Michelada and dumplings El Chino
My favourite new hangout has a really nice and varied drink menu but I cannot, will not, shift my focus from its spicy beer cocktail. It is my medicine. And because you cannot take medicine on an empty stomach, dumplings.
Sundae (any) Manual's Dairy Bar
Two seconds in the sun and these little beauties are a total mess. But Manual's wobbling Jenga-like desserts (Ginger Spice, 90s Breakfast, Lemon Chamomile) are more than worth sticky hands. The soft serve was the best, the garnish next-level—summer, come back!
Grapefruit QQ Chatime
The tapioca pearl/coconut jelly combo is the clincher in this cold, grapefruit green tea concoction. Word to the wise: Resist the urge to chug and ask for zero percent sugar.
Half-and-half chicken Backoos Korean To Go
Possibly the tastiest discovery of the year, Backoos caters to lovers of crispy Korean fried chicken with three options—original, its saucy comrade sweet and spicy, or soy and garlic. The half-and-half gets you an entire chicken's worth of the first two.
Hokkaido ramen Tako Sushi & Ramen
It's not new, but my addiction to this soup really peaked in 2016. Hook up the hokkaido IV, basically, and to cure the worst days, throw in an extra egg.
Noodle bowl Potions & Provisions
Who craves salad anyway? Apparently, thanks to Annie Brace-Lavoie, this loser. For the brief time she and cocktail whiz Jenner Cormier graced the farmers' markets, their veggie-loaded take-away dishes (like the sweet potato noodle bowl) provided a colourful crunch to many a market trip.
Bubble waffle sundae Go 2 Eat
Over-the-top ice cream again. This now-unearthed sweet secret is hidden away in the basement, dishing out Cantonese and Taiwanese desserts and small snacks. But the mighty Goliath on the menu is piled-high with toppings (fruit, candy, cereal), a sundae in a doughy eggette waffle.
