room has casual seating.
10 – 2 Melanie Dr.
Thai
Thai Pepper
Over 14 years, the family running Thai Pepper has cooked authentic southern Thai cuisine from home recipes to earn an almost cult-like following: its walls display commendation letters from the Thai embassy. Flavours balance sweet and savoury and are accentuated by a slight heat, which can be adjusted to taste.
14 – 2 Fisherman Dr.
Trinidadian
Vishnu’s Roti and Doubles
Trinidadian curry and roti is the heart and soul of Vishnu’s, a family-owned restaurant and take-out counter. The island flavours are a fusion between African, Indian, Spanish and Creole. Dishes feature meat, fish or vegetables that are stewed, barbequed or curried, and served with sensationally hot pepper sauces, chutneys and pickles.
10 – 10215 Kennedy Rd. N.
British
The Crown and Lion English Pub
This restaurant is decorated with the familiar look and feel of a cozy London pub, with comfort food to match. Wear your footie jersey, as the Crown and Lion is a popular location for locals to watch the Championship League and the World Cup.
6A – 7985 Financial Dr.
Uruguayan
La Gran Uruguaya
Brampton’s first full-service Latin bakery, La Gran Uruguaya, is a cozy spot that serves up fresh pastries, both sweet and savoury, along with an extensive menu that celebrates the flavours of Uruguay.
5 Ardglen Dr.
Vietnamese
Banh Mi Sandwiches and Bubble Tea
A husband-and-wife team serves a variety of meat sandwiches from a humble shop counter in Kennedy Square Mall. This cuisine blends French ingredients – baguettes, paté, mayonnaise and jalapenos – with pickled carrots, cucumber and coriander.
50 Kennedy Rd. S.
Vietnamese
Pho Dau Bo
Pho Dau Bo is among Brampton’s many great options to enjoy Vietnamese noodle soup. This popular franchise is known for the rich and creamy beef broth it creates for its soup base, served with noodles and topped with bean sprouts, green onion, Thai basil, and strips of beef sirloin, flank or tripe.
610 – 20 Gillingham Dr.
