Dining Out: Iced HK Milk Tea, Dong Po Rou Benny, and Korean Bulgogi Breakfast Poutine at Sugar Cafe and Lounge

Had the most impeccable brunch with Minji and Daniel (and baby Lillian) at the newly-opened Sugar Cafe and Lounge:

Iced HK milk tea

The iced HK milk tea, which features an iced tea mould in the shape of a cat in a lion dance costume (yes, just wrap your head around that for a sec), is the single cutest iteration of an iced tea I have ever seen in my life. (You're supposed to make a wish, kiss the "gold coin" on the top of its head, and then push the whole mould into the cup so it can dissolve into the rest of the tea. If I win the lottery, I will give this milk tea its dues.) Not only is it adorable, but it has a great deep tea flavour and a creamy consistency that somehow never seems diluted despite the ice. (The tea mould is truly genius.)

Dong Po Rou Benny: two thick cuts of classic Chinese pork belly with spinach on Japanese milk bread, topped with hollandaise sauce

Korean Bulgogi Breakfast Poutine: Beef bulgogi with a poached egg, cheese curds, and garlic home fries, topped with hollandaise sauce, sriracha mayo drizzle, sesame seeds, and green onion

Both Minji and I ordered the Dong Po Rou Benny, and it was phenomenal — the pork belly was soft and tender and intensely flavourful, which worked beautifully with the mellow flavours of the (perfectly) poached eggs and hollandaise. The Japanese milk bread toast is perfect here to absorb all the sauce and drippings to provide a perfect bite each time. It also comes with your choice of house salad or garlic home fries, but we decided on salads (which includes spring mix, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta with a delicious tangy-sweet creamy dressing) since we wanted to share the Korean Bulgogi Breakfast Poutine — which we were all absolutely delighted with. It not only came with a generous amount of (perfectly) marinated beef, but also includes actual cheese curds (!!!), and an incredible combination of Asian-influenced flavours. The hollandaise, mayo, and egg yolk provide an excellent amount of sauce that gravy would normally provide in a poutine, and the garlic home fries are just crispy enough that they never get soggy underneath all those toppings. Honestly, these two dishes are perfect examples of Asian fusion done right.

Service was notably excellent, too — our server was welcoming and cheerful without veering into annoying, and accommodating and attentive without hovering. She was always prepared for our needs, made delightful conversation without being cloying, gave compliments without seeming over-the-top — this woman is stacked with people skills and extremely experienced in customer service and genuinely deserves generous tips (unlike many, many, many other servers out there, who feel entitled to a minimum 18% tip for doing the bare minimum). According to our receipt, her name is Michelle, and SHE IS WONDERFUL. I will absolutely come back here, and hopefully soon — their entire menu looks incredible, and we had a truly delightful time today. And what sets Sugar Cafe apart from other brunch places is that brunch service doesn't end until 4:00PM every day (except Mondays, 'cause they're closed). This is especially nice for those of us who work Monday to Friday but really like to sleep in on weekends...

Sugar Cafe and Lounge

Times Square Richmond Hill

550 Highway 7, Building E, Floor 2, Unit 281

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z4

(647) 802-1268

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

Cooking at Home: Canada Day Dinner with Corn & Blueberry Salad with Feta and Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders

My friends Chelsea and Braden invited me over to their house for a little pre-Canada Day dinner:

Corn and blueberry salad with feta

BBQ pulled pork

Grilled pineapple

Hawaiian pulled pork sliders

Not sure where they get their recipes, but this dinner was amazing. Sweet and savoury, fresh and refreshing — the perfect choices for a summer meal. We did agree that a second side like sweet potato fries would've made the dinner even better, but what calories and fat grams we saved on that went to dessert at Chocolate & Company (riding on the theme of summer, I got black currant sorbetto and coconut gelato, my new favourite combo), the perfect ending to an incredible dinner.

