Dining Out: Markham Ribfest 2025

I, along with Minji and Daniel (and baby Lillian), embarked on my first ever ribfest this evening:

1/4 rack ribs and sausage with sides of baked beans, coleslaw, cornbread, and mac and cheese from Sticky Fingers BBQ

1/3 rack ribs and 1/2 pound beef brisket from Big Texas BBQ

Unanimous highlights were the ribs (moist, juicy, and excellent BBQ sauce that was just sweet and tangy enough), sausages (great bite, superb flavour), and beans (good combination of sweet and smoky, not too runny or thick) from Sticky Fingers BBQ and, surprisingly, the Dubai-style chocolate strawberries (the berries were super fresh and sweet, and worked really well with the combination of pistachio and chocolate flavours while the kataifi added a really nice crunch). 

Everything else was just... mediocre. At best. While the meats we tried from Sticky Fingers BBQ were great, most of the sides were quite disappointing: the coleslaw was bland (as if the dressing was too diluted?), the cornbread (not pictured) was on the drier side, and the mac and cheese (not pictured) needed to be both creamier and cheesier. (Had we had more stomach space, I would've loved to do a compare and contrast between these sides from all five rib teams.) The majority of the ribs from Big Texas BBQ were very dry (like, some of the meat wouldn't even come off the bone), the flavour of the BBQ sauce was rather forgettable, and all the lean pieces of beef brisket were tough. Not sure if it's the cooking conditions or the actual cooks, but the five featured rib teams at this ribfest have won numerous awards, titles, and trophies, so I was expecting way, way, way better quality offerings. 

Funnel cake with vanilla ice cream and strawberry sauce from Fabulicious Funnel Cakes

Churros with vanilla ice cream from Victoria's Churro Cone

Dubai-style chocolate strawberries

Aside from the chocolate strawberries (a real underdog at a festival like this), the desserts were honesty quite disappointing, too. The funnel cake was way too thick and dense and not nearly crispy enough, and the ice cream on top was way too icy, as if it was made with low-fat milk. And while the churros came with much smoother and creamier ice cream, the churros themselves were hard and crunchy rather than chewy with a crispy edge. We all regretted not getting a bloomin' onion or tornado potato instead of so many desserts. Alas, we were too full to even think about getting anything else.

Surprisingly, we only spent $39.81 each on food and drink, which actually ends up being cheaper than a dinner at an average sit-down restaurant after tax and tip. So, would I go to ribfest again? Yeah, it was still fun to try different BBQ and food vendors and soak in the summery vibes and live music (the band did some great covers from The White Stripes to Letters to Cleo to Queen). But I just need to lower my expectations next time. And maybe better strategize on how to divide and conquer all the food options.

Markham Ribfest 2025

Downtown Markham

179 Enterprise Blvd.

Markham, ON L6G 0A2

Dining Out: Southern Platter, Southern Creole Mac & Cheese, and Pecan Bread Pudding at Smash Kitchen & Bar

I hadn't been back to Smash Kitchen in nearly six years — there was nothing inherently wrong or bad about the restaurant; it just didn't leave me with any lasting impressions. Nothing on their menu was particularly special, nothing stood out, and I didn't think the food wasn't really worth the price. Back then, their menu pretty much consisted of burgers, pizzas, and pastas; in the Markham area, there are now so many restaurants that do those categories better or cheaper, it just didn't occur to me to visit Smash again. But it is the sister restaurant to NextDoor, one of my favourite eateries in the city, and some of my colleagues said that they thought Smash was pretty good. So I decided to check out the menu online and noticed they revamped everything. There are still a few pasta dishes and some burgers, of course, but they definitely streamlined and now focus mainly on Southern comfort food. So when Ronsee asked if I was free for dinner with him and Val this evening, I suggested going back to Smash.

