Vic Community Spotlight
Don Sukhmani highlights what Vic students, Hasaan and Eli are up to.
Hasaan Sobaan’s ‘The Burlington Food Blog’
The love child of boredom and gluttony.
Hasaan is a fifth year student, specializing in psychology. His food blog The Burlington Food Blog, or TBFB (as it is popularly called), took the Vic community by storm during the summer of 2020. While Hasaan says that there was no precipitating factor that birthed the blog, it was largely out of the realization that he loved eating, he loved Burlington, and that he was really bored. He started out with just his friends enjoying his posts, but over the summer his following grew from 300 to over 3000! His blog has done a fantastic job of supporting local businesses and highlighting the diversity of food that exists in Burlington.
“I learned so much about Burlington this summer and I kind of like fell in love with my hometown again. The pandemic gave me a really good opportunity to kind of, you know, take a step back and just kind of reconnect with the community, and really explore Burlington in a way I never had before”- Hasaan
Check out Hasaan’s blog on Instagram at @theburlingtonfoodblog, and keep an eye out for giveaways!
Hasaan’s top 10 places to eat at downtown
1. Zaad (on Bloor)- Go to for shawarmas
2. Naan and Chai (it featured in Drake’s video)
3. Gusto 101
4. Cluck Clucks
5. Rasta Pasta (fusion Jamaican Italian food)
6. Dipped Donuts
7. Ozzy’s Burgers
8. FIKA Café
9. Mogouyan Noodles
10. Nani’s gelato (It’s right next to Vic campus, and gets a special second endorsement from Sukhmani)
Hasaan’s top places to enjoy coffee near campus
1. Piedmont Coffee Bar (great for studying, cute vibe, real nice snacks)
2. 5 Elements (the aesthetic makes you finish anything you are working on)
3. Dessert Lady (on Sultan St)
4. Sorry Coffee
5. Goldstruck Coffee in Yorkville
6. Dark Horse Espresso (fully automated robo-barista)
7. Dineen
8. Blue Stone Lane
Eli Meadow Ramraj: Filmmaker, Director, Photographer
“If you have a story to tell, there will be people who will encourage you and who will celebrate you, and it will push you out into the world.”
Eli is in his third year at Vic, doing a double major in Cinema Studies and Philosophy with a minor in Creative Expression and Society. Between the ages of 9–13, Eli published four novels, and throughout high school found his voice through debating. His love for public speaking led to his involvement in theatre, and there was no going back!
One of his biggest moments was writing and directing a short film called A Deaf Man’s Symphony, which was screened at film festivals in Victoria, British Columbia. Running 18 minutes long, this short film is the story about a stage performer who stumbles down a path of self-destruction.
Eli was recently selected as one of 20 young Canadian filmmakers and photographers for Canon Canada’s first ever 12-month creative incubator program, Canon Futures.
A huge advocate of seizing opportunities, Eli believes that “a lot of people wait for the phone to ring, they wait for the knock on the door. You’ve got to make your own opportunities. If you love something, and if you’re passionate about something, do that thing. It will be challenging but if you’re lucky enough to find something you love, make sure you do it.”
He is currently in pre-production on his first feature film, The Only Bar on King Street, which follows an aspiring comic and a failed songwriter-turned-bar-owner as they workshop the comic’s set for a performance the next day. Check out his work on Instagram at @eli.meadow and keep your eyes out for @kingstreetmovie
