Toronto is a renowned food mecca, born out of a cultural identity defined by the unified culinary tradition of a vibrant multicultural community. It is a city that has shaped and defined one passionate chef who abandoned his corporate job to throw on an apron and to get into the kitchen, behind the bar, and in front of diners. Almost immediately, his Taiwanese fried chicken was voted best in the city, fans queued for his notorious ramen burger, and his sensational Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich brought in the masses.

The Double Happiness Cookbook is a riveting exploration of Trevor Lui’s tireless culinary journey that began in the kitchen of a family restaurant with sweet and sour chicken balls and chow mein and eventually drew inspiration from the streets of Toronto, LA, New York, and Taiwan. Featuring feel-good, Asian-inspired recipes with big-city attitude—think BBQ pork on rice, bulgogi beef tostadas, sweet chili cauliflower wings, and ramen with L.A. Kalbi—this heartening cookbook is an authentic celebration of heritage, community, street culture, and food philosophy. It is eighty-eight recipes, eight compelling stories, and one man’s dream.

Trevor Lui's profile page

Trevor has made a life and career surrounded by the sights and sounds of food. For the past twenty years, he has produced thousands of event experiences and has co-created and developed some of Toronto's foremost food brands, including Kanpai Snack Bar, Yatai Japanese Street Food, Shook Noodle, La Brea Food, Joybird Fried Chicken, and Makan Noodle Bar. His culinary agency Highbell Group organizes uniquely immersive culinary events that push the boundaries of innovation. Trevor is also the co-founder of the agency Quell which highlights the leadership and talents of notable BIPOC leaders in hospitality. He is a frequent consultant, speaker, and editorial contributor to media outlets such as CityLine and business forums. He also directs and hosts a video series called "Soulful Food Stories." This is his first book.

"Filled with mouth watering recipes that Trevor has gathered from meals shared with family and the various restaurants he has cooked at. Fresh, inspiring and beautiful, this is the consummate immigrant story." - Tracy Moore, entrepreneur and host of Cityline.

"Growing up, eating in Toronto's Chinatown blew my mind again and again. Now, Trevor brings back that culinary joy only this time he's rejuvenated those recipes with an arsenal of ingredients and techniques that makes me feel like a kid all over again." - Amanda Cohen, chef and owner, Dirty Candy