Southern Platter: Buttermilk fried chicken, BBQ pork back ribs, BBQ beef croquettes, L.A. mac and cheese, chicken gravy, creamy coleslaw, and pickled cucumbers

Southern Creole Mac & Cheese: Cavatappi pasta with creole cheese sauce, cajun shrimp, grilled chicken, andouille sausage, grilled corn, pico de gallo, cheese blend, and herb crumble

The three of us decided to share the Southern Platter and the Southern Creole Mac & Cheese for our mains. The food was more memorable than before — flavours are on-point, and the portions are generous — but the texture of both the fried chicken and the ribs were definitely on the drier side. The batter on the chicken was a bit too thick and it relied on the gravy for moisture, and the meat on the ribs was somewhat tough and difficult to separate from the bone. The BBQ beef croquettes were excellent and the L.A. mac and cheese was nice and creamy, but we all agreed that the Southern Creole Mac & Cheese is superior — deeper flavours, a good amount of spice, and with the addition of shrimp and sausage, just more well-rounded and interesting to eat. (Although picky eaters and those who don't like too much flavour will prefer the reliable one-note-ness of the L.A. mac and cheese.) The Southern Platter is good if you want to try out all the "Southern comfort" dishes that Smash offers, but note that all the items featured in it can also be ordered separately as well.

Pecan Bread Pudding with vanilla crème anglaise, chocolate crumble, banana ice cream

The stand-out for us was actually the Pecan Bread Pudding, which had a great moist texture, excellent flavour, and worked exceptionally well with banana ice cream. My conclusion this time around is that the food is decent and nothing was particularly disappointing — plus, the service is friendly and the atmosphere is great for socializing — but it's also nothing to write home about. Not sure if I'd come back for the "Southern comfort" dishes here, but I am interested to see if their fish and chips and other pasta dishes are any good. At least, I'm interested enough that I won't wait another six years to come back.

Smash Kitchen & Bar

Shoppes of Unionville

4261 Highway 7

Unionville, ON L3R 9W6

(905) 940-2000

New York City 2025 Travel Log: Shack Stack, Fries, and Strawberry Milkshake from Shake Shack

Shack Stack

The perfect post-concert meal: A Shack Stack with fries from Shake Shack. (And a strawberry milkshake on the side. You know, to help soothe your throat after 2 hours of screaming.) 

Shake Shack (Flatbush-Barclays Center)

170 Flatbush Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

(347) 442-7711

New York City 2025 Travel Log: Margherita Pizza, Fried Calamari, and Fried Mozzarella-Stuffed Mushrooms at Patsy's Pizzeria

On this trip to NYC, I really wanted to get some New York-style pizza. Of course, there are hundreds of pizzerias in Brooklyn alone and New Yorkers have very extreme opinions on which one is the best, but I am neither a New Yorker nor a pizza snob, so after nearly four hours of waiting to get J-Hope merch in the cold, we decided to go to the historic Patsy's Pizzeria, which is very conveniently across the street from Barclays Center.

Margherita pizza
Fried calamari with shrimp
Fried mozzarella-stuffed mushrooms

We were quite ambitious and ordered the Margherita pie, the fried calamari, and the fried mozzarella-stuffed mushrooms. My food baby was definitely substantial afterwards, but my god, this lunch was spectacular. Not a crumb was left. (Well, Iris did leave a bit of crust left, but she did her best!) Not sure how Patsy's now ranks among New York pizzerias, but there's a reason why they've been around for nearly 100 years (and has 12 locations across NYC for your pizza-eating pleasure).

Patsy's Pizzeria

450 Dean St.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

(718) 622-2268

New York City 2025 Travel Log: Patty Melt with Fries and Passion Fruit Tajin Icebox Pie at Kellogg's Diner

As I knew we would be arriving in Brooklyn near midnight after a full day of work and not enough time to eat dinner before flying (and not wanting to eat at the airport), I did some research into eateries that would be open late. Our top contender was Kellogg's Diner, a classic 24-hour American diner in Williamsburg that's been open since 1928. 

