The 1st Annual AsialiciousTO month long food festival is happening from September 11th – October 11th, 2020, supported by the City of Toronto. The idea was originally proposed to Scarborough North Councillor Cynthia Lai by the non-profit organization Federation of Asian-Canadians Toronto (FACT) as a celebration of the Asian Heritage month each year. Asian restaurants have been hit by the pandemic like other businesses and the festival came about to help boost the Toronto economy. The festival is mainly organized by FACT along with Toronto Chinatown Business Improvement Area and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce (E.T.) Inc. (East Chinatown in the Broadview/Gerrard area). Councillor Lai was instrumental in accelerating the collaboration with the AsialiciousTO committee and the City of Toronto. The festival is an opportunity to unite the Asian dining community within the City while allowing others to experience a diverse Asian food culture.
Federation of Asian-Canadians Toronto (FACT) President Benny Cheung
As Asian Canadians, the members of FACT were devastated by how Asian establishments were quickly targeted at the beginning of the pandemic. During such a difficult period, they felt it was necessary to continue to .support a community that they are not only a part of, but that contributes so much to the richness and diversity of the City. More than 30% of the GTA’s population boasts some form of Asian background. By uplifting Asian businesses, AsialiciousTO can help Toronto’s economy recover.
Scarborough North Councillor Cynthia Lai
“There is a proverb in Chinese that says, ‘where many help to gather wood, the flames rise high’. This event will show how much power we have when we all stand together as a community. All the restaurants are very encouraged and thankful that AsialiciousTO has the City’s support. FACT has also waived all registration fees. We want to help them get back to where they were before the devastation of COVID-19”, says Councillor Lai.
“Skillful; Exquisite; Exotic; Diverse; Delicious” is the chosen slogan for the festival. AsialiciousTO aims to not only promote Asian cuisines in their traditional and authentic forms, but it will also be a celebration of innovation and creativity. We anticipate over 200 participating venues (restaurants, cafes, food trucks…etc) to join. The event will cover all kinds of Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Thai and many more. One of the most exciting things about the festival is that many dining establishments will include their signature dishes in their menus, creating a great opportunity for diners to try some of the city’s best Asian food at a promotional price!
As previously mentioned, AsialiciousTO will take place from September 11th – October 11th with over 200 participating restaurants. It is an event exclusive to the City of Toronto. Each establishment will offer its diners three (3) set menus, priced at either $10, $20, or $30. Given the current situation, restaurants will provide dine-in, take-out and delivery options. Delivery will exclusively be executed through the Chowbus food delivery platform. As Toronto starts to re-open, this is a great time for people to show up for each other and enjoy one of the best things about the City, which is it’s amazing, vibrant eating culture.