Travelling Foodie: Holiday Events & Eats, 2026 Travel & Food Trends 🎄

Hello Reader!

How is your holiday season going?

I can't believe we are already at the end of the year. I've been busy exploring the city and attending some exciting events to close out the year with a bang.

Toronto & Region

I recently attended the Tourism Spain event and learned about some amazing new routes. You can now get to Spain directly from Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Calgary. They mentioned that travel to Spain for skiing and golf is trending. And for gastronomy updates, they highlighted San Sebastian gastronomy week, Wine Routes, and a World Tapas Day in June!

On the local food front, I took a day trip to Creemore to dine at The Pine, a one Michelin Star restaurant specializing in contemporary Chinese fine dining. I first dined there back in 2021 when they were still in Collingwood and was thrilled to visit their new location.

Since we were in the area, we stopped by Creemore Springs Brewery. It’s rare to see White Stout, so I was glad to find it there. It was great.

Back in the city, I attended a fun Holiday Celebration by Paramount+ Canada and Pluto TV. I met the Paramount+ Mountain Goat Mascot, "auditioned" for Mission Impossible, and even did my first Shot Ski Board. I also learned that the Landman show got renewed for Season 3 during a Q&A with Michelle Randolph. Do you watch the show?

I also went to the Travel Massive Event with FlixBus. I didn't realize they are the world's largest network, serving over 8,000 destinations in 40+ countries across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

In Mississauga, I met a friend for dinner at Wilcox Pub. I was expecting a typical gastropub, but I was surprised to find it’s a fusion spot with a heavy Asian focus. I highly recommend the French Duck Confit with Asian noodles and the Thai Tea cheesecake.

Toronto Restaurants I Recently Visited

3A Noodle: Tucked in a neighborhood plaza, this spot has amazing homemade noodles and plump shrimp wonton.
Takumi Japanese BBQ: A new restaurant that is very good for lunch, especially with the current promotion, though the service needs improvement.
The Queen Seafood Cuisine: Owned by the Congee Queen group. I was hesitant after a disappointing visit to their other fine dining spot (Seafood Princess), but the dim sum here is really good.
Shi Miao Dao: A great spot for Yunnan Rice Noodles. It's affordable, has big portions, and offers unlimited noodle refills. Hits the spot for winter.
Restaurant Lucie: I finally dined here after the Guadeloupe Islands event. It’s French cuisine done right at this Michelin Recommended restaurant.
Clockwork: I hadn’t been back since the Fairmont Royal York renovation. It is decked out beautifully for the holidays, and the cocktails and food are pretty good.
Simpl Things: Listed No. 82 in North America's 50 Best Restaurants. They serve Asian-fusion food like udon carbonara and charcoal Miami short ribs.
No Vacancy: I was impressed by this cocktail bar. Both the drinks and food were excellent and special. Not what I was expecting based on the name.

Check out some of these happenings on my Instagram Stories.

Holiday Shopping and Trip Planning

If you are still looking for gifts or planning for trips:

Make A Holiday Meal (Without Turkey)

Appetizer: Mushroom Salad
Main Dish: Oven BBQ Chicken
Air Fryer: Kofta Kebab
Ninja Speedi: Penne Pasta with Sausage
Instant Pot: Jerk Pork Ribs
Drink: Brown Sugar Milk Tea

Media Wins

Now Toronto: My third contribution (and last for the year) is all about my experience at Restaurant Lucie here.
Costa Rica News: I’m thrilled to share that The Costa Rica News published a feature article on my trip about the country's exploding culinary scene. They reached out after seeing the content series I produced during my recent partnership with Visit Costa Rica. It covers the gastronomy and incredible chefs I connected with, which is something I'm so passionate about.

Travel, Food & Other News

I have two new Michelin restaurant articles from my Milan trip: Moebius Sperimentale (1 Star) and Acanto Restaurant (Recommended).
La Liste published their 2026 World's Best Restaurants
Condé Nast Traveler published The Gold List 2026: The Best Hotels and Resorts in the World
National Geographic published Best of the World 2026
Michelin Guide Southwest 2026 marks the return to Las Vegas after a 15+ year absence. It is a joint guide between Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
The Czech Republic gets its first Michelin Guide with ten MICHELIN Stars.

What I'm Watching

Squid Game The Challenge: As a fan of Squid Game, this show was addicting and felt like watching a new season.
Emily in Paris Season 5: Just came out. Despite not much happening from a story perspective, I still enjoy the show. It’s a fun escape with beautiful travel cinematography.
Malice: Really reminds me of the Netflix show You.
The Better Sister: Quite an interesting thriller.
The Traitors Ireland: The only English-speaking version I haven't watched. It was a great group, and I loved the craic among the contestants. Reminds me of my trip to Ireland.

Huge Thanks

What a year! I set myself a goal to be consistent in sending newsletters, and I'm glad I've kept at it. I wanted to thank everyone for the love and support. Also, a huge shoutout to Patricia for buying me a coffee!

As always, happy travels and eating!

Cheers,

Raymond Cua
Travelling Foodie & Journey Traveler

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