One City, Three Countries, Endless Flavour

A Toronto takeout weekend turned global feast

I love Toronto. You can truly meet the world here, especially through food, just all in one city, sometimes even in one meal. A girl from Cape Town 🇿🇦, tasting the world one bite at a time? Always been the dream. And this weekend, we did just that.

🇬🇾 First Stop: Guyanese Chinese from Lucky Lin

We kicked things off with Guyanese Chinese chow mein from Lucky Lin, a cozy West Indian Chinese spot tucked away in Scarborough.

If you’ve never had Guyanese chow mein, it’s a vibe. The noodles are soft, the sauce savoury but not too heavy, and the veggie medley? Classic: cabbage, carrots, broccoli… and just the right balance between saucy and dry. We ordered pork chow mein and chicken on top chow mein, and I still can’t tell you which one I liked more.

I’ve got a good girlfriend who’s Guyanese (and I got a slow introduction from her when she made me pepperpot, wow, I think I fell in love with Guyana right there 😅). Beautiful people, beautiful food. And I love that we can taste stories like this right in our own city.

🍜 Guyanese Chinese = Chinese food with a Caribbean passport. And I’m here for it.

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🇵🇭 Second Stop: Filipino BBQ Chicken Heaven

On another night that weekend, we ordered some Filipino-style BBQ chicken and kebabs, because one round of takeout just wasn’t enough.

The chicken was smoky, sweet, juicy, and came with a tangy dipping sauce I’m pretty sure was sawsawan, the kind that makes your taste buds do a little happy dance. The chicken was good on its own, but dipped in that sauce? It was a combo made in BBQ heaven.

🍗 Sweet, sticky, vinegary, grilled—Filipino BBQ is just built different.

We also recently watched a Filipino movie called Maple Leaf Dreams, and in it, they feature a well-known lechon restaurant in Toronto. So now I’m officially on a mission to try Wilson’s Haus of Lechon in “Little Manila”, North York, especially known for its roasted pork or lechon, So stay tuned for that one.

My love for the Philippines runs deep. I visited years ago and fell in love with the food, the culture, the warmth of the people. Hardworking, kind, generous souls and the food that reflects all of that.

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🇰🇷 Final Stop: Peach Soju Vibes

To wrap up our flavour adventure, we reached for something light and fun- soju. Think of soju as vodka’s lighter, sweeter cousin: cute, uncompilicated and always brings the vibes.

My mom’s a big K-drama fan (like half the world), so we’re very familiar with that little green bottle that shows up during dramatic dinner scenes. It’s basically the unofficial drink of emotional K-Dramas.

I’d tried soju + beer (aka so-maek) before and found it surprisingly smooth. So we picked up a bottle of peach-flavoured soju at our local liquor store and cracked it open to pair with the Filipino BBQ leftovers. Light, fruity, and slightly sweet, it hit the spot.

✨ This City, This Life

There’s something magical about this city. Where else can you mix Guyanese chow mein, Filipino BBQ, and Korean soju all in one weekend and have it feel like the most natural thing in the world?

Toronto lets you travel the world without ever leaving your neighbourhood. And I’m so here for that.

🔗 Hungry for more?

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🍢 10 Hours in Istanbul: A Whirlwind of Chai, Kofta & Turkish Magic