Through the eyes of Joshua…

With Toronto's diverse multiculturalism, the classic fast food burger and fries are being pushed out by new ethnic restaurants and more up-scale, health-conscious establishments. We'd like to introduce you to a few new emerging restaurant trends making their way into the mainstream:

1. Burger joints: Burgers have become associated with two things: low cost and lots of grease. However, this might be a dying cliché as restaurants are beginning to create gourmet burgers- a meal you can take pride in eating. These restaurants are focusing on promoting higher-quality ingredients (particularly the meat), and forgoing the plastic booths and kiddie playgrounds for a more sophisticated dining experience.
2. Health foods: With the growing awareness of our society's obesity issue, new, health-conscious restaurants are beginning to emerge in an attempt to fight our fat and sugar-fueled diets. Alongside the growing popularity of vegetarian restaurants, many cafés are finding their niche with lunch meals, selling foods like paninis with organic ingredients, pasta salads, and a mind-warping range of free-trade coffees and organic teas.
3. Burrito places: Mexican food is no longer limited to hard and soft shell tacos, but have branched out into alternatives like burritos. Served in wraps or bowls with meat such as steak, chicken, pork or sometimes fish, and packed with rice, beans, lettuce, and guacamole, the burrito is a great way to fill your stomach. 
4. Middle Eastern food: Middle Eastern cuisine has taken off in Toronto. Moving beyond the subcategory of “Mediterranean cuisine” appropriated by Greek restaurants, the Middle Eastern food market has grown so much that chain restaurants are opening. These are great places to try something new, like stuffed grape leaves, hummus, or—an Iranian specialty—grilled tomatoes. 
5. Asian food: While Chinese food is still a big draw and has certainly evolved past the fortune cookie, many other Asian countries are grabbing a piece of the restaurant market. Japanese ramen shops are ending the stereotype of ramen as only cheap college cuisine and instead are pairing them with quality soup broths, which is what ramen was originally known for. Another development has been the rise of Korean restaurants which has made kimchi a household name and recipe.