Vietnamese Street Food Surge Hits Toronto's Chinatown
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The opening of CMT8 signals a growing trend of specialized Vietnamese eateries reshaping the city's culinary landscape.
Toronto is experiencing a significant boom in Vietnamese cuisine, ranging from coffee shops like Ca Phe to fine-dining venues such as Petite Lune, according to reporting from BlogTO.
Adding to this trend is the Aug. 8 opening of CMT8, located at 81 Huron St. near Chinatown. The new establishment focuses specifically on Vietnamese street culture, utilizing sidewalk stools and charcoal grills to evoke the atmosphere of Saigon. Unlike its parent company, Premium Banh—which operates locations in Mississauga and the Stockyards and offers a wide array of desserts, snacks, and ca phe—CMT8 employs a stripped-back strategy. Its concise menu centers on only two primary offerings: com tam (broken rice) and banh mi.
This shift toward specialized, high-efficiency menus reflects a broader movement within the city's restaurant scene, where newcomers and established operators are leveraging focused concepts to gain rapid traction with consumers.