The VONG choice!

Toronto - here's what I will miss most...

2012-11-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I am debarking on a new adventure off to Hong Kong in a matter of a few days. I am filled with excitement as well as anxiety for I have never lived outside of Canada for a long period of time and culturally, I consider myself CAN-asian - Canadian first. This will be one of the biggest challenges of my life for it will be a new way of living, communicating (I only

Richmond Station

2012-11-11T16:19:00.002-05:00

Another hot spot that I needed to check out before I left for Hong Kong was Top Chef Canada's season 2 winner Carl Heinrich and his partner (both ex-Marben) Ryan Donovan's newest project, Richmond Station. The theme of a train station seems fitting by it's location, in the heart of the financial district and on Yonge street which is the main street where our city's transit system traverses

Patria - simple and amazing!

2012-11-09T09:39:00.000-05:00

Newly opened Patria is one of the best kept secrets along the bustling King West Strip. It's completely hidden off King street, down the alley way next to Weslodge, and you discover this new open concept Spanish restaurant from the brains behind the aforementioned Weslodge -Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth. I predict this to be one of the new Toronto hot spots, as it was only a

MOMOFUKU

2012-11-06T15:32:00.002-05:00

David Chang, is the cult of cool in the food world! He's the chef and owner of the famous Momofuku restaurant brands, has brought his celebrity to Toronto and I, like many others, looked forward to experiencing the hype and excitement around the brand and trying the famed Momofuku since it landed in the gorgeous new Shangri-La Hotel over the summer time. I certainly know the buzz

Hawker Bar

2012-11-02T18:55:00.003-04:00

Hawker Bar pays homage to Singapore style street 'hawker' food with it's own rustic and Western twist to it. A team of super friends including the owners of one of my very favourite establishments, Poutini's, are behind this intimate resto located on the trendy Ossington strip and have opened my eyes and taste buds to the versatile sweet, sour and spicy

Sunday Night Football club

2012-10-26T09:43:00.000-04:00

I have a thing for guys who know their way around the kitchen, and definitely swoon when a guy knows his food and can cook. I refer to these men as my food porn stars! I recently was lucky enough to get an invited to a coveted Sunday Night Football dinner club where not only one man was cooking but there is a rotating roaster of at least 3 men and this particular evening, it was a

The Grove - my little secret (for now!)

2012-09-26T22:59:00.000-04:00

Grove feels like a good little secret (for now). Opened now for about 5 months on the Dundas strip near Ossington, it's too good to be a secret for long. There's buzz about the food from social media and my friends are already talking about it; but the unmarked restaurant may be a bit hard to find, it's at the verge of it's tipping point. An old dental office come rustic restaurant

Diner en Blanc 2012

2012-08-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

We braved the wet rainy weather, a potential thunderstorm with umbrellas open, dragged our own chairs and tables to a meeting point thru rush hour traffic, brought either our own picnic or pre-bought food and vino to be apart of something. This was the official Diner en Blanc where a lucky few hundred people had the opportunity to participate in a pop-up flash mob picnic. So I did have a

Alimento Mozza Bar

2012-08-10T18:38:00.000-04:00

So I have been waiting, wishing and anticipating the opening of Alimento Fine Food emporium and alas it does not disappoint! It mimics one of my very favourite spots in the world, the Mario Batali Italian food emporium - Eataly in NY where you can shop, browse and enjoy all things about Italian cuisine. The retail space has a a great selection of gourmet Italian foods, mostly shipped from

Tacos + Art = La Carnita

2012-08-08T07:58:00.001-04:00

La Carnita has been the talk of the town for the last year with it's pop up taqueria and it's chaotic taco + art party at the Brickworks which 1400 people showed up for! It has finally landed on College Street and has been stirring up a rivalry between other taquerias in the city. Namely Queen West's Grand Electric vs. College West and it's La Carnita. When we

Lamesa - my first Filipino experience

2012-08-02T09:59:00.002-04:00

lumpia asado I was very excited when a new restaurant, Lamesa, popped up in my neighbourhood of Queen and Bathurst. What's more exciting is that it offers a cuisine that I am fairly unfamiliar with and would like to learn more about: Filipino food. It's interesting to learn that while there are about 200,000 Filipinos in the GTA, there isn't a restaurant in the city that serves

Milos - my VERY favourite new fish resto

2012-07-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

OPA! This is the one of the most memorable show stopping dining experience I have had in a long while. It's not everyday that I am extremely impressed with a dining experience at a restaurant from the service, decor and the food. This is what I would classified world class seafood and fish restaurant. I am pleased to hear that there are locations in Montreal (la

The Depanneur

2012-06-09T22:41:00.000-04:00

The Depanneur, a very fitting name for a former convenience store come communal dining spot which by day serves as a little coffee and sandwich place and by evening, a casual and unique supper club. Having lived in la belle province (Montreal), I loved my local Dep around the corner and so I was very intrigued about trying this new dig. my new friends at the Dep The

Let Patio season begin with the Bier Markt

2012-06-06T20:09:00.000-04:00

The Bier Markt on the esplanade has been a staple in Toronto for many years with it's extensive variety of beers they have to offer, live entertainment, jovial atmosphere and best of all, a great patio to enjoy the great summer weather. There's so much beer to choose from that sometimes you don't know where to begin so I take cues from the signs around the resto and order their

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu

2012-05-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

I have been reading review after review about this place so I took the opportunity while I was in North York to take my dad and my step mom to try this Toronto Life restaurant pick. I wanted to know why it was considered so good and what the hype was all about. I have to say I completely thought I was going to a restaurant to experience a dish that I have never tried directly

Miami recaps

2012-05-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Business first and then sunny weather, sandy beaches, latina fever, dancing under the moonlight and good eats summed up my recent Miami trip. Here are some highlights of best bites and must tries during my last trip down south focused mainly on the South Beach area: At Zuma restaurant located in downtown Miami at the Epic Hotel is a modern Japanese isakaya - my favourite

Fueling up at the Fuel House

2012-05-21T14:26:00.001-04:00

After a long day of moving me in with my dear friends, I wanted to treat them to good eats that in a casual and comforting environment. We headed to the Fuel House which was the ideal place for the mood and vibe we were looking for. In the intimate space formerly known as Olivia's just tucked off College behind Cafe Diplomatic on Clinton, it's the perfect place for comfort as it's

Chantecler

2012-05-15T22:04:00.001-04:00

After venturing out to Parkdale with 2 very hungry friends and being turned away from a busy taco joint, we stumbled upon Chantecler, a new bistro style restaurant on the strip. We were pleasantly surprised when we could walk in and get a table right away. The rustiness of the space gave it a very intimate and homey feel and was the perfect setting for our dinner party. Pork Neck

A whole new world! Eating through textures

2012-04-25T22:06:00.000-04:00

Losing my complete sense of tastes has led me to appreciate food in a very different way. I find myself eating to experience the variety of textures in food as well as smelling the aromas leaving me with nostalgia of the taste engrained in my memory. I have always been a lover of rubbery and chewiness in foods but without being able to experience tastes, I look for things that

Songkran

2012-04-23T19:16:00.003-04:00

Songkran is the world famous Thai New Years WATER Festival celebrated between April 13-15. Thai individuals roam the streets with buckets and water guns to drench any passersbys. The throwing of water was originally a symbol of paying respect to people, and a cleansing of all the bad habits. It is celebrated in Thailand during their hottest month so the water also provides people

Living in a Bland World

2012-04-11T18:59:00.000-04:00