Patty melt with fries and a pickle
Passion fruit Tajin icebox pie

I decided on the patty melt, which I had never tried before, but it seemed like the most quintessential American diner dish I could get (you know, based on whatever American TV shows and movies I've ever watched). It's basically a hamburger-grilled cheese hybrid with caramelized onions and MY GOD, IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I don't know how I have lived up until now without ever having tried one, but needless to say, I will now obviously be on the hunt for patty melts in Toronto. For dessert, we shared the passion fruit Tajin icebox pie — imagine a lemon meringue pie with the graham crust of key lime pie, but then take out the lemon curd and replace it with passion fruit curd instead — which hit all the spots. It was sweet, tart, and tangy, with just a hint of salt in the the crust, and it was the perfect ending to our meal. Chill, relaxed ambience and outstanding service, too.

Apparently, this place had gone really downhill over the years but is now having quite the comeback after ownership changes and a major revamp. If the sheer amount of filled tables at 1:00AM on a Thursday is any indication, this place really is definitely worth visiting — at least for late night eats.

Kellogg's Diner

518 Metropolitan Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 782-4505

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: Springfield at Universal Studios Florida — Day 3: Krusty Burger Combo at Krusty Burger and Pink Sprinkled Donut at Lard Lad Donuts

It's our third and final day at Universal Studios Orlando Resort before flying back home tomorrow. Since we thoroughly explored both of the Harry Potter parks over the past two days, we decided to check out some other parts of Universal Studios Florida and ended up spending quite a bit of time in Springfield, which is, of course, dedicated to The Simpsons.

Greetings from Springfield Sign

Krusty Burger

Krusty Burger with Kurly Fries

We went to Krusty Burger for lunch (tip: order through the mobile app and skip the massive line-ups) and obviously got the classic Krusty Burger, which is a 1/3 lb. burger with secret sauce, cheddar cheese sauce, a giant tomato slice, and iceberg lettuce on what seems to be a potato bun. We got the combo, which is served with Kurly fries and a drink. This burger, aside from looking almost picture perfect, was actually pretty incredible. The patty is smash-style so it has these perfectly crispy edges and incredible flavour, and the tomato and lettuce were fresh and crisp. Totally not what we were expecting. The Kurly fries are basically cajun curly fries but these, too, were fantastic — great flavour with a crispy exterior, and no condiments necessary. If you're looking for a good burger joint in this park, Krusty Burger is a surprisingly great option.

Lard Lad Donuts

Pink sprinkled donut from Lard Lad Donuts

We decided to go across the street to Lard Lad Donuts for a little dessert, and ordered the classic vanilla sprinkle donut. Honestly, I was expecting for it to be more unique or special, maybe like Krispy Kreme, but it really just is the most basic vanilla sprinkle donut. The kind you can get at Tim Hortons (or Dunkin' Donuts) for less than $2.00. This donut here, just because it's from a theme park, was $6.00 USD. I guess it's not surprising given that a bottle of water is also $6.00 here, but still, we were disappointed to say the least. Unless you're getting the iconic giant pink iced donut (which is equivalent to about 5 donuts), I'd skip this and find your sweet tooth fix at one of the dozens of other eateries and food stalls in this park.

While still in Springfield, we did go on Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl, one of the very few rides that we were both allowed to go on, and walked through The Simpsons Ride to see the interior of the building. Like both Gringotts Bank and Hogwarts Castle, the ride attendants are very accommodating to those who can't actually go on the rides and will absolutely let you go through the building to see the inside, so don't hesitate to ask!

Springfield

Universal Studios Florida 

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 363-8000

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort — Day 2: Totchos, Southern Fried Chicken BLT, and Chocolate Cream Pie at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

Since the park was closing by the time we got out of Hogwarts Castle, we had to throw out our original idea of eating dinner at Three Broomsticks (again) and decided to peruse the restaurants at CityWalk like the night before. We ended up picking The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen (the longest restaurant name I have ever encountered) because it just looked and sounded interesting.

