Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2024

Over the course of nine hours at the CNE (by far the longest I have ever spent there), Minji, Daniel, and I managed to go through all the exhibitions, play roulette at the casino, buy some air plants (me) and an Italian squeegee kit (them), and eat all the extraordinarily overpriced junk food we wanted to try this year:

Dilly Ranch Twisted Pickle

Tanghulu Mochi Doughnut

Wasabi Soft Serve Ice Cream

Fruity Pebbles Fried Chicken with Lime Dipping Sauce

Ruffles All Dressed Fried Chicken with Dill Pickle Dipping Sauce

Fried Soft Shell Crab "Kaarage" with Sriracha Mayo

Crème Brûlée Soft Serve Chimney Cone

Deep-Fried Pickle Oreos

Ube Sesame Corn

Deep-Fried Pickles

Deep-Fried Hickory Corn Ribs

Deep-Fried Cheese Curds and Curly Fries

Winners for me were the twisted pickle (so good, we almost got two), the Fruity Pebbles fried chicken (especially with the lime dip — a perfect combination of sweet, salty, and tangy), the soft shell crab (amazing texture and flavour — if it wasn't $20 each, we would've gotten another one), and the Tiny Tom's doughnuts (a classic for a reason; and did you really go to the CNE if you didn't get some Tiny Tom's doughnuts?). The most disappointing was the tanghulu mochi doughnut (sickly sweet, and I thought the fruit would be more incorporated into the doughnut somehow rather than just a skewer sitting on top), the Ruffles All Dressed fried chicken (the fried chicken was decent enough, but we could barely taste the All Dressed chips), the crème brûlée soft serve Chimney Cone (the burnt sugar and custard were just sitting on top so once you get past that top layer, it's just vanilla soft serve), and the deep-fried pickle Oreos (even the thick layer of sweet deep-fried dough could not hide the fact that pickles and Oreos just do not go together). 

And in case you're wondering, all of this cost $90.34 per person (not including entry tickets and parking). I wasn't kidding when I said "extraordinarily overpriced," because we could each have had a pretty lavish steak dinner for the cost of all this junk food. I guess we really made up for not going during the pandemic years. On another note, thank you to the guy at "Fool the Guesser" who thought I was still 27. At least Minji's $10 didn't go to waste and she got a stuffed frog plushie out of it. 

Canadian National Exhibition

Exhibition Place

210 Princes' Blvd.

Toronto, ON M6K 3C3

(416) 263-3330

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2022

After an hour of getting through rush hour traffic to get downtown, another hour of getting through downtown traffic, and another 30 minutes of finding a parking space, Ronsee, Val, and I finally made it to The Ex.

No dilly-dallying. We went straight for the food. Unfortunately, so did everyone else. And it was way more crowded this year than previous years. Nearly every stall worth getting food at had a minimum 30-minute wait time. It was already 8:00PM by the time we got into the grounds, so we only had 2 hours to get any kind of food. However, our goal was to get foods that were both appealing and that we had never tried before, which was harder than expected. Since the last time we went to The Ex (in 2019, pre-COVID, the last time it was open), we also eat significantly less. (The worst part about aging. I swear we used to be able to eat at least double the amount we do now.) So we had to make our choices count:

Funnel cake and fried chicken sandwich from Deep Fried Chicken Sandwiches

1. Funnel Cake + Fried Chicken Sandwich from Deep Fried Chicken Sandwiches: Yes, that is a piece of fried chicken in between two funnel cakes with strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Plus a side of coleslaw. (Even shared between the three of us, this is easily over 1,000 calories per person.) Funnel cake was crispy, chicken had good flavour and remained juicy, and it actually worked really well with the strawberry sauce and the whipped cream. But what really surprised us was how good it was with the coleslaw on it, too. It sounds like the grossest combo but it totally works. If only they gave us a knife that would actually cut through the damn thing. Rating: 7/10

Seoul-ful Taters from Get Your Own Taters

2. "Seoul-ful Taters" from Get Your Own Taters: This was exceptional, the unanimous favourite of the night. Perfectly golden, crispy tater tots with fluffy, potato-y innards. Flavourful, nicely marinated, tender beef bulgogi. The combination of these with the spicy, tangy flavour and crunchy texture of the kimchi was perfection. And this might be controversial, but I gotta say: Tater Tots work better than fries. Rating: 10/10

