London visitor in Toronto for FIFA World Cup gives glowing review of city
Sometimes we forget how truly special Toronto is until we see it through the eyes of a visitor.
Travel vlogger and Twitch streamer Jide, known online as @saintjidz, recently documented his time in Toronto while travelling to various FIFA World Cup host cities, including New York City and Mexico City.
Jide, who boasts over 130,000 followers on both Instagram and TikTok, is currently on a mission to visit all 48 nations competing in the tournament. After visiting 18 countries, Jide had nothing but incredible things to say about Toronto during his short stay.
"Toronto, I've been told, is the best international city in the world; it is immigration done right," he said in one of his videos. "I have to say, Toronto is probably one of the most diverse cities I have seen in my life."
Like many other visitors arriving for the World Cup, Jide documented everything from navigating the city's humidity to struggling to find an Uber after high-traffic events, but it was Toronto's food scene that left the biggest impression.
"The food so far — I haven't had a bad quality meal in Toronto. The food here is insane," Jide said.
The travel vlogger attended Toronto's first World Cup match day (which resulted in a 1-1 draw between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina), and along the way, he picked up some local slang and tried local delicacies, like poutine and BeaverTails.
One particular restaurant earned a special shoutout, Sunnys Chinese, which the creator praised for its innovative dishes and welcoming service. "I had sweet and sour chicken, and I've never had it taste like that in my life," he said.
Despite all the praise for its culinary scene, one observation Jide made was that Toronto didn't seem to be quite as consumed by the World Cup as some of the other host cities in North America.
"Canadians don't care about the World Cup," he noted in one of his recap videos. "If anything, everyone's just telling me to go to a Blue Jays game."
Still, he encouraged those coming to Toronto for the global tournament to embrace more than just soccer.
"Overall, if you're visiting Toronto for the World Cup, make sure that you lock in with the locals, the other sports as well, because it's a massive sports city, and also you try some poutine and some BeaverTails."
Jide's videos quickly attracted hundreds of comments from Toronto residents, many of whom dished out recommendations for future visits.
"Soccer is huge in Toronto. The city is missing Italy, Jamaica, and Nigeria in the World Cup. Those communities would definitely bring a lot of noise and hype. Great work, brother, and welcome to the Tdot/6ix," one person wrote.
"We love you and your enthusiasm for our great city. Feel free to stay here permanently," another comment reads.
blogTO has reached out to Jide to learn more about his experience in Toronto.
