Must Eats in Toronto (UPDATED)

Besides the abundant matcha shops in Toronto, there are also other must visit spots and must eats. Here are my picks for first-time travelers in this foodie town.

1. Glory Hole- If hibiscus and s'more donuts don't tickle your fancy, then I don't know what will. I stumbled into Glory Hole not even knowing that this is one of the best doughnuts in Toronto. I followed the crowd into this low-key location in Parkdale and beamed with delight on my newfound discovery.

S'more donuts. Burnt marshmallows to perfection.

2. Honest Weight- I am always in search for the best seafood. When I learned that many restaurants get their seafood supply from Honest Weight, I didn't hesitate to make a trek at their retail shop at The Junction. I walked more than an hour to get to Honest Weight so I was happy to greeted with plump oysters and a very friendly lady behind the counter who explained to me their catches of the day.

Smoked trout on a healthy bed of greens.

Oysters all for myself!

4. Peameal Bacon- I am not able to taste this for you, but my eating buddies who got not one but two peameal bacon on soft country buns in the popular Carousel Bakery at the bustling St. Lawrence Market told me that the meat melts in your mouth.

Tip: Some of the butcher shops at St. Lawrence sells peameal bacon by the pound in an airtight packaging that you can take to the airport with you!

Long line but not too bad of a wait.

3. Tim Hortons- For every city or country that doesn't have a Starbucks in every corner, you have to know why. Tim Hortons is the Starbucks in Canada, and their maple frappuccino is something to live by while you're in the country because you're probably not going to get anything close to it someplace else.

Slurp it up!

4. Beavertails- This Canadian-based pastry stand serves up doughs shaped like a beavertail. There are several flavors you can choose from, but we opted for the simple Nutella because nothing can possibly go wrong with anything that has Nutella on it. We got this after our sunset harbor cruise to cap off our night at the wharf.

Sinful late night snacking.

Amazing view of the city of Toronto!

2. Casa Loma cafe- Because Casa Loma is a must visit for any first-time Toronto traveler and there's no other food option around, their cafe is a good spot to refuel for the day after learning about the history of this castle, which was built as a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. My favorite area is the garden in front of the cafe, while my dad's is the garage where all the vintage cars are parked.

So many tourists but worthwhile the visit.

View from atop the castle.

Did I tell you I have a fascination with water fountains?

Carbo-loading for lunch

4. Nadege Patisserie- I never leave any city without visiting a dessert place. Nadege is the patisserie my sister, the pasty chef, picked so off we went to one out of its 3 locations in Toronto in the boutique-filled Entertainment district. What I love about Nadege the most is its striking white and bright pink packaging and interior design- definitely something worth emulating.

Such a clean looking cafe.

Thoughtful packaging.

So decadent.

Not the best macaron though.

Tons of picture perfect desserts. My fave out of all our loot.

Approved by the little one.

5. Moxie's Bar and Grill- I was searching for a nice lunch spot in downtown Financial District with wifi and outdoor patio via Yelp. Moxie's fit the bill. Right upon entering, I noticed that many well-dressed business professionals were dining at this establishment. It definitely helps that their servers are hot, tall blondes (!!!) with pleasing attitudes, and the food, a blend of Asian-influenced and Western-style dishes, are all decently priced for the area.

Tasty ahi tuna with salad.

6. Outdoor food halls- One thing I love about the summer are outdoor food halls! The only downside is if it starts to rain surprisingly for a few hours then you'd have to run for cover. This happened to my party while grabbing lunch in front of the Union Station.

I opted for a simple vegetarian hotdog and then waited in line in the rain for a funnel cake, which is a must try. #foodieproblems. Huge thank you to the British gal who shared her umbrella with me!

After quickly devouring our lunches, we all ran to the Fairmont across the street to use their swanky bathroom and wifi, dry ourselves, and take a nap in the lobby while waiting for the rain to stop. (Travel tip: When you need a break or use the restroom, go in to any 5-star hotel.)