The Tiramisu and Signature Croffles + Lychee Strawberry Soda from Fuwa Fuwa

3. Tiramisu and Signature Croffles + Lychee Strawberry Soda from Fuwa Fuwa: Croffles are the latest craze in the pastry world right now and I am obsessed. So when I saw that Fuwa Fuwa, who are known for their soufflé pancakes, opened an entire stall just for croffles, I had to get some. We decided on the Signature (topped with whipped cream and berries) and the Tiramisu (topped with whipped cream, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup). It was insanely hot in the Food Building so the whipped cream was pretty much melted by the time we actually sat down, but I gotta say, they were still really good. The croffle was buttery with a good chew and still had crispy edges despite the melting whipped cream. Both flavours were excellent, though the Tiramisu held up better in the heat. Rating: 8/10

Okay, so we didn't go as wild as we used to. Previously, we'd go The Ex just to try the weirdest or grossest new foods, but there was nothing particularly exciting this year (mustard soft serve and pickle ice cream splits just didn't intrigue us), so we just went with what looked interesting but would still taste good. And I think we did pretty well considering the time constraints. We only wished we could eat more. 

Canadian National Exhibition

Exhibition Place

210 Princes' Blvd.

Toronto, ON M6K 3C3

(416) 263-3330

Photolog 2019: Day 231 of 365

Ronsee and I made our first trip to The Ex this evening. It's become tradition for us to go to The Ex every year for the ridiculous food offerings. This year's selections weren't as exciting or innovative as previous years, but we managed to get four things in before the Food Building closed:


1. "K-Pop Bulgogi Fries" from Supa Fries — Crispy fresh cut fries with marinated bulgogi ribeye beef, kimchi, green onions, lime, sriracha mayo, and toasted sesame seeds. Asian fusion fries are nothing new, but this combination works really well together. I wish there was more kimchi, but overall, worth getting. Rating: 9/10


2. "Southern Slang" from Fran's — Buttermilk fried chicken served on a sweet bun, topped with house-made slaw and a spicy chocolate sriracha sauce. They fried the chicken fresh for us so it took a bit longer to get our food, but it was piping hot with excellent crispy batter. The slaw gives a good texture but the chocolate sauce drowns it — both literally and in flavour. I wish they had coated the chicken with the chocolate sauce and put more slaw on top, like the menu picture indicates. Still, the sweet-salty combo works well, and it is somewhat reminiscent of chicken and waffles, but in burger form. Rating 7/10


3. "Fuwa Fuwa Mango" from Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes — Original soufflé pancake with mango sauce and fresh mango. This popular Japanese pancake restaurant serves up really tasty, fluffy, almost mousse-like pancakes, and it's their first time at the CNE. The pancake is light and airy, so it makes a good option for CNE food adventurers 'cause it's not too filling. The mango option is actually only available at the CNE, and it was very reminiscent of a mango mousse cake. Delicious, though not very original in flavour profile. For the price ($11) and the wait time (at least 10 minutes), though, I was expecting more than one pancake. Rating: 7.5/10


4. "Apple Cheesecake Poutine" from Granny Smith Apple Fries — Apple "fries" topped with cheesecake chunks, salted caramel sauce, and whipped cream. Flavour profile is exactly like apple pie. The apple "fries" are literally deep-fried apple strips and coated with cinnamon sugar. The cheesecake chunks didn't really add to the apples at all because it has such a mild flavour, but it did add a nice texture contrast. I only wish that we had gone earlier in the day because by the time we got there, the apples weren't freshly fried, so they had already absorbed a lot of the oil making them soggier than they should be. There also wasn't sufficient sauce, so the fries got quite dry halfway through. Good in theory, not that great in execution. Rating: 5/10

I'm planning to go back to The Ex next week, so hopefully I'll get a good variety next time. I'm eyeing the pierogi burger, the funnel cake fried chicken sandwich, the cherry pie deep-fried cheese curds, and the cookie dough ice cream "spaghetti." We'll see how much stomach power I have. I better start eating ultra-healthy until then...

