The Old East Village Dumpling Trail: A Local's Guide

The Old East Village Dumpling Trail is a self-guided food walk with eight stops, each serving a different culture's take on the dumpling, all within a short walk of each other along Dundas Street. Old East Village is already one of London's most interesting neighbourhoods, a Heritage Conservation District and home to Banting House and Aeolian Hall. The trail is one more reason people make the trip.

What is the Old East Village Dumpling Trail?

It's a curated food trail run by the Old East Village Business Improvement Area, linking eight dumplings from eight cultures. You set your own pace and order at each stop. It works because of the neighbourhood's cultural mix, and it now draws people from all over the city, not just residents.

What are the stops on the Dumpling Trail?

• Bella's Acacia Catering (Korean): the Kimchi Dumpling, filled with house-made medium-spicy kimchi and spinach.
• Authentic Flavour (Caribbean): the Fry Dumpling, a fried pastry with a hearty, warm filling.
• Unique Food Attitudes (Polish): savoury and sweet pierogis, plus a Polish poutine made with pierogi and goulash sauce.
• So Inviting (Chinese): dumplings are the specialty at this traditional Chinese bakery, self-serve and grab-and-go.
• Momos at the Market (Nepalese): handmade momos at the Western Fair Market, meat or vegetable, with a tomato, coriander and garlic sauce.
• True Taco (Mexican): empanadas, deep-fried tortilla pockets filled with bean, chicken or chorizo and topped with lettuce, crema and parmesan.
• Tony's Famous Italian (Italian): panzerotti, deep-fried pockets of cheese and sauce with your choice of fillings, in generous portions.
• Vietnam Restaurant (Vietnamese): wonton soup with shrimp, green onion and a well-balanced broth.

Also worth knowing: Pierogi Queen, a London pierogi food truck built on a family recipe, turns up around the neighbourhood and the city. Its fusion flavours, like buffalo chicken, taco and apple pie, are a fun twist on the theme. It isn't one of the eight fixed stops, since a food truck moves around.

Where else should you eat if you're making a day of it?

Richmond Row downtown, a separate strip from Old East Village, is an easy add. Toboggan Brewing Co. at 585 Richmond Street is a local brewery and brew pub named for London's 19th-century tobogganing history, with its own beer and better-than-average pub food. Thaifoon Restaurant, on Dundas and on Richmond, serves Thai food from a family-run kitchen. Mingle by Mr. & Mrs. Bao on Richmond Street is a Taiwanese-style small-plates spot known for its steamed milk buns.

Does the food scene matter if you're buying in Old East Village?

For a lot of buyers, yes. Walkable, independent restaurants are a big part of what sets the neighbourhood's revival apart from a purely residential area. If that's high on your list, weigh it alongside the heritage architecture and the Western Fair Farmers' and Artisans' Market.

Curious what's for sale in Old East Village right now? See current listings, or reach out to Justin.