Totchos

Southern Fried Chicken BLT

After waiting nearly an hour for a table, we ended up ordering three things to share: the Totchos (fried tater tots, spicy green chili, crispy pork belly, and andouille sausage queso), the Southern Fried Chicken BLT (crispy boneless chicken breast, tomatoes, butter bibb lettuce, bacon, and mustard aioli on toasted brioche), and the chocolate cream pie for dessert. The Totchos (a play on "tots" and "nachos") were, as expected, tasty and satisfying — the tots were super crispy, almost crunchy, so they stood up well to the queso, and the pork belly added a nice amount of flavour and texture to an otherwise one-note dish — but without any vegetables for freshness or acidity to cut the grease, it is incredibly heavy so this is definitely an appetizer for sharing. The chicken BLT was exactly as I imagined it to be, nothing special, but was surprisingly good quality: the chicken was perfectly cooked, the bacon was perfectly crispy, and the tomato and lettuce were fresh. The side of fries were nothing to write home about, but we basically abandoned them for the Totchos, anyway.

Chocolate Cream Pie

The chocolate pie was the star of the show. Aside from the superfluous amounts of whipped cream, the pie itself was smooth, light, creamy, and chocolatey. It hit all the spots. As this restaurant is first and foremost The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, they do put an emphasis on chocolate here — in fact, their dessert menu is almost as big as their regular menu. And if we weren't already bursting out of our pants, we probably would've ordered a second dessert like our server thought we would. But was all of this worth a 50-minute wait for a table and then another 20 minutes for food? No. It's decent quality American food (or an American take on other foods) and we were satisfied, but nothing was particularly impressive and the savoury menu really needs to be curated better because it seems confused (there's chicken bourguignon and risotto but also teriyaki salmon and meatloaf all in the same section). 

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

Universal CityWalk Orlando

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 224-3663

Snack Haul: Trader Joe's and Target Edition

As I mentioned, we made a trip to Buffalo over the weekend with the main goal of doing some American snack shopping. Between Trader Joe's and Target, I got some pretty fun goodies:

Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoned Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips

Trader Joe's Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips Chili & Lime Flavored

Trader Joe's Everything Ciabatta Rolls and Cheddar Jalapeño Pull Apart Bread

Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend, Everything but the Elote Seasoning Blend, and Green Goddess Seasoning Blend

Bugles Nacho Cheese Corn Snacks, Takis Intense Nacho Rolled Tortilla Chips, and Lay's Wavy Funyuns Onion Flavored Potato Chips

Market Pantry Cheddar Cheeseballs

Kraft Mac & Cheese in Three Cheese and Spirals

Bubly Sparkling Water in Strawberry Sunset and Orange Cream

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Hand Soap in Pear Tree and Birchwood

I also got two canisters of L'Oreal Elnett Unscented Hairspray because I can't find it anywhere here anymore, plus three sets of mint-coloured plastic plates and bowls because they were only 50 cents each (even with the currency exchange, that's only 70 cents CAD!!!). And in case you're wondering why the hell I bought Kraft Mac & Cheese of all things — because we certainly have it in Canada — according to Binging with Babish, the American version is TOTALLY DIFFERENT (and apparently WAY BETTER) than the Canadian one. So I bought two boxes to try. We also have cheeseballs here, but never in such an insane size and certainly never for so cheap ($6.79 USD!). And we have Bubly, of course, but I have never seen 8-pack sizes nor these fun summery flavours. Honestly, American junk food is just unparalleled.