Photolog 2018: Day 241 of 365

Big Poppa Burger
Cheesecake Panini
Movie Night Cheesecake Bar
Made my second food trip to the CNE today with my friends Tuta, Sam, and Elisa. We went really early and got there for noon (admission was free before 1:00PM today!), but I think because it was still early in the day, we all got full a lot faster than the last time I went. We weren't as ambitious today, but we still made solid picks:

1. Big Poppa (a mega burger combining a premium beef patty, luncheon meat, chicken katsu, cheddar cheese, shogun sauce, and all the toppings between ramen noodle buns) from Yatai Japanese Street Food
2. Cheesecake Panini (creamy cheesecake topped with cheddar cheese and bacon bits, served on a sweet Long John doughnut, pressed to a crisp, golden brown) from Fran's Restaurant
3. Movie Night Cheesecake Bar (a chilled cheesecake bar dipped in chocolate, drizzled with caramel, and topped with caramel popcorn and M&M's) from Cake Shack

We did also have the Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese and the deep-fried Mac & Cheese Balls from Mac & Cheesery, but I didn't get a picture in before Sam and Elisa started eating them (Tuta and I were still in line at Yatai when they got their orders and I guess they were too hungry to wait). They weren't particularly photogenic so I don't feel too bad, but rest assured, they were also fatteningly delicious. Oh, and we also got a bag of Tiny Tom's doughnuts. My only regret was not getting some to bring home before we left the grounds. Ah, well. Until next year!

Photolog 2018: Day 238 of 365

Fried Cheeseburger & Fries Chimichanga
Izakaya Dog
The Juicy Crab!
Pineapple Float

Watermelon Charcoal Cone
Hong Kong Style French "Toast"

Ronsee and I made our annual CNE food trip today! This year's picks, in the order we ate them:

1. Fried cheeseburger and fries chimichanga from Farm to Fryer
2. Izakaya Dog (an all beef corn dog topped with nori flakes, crispy onions, pickled ginger, wasabi mayo, an teriyaki ketchup) from Hungry Husky Waffle Dog
3. The Juicy Crab! (a freshly baked brioche bun stuffed with East Coast lobster in brown butter, Thai shrimp, whitefish, Atlantic smoked salmon, smoked aged cheddar, and braised short rib topped with a crab xiao long bao, lemon Kewpie mayo and tarragon dijon slaw) from Hot Bunzz Street Cuisine
4. Pineapple ice cream float from Fran's Restaurant
5. Watermelon soft serve in a charcoal waffle cone from Black Halo
6. Hong Kong Style French "Toast" (deep-fried cheese curds topped with peanut butter, condensed milk, and butter) from The King of Curds

Another successful food adventure at The Ex! I'll be going back on Wednesday for more.

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2017

My friend Ronsee and I made our annual trip to The Ex last night. As per tradition, we skipped all the rides and games and went straight for the food. This year's new food items aren't as exciting as some previous years (like, chicken feet isn't a "new" thing — Chinese people eat it at dim sum every damn day) but one thing we had to try was The Juicy Oink! from a new fusion stall called Hot Bunzz.

