Buttery hotpot. Crispy sweet-and-sour pork. Creamy strawberry shortcake. This year, ditch the go-to fast food picks and treat yourself to all the delicious and diverse food options that the University of Toronto’s three campuses have to offer.
Food blogger and influencer Joanna Luo walks us through her favourite places to eat near U of T’s three campuses. The U of T Mississauga alumna is no stranger to the Toronto food scene. As the creator and editor-in-chief of Toronto Diary, a food blog with around 700,000 followers across its various social media channels (WeChat, Weibo, Instagram and Facebook), she is a connoisseur of Toronto cuisine.
U of T News met with Luo to solicit her expert advice on finding tasty eats around the Greater Toronto Area. Here is Luo’s curated guide to dining near the St. George campus, U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough.
U of T Scarborough
YuanYuan Restaurant
Luo recommends Scarborough’s YuanYuan Restaurant, located less than a 10-minute drive from campus. “Their popular dish is Tianjin-style crepes,” Luo says, explaining that these speciality crepes are made with flour and egg and filled with sauce and youtiao (strips of deep fried dough). “This is very traditional food in Tianjin,” Luo says. The dish is perfect for those seeking something unique: “The texture is crispy and a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy,” she adds.
The Old House Chinese Restaurant
The Old House is another tasty option near campus. “They are famous for their sliced fish,” Luo says. She recommends supplementing the dish with lvdagun, a popular Chinese snack that Luo describes as a “red bean rice cake.”
For those of you staying on campus, there are a host of tasty on-campus eats to accompany your off-campus outings, from curry dishes to burrito bowls and more.