“Rising tides raise all boats”

By Danielle Popov

The Annex Food Hall closed during the pandemic, but it will soon be reborn as an all Asian-owned 4,000 sq. foot night market called Superfresh. 

Outside the market, a neon sign says fresh in Korean and Mandarin. Rachel Lee, a bartender at one of the new vendors, explains that “we’re not one restaurant, we’re multiple restaurants taking care of each other. At the end of the day, if one restaurant is struggling, everyone is struggling. We thought it was the best time, even with the help of the government.” 

Superfresh evokes an Asian night market and transports visitors to an alleyway in Korea, Northern China, Nepal or Taiwan. Featuring cuisines from different parts of Asia, the market also celebrates Asian pop culture with a nostalgic twist, from the décor to the name itself. Superfresh was Toronto’s first 24-hour Korean-owned grocery store that operated at this location for many years.

The market was cofounded by James Lee, (owner of the former Annex Food Hall), Trevor Lui (Joybird), Jae Pak and Dave Choi, and it will include Joybird Fried Chicken, Big Beef Bowl (traditional Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles) and Auntie’s Supply (a superette featuring snacks popular with millennials). The other vendors remain a surprise.  

“Rising tides raise all boats,” said owner, James Lee, about the collective decision to replace the food hall with a concept many years in the works. Lee would like Superfresh to be a cultural and community hub, as well as destination hot spot. In addition to celebrating Asian food, the market will feature a bodega, pop-ups, live DJs, and events in secret locations.  

Superfresh opened to the public on May 14, 2022.  

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