The Juicy Oink! from Hot Bunzz
Hot Bunzz offers many Asian-fusion stuffed buns, but The Juicy Oink! made its debut at the Ex this year, which is why there's so much buzz about it. Aptly named, this bun consists of five-spice pork belly, BBQ pulled pork, sweet longanisa sausage, and chicharron (crispy pork skin), topped with a single Shanghai pork soup dumpling (xiao long bao) and chipotle apple slaw, and then drizzled with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayo. The different preparations of pork actually worked really well together; each component had a distinct texture and flavour, and the apple slaw added a zesty kick and a nice crunch. The line up at Hot Bunzz was definitely the longest out of any of the booths inside the Food Building, and while I don't think that The Juicy Oink! merits a 30-minute minimum wait time, it was actually tasty and surprisingly unique, and I'd definitely check them out again if they opened a permanent shop. For now, they have a pop-up at the Eaton Centre for those who can't make it to The Ex this year.
Dirty Bird from Bub's Bad@ss Burgers
Next up was a Dirty Bird from Bub's Bad@ass Burgers. We had a similar burger from Bub's a couple years ago, and decided to return because we remember having loved it. It is, however, important to us not to order the same thing twice, so we went with the Dirty Bird this year, which consists of crispy fried chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, shredded cheese, and chipotle mayo in between two Jamaican chicken patties. Not quite as well-executed in flavours as the Bad Boy burger we had two years ago, but still reliably delicious. As it turns out, you can't go wrong with replacing burger buns with Jamaican patties.
Frog Legs & Cod Tongue and Cheese Stuffed Doritos from Farm to Fryer
Another new item that everyone was hyped up about this year is the deep-fried, cheese-stuffed Doritos from Farm to Fryer. They are exactly what you imagine them to be: A mound of cheese is coated in a Doritos-laden batter and then deep-fried to a golden, crispy perfection. So, basically, they're like mozzarella sticks, except with Doritos. Not the most inventive, but definitely satisfies that deep-fried junk food craving. Each order comes with three pieces, which is more than enough if you want room for other foods at The Ex. On that note, a truly noteworthy item at Farm to Fryer is the Frog Legs & Cod Tongue. Yep, frog legs and cod tongue, a pairing that I had never heard of (honestly, I didn't even know eating fish tongues was a thing), but surprisingly delicious. For those who are less adventurous with food, this is totally worth trying if you can get over the fact that it's frog legs and cod tongues. The frog legs honestly taste like chicken wings, but with smoother meat and smaller bones. And the cod tongues taste like deep-fried fish, except silkier and less flaky. More proof that anything can taste good when it's deep-fried.
Peanut Butter Sriracha Bites from Fran's
Because we are getting soft in our old age, Ronsee and I were pretty full after all that deep-fried shit, so we went on a hunt for dessert. Because charcoal-based and nitrogen-frozen ice cream is old news for us, and the highly anticipated "Sugar Mountain" from Cake Shack looked sickeningly sweet, we settled on the new Peanut Butter Sriracha Bites and a good ol' root beer float from Fran's. The bites are deep-fried sweet dough (so, mini doughnuts) with a peanut butter sriracha filling, dusted with cinnamon icing sugar and drizzled with chocolate syrup. The sriracha flavour definitely gets lost because peanut butter is so much more overpowering but there is the tiniest hint of spice in between bites of peanut butter, doughnut, and chocolate syrup. Definitely not as exotic or unique as it had the potential to be, but anyone who likes doughnuts and peanut butter will definitely enjoy it. Between the bites and the root beer float, though, I had my fill of sweets for the night. 
Overall, the food we tried this year was good, but I'm hoping next year will be more exciting. Not a lot of the new offerings intrigued me, and I think it's because food trends are changing so constantly now that it's getting harder and harder to one-up all the crazy, inventive dishes that have come out previously. I mean, when deep-fried butter launched, everyone went apeshit for it. So that's what I'm hoping for next year. A deep-fried butter revolution.

Canadian National Exhibition 200 Princes' Boulevard Toronto, ON M6K 3C3 (416) 393-6300

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2016

My friends and I made our annual trip to The Ex a couple weeks ago but I totally forgot to post about our food adventures, so here it is, better late than never (because it is a tradition, damn it). We actually couldn't care less about the midway rides or games there, or even the actual exhibitions themselves. We just care about food. So we went straight to the Food Building and just stayed there until we had satisfied our gluttonous foodie dreams (which, as it turns out, is when they closed).

"Duece Pigalow" from Porkies

This year, we were more focused on procuring truly delicious eats rather than bordering-on-gross food finds (especially since insects were the buzzworthy food at The Ex this year — I'm not paying to eat bugs, thanks). We started at Porkies, who specializes in authentic porchetta sandwiches. We shared a Duece Pigalow sandwich, which features both porchetta and pork belly, topped with crackle, caramelized onions, arugula, salsa verde, and provolone in between a crusty roll. As far as The Ex goes, this was a pretty basic choice, but it actually ended up being one of our favourites.

