CANADA, IN MANY COLORS
Discovering a mosaic of cultures, flavors, and experiences in Ontario
Like many Filipinos, I grew up spending my summer holidays in the United States. Our nation’s historical connection with the US made it a more obvious holiday destination, but I did always wonder about its more under-the-radar sister up north. Seemingly always playing second fiddle to its neighbor, Canada has shown an increase in tourism numbers with over 21.1 million international tourists making their way over in 2018. Attractions such as Lake Louise, the roaring Niagara Falls, and the scenic city of Montreal give Canada a palpable attractiveness to tourists of all kinds.
When Alex—my roommate during the time I studied in Barcelona—invited my fiancé Brage and me to her wedding in her hometown of Perth, we jumped at the chance to not only spend her special day with her and her fiancé Dan but to also explore the picturesque province of Ontario. Situated in central Canada and bordering five US states, Ontario is home to 250,000 freshwater lakes and houses over 38% of the country’s population. Its provincial capital, Toronto, was the first stop on our two-week trip.
THE CANADIAN MOSAIC
Toronto was once called York, a name given to the city in 1793 in honor of Frederick, the
Duke of York. It is now known as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. With over 140 languages and dialects spoken and more than half its residents having been born outside of the country, we very quickly saw that the city was one that was open and accepting of people of all colors and backgrounds. Neighborhoods throughout the city reflect the cultural and ethnic groups that reside in them, such as Little Italy, Chinatown, Greektown, Little India, Portugal Village, and the Polish community of Roncesvalles. Canadians are quick to point out that while the USA is known as a melting pot—where immigrants were often encouraged to cut ties with their places of origin in order to better assimilate into American culture—Canada is a mosaic; characteristics of each ethnic group are highlighted and celebrated and play a distinct role in what it means to be Canadian.
A NEW ERA OF GLAMOR
The city was alive with team spirit and camaraderie on the summer weekend in June that we decided to come for a visit. The Toronto Raptors had just won the NBA Finals and residents were in a constant state of celebration. Our hotel, The
St. Regis Toronto, put us right in the middle of the action with its location on Bay Street in the city’s financial district. The St. Regis Toronto is one of Canada’s newest luxury hotels with its team delivering an unparalleled level of service to a discerning clientele. We were shown to our Deluxe Corner Suite by a member of the hotel’s in-house butler service who took us through the bespoke offerings we could avail of such as complimentary French press coffee, a pressing and unpacking service, and a hotel car to take us to nearby attractions.
During our stay, we were delighted to take part in a couple of the Signature Rituals that the St. Regis brand is known for. The Astor Lounge, named after the hotel’s founder John Jacob Astor IV, sits on the ground floor and is the location for the Evening Sabering Ritual held daily at 5pm. We joined a few other guests in the lounge to watch as a staff member used a saber to pop open a chilled bottle of champagne. We all clinked our glasses and enjoyed a relaxing start to the evening.
Afterwards, we made our way up to LOUIX LOUIS, the hotel bar on the 31st floor where we enjoyed sky-high views of the metropolis. The bar featured over 500 dark spirits and it was there that we not only met a lovely Filipina server named Feagle, but we also tried another Signature Ritual: The Bloody Mary. History indicates that the original Bloody Mary was created in The St. Regis New York in the 1930s and each St. Regis hotel now serves its own unique version. Though we were unable to experience the third and final Signature Ritual, the Afternoon Tea, we were told the traditional midday ceremony is one that we should definitely make time for on our next visit.
WHERE OLD MEETS NEW
A short walk from our hotel took us to the red brick building that contained the famous
St. Lawrence Market. The South building was built in 1845 and was once home to the Toronto City Hall. A few years ago, National Geographic named it the best food market in the world. The two-hundred-year-old market is home to artisan vendors like the iconic Carousel Bakery that has been serving their famous peameal bacon sandwich for decades, Buster’s Sea Cove for fish and chips, or Yianni’s Kitchen for authentic Greek souvlakis and moussaka. We spent our time making our rounds through the market, trying specialty cheeses, sauces, and meats along the way.
After, we took a stroll over to the Distillery District, where art, culture, and entertainment meet. Galleries, cafes, and boutiques lined the walkway of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery. We enjoyed popping inside an exhibit showing off beautiful wildlife photography, admiring the colorful street art painted on the brick walls, and eventually finished our little tour with a tasting at the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company. They use freshly-pressed, unpasteurized, and unfiltered sake from locally-sourced Muskoka spring water with many of the products carrying the Izumi brand. Aside from getting the chance to tour the brewery and taste different kinds of sake, a small retail portion in the building showcases sake ceramicware, glassware, and even soap and ice cream.
THE MANY FLAVORS OF CANADA
With the millions of immigrants that call Toronto home and the resurgence of modern Canadian cuisine, it is of no surprise that the city is an absolute dining mecca. We wanted to get a well-rounded view of the local food scene and started things off by booking a dinner at Antler Bar & Kitchen in the trendy Dundas West neighborhood. Antler is owned by chefs Michael Hunter and Jody Shapiro and their cooking puts a spotlight on wild food, foraged ingredients, and regional cuisine. Upon arrival, we were lucky enough to be invited to the chef’s table: a two-seat, front-row view of the organized chaos that is the Antler kitchen. Dishes included a scallop crudo with whitefish roe and lemon aioli, venison tartare with pickled wild mushrooms and sea buckthorn berries, a stuffed Ontario rabbit with morel duxelle and rabbit barley fricassee, and a panroasted Ontario duck breast with cranberry beans and a Saskatoon berry gastrique.
