Over the past year or so I've become a regular at Hanoi Bistro on Baldwin Street. Having spent a fair bit of time at both U of T and OCAD, I've come to know Baldwin quite well over the past few years. It has a little bit of everything: some Japanese, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Indian. But until about a year ago, you couldn't even grab a decent bowl of pho along the popular restaurant strip. Well thank God Hanoi Bistro came along when it did, because it was just the hit of north Vietnam comfort food that the neighbourhood needed.

Read on about my new Vietnamese favourite, Hanoi Bistro, and see what's been missing on Baldwin for far too long.

Well it's that time of year again kids: The OCAD Graduate Exhibition. For one weekend only the entire school becomes a gallery showcasing all OCAD graduate/thesis work from all areas of art and design, including Photography, Printmaking, Graphic Design, Sculpture, Jewellery, Environmental Design, Illustration, and a whole whack of others.

This year's theme is Evolving DNA. "DNA" referring to "Design and Art"... get it? Ya, I'm not a big fan of the name either. Still, OCAD President Sara Diamond explains that the theme highlights exactly what the students are doing with their work: "They're innovative critical thinkers who are redefining what design and art, digital and analog, didactic and abstract, diametrical and authentic, and direct and ambiguous all mean."

I've been meaning to grab a bite at Deep Blue Fish & Chips for some time now. Since its opening last year, I have been hearing quite a bit of praise from other fellow fish & chips fans. The verdict from them seemed to be: fresh fish, crispy batter, nice people, and some sweet little twists on classic favourites to keep you coming back. The problem is I just never seem to find myself around the Danforth and Broadview area to give them a shot.

Well this weekend I figured, with the gorgeous weather we've been having, it would be a perfect opportunity for a relaxing bike ride around the Danforth. And to cap it all off, a yummy (and filling) lunch at Deep Blue Fish & Chips. Read my full review in our Restaurants section to find out whether the trip was actually worth it.

Soup. Soothing, warm, and hearty soup. You'd be hard up to find a culture that doesn't have its own unique and tasty version of this seamingly simple bowl of goodness. Japan has Miso and Udon. Russia, Poland and Ukraine have Borscht. New England and Manhattan have their own takes on Clam Chowder. And of course, Vietnam has Pho. Here's a fun fact for ya: there is a long standing belief that Pho actually originated from the French beef soup dish known as pot-au-feu during the French occupation of Vietnam. As a result of this, many believe the word is derived from the French word feu (meaning fire). In fact, the word "Pho" is pronounced much the same way (more like "fuh", not "fo").

Though the jury might still be out on the history of the dish, one thing that I think is quite clear among most Torontonians (myself included) is that this city is chalk full of Pho. Not only that, but we have a ton of truly authentic and high-quality Pho sources, and our list of your voted favorites definitely highlights some great ones.

There's just nothing quite like a good burger, is there? A fresh ground beef patty, lightly seasoned, and cooked to perfection over a hot grill by a cook who truly values the quality of the product they're about to serve to you.

Though I would never claim to be an expert on this particular food item, I have eaten at my fair share of burger joints in Toronto. And throughout my searching for the ultimate burger, I actually came across a rather new establishment that has, quite deservingly, made its way to the top of my list of favourites. That place is Craft Burger.

Get a better taste of (in my humble opinion) one of the best burgers this city has to offer by checking out my review of Craft Burger in our Restaurants section.

That's right kids... It's back. It's that time of year again where the Gladstone Hotel asks all of Toronto to Come Up To My Room, and take a look at what wonderfully beautiful (and clever and weird and inspiring and playful and intriguing) projects Canadian artists and designers have thought up.

Curators Pamila Matharu and Christina Zeidler apparently do not curate specific project submissions, but instead trust selected designers and artists based on their past work. And to top it off, neither curator is allowed to see the show before doors open to the public. So either way, you're pretty much guaranteed to see a very wide range of work scattered throughout each of the hotel rooms.

This is the Gladstone's 5th year putting on the event, and much like the last 4 years, this year's lineup of artists and designers looks very promising indeed...