Canadian Bacon Tacos from Bacon Nation
Next stop was Bacon Nation, which has now become a staple at The Ex. We decided to get the Canadian bacon tacos, which features BBQ pulled pork piled high on two tender pieces of Canadian bacon, topped with mango salsa and burrito sauce. They were actually very tasty and all the flavours worked really well together, but I only wished that they had used tortillas or taco shells to hold all of ingredients together. With Canadian bacon as the "holders," they just seemed too flimsy and messy, making them seem too deconstructed to be called tacos. I'd be more inclined to get the classic Bacon Wrapped Grilled Cheese next year.
Thanksgiving Waffle from Fran's
Orange Creamsicle Float from Fran's
Of course, we had to stop by Fran's. There were a couple new items this year, but we ultimately decided to indulge in the famous Thanksgiving Waffle, which debuted a couple years ago. It was actually our first time trying it because the line-ups were far too long in previous years, but I think it ended up being the unanimous favourite between the three of us. If you've never had it, it's roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and thick housemade gravy stuffed into a savoury, aromatic waffle that is made of classic bread dressing. It's incredibly heavy, so sharing is recommended, but it is epic. I mean, we all know that Thanksgiving foods are great on their own, but if you've ever wondered whether Thanksgiving foods are still tasty when mixed together, the answer is: yes. Yes, they really, really are. And because we're fatties, we washed that calorie-laden waffle down with Creamsicle floats. And it was absolutely glorious.
Churro Cheeseburger from Epic Burgers & Waffles
Deep Fried Mac 'n' Cheese Curds from Mac & Cheesery
A trip to The Ex wouldn't be complete without a stop at Epic Burgers. After their grilled cheese sandwich burger put them on the scene, their doughnut cheeseburger started a craze, and their big cronut food poisoning fiasco last year made them newsworthy, they decided to collaborate with I Love Churros this year to create a Churro Cheeseburger. It's exactly as it sounds: a burger patty topped with cheese in between two churro "buns." It is good in concept, but not so great in execution. The cinnamon sweetness works well with the smoky-salty flavour of the meat and it almost tastes like a McGriddle, but the churros get hardened so fast that your jaw literally starts hurting from the amount of chewing it takes to get through the dough. I've always loved everything I've tried from Epic Burgers, but the Churro Cheeseburger was a flop. We couldn't end the night like that, though, so we got ourselves some deep fried mac 'n' cheese curds from Mac & Cheesery. Balls of mac 'n' cheese rolled in breadcrumbs and then deep fried. You really can't go wrong.

My fellow Torontonians, did you go to The Ex this year? Did you win any prizes or go on any rides? Did you see any of the actual exhibitions? Or did you just go for the eats like us? And if so, what'd you get?

Canadian National Exhibition200 Princes' BoulevardToronto, ON M6K 3C3(416) 393-6300

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2015

My friend Ronsee and I made our annual trip to The Ex yesterday. As you may already know, we only go to The Ex for the sole purpose of eating. So we got there at 5:30, and bee-lined straight for the Food Building. This year's food offerings didn't seem as weird or fantastical as some other years (I think many food vendors are being way more cautious after the maple bacon cronut debacle two years ago), but we did find some real gems (and one major disappointment).

Bad Boy Burger from Bub's Badass Burgers
The first thing on our list was a Bad Boy Burger: A spicy beef patty, a piece of honey garlic fried chicken, pepper jack cheese, wasabi cucumber, hickory sticks, tomato, sriracha mayo, and buttermilk coleslaw, in between two Jamaican beef patties. The components worked really well together. It had a good amount of flavour, with the pepper jack cheese, wasabi cucumber, and sriracha mayo giving a nice kick, though the Jamaican beef patty does overwhelm some of the other flavours in some bites. The honey garlic fried chicken is a nice touch to this, though; it's tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, with a nice tangy-sweet flavour that works well with the spice. If you like Jamaican beef patties and you like burgers, this one is really worth trying out. 
Garlic snow crab fries from Jake's Lobster
There's a new item at Jake's Lobster this year: garlic snow crab fries. A box of fresh-cut fries topped with generous chunks of sweet crab meat, drizzled with garlic aioli, a pinch of dill and parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. Honestly, this was probably my favourite item of the night. You can always tell how popular an item is by the line-up outside the vendor booth, and I think this one had the longest line-up. (I felt kinda bad for their sister booth, Pull'd, which was insanely busy in previous years but is practically dead with everyone lining up next door at Jake's instead. I guess no one cares about pulled pork anymore.) It's better than all the other French fry offerings I've had at The Ex. This is something I'd order regularly at a restaurant if it were available. 
Poutine Balls from Vienna
Of course, we couldn't leave without having a poutine of some sort, you know? Vienna is offering Poutine Balls this year, which is a bit like "poutine inception." The Balls have a centre of cheese curd that is wrapped in mashed potato, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep-fried. And then they're topped off with more cheese curds and rich Bavarian-style gravy. Actually really tasty, though I wish the gravy were hotter — it’s meant to melt the cheese curds, but the whole thing was lukewarm at best. 
Chicken Waffle on a Stick from Mr. Mike
We were really excited to try the chicken waffle on a stick: chicken tenders coated in waffle batter, deep-fried to golden brown, and dunked in maple syrup (you can also have it dusted with icing sugar and drizzled with hot sauce, if you so wish). This was by far the biggest disappointment of the evening, and possibly the worst thing I've ever had at The Ex. The chicken was so dry, I could barely swallow it without the aid of water, and the entire thing was completely tasteless. I wish they had drenched the thing in maple syrup because at least then there would be some flavour. Don't waste your time with this. I am pissed, because I could've been eating bacon-wrapped grilled cheese sandwiches from Bacon Nation instead. 
Deep-fried cheesecake from Pickle Pete's
We decided to have dessert in the midway after taking some time to walk around and digest, and the main dessert item on our list was deep-fried cheesecake, which is new this year. It's essentially a slice of New York cheesecake wrapped in a tortilla and deep-fried. It tastes like a warm cream cheese-stuffed churro, drizzled with chocolate and tossed with cinnamon sugar, and it's pretty awesome. It takes some work to find because it's tucked away in a corner of the midway, but it's worth it. 
Coffee and Doughnut Milkshake from Fran's
We ended our night back at the Food Building right before it closed to get a Coffee and Doughnut Milkshake from Fran's. It tastes exactly like tiramisu in custard-thick milkshake form, and it's freaking delightful. It's extremely rich and makes you full really fast, so I suggest sharing with someone. Ronsee and I managed to finish about 3/4 of it before having to toss it. But it does make for a very delicious shareable dessert. And a great ending to our CNE food journey this year. 

