Real Thailand Restaurant

Rated this place:

350 Bloor St. W, Toronto, ON, M5S 1W9

Thai food: Real Thailand was the winner of my search for the best Pad Thai in Toronto. As someone who can't tolerate hot spices, it was difficult to find a pad thai that was flavourful without being spicy, but Real Thailand's pad thai is exquisite. They also make fantastic spring rolls, and a tamarind beef that is to die for.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Thai Food

Bakka Phoenix Bookstore

Rated this place:

697 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON, M6J1E6

Bookstore: Bakka is one of the vanishing breed of small, independently-run bookstores that truly know and understand their stock and their customers. It's a place where you can walk in, tell the staff what you like, and they will be able to pick out several more books that you will enjoy. Returning customers can soon identify which of the many hand-written reviews on the books are by staff who share their reading tastes, and all of this makes it very easy to find something you will truly enjoy.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• bookstore

Athens Pastries Pies

Rated this place:

509 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON, M4K1P5

Loukomades (greek donuts): When you try these loukomades -- especially when they're fresh-made, a guarantee at Taste of the Danforth -- the crunchy outside and chewy inside explode in your mouth, carried on a wave of honey and cinnamon. The only danger is that once you start, it's impossible to stop eating them until they're gone.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Loukomades (Greek Donuts)

New York Subway

Rated this place:

520 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5V2B3

Lunch: I love this restaurant. It's called New York Subway, but the food has little to do with New York or subs. The main fare goes by the name of burritos, but it's Mexican food viewed through a South Asian filter. And yet the food is unlike anything you've ever tasted. All of this, to me, is the quintessential Toronto -- bits and pieces of cultures from all over the world, combined to make something unique and truly wonderful.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Lunch

Royal Ontario Museum

Rated this place:

100 Queens Pk, Toronto, ON, M5S2C6

Dinosaur: I find it really astounding that the museum could have a hidden barosaurus, lost in scattered pieces in the curatorial wings for 45 years until its reassembly in the new dinosaur gallery.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• dinosaur