Where I went to university, there was a place that walked a line between actual authentic Sichuan food and takeout Canadian-Chinese dishes and they’d put the ‘salt-pepper’ seasoning on any protein you wanted. The chicken was great, but hoooollyyyyy putting that stuff on squid was even better, and the dark horse was…

I would swap the sauce-veggie combos (put the black bean on the eggplant!!) but otherwise that matches my usual order. Some kind of noodle, fried tofu if the place has it, happy belly.

YES YES this is a correct list!!! I will say though......from my experience living in a bunch of border towns, the green beans that are ubiquitous in the Canadian-Chinese restos aren’t a given in the States. This is a damn shame because they are the only dish that I order 100% of the time and I’m kind of surprised I…

This was my little brother’s favourite. I tried it, I didn’t hate it, but I never made one of my own volition. You’re not alone in this though!

I feel like, on top of the list of other excellent reasons, the ‘plate of brownies’ trick highlights why I don’t really shine in office culture. I don’t want your dry baked goods, I don’t even really have a sweet tooth and I definitely don’t want any form of sugar in lieu of other kinds of respect or camaraderie.

Music is the main area where I somewhat keep up with new releases, and Rex Orange County was in our ‘inoffensive for the customers’ rotation at my former part time job. Did the trick well, and I don’t mind him! Looking forward to future installments of this series though, because I suspect it was a fluke that our late…

When I worked at a Tim’s the Iced Capp machine was hell on wheels to clean, lots of tiny little grooves you had to wipe carefully, and we had to do it every other day.....I used to pray for it to break. I’d always assumed that this is what was happening.

!!! You scared me about Pho Hung, and I was in Toronto like 4 days ago and was pretty sure I saw it driving past. I googled, definitely still there! I feel like I’ve heard folk talking about it having moved at some point, but it’s still in the same spot I’ve known throughout this decade (350 Spadina.)

30 sec-1 min from my old place in one direction was Banh Mi Boyz; in the other direction, Gandhi Roti. Not gourmet sit-down, but I will fight anybody who says either of those isn’t fucking delicious. We were so spoiled. Toronto is great for this.

I see you specifying CDN - where do you like for pho? There was a place on Somerset (among the dozen others) in Ottawa that remains my very favourite, the one at 761. Any option with rare beef at the one on Spadina in Toronto....up near College, with the primary colours and drawings of animals on the outside (Pho…

My partner worked at the place like this in our university town. None of the food was particularly good, but appetizers were half price on Sunday and it usually wasn’t hard to convince a half dozen friends to turn up for “Sunday Dinner”. Get an order of everything, share it around, maybe go to the Sunday dance night…

If we’re dropping Big Freedia bops and talking about her visibility next to big stars.....here’s my favourite:

I hate that more people don’t understand this one. I feel deeply self-conscious around certain people in my life due to the discrepancies in how we’re dressed but like.....I know these people well enough to know that I prefer the visual status discomfort over real money anxiety.

Does she eat fast food fried chicken? I have a stash and they’re all from Popeye’s.

The slurpee machine looks like a Slush Puppie machine, which is a regional brand that does indeed come in ‘red’ and ‘blue’. Based on the way you usually see them, I’m pretty sure you just buy or licence that machine for your corner store / community centre rink / luxury home. It’s actually kind of perfect and I get…

I was not at all picky about flavour in seltzer previously (I usually just get store brand club soda, ha) but recently I picked up a multi-pack of the Bubly brand at Costco. They’re definitely the strongest I’ve tasted, to the point of the lime almost being too strong on the background of plain fizzy water. The other…

Bread cheese isn’t halloumi, though, and the heart wants what it wants. Describing them as similar is just to get you into the same ballpark.

BREAD CHEESE. There is no reliable producer of it in the Canadian Finnish diaspora that I’m aware of.....BUT I *am* planning a road trip that’ll circumnavigate the Great Lakes. I’m officially now scouring the great state of Wisconsin to get a fix. The traditional way to eat it (*my family’s tradition, which I believe…

I will try any gruit and there was a bit of a trend towards them up here in Ontario a couple of years ago. The best in my opinion were a series made by Beau’s, but looking them up now it seems they were a limited edition.

I go through phases where I have chilies at every meal, then wean myself off to refresh my tastebuds. In an all-chili-all-the-time period I agree with you, it’s not particularly hot, but it has a nice pleasing tingle and if it’s the only spicy thing you’re eating it’s got enough to earn the name.