Anyway, this was my first time going to Trader Joe's and I'm obsessed. I swear, if it wasn't over 30℃ and we actually brought insulated cooler bags, I would've stocked up on all the frozen goods. (Panzerotti Pizza Bites! Perfectly Pickled Pups! Maple Poffertjes! Mac and Cheese Bites! Lemon Ginger Cheesecake! Mango Cream Bars!) Why the hell aren't they open in Canada yet? (Then again, we had Target in Canada for like, nine months, and they all closed down because they were so terrible and couldn't compete with Walmart. So, I digress.)

Dining Out: Chicken Biscuit Sandwich at IHOP and Shrimp Alfredo at Olive Garden

Since it's Civic Day long weekend, Minji, Daniel, and I decided to make a little trip down to Buffalo to eat and do some American snack shopping. The rule, of course, was to only eat and/or buy things that we don't have in Toronto or Canada in general. We let Minji make the restaurant decisions on this trip, so our first stop was for lunch at IHOP in Niagara Falls:

Chicken Biscuit Sandwich at IHOP

Since we had quite literally ordered pancake breakfasts at work on Friday, both Daniel and I decided to forego the breakfast options and chose the fried chicken biscuit sandwich with hash browns on the inside. The sandwich itself tasted pretty decent — the fried chicken was crispy and juicy on the inside, and the biscuit was nice and fluffy — but the portion was DISMAL (one thing I did NOT EXPECT to complain about at an American restaurant chain is the portion size), the hash browns were barely cooked on the inside, and the white gravy on the side was quite literally cold gelatin (it was the exact texture of cream soup straight out of the can). Along with a Diet Pepsi, this meal cost just over $44 CAD after tax, tip, and a NIAGARA FALLS TOURIST FEE (an absolute fucking scam). This was by far the most disappointing meal with the worst value I have ever had in my entire almost-38 years of life, and I'm not even being dramatic. We had to console ourselves with Killaloe Sunrise Beavertails down the street (which were excellent, and are under $10 each).

Shrimp Alfredo at Olive Garden

We crossed the border and drove to Buffalo to do some shopping at Target and Trader Joe's, and Minji chose Olive Garden for dinner. Some Canadians may not remember, but we actually used to have Olive Garden in Ontario. They all closed down when I was in middle school — which means Minji and Daniel, who are born in the mid-1990s, don't remember the existence of this restaurant chain at all — but my parents used to take us there once a month as our non-Chinese dining out option. I don't remember it being that amazing — and we do have East Side Mario's, which is basically the same thing — but I agreed so that Minji and Daniel could experience Olive Garden for themselves. 

Except we had to wait 30 minutes to get seated, another 15 minutes just to order our food, another 10 minutes to get water, another 15 minutes just to get our salad and breadsticks, and another 30 minutes to get our entrees. This is actually no fault of our server, who was an absolute sweetheart, but just the fact that this Olive Garden was woefully understaffed (she was already waiting on at least 8 tables with no other help and new guests would just keep coming in). The food was actually quite tasty — the unlimited salad (which is EXACTLY THE SAME as East Side Mario's) and bread sticks were decent (I did get two refills of the salad and both Minji and Daniel got second refills of soup because we were waiting so long) — and the shrimp alfredo I ordered was surprisingly delicious (flavourful, creamy, and contained a great amount of shrimp), but it was the fact that we arrived at 7:15PM and didn't leave until 10:00PM that was the issue. And we still had to re-charge the Tesla and drive over two hours to get home.

Should've just gone to the Cheesecake Factory and called it a day.

IHOP

4955 Clifton Hill, 3/F

Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3N5

(905) 371-3396

Olive Garden

2011 Walden Ave.

Cheektowaga, NY 14225

(716) 683-4670

New York City 2024 Travel Log: Day 3 — The Quintessential NYC Brunch at Parker & Quinn

A little Sunday brunch at Parker & Quinn before heading to the airport:

Smoked salmon platter with dill cream cheese, tomato, red onion, capers, cucumber, and a New York bagel

Because did you really visit NYC if you didn't eat a lox bagel?

