I'm a storyteller who loves food. Even as a child, I always wanted to tell stories. Specifically, I wanted to be an author. I wrote fiction, but found the worlds I was creating to be too distant from my own. I wrote non-fiction, but found it lacked a certain magic. At the time, I didn't know food would one day allow me to weave the two together.
I immigrated to Canada with my family in 2004. From my mother's fresh vegetarian sabzis paired with fresh roti to Subway, where I ate my first bite of meat - sweet onion chicken teriyaki.
My parents worked in the evenings and so I would return home, just a jar of peanut butter and frozen Dr. Oetker pizza to keep me company. My relationship with food was just gluttony.
In 2015, I went off to the University of British Columbia and earned a B. Comm, majoring in Marketing. More importantly, I discovered the UBC Farm and simultaneously completed a Practicum of Sustainable Agriculture. From gluttony to appreciating everything it takes to grow a single head of lettuce.
After returning to Toronto, I found a day job in foodie tech, where my primary role was to design local restaurant rotations for companies accross North America. Simultaneously, I became one of Toronto's first food tour guides on the new Airbnb Experiences platform.
Both came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I started cooking elaborate meals at home and met now my fiancée, Amaara, on a dating app.
We both love food & travel, and wanted to support the local restaurant community during tough times. That spawned the Toronto Global Eats Challenge, where we tried to find every country's food in & around Toronto. With encouragement from Amaara, episodes would go up regularly on my just-for-fun social media food pages.
I learned so much about the world through this food exploration, and the response was overwhelming. From helping restaurants make it through a challenging period to highlighting communities that had long felt ignored, I saw that I could make a difference.
I quit my day job in 2022, and have been grateful to pursue what I love every day since. I've met and learned from so many others along the way, and have steadily built my platform and expertise. But one constant will always remain - I'm always happiest sharing meaningful food stories. And this is just the first chapter for me!
You can find my food stories on Instagram and TikTok, or grab a bite with me on one of my bespoke food tours in the Toronto area. Behind the scenes, I’m working with restaurants, tourism boards and more to help them share their culinary stories.
Authenticity
Passion
Making A Difference
Exploring and sharing my passion and joy for food, in and of itself and as a lens through which I understand the world. Doing so authentically, in a manner that treats others with respect and dignity. With a focus on making a difference - by using my platform to challenge unjust status quos and push for change, and by creating community.
I only recommend what I genuinely enjoy myself.
I am transparent, disclosing when I am invited, hosted, gifted or paid.
I prioritize the underrepresented, and am thoughtful about what I platform.
