Rating: NNNNN
Part of Harbourfront’s continuing World Routes culture fest, this weekend’s Island Soul celebration not only features a lineup of roots reggae rockers and soca stars but puts the spotlight on some of Toronto’s hottest cooks in its food court as well.
The winner of NOW’s search for Toronto’s choicest chicken wing, the Danforth’s Makkah , will be firing up its portable tandoor to roast its awesome chicken tikka. Anyone remember Viv’s, that long-shuttered Caribbean takeout counter once located in an office building on then-unfashionable King West? If you do, you won’t want to miss getting reacquainted with Vivienne Nelson and her acclaimed jerk chicken, which she’ll be barbecuing on a grill fashioned from a 45-gallon steel drum.
Another blast from the past, the Danforth’s long-gone Amadou returns with West African favourites like grilled chicken la Senegal and okra stew with dumplings, while the boulevard’s Coco Banana (see review, page 40) will whip up such Haitian-style snacks as acra, fritters of black-eyed peas and aubergine in Creole sauce.
For more info, call 416-973-4300 or visit www.harbourfrontcentre. com/wr.
On Saturday (August 5), catch food demos indoors at Lakeside Terrace from 12:30 pm by Island Thyme ‘s Marcia Marquez (see mini-review, page 42) and Irie Food Joint ‘s Carl Cassell (see mini-review, page 42) as well as a roti showdown between Caribbean Roti Palace (see mini-review, page 41) and Mona’s Roti Shop of Scarborough.
