I feel extremely fortunate to have been born and raised in Canada. Recently returning from a year abroad, teaching English in Japan and traveling through India has made this sentiment resolute. Aside from all the freedoms and luxuries that most Canadians innocently take for granted, the food is what I indulgently appreciate. I can walk down the streets of downtown Toronto and have brunch in the Beaches, stop for Ethiopian coffee on Queen, have the perfect slice of Italian pizza in Little Italy and after all the walking work up an appetite for some authentic Vietnamese pho on Ossington. I am able to experience culinary travel all in one city not to mention in one day and on a budget. Read more.

What exactly is Vietnamese cuisine? Is it like Chinese food but, more warlike? Well, not exactly. Vietnamese cuisine is often described as being light, colourful, healthy, flavourful, and, last but not least, simply delicious. The story of Vietnamese cuisine goes back several hundred years, and was originally influenced by the combined culinary know-how of India and China. In recent history, the French have also added their influence to the already complex cuisine of Vietnam – creating a unique dynamic of East-meets-West. Within the tiny ‘S-shaped’ country, the culinary practices vary between three distinct geographical regions: The North, Central, and South. Each of these regions differs in soil, climate, and natural resources. As a result, Vietnamese food contains a wide variety of eclectic tastes, each specific to its region of creation, but all connected by the use of ingredients such as rice, noodles, herbs and spices. Read more.