World Food Market
World Food Market is an outdoor market that's home to 18 international vendors and counting, with options from wings to banh mi, momos and vegan gyros.
Picnic tables provide seating in the middle of the grouping of huts, and the area is tented in the winter.
Karma’s Kitchen does Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian cuisine including a basic but greasy and comforting veggie chow mein ($6) and butter chicken ($9).
They also serve orders of five delicate momos either steamed ($6), or fried or with gravy ($7). The steamed ones come with a thin, acidic dipping sauce for added moisture and flavour.
Vegan Bear specializes in a kind of vegan gyro meat that’s available either in a wrap ($8.85) or “naked” ($6.20).
The meat is actually seitan, seasoned with a special blend of spices cooked on a vertical spit, pan-fried to complete the caramelized meaty effect.
Your choice of white or whole wheat wrap comes with lettuce, red onion, tomato, vegan tzatziki, and a dash of “mom’s hot sauce.”
Banh Mi Street Food does fresh rolls with chicken or juicy shrimp for $6, served with a thick sweet and spicy sauce on the side.
South Asian desi paratha rolls ($7.99) can be obtained from The Charcoal Grill, so named because almost everything here is cooked on one. Soft salty paneer for the protein option in this one is harmoniously accompanied by a scratch daikon chutney, slaw and tamarind chutney. There are vegan versions of all sauces.
A special of chicken tikka masala ($11.99) is marinated, barbecued and served in a generous amount of silky, sweet, mildly spiced sauce over pulao rice with a side of veg.
Options for saj wraps from Mazeh include turkey and cheese, pulled chicken, or minced meat kafta ($7.95) with onion, parsley, tomato, spinach, mayo and potent pickle. Get some slightly spicy potatoes on the side.
Mazeh actually happens to have designed a little space for indoor seating.
Get crepes in varieties like Nutella and Oreo ($8) from Holy Crepes, and optionally add fruit, whipped cream or ice cream for an extra charge.
They even do Kinder Delight crepes ($9) stuffed with two entire melted nutty Kinder bars, as well as varieties with melted Cookies n’ Creme bars and savoury kinds.
Surprisingly solid wings from wingPass are $6.99 a pound, $9.99 with fries. There are hot buffalo, sweet buffalo, teriyaki, barbecue, sweet Thai and lemon pepper sauces available, as well as some crunchy creamy jalapeno poppers ($3.99).
There’s even a shisha lounge will a full indoor area at the back of the market.
There are also outposts of Oxtail Pho and Choco Churros here, and more.
World Food Market is open year round until midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends.
Fareen Karim