JOSOS
The 36-year old family-run, high-end seafood spot is not your typical fine dining restaurant. Do not expect fancy décor or white tablecloths here; Joso’s eclectic room may not be to everybody’s taste. Despite that, Joso’s does really good seafood that’s super fresh and impressive. Most of the fish at Joso’s are cooked with a minimum flavouring or frills with seasonings mostly limited to lemon juice, parsley, capers, salt, olive oil and a bit of garlic. The result is fish that’s sweet and clean-tasting.

BUCA
Executive chef Rob Gentile does some of the best Italian in town at Buca on King West. Coupled with friendly service and an impeccable space, the King Street Food Company is certainly doing everything right (Jamie Oliver will be collaborating with the restaurant group to open North America’s first Jamie’s Italian in Spring 2015). From the bread knots, house-cured salami to their house-made pastas, pizzas and desserts, Buca certainly has the whole package.

CANOE
Recognized for its unique artisanal Canadian cuisine, Canoe’s unique location high atop the TD Bank Tower affords a breathtaking view of Toronto. Since being appointed Chef of Canoe in 2010, John Horne has incorporated his passion for refined flavours, seasonal ingredients and explosive presentation with his love of Canadian cuisine. Horne’s inspired regional Canadian cuisine took home the gold award at the prestigious 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition after going head-to-head with nine of Toronto’s finest culinary masters at the prestigious culinary event.

SPLENDIDO
With over 20 years of storied culinary history, it is no coincidence that Splendido is consistently ranked as one of Toronto’s most sought-after dining destinations. Under the guidance of owner Chef Victor Barry, Splendido is tasting menu only - 5 courses for $75 or a multi-course tasting for $125. Whether your choice is the 5 course or the multi-course tastings, guests can expect beautiful plates with brilliant textures and flavours.

SCARAMOUCHE
Scaramouche Restaurant is in a class all by itself when it comes to delivering the very best food, atmosphere and service in the city. The 30-year-old Forest Hill landmark restaurant continues to be awarded numerous domestic and international accolades and rightfully so. From being ranked the #1 restaurant three years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013) by restaurant critic Joanne Kates to earning an impressive 28 on Zagat's 30-point scale and securing the #1 spot for "Food in Toronto" in Zagat's 2012 Toronto Dining Survey, it is apparent that owners Keith Froggett (executive chef) and Carl Korte are committed to excellence and will settle for nothing less.

EDULIS
In 2012, husband and wife Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth opened Edulis. The name Edulis - which means edible and also porcini mushrooms in Latin ("boletus edulis") - pays tribute to Caballo's passion for wild foods, mushroom foraging, and influences from his Spanish heritage. Within a year's time, chef Caballo's French and Spanish influenced cooking combined with the restaurant's vision and philosophy, has won the hearts of many; Edulis was named the #1 Best New Restaurant in Canada for 2012 from EnRoute Magazine, as well as being listed as one of Canada's 50 Best Restaurants from Macleans Magazine.

Botherambo
Botherambo is about authentic Thai and Vietnamese cuisine with innovation and surely one of the best Thai restaurants in Melbourne. Botherambo have entered the bamboo belt in Richmond/Abbotsford where Asian food dominates the scene. Botherambo is a standout from the crowd with the distinct influence of maestro chef Kam McManamey (ex BangPop). This is a classy fit out and the food shows flair and technique while honouring the main ingredients. You're likely to have food experiences here you won't get elsewhere. A highlight for The World Loves Melbourne is the Red Duck leg curry featuring baby corn, wood ear, snake beans, krachai, thai basil. The sauce on this is a medium heat but so compelling. The Duck leg was cooked perfectly in the broth.

The Grand Trailer Park Taverna
The Atomic Burger is a chart topper and definite contender for best burger in Melbourne. The Atomic has taken on legendary status in Melbourne featuring Premium Aussie beef pattie, American cheddar cheese, chilli cheese kransky, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce & truffle cayenne mayonnaise on a lightly toasted brioche bun. This is juicy goodness that is so right. From the photo above you can see it's a substantial burger with lashings of caramelised onions and bacon and chilli cheese kransky. The Chilli cheese kransky is like having another patty, and combines wonderfully with the beef pattie. The crispy bacon is another highlight, living up to its name and in generous proportion. Grand Trailer Park make their own sauces and they are tangy and complement perfectly. The cheese oozes over the patty while the kransky already has cheese and chilli in it. This is a burger with several talking points. So good.

Quan Lam Linh
Tuesday nights are taco nights at this street-side roast duck outfit deep in the wilds of Ho Chi Minh City's District 2. Every night of the week, Lam Linh's husband and wife team, Tuan and Trinh, serve their spit-roast whole ducks stuffed with móc mật leaves (a member of the citrus family) with a delicious fragrant homemade black sauce. On Tuesdays, the Californian owner of the nearby Saigon Tacos factory delivers fresh-off-the-griddle soft corn tacos and bottles of authentic Mexican taco sauce to Lam Linh to create the ultimate -- and sublimely delicious -- street food fusion food. With the tacos on hand, Lam Linh's north Vietnamese duck experts prepare platters of their melt-in-the-mouth roast duck, filleted and deboned, with each roasty-brown morsel ready to be plunged into a bowl of black sauce, then a bowl of spicy red taco sauce, laid on a soft, chewy, warm taco and blanketed with fresh holy basil, Vietnamese balm, slices of cucumber and a dollop of chunky fresh salsa. What happens next is a heavenly symphony of Vietnamese and Mexican, poultry and corn, and sweet and spicy, best washed down with a cold Saigon Red beer.

Quan Ca Can
These hefty dumplings with their soft fluffy casings evolved from China's baozi, or pau cakes, so it seems fitting that the best banh bao in Ho Chi Minh City are in District 5, the Chinese district. Quan Ca Can does the traditional Vietnamese banh bao filled with delicious spiced minced pork and quail eggs, and it also does very tasty chicken and vegetarian options. All versions have high quality ingredients, a fact that's reflected in the price -- and the taste, which is head and shoulders above the standard dumpling. The sweetish dough is lighter, fluffier and more heavenly and the fillings more flavourful than the average banh bao.