Canadian National Exhibition 200 Princes' Boulevard Toronto, ON M6K 3C3 (416) 393-6300

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2014

My brother and his girlfriend flew up here from New York on Thursday, so we decided to coincide their trip with our annual excursion to The Ex yesterday. They don't have carnivals like this in Manhattan (and apparently Coney Island is way too ratchet), so they were even more pumped to go. As many of you know, I don't go to The Ex for any other purpose than to eat. Anything else is secondary. Because Ronsee had work and I had an afternoon freelance wedding job, we didn't actually get into the grounds until 7:30, so we met my brother and his girlfriend at the Food Building. (We don't mess around.) For whatever reason, there wasn't as much fanfare over The Ex this year as there was in previous years, but we still managed to get in some deliciously fattening foods, including:
"Jack'd" from Pull'd: Pulled pork between three red velvet pancakes and doused in Jack Daniels-infused syrup
"The Canadian" at Bouchard's Poutinery
"The Behemoth" from Epic Burgers and Waffles: Cheeseburger with grilled cheese sandwich buns
Chocolate fried chicken from Coco's Fried Chicken
Deep-fried Oreos
Our stomaches were too full to eat any more (we are getting weak in our old age), but I do wish that we had done more research prior to going in. There are so many things that I wish we had checked out: the Thanksgiving waffles (cranberry stuffing waffle filled with roast turkey, mashed potatoes, green onions, gravy, and cranberries) and maple toast breakfast boxes (deep-fried slices of egg bread drizzled with maple syrup, hollowed out and stuffed with bacon, sausage, and egg) from Fran's, the "s'more bao" (a Chinese bun filled with Nutella, marshmallow fluff, graham cracker crumbs, condensed milk, and chocolate) from Far East Taco, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup "crobar" (a chocolate bar baked inside a buttery croissant) from Hula Girl. Not our most impressive year, but at least everyone had a good time and everything we did have was incredibly tasty. I think the chocolate fried chicken was the most surprising. It's just genuinely good fried chicken, chocolate or not. Tasty buttermilk batter, really moist chicken, perfectly crispy skin. It's not that chocolatey, either, just a tinge of sweetness. Really quite delightful.

We ended the night by walking thorough the midway, playing some games here and there (a novelty for my brother and his girlfriend, who found some of the games a little too addictive...) and spending a good half hour trying hard to find the deep-fried butter truck. Apparently, they weren't open this year which was really quite disappointing, because I feel like that's one of the things that everyone associates with The Ex now. I mean, we ended up getting deep-fried Oreos, but my brother and his girlfriend were super-intrigued with the deep-fried butter business so it was too bad that they couldn't try it. 
Did you go to any carnivals or fairs this year? Fellow Torontonians, did you go to The Ex? If so, what did you eat?