It's time to come out of the dark this winter and into the light! I love a great event especially a very cool one like this - The Toronto Light Festivalat The Distillery District. This is the first year and you won't want to miss it.
Media preview event
Glow in the dark drinks.
Come and see the beautiful Distillery District transform into an open-air gallery, lighting up the winter night with installations from creative Canadian and International light artists. It runs from January 27 to March 12. Oh, by the way, it's a FREE festival and great for everyone! For more info, click here to visit the Toronto Light Festival website.
I attended the media preview event the other night - here's a sneak peek of what you can expect to see:
If you're like me who enjoys taking pics, then you must drop by the Toronto Light Festival. Check out my instagram feed @stardchiu for more great pics. It's definitely an instagram-able event : ) Follow @TOlightFest and #TOLightFest
Stop by The Toronto Light Festival at The Distillery District for a beautiful & fun evening this winter. There are over 20 installations! So, lots to see, do, oh, and lots of lights!!!
Attention all food lovers - Taste of Toronto is coming up very soon. Mark your calendar: June 23-26 at the Garrison Common Fort York. Some of Toronto's most respected restaurants and chefs will gather for the third annual Taste of Toronto! (Note: Pics here are taken by me from last year )
This premier food festival will keep foodies busy with hands-on cooking classes with the city's best chefs, live demonstrations/entertainment, a lively marketplace and of course, tasting the finest flavours and cuisine that Toronto has to offer. There's something for everyone!
There will be over more than 50 mouth-watering signature dishes from over 20 of the hottest chefs and shop from more than 60 artisan producers and premium brands!
Some of the new restaurants joining this year's line up is Miku, Nota Bene, Mamakas, Alo, Piano Piano, Antler, Kanpai, and Carver. Some of the returning favourites includes McEwan Group, Richmond Station, The Drake Hotel and Los Colibris. Each pop-up restaurant will offer three signature dishes at the event. For all the other restaurants participating this year, click here.
I attended the Taste of Toronto every year since it started and absolutely loved it! I can't wait for this year! Here are some of my pics from last year : ) Don't miss the 'must-attend' food festival of the summer! I'll see you there!
The Gentlemen's Expo is back again! It will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre next weekend, September 25-27, 2015. I've been attending the expo for the past 2 years and can't wait to go back this year. It's a fun event, lot's to see, do and taste : )
The Gentlemen's Expo is a celebration of all things that encompass a true gentleman. To all the guys, if you're interested in fashion, tech, music, sports, cars, alcohol, grooming, sex, food, entrepreneurship, gaming, DIY and other things, then you should come check it out! Ladies, you're welcome to attend too.
There are lots of great attractions and special guest this year! For the full listing, more info and to purchase tickets, head over to the website here.
It's going to be an action packed weekend of special guests in store this year at the Gentlemen's Expo. From amazing athletes, celebrities, entertainers and bands! For guests appearances, check schedule here.
Special guests:
DMC of Run DMC (Musical act)
Young Empires (Musical act)
The Luke Austin Band (Musical act)
Marcus Stroman (Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher)
Gregg Zaun (Sportsnet Baseball Analyst and host of TGE on Friday Sept. 25)
Ken Reid (Sportsnet Anchor and host of TGE on Saturday, Sept. 26)
Chris Jones (America's Got Talent)
Nicki Laborie (Founder and Editor of View The Vibe and Sex in The 6)
Roger Mittag (Thirst For Knowledge Inc.)
Dr. Jess O'Rielly (Sexologist)
Paul Tobey (Founder & CEO of Training Business Pros, Author & Trainer)
Damon Snider (Dude Living Refined - Toronto Designer)
Aviva Reimer (Relationship Expert, Certified Matchmaker and Co-Founder of Perfect Fit Millionaire Introductions)
Rob Rainford (Celebrity Chef)
Ruth Tal (Founder of Fresh Restaurants & Juice Bars)
Frank Caputo (Hank Daddy's BBQ Pitmaster)
Mike Rebelo (Chef at Trattoria Bacio)
Sylvan Bouchard (Beer Sommelier)
Other Attractions:
Craft Beer, Spirits, Wine, and Cocktails - The Gentlemen's Expo will feature over 80 different beers, spirits and cocktails throughout the weekend
KPMG Enterprise Start Me Up Area - Curated by MaRS Discovery District, this area will highlight local start up businesses. The top 4 will have a chance to pitch live on Sunday to a judging panel of top executives.
Gentlemen's Guide Classroom - Educational area for attendees that want to know more about beer, spirits, wine, suiting, dating and a whole lot more.
Cooking Stage - Will feature demonstrations from various chefs who work at some of Toronto's most popular restaurants. Restaurants include The Good Son, Khao San Road, Holy Chuck, Poutini's House of Poutine, The Ace, Hank Daddy's BBQ, Fresh Restaurants, Trattoria Bacio and much more!
Sportsnet Central Lounge - Attendees can take a load off and watch all the weekend sports games live at the show, play pool, snooker, foosball and pingpong and enjoy a refreshing beverage courtesy of Mill Street Brewing Company.
