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Hidden gems, big flavours: CBC's Locals Welcome celebrates Canada's unknown food scene
What is Locals Welcome?
Locals Welcome is a celebration of the lesser-known restaurants that make up the fabric of Canada's rich and diverse communities. This food tour series digs deep into immigrant communities and showcases the role food plays in preserving cultural identities and keeping us connected.
Who is the host of Locals Welcome?
Locals Welcome is hosted by Suresh Doss, a writer who has been exploring the Greater Toronto Area's unique food scene for over 20 years. He's appeared regularly in Toronto Life, The New York Times and on CBC. Fans, including some of the top chefs in North America have travelled to attend his food tours and discover new culinary delights.
Locals Welcome will dig deep into the rich culture of hospitality in the Greater Toronto Area's unique and diverse suburban pockets, from Scarborough's plazas rich in Sri Lankan and Filipino delicacies, the mouthwatering South-Asian eateries around Mississauga's airport strip, to the Naija peppered dishes found across the Nigerian community and many fascinating cuisines in-between.
Where and when can I watch Locals Welcome in Canada?
Locals Welcome is an upcoming Canadian food and culture show hosted by Suresh Doss, set to premiere in Fall 2025. The series highlights hidden culinary gems and vibrant local communities across Canada, offering viewers an inside look at diverse and lesser-known food scenes. With eight 30-minute episodes, the show will air on CBC and Radio-Canada platforms, likely including CBC Gem for streaming. It promises an authentic, community-driven experience that celebrates the stories behind the food.
Who are the guest stars on Locals Welcome?
Suresh has brought some special friends along to join him in the feast, including chef and actor Matty Matheson, Ann Pornel, host of The Great Canadian Baking Show, Canadian comedian and actor, Ali Hassan and Juno-nominated, Canadian-based Afro-R&B, soul singer, songwriter, and producer from Nigeria Nonso Amadi.
What inspired Locals Welcome?
Locals Welcome was inspired by host Suresh Doss’s passion for exploring hidden food spots and the vibrant communities behind them. Rather than focusing on well-known restaurants, the show highlights small, locally run establishments that tell deeper stories about culture, identity, and belonging in Canada. The idea was to celebrate the people who bring unique flavors and traditions to their neighborhoods—often immigrants or longtime locals whose contributions to the food scene go unnoticed. Through food, the series aims to connect audiences to the heart of diverse communities across the country.
What places does Locals Welcome visit?
From his home base of Scarborough,Ont., Suresh will zig zag across the Greater Toronto Area, explore Montreal and journey to Richmond, B.C.
Locals Welcome will also explore a diverse Chinese food scene in Richmond, B.C. – considered one of the "most Chinese cities in North America"– thanks to the generations of Chinese Canadians who settled there as early as 1788.
And in Montreal, Locals Welcome will explain why the phrase L'Union Fait la Force (Unity Is Strength in French) is driving the long overdue emergence of Haitian cuisine as a culinary force in the city. The series will also explore Montreal's Maghreb food culture that's been shaped by decades of French-speaking immigrants from North Africa, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Libya, and the Amazigh people – and unpack the community's deep respect for time: time to let flavours develop, to slow down, and to connect around the table.
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