Raymond Cua is full-time Toronto travel & food writer, content creator, and the founder & publisher of Travelling Foodie with experience travelling in over 35+ countries and more than half of the United States and Canadian provinces. With over 125K+ combined followers and 60K+ monthly readers, I've been featured on Travel + Leisure, Reader's Digest, Global News, CTV News, and Philippine Daily Inquirer, and other print and digital media outlets.
Secret passwords, volcanic bowls and my first trip of the year
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Hello Reader! You're getting this as I depart for my first trip of the year! I can't wait to share where I am heading next time but February has kept me plenty busy here in Toronto before my flight. Packing my bags and business summitIt was a huge honour to be invited to the very first Google Canada Business Summit in Toronto. It is a two-day event where 70 business leaders and entrepreneurs (10 of which were publishers/bloggers) from across the country gather to talk about the future of tech. Since I am travelling today, I had to miss the main summit events and workshops. I made sure to attend the welcome reception yesterday to mingle and meet everyone. High views and new arrivalsEarlier this month, I celebrated Chinese New Year with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. They hosted it at SixtyEight, which is a stunning event venue on the highest floor of the Scotiabank Plaza. I had no idea this space existed and it has incredible views of the CN Tower. We enjoyed lion dances, live music and some fantastic Hong Kong food. The first heytea Lab in Canada finally opened at the Eaton Centre. Before the official opening, I attended a media preview at Lee Restaurant. We had an amazing 12-course dinner followed by a tasting of the new exclusive items made in partnership with Chef Susur Lee. We tried the Rock Oolong Caviar Milk Tea and the Rock Oolong Caviar Ice Cream. That ice cream was so addicting and easily one of the best milk tea ice creams I have ever had. I also went to the grand opening of a new late-night restaurant and bar at The Well called Noyaa. They specialize in Mediterranean-Asian fusion with a focus on Silk Road cuisines. The atmosphere there was absolutely immaculate. Volcanic bowls and secret passwordsFor a friend's birthday, we went out to Queen West to try a Mexican restaurant called Molkagtez. Not a lot of places in Toronto serve molcajete (volcanic stone bowl dishes). I first had this in Las Vegas and I was excited to try it here. The molcajete was delicious and big portions for sharing. We went on a Tuesday so we took advantage of their $5 taco specials as well. Since it was a birthday, the staff surprised my friend with a sparkler, music, a mariachi sombrero to wear and a complimentary mango cheesecake. The cheesecake contained gelatin which gave it a really unique texture. After dinner, we went to Suite 115. It is a speakeasy where you need to punch in a numerical code to get inside. They make amazing and highly experimental craft cocktails focused on Asian ingredients, which is rare to find in the city. I really loved that most of the cocktails came with a small bite to pair with the drink, quite rare for any bar to do. I highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area. Travel Deals
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In A Rush? Quickly Plan Your Trip✈️ Cheap Flights In case you're curious where I'm headed. Hint: This city's university has the third tallest bell and clock tower in the world! Know where it is? How has your February been? Hit reply and let me know. I read every email! As always, happy travels and eating! Cheers, Raymond Cua * If you enjoy this newsletter and would like to support, consider buying me a coffee, purchasing merch, or sharing to a friend! ** Ever wonder how I make my content? Here's everything I use! |
Travelling Foodie
Raymond Cua is full-time Toronto travel & food writer, content creator, and the founder & publisher of Travelling Foodie with experience travelling in over 35+ countries and more than half of the United States and Canadian provinces. With over 125K+ combined followers and 60K+ monthly readers, I've been featured on Travel + Leisure, Reader's Digest, Global News, CTV News, and Philippine Daily Inquirer, and other print and digital media outlets.
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