Sleeman Speakeasy - The Sleeman Speakeasy - An unforgettable party at an undisclosed location. Filled with pretty girls, live music, and unexpected surprises - what happens here stays here. Get a glimpse into the Sleeman Speakeasy at the Gentlemen’s Expo this year. Only the Notorious Get In.
The Gentlemen's Casino - Attendees will be able to hone their card playing skills for a chance to win an unbelievable Las Vegas prize back (Includes flight, hotel, shooting range, Cirque show, driving experience, helicopter tour and some spending cash) Play poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and a whole lot more
Sports Simulators - (Includes PUMA Soccer Simulator, Tennis Canada Smash Court and many more)
Made In The G.T.A Area - Featuring local businesses and entrepreneurs within the G.T.A
365 Sports Presents The Base Jump - Attendees will be able to jump off a 30ft scaffold into an inflatable bag if they are feeling adventurous
Archery Tag - Attendees can face their friends in the ultimate bows and arrows match. The game is played with teams of 5 and is similar to paintball, but instead you have to tag your friends with your bow's padded arrow. Victors will be congratulated and losers will be shunned... Up for the challenge?
Sneaker Exhibit and Retail Area - Attendees will be able to purchase items from Toronto's best sneaker collectors
So much to do and see!! Now, who's excited? You can purchase your tickets here. Choose the tickets that's right for you: Man-Up Package, Weekend Pass and Single Day Ticket.
You can also enter for a chance to WIN some tickets! A GIVEAWAY! There'll be TWO winners, each receiving a pair of single day general admission tickets, a value of $60/pair. This tickets can be used on any one day of the expo.
To enter the giveaway, use the rafflecopter wideget below. If you leave a comment, don't forget to include your email address. When you're visiting my David Chiu's Facebook page, a LIKE to my page would greatly be appreciated. The TWO lucky winners will be randomly selected with random.org and they will have 24 hours to reply back to my message/email. Giveaway is open to anyone who'll be able to attend. The Gentlemen's Expo takes place in Toronto at The Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Transportation will not be provided. Giveaway closes midnight September 24, 2015. Good luck!
Hopefully by hearing that the One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale is coming up, we can say goodbye to winter very soon. I'm a big fan of the OOAKS - it's always such a fun show to check out, so many interesting handmade stuff. Plus, being a designer myself, I love supporting all the talented Canadian artisans & designers. If you get a chance, please go take a look at my creation: Hello! Stuff, click here to check out my etsy shop!
The One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale will be happening on March 25-29 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto and it will be THE place to meet and shop from over 450 artisans, makers and designers from across Canada. It's time to shop for some great handmade stuff! For hours and ticket information, you can visit OOAK website here.
Some of the special features this year: The One of a Kind Etsy section, One of a Kind Craft Community of Canada and much more! Click here for all the features! Below are some of the work from artisans you can find at this year's show!
Dave Bradley Coat rack
Jennifer Moffat Plush dolls
Sam and Mahran Mansouri Wooden Bow ties
Jasmine and Ryan Wall Wedding card
Now, who want to go check out the OOAK Spring Show? I will be giving away TEN pairs of tickets! To enter, simply use the rafflecopter widget below. If you leave a comment, don't forget to include your email address. When you're visiting David Chiu's Stuff Facebook page, a LIKE to my page would greatly be appreciated. Ten winners will be randomly chosen with random.org and they will have 24 hours to reply back to my message/email. Please make sure that you will be able to attend the show happening in Toronto March 25-29. Transportation will not be included. Giveaway closes midnight March 11, 2015. Good luck!
I was invited to attend an exclusive tasting media event at EDO restaurant last week. The dinner of contemporary Japanese cuisine was held at its Spadina location in Toronto.
It was a wonderful evening filled with drinks & delicious food. The CEO and founder Barry Chaim was present along with chef Ryo Ozawa. I loved that they both had so much passion for what they do, which was shown throughout the evening. From all the great stories Barry shared and the attention to detail in the food/ingredients/presentation as chef Ryo was presenting each dish as it came out from the kitchen - they truly LOVE Japanese cuisine. Not only did I leave with a stomach that was happily satisfy but I also learned a lot about Japanese culture and cuisine!
Barry Chaim & Ryo Ozawa
Chef cooking Kobe Beef
It was such a neat experience - tasting authentic Japanese dishes. For example, to accompany the sashimi and sushi dish, EDO had real wasabi, not the powdered kind, along with white ginger, not the pink ones. And overall, simply serving fresh fish and ingredients.
We were served over 10 dishes that evening. I loved all of them, but some of my stand out were: Kyu-Maki, Miso Eggplant, Lobster Roll, Tiger Tuna and Kobe Beef, which was cooked right in front of us! Check out all the pics from the event I took.
I'd definitely recommend EDO Restaurant to all the foodies out there or for those who's a fan of Japanese food. For more info or to make a reservation, go check out their website here.
EDO is pleased to extend my readers a special offer! From January 22-31, 2015*, EDO will provide a complimentary appetizer (with the order of any two dishes per person) at any of the four EDO locations providing you use the hashtag #EDOapponme. To receive the appetizer, you'll just have to show their server that you've posted the hashtag live.
*Promotion is not valid at the EDO on Eglinton location on Jan. 30 and 31.
Also, for those who loves Winterlicious - EDO on Eglinton is participating! Check out their menu here.
