LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2023

INSIDE SCOOP

GIFTING For Hosts with the Most For some gifting inspiration, we asked our editorial team for their go-to hostess gifts.

“I always bring home-bar items. Kinsip’s Whisky Barrel Aged Maple Syrup ($25/375 mL, cocktailemporium.com) makes great Old Fashioneds, especially with Michter’s US1 Small Batch Kentucky Bourbon ( LCBO 618991, $89.45 ).” Charlene Rooke, Drinks Editor

“To make my host feel special the next day, I reach for brunch-­ related gifts. This could be locally roasted beans from Quietly Coffee (quietlycoffee.com) paired with Five Farms Single Batch Irish Cream Liqueur ( LCBO 12197, $40.10 ).” Victoria Walsh, Content Editor

“If my host is a fellow Chardonnay fan, I’ll bring my fave, La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ( VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 962886, $34.95 ). Kitten & the Bear’s (kittenandthebear.com) small-batch jams and jellies are beautifully pack aged and come in offbeat flavours.” Jessica Huras, Content Editor

“Chocolat de Kat (chocolatdekat.com) makes the most incredible bon bons in super-fun flavours like Vietnamese coffee. I also like to share my love for light, local reds with Malivoire Farmstead Gamay VQA ( VINTAGES 591313, $21.95 ).” Eric Vellend, Food Editor

ENTERTAINING TAKE ME OUT TONIGHT

Whether it’s a Christmas Eve ritual or a much-needed break from cooking, Chinese takeout is a go‑to for many families during the holiday season. Here are some of our favourites from around the province. —By Jessica Huras

GIFTING That’s the Spirit!

Brother Chiu’s Chinese Food, Nepean, brotherchius.com The massive menu has enough familiar dishes to satisfy the kung pao crowd, while yielding welcome Cantonese and Sichuan surprises such as shredded free-run chicken with jellyfish. If you’re having trouble deciding, check out the Family Dinner options.

Sunnys Chinese, Toronto, sunnyschinese.com This new spot offers a culinary tour of China and tags each dish with its region of origin. From Guangdong chiu chow green beans to Shaanxi grilled lamb ribs, dishes are playful and accomplished. Bonus: the website lists their favourite Chinese restaurants in the GTA. Ling Lee’s Chinese Cuisine, Thunder Bay, lingleeschinesecuisine.com While it recently moved from its original location (in the Port Arthur Curling Club), this family run institution continues to serve comforting Chinese-Canadian fare. The crispy, five-spice bon bons spare ribs are a must—the recipe is believed to be a Thunder Bay original.

For that extra-special bottle, visit the Spirits page of LCBO.com and scroll down to Shop Limited-Edition Offerings. There, you’ll find links to browse hard‑to-find whiskies, tequilas, rums and gins, many of which are online exclusives.

Wong’s Asian Cuisine, Scarborough, wongsasiancuisine.net

Blending Chinese cooking styles with Indian spices, Hakka cuisine takes centre stage at Wong’s. Classic chili chicken packs a punch with contrasting textures and serious heat. For more timid palates, they do top-notch renditions of Chinese-Canadian classics.

SUNNY’S CHINESE PHOTO: GABRIEL LI

32 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2023