If you know a good restaurant from your culture, or any restaurant you really like, in Toronto or near vicinities, please kindly share with us!
East and West Learning Connections initiated the Foodies Group in 2024 for its registered members, volunteers, and guest speakers. Group members, coming from different cultural backgrounds, are encouraged to take turns to lead an outing to a restaurant of their choice, and if possible, to think of ways to enhance the experience for the group culturally. For example, they may share knowledge or stories related to the food/culture, or try to arrange for a cooking demo, etc.
Record of Our Outings
Sunday May 24, 2026 at 1 PM
Led by member Wendy Hoang, whose parents came from Vietnam. Wendy wrote a lovely message, introducing a bit about her heritage, and we would love to share it with you here!
Venue: Pho Ngoc Yen
350 Adelaide St. West, close to St. Andrew Subway Station
“My name is Wendy Hoang, and I would like to cordially invite you to share in some of my family meal traditions through a delicious Vietnamese dining experience at Pho Ngoc Yen.
Many people often wonder about my last name. “Hoang” is the Vietnamese spelling of “Wong,” which is also associated with the colour yellow. In Vietnamese pronunciation, it sounds like “Hong,” in Cantonese it is “Wong,” and in Mandarin it is “Huang.”
my grandpa, Ya Ya, was born with muscular dystrophy and was adopted into the Hoang family at a very young age. He later met my grandma, Ma Ma, whose family immigrated to North Vietnam from South China. Together they raised my dad, Ba Ba, and his siblings. Before the Vietnam War intensified, my dad’s family migrated back to China as refugees and lived in government housing, where more of his younger siblings were born.
At the age of 18, my dad immigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada under the care of my great uncle (suk gung) and great aunt (suk paw), who were among the first wave of Vietnamese refugees escaping the war. At that time, Canadian immigration requirements for Vietnamese refugees mainly required individuals to either speak French or be Catholic. My great uncle came from a wealthier Chinese family and was able to speak French, which helped pave the way for future sponsorship opportunities for many other Vietnamese families. In 1980, my dad met my mom after she arrived in Toronto from Hanoi, where she and her family had survived the war.
Growing up, weekends were always centered around family and food. After Saturday Chinese school and lunch outings at McDonald’s or dim sum, we would spend time with my dad’s side of the family. I remember watching my grandpa bake sponge cakes, baguettes, and even attempt pizza after learning from an Italian restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher when the family first arrived in Toronto. My grandma would often prepare homemade dishes such as chicken pho, delicate rice crepes with meat filling known as banh cuon, and steamed buns filled with vegetables called banh bao.”
Sunday September 29, 2024 at 5:30 P.M.
Led by member Martin Copeland. He pre-selected a variety of food so everyone got to enjoy a sampling of several traditional Jewish dishes, which were put together in a special menu beautifully prepared by the restaurant as a souvenir for us! We also got to hear interesting family stories right before the Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year starting on October 3, 2024).
Venue: United Bakers Dairy Restaurant
506 Lawrence Ave W, North York, ON M6A 1A1
 |  |
 |  |
Sunday June 2, 2024
Led by member Ed Shiller who speaks fluent Danish and worked many years in Danmark as a journalist.
The Danish Place restaurant in Puslinch was having a special buffet of open-faced sandwiches (a Danish specialty) to celebrate Denmark’s Constitution Day (June 5, 2024). And we watched The outdoor Viking shows as part of the celebration!
Venue: Danish Place
Suset Villa, 7150 Concession1, Puslinch, Ontario
 |  |
 |  |
Sunday May 12, 2024
Led by our member Evelyn Chau, the author of Have Some Dim Sum. She introduced some history and fun facts about dim sum. A participant won a signed copy of the book by beating all others in the Paper Scissors Rock game!
Venue: Moon Palace
40 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON M5G 2C2
Want to join us as a registered member or volunteer? Click here to view how:
https://www.eawlc.org/membership
Please consider to support us by volunteering, donating or participating in our endeavor to help people of different heritages break cultural barriers and get connected. Together, let’s make learning and connections happen!