Parker & Quinn

64 W 39th St.

New York, NY 10018

(212) 729-0277

New York City 2024 Travel Log: Day 2 — A Relaxing Outdoor Brunch at Bryant Park Grill

What to do on a beautiful Saturday morning in NYC? Go for a classic American brunch with the whole family (including my 4-month-old nephew, who is adorably acclimating to the outdoors) at Bryant Park Grill:

Eggs Benedict

I ordered the Eggs Benedict, of course. Because when in New York, do as the New Yorkers do. 

Bryant Park Grill

25 W 40th St.

New York, NY 10018

(212) 840-6500

New York City 2024 Travel Log: Day 1 — A Mexican-American Culinary Adventure at Mexicue

Greetings from NYC! I am back after six months to finally meet my nephew, who is now four months old. (I gotta say, he is freaking ADORABLE, and I am not someone who cares for babies.) Anyway, being in NYC means dining exceptionally well because my brother is a foodie and always plans out some new and exciting eats for us. So for the first meal on this weekend's NYC trip, he took us out for some incredible Mexican-American food at Mexicue:

Grilled street corn with creamy chipotle, cotija, and chili powder
Charred jalapeño guacamole with house tortilla chips
Crispy Masa-crusted wild cod tacos in corn tort with citrus chili sauce, pickled onions, creamy chipotle, and salsa verde
Nashville fried chicken tacos in corn tort with creamy chipotle, and pickled peppers
Brisket tacos in grilled flour tort with cheese, pickled onions, Mexican BBQ sauce, lime crema, cotija, puffed quinoa, and scallions

As much as I love Taco Bell and Chipotle, this is what a true fusion of Mexican and American cuisines is. Mexicue puts Southern American twists on Mexican classics resulting in incredible combinations of flavours and textures made with the freshest ingredients. Highlights for me were the guac and the fish tacos, but I would easily re-order any of these. An exceptional spot for anyone looking for a more sophisticated Mexican-American food experience.

Mexicue

1440 Broadway

New York, NY 10018

(332) 249-8600

Dining Out: An Early Birthday Steak Dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House

Back from NYC and back to work, but I got to continue my glorious feasting because Ronsee took me out for an early birthday dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House:

Blueberry mojito and raspberry sour mocktails
Ribeye steak
Creamed spinach
Potatoes au gratin
Crème brûlée
Chocolate Oreo crumble birthday cake

A magnificent cut of steak, perfectly marbled and impossibly juicy, served sizzling in butter on a 500° plate, paired with rich creamed spinach (thank you to my brother for introducing me to this pure fattening delight 15 years ago in NYC) and baked cheesy sliced potatoes. For dessert, a gorgeous crème brûlée and an incredible chocolate Oreo crumble cake that they surprised me with for my birthday. Indulgent, delicious, decadent. Ironic that I left New York yesterday only to eat the most classic New York steakhouse dinner tonight.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

170 Enterprise Blvd., Unit J101

Markham, ON L6G 0E6

(647) 794-0170

New York City 2023 Travel Log: Day 2 — A Baby Shower for My Nephew

So the main reason I'm in NYC with my mom? My brother and sister-in-law are having a baby boy (my first nephew and my parents' first grandchild!) and their baby shower was today! Here, some highlights:

Welcome sign
"Guess how many honeycombs?"
Baby predictions cards
Bagels and cream cheese from Ess-a-Bagel with lox, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers
Blinis with crème fraîche and caviar
Cheese board
ShackBurgers from Shake Shack
Chocolate chip and double chocolate cookies from Tate's Bake Shop
Mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa
Assorted gummy candy
Homemade gold-brushed chocolates
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Custom Winnie-the-Pooh sugar cookies by Crissy's Cookie CO
Baby shower party favours: Honey pots with dippers from Ducky Days

The theme? Winnie-the-Pooh. The food? Quintessentially New York. Friends and family taking trains and planes from all over the East Coast to celebrate. It was adorable, it was beautiful, and it was delicious.