On our second night, we opted for DaiLo, which is named after the Cantonese word for
“big brother”. One of Toronto’s most recognizable chefs, Nick Liu puts his spin on dishes he ate growing up as the son of Hakka parents in Canada. By combining French techniques with traditional
Chinese recipes, DaiLo’s New Asian Cuisine had us devouring innovative dishes such as truffle fried rice with XO sauce, Sichuan braised beef with potato gnocchi, and crispy octopus tacos with red braised pork belly in a jicama shell.
AN INTRODUCTION TO ICEWINE
On our last day in Toronto, we caught the tail end of the Raptors parade and cheered alongside over 1 million revelers who came to support their team. It was amazing to feel the city coming together and we were told by everyone we met that companies had either shut down their offices for the day or had encouraged their employees to take long breaks to go out and support the athletes. Afterwards, we hopped in our car and made our way towards our next destination: Algonquin Provincial Park.
Positioned in between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River, Algonquin Park is just 3 hours away from bustling Toronto. On our way there, we chanced upon the Willow Springs Winery.
The winery has been owned and run by the Testa family for five decades with the third generation of Testas proudly upholding the Old World techniques of their Italian heritage. The passion the Testas have for their craft along with the
cooler climate and unique terroir of the Oak Ridges Moraine is evident in the quality of their products.
Willow Springs produces a variety of red wines, white wines, and icewines. Icewine is a dessert wine that is made from grapes that are frozen while still on the vine. It was our first time to try it and it was so delicious that we bought a bottle to take home with us. We also sampled a number of the winery’s other award-winning Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines and chatted with an employee who took us through the scrupulous work that goes into producing consistently superior wines. With a few more bottles loaded into our car, we continued our journey to the park.
INTO THE WOODS
At 7,653 kilometers in size, Algonquin Park is larger than the state of Delaware and is the oldest provincial park in the country. The park is full of lakes, rivers, and streams; many of which were a result of glaciers that retreated after the last ice age. Wildlife is plentiful in the park with bears, otters, moose (we saw a baby one walking across the road!), and loons seen quite frequently by campers and rangers. We chose to spend our time in the park at the Arowhon Pines Resort. The luxury lodge is an all-inclusive seasonal resort that invites guests to “un-rough it”. There is no WiFi, cell service, or television at the resort; an opportunity to disconnect and appreciate the beauty of nature.
We were warmly greeted by co-owner and manager Theresa, who told us all about the different activities we could do while at the lodge, such as stand-up paddleboarding, tennis, and of course, canoeing. She scheduled us in for a half-day canoe trip with two guides, Archie and Jack, from lodge neighbors Camp Pathfinder. Our guides taught us the basics of canoeing such as the different strokes, how to lift your canoe over your head and portage through the woods, and how to properly balance your weight depending on the current. We ended our day with a hike up the 7.5 km Track and Tower trail overlooking Cache Lake. Archie and Jack provided us with bug nets and lots of insect repellent as we were warned that the early summer months are when the local bugs are most active. On our way back to Arowhon Pines, our guides took us for a quick tour of Camp Pathfinder, which has been welcoming young men aged 7-21 since 1914. There we met the camp’s chief boatmaker who took us through the steps of creating one of their handmade wooden canoes.
MEETING THE MASTERCHEF IN THE KITCHEN
Back at Arowhon Pines, we were invited by the resort chef David Cook to do a tour of his impressive kitchen. A winner of the Kikkoman UK Masterchef award, Chef Cook runs a tight ship and is both meticulous and passionate about every ingredient that goes into his dishes. He showed us the different areas of the kitchen and introduced us to the chefs manning each station. From the young pastry chef who spends his mornings picking herbs and berries in the gardens to the photography student who was spending his summer at the lodge to make extra cash, each person in the chef’s brigade was extremely knowledgeable about their craft and showed pride in their work.
Meals at Arowhon became something we looked forward to every day. The beautiful dining room provided an intimate atmosphere for guests to enjoy the seasonal dishes that the team cooked up. A sharing table was always available with an array of fresh salads, cheeses, and desserts, while the daily a la carte menu changed depending on the best produce and meats available from Chef Cook’s trusted handful of suppliers. Some of the dishes that we enjoyed were the herb-crusted rack of Ontario lamb; marinated, line-caught tuna loin; and a caramelized apple tart.
A LAKESIDE WEDDING
After three blissful days of relaxation and daily canoe and kayak rides at Arowhon, we headed for the final leg of our trip: Perth. My friend
Alex’s hometown has around 6,000 residents and is located on the Tay River in Eastern Ontario. Originally founded as a military settlement in 1816, its historic downtown area, charming farmers’ market, and the lush Stewart Park all aid in Perth being considered the prettiest town in Ontario. After going for a quick (and very cold) dip in the lake by Alex’s parents’ house, we spent our time in town by going to a local dive bar and then to a Mexican restaurant called Mex & Co. where we dined al fresco by the river.
The next day, we were off to the canal-side Opinicon Resort where the wedding was to take place. Though originally constructed as a private residence in the late 1870s, The Opinicon has been a favorite retreat for locals and tourists for generations. Alex and Dan assigned us to our own private cottage and the entire resort was reserved for wedding guests. It was great to meet the couple’s friends and family from Canada and Europe and we spent our time lounging by the pool, relaxing in the cabin, and Brage even took one of the kayaks out for a morning paddle before the ceremony.
A fun-filled day of love, laughter, and dancing—capped off with a midnight bowl of traditional Canadian poutine—was the perfect way to end our Ontario trip. The name Ontario was derived from the word “kanadario”, which means “sparkling water” in the language of the North American Indian tribe the Iroquois. However, aside from its crystal clear waters, captivating wildlife, and exciting food scene, Ontario introduced us to some of the nicest people we had ever met and most especially, to a culture that was as colorful as its nature.