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Henry Monkhouse has always loved being at restaurants. The food content creator said when he was growing up, his parents placed an emphasis on going out to eat, and he spent his teen years washing dishes at a pub outside Ottawa in Perth, Ont.
So when he began making social media content, it made sense to focus on eateries. In 2025, he started consistently posting on Instagram and TikTok, becoming known for “tier list” style videos ranking local restaurants and amassing hundreds of thousands of views.
“I’m just really glad that I’m able to help people find great spots,” he said, adding that social media has helped him build a community. “You create your own little niche of food- and beer-driven people like myself.”
But the response hasn’t all been positive. He’s faced a range of criticism for his content, from those who disagree with his lists to those who criticize his accent, which he said is the result of being born in Ottawa to British parents.
The comments made Monkhouse wonder if the people behind the restaurants he loved also dealt with harsh online criticism. He decided to explore how local restaurateurs who use social media handle hurtful comments, in a video made in collaboration with CBC Ottawa’s Creator Network.
WATCH | These restaurant owners rely on social media for business. It has its drawbacks:
They need it to survive, but these restaurateurs are frustrated by social media negativity
Restaurant owners share different approaches to handling social media criticism while marketing their food. Food content creator Henry Monkhouse learns more in a video made in collaboration with CBC Ottawa’s Creator Network.
Through conversations with restaurant owners, Monkhouse learned many feel frustrated about the need to make content, which can distract from their time in the kitchen and can expose them to harsh criticism.
“The biggest thing I kept hearing was, ‘I didn’t start a restaurant to have to deal with this. I didn’t want to be a marketing person,'” Monkhouse said.
Nitin Mehra’s brother started East India Company Restaurants in 2002. Mehra says the business has changed since then, and now the restaurant needs to use social media to market itself. (Henry Monkhouse)
When Nitin Mehra’s family started East India Company Restaurants in 2002, social media barely existed.
“Now, if you are not posting to social media you are actively leaving money on the table,” Mehra said in an interview for Monkhouse’s short documentary.
Mehra and others shared some of the comments they received online. They range from support for the business to genuine criticism to personal attacks over race or gender. Some commenters on Mehra’s posts have told him to “go back to India.”
Despite the comments, Mehra regularly shares videos and photos of the restaurant’s food, tandoori oven, buffet and other behind-the-scenes elements.
Clapping back
Khoa Nguyen, who runs Pho By Night in Ottawa’s ByWard Market, said his restaurant regularly receives criticism over its pricing, or claims that it’s inauthentic, in response to its videos featuring banh mi, pho and other Vietnamese dishes.
Instead of letting it get him down, Nguyen uses skits to poke fun at the commenters while building the longtime family business’s online presence.
“When you release something, you know, you can’t expect that everyone’s going to like it,” he said. “We just like to keep it lighthearted…. This is is our family story and we’re just going to have fun no matter what.”
Henry Monkhouse, left, and Nitin Mehra, right, have built a friendship over their love of food. The two hosted Best Fest Ottawa, a local food and drink festival, in May. (Instagram @normanclickbaits)
Despite the negative comments he and others receive, Monkhouse is hopeful about the future of social media and what it can do for foodies.
His platform has connected him with new friends and introduced him to new foods. He, Mehra, and some other local restaurants hosted their first food festival, Best Fest 613, in the spring, and an Oktoberfest event this fall. He said they were made possible thanks to his social media following.
“[Social media] has taken me to so many different places,” he said. “The positive reaction has outweighed any of these negative comments that I might get.”
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Henry Monkhouse is the creator of The Best Eats, a food blog sharing his favourite Ottawa food and drink spots, as well as cooking videos on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. (Henry Monkhouse)