Dining Out: BBQ Eel Croissant, Duck Confit Pancakes, and Truffle Fries at NextDoor Restaurant

Met up with my mom to go look at my new car model (the new VW 2025 GTI just arrived in the showrooms) so we decided to have a little Saturday brunch moment beforehand at NextDoor:

BBQ Eel Croissant: unagi, 2 scrambled eggs, masago, tare sauce, baby spinach, and nori on a butter croissant

Duck Confit Pancakes: crispy duck leg, maple hoisin glaze, sunny-side up egg, green onions, and cashew crumble on a stack of pancakes

Truffle Fries with parmesan and garlic aioli

We usually come here in the evening, so I hadn't really explored NextDoor's brunch menu but am happy to report it's just as good as their dinner menu. The BBQ Eel Croissant is especially delicious; definitely a must-order if you like unagi. (Who knew I could get BBQ eel for breakfast?) The Duck Confit Pancakes have an incredible sweet-savoury flavour combo and the duck meat was nice and tender, but I do wish there was a little more of the maple hoisin sauce as the pancakes start getting a little dry. The Truffle Fries — a last minute addition because we saw another table having them — were surprisingly excellent. Not only do they have a good amount of truffle flavour (a lot of places skimp on the truffle oil), but the texture of these fries are perfect. Every single fry was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside even after sitting at the table for half an hour. SO GOOD, SO ADDICTIVE.

Man, I really need to get out for brunch more. 

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

Dining Out: Mother's Day Dinner at NextDoor Restaurant

Took my mom out for Mother's Day dinner at one of our faves (and go-to special occasion spot), NextDoor Restaurant:

King Salmon Ssam Bap: Ora king salmon, salmon caviar, Asian pear, yuzu egg salad, furikake, and black tobiko on seasoned rice, served with toasted nori

Kurabuta Pork Tenderloin: Blue crab mousse, fondant potatoes, baby bok choy, gooseberries, and fig demi glace

Koji Chicken: Grilled koji marinated chicken thighs, creamy miso polenta, roasted portobello mushrooms, shishito peppers, and yuzu kosho

Triple Chocolate Parfait: Chocolate brownie, chocolate crumble, caramelized white chocolate, cashews, and vanilla ice cream

Both my mom and I thought the pork tenderloin could've used more seasoning to bring out the blue crab mousse, but the meat was perfectly cooked and went beautifully with the fig sauce. The highlights for me were the Koji Chicken, a new addition to their regular menu — incredible flavours and the most juicy, moist chicken I think I've ever had — and the King Salmon Ssam Bap, which I hope gets added into the regular rotation as well. (The ssam bap, pork tenderloin, and chocolate parfait were all from the Mother's Day menu, so they're currently limited edition dishes.) As usual, we had a great time at NextDoor. The food is always delicious, always unique, and always changing, which is why we love it here.

I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! 

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

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

Dining Out: Smoked Salmon Benedict and Golden Sous-Vide Apple French Toast at Cafe Bon Bon

It's been a hot minute since I've gone out on for a weekend brunch (I am generally a hermit on weekends and usually sleep in until noon so I rarely make it for brunch), but Minji and Daniel are finally able to take their baby out so we had planned a little reunion brunch/baby introduction meeting at Cafe Bon Bon.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Because it was brunch, I thought it was most appropriate to get the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which is served on a croissant, topped with parmesan and bacon bits, and served with a nice avocado garden salad on the side. It was delicious and exactly as I imagined (and the top of the croissant was perfect to dip into the delectably runny yolks with), but I did think the portion was a little on the smaller side (at least, for me)… Which just meant that I had to — oh, no! — order dessert. 

Golden Sous-Vide Apple French Toast

So I got the Golden Sous-Vide Apple French Toast, which features a pan-fried log croissant as its base (!!!) and sous-vide cooked apple slices, topped with vanilla ice cream and buttery crumble — an absolutely delightfully delicious treat. It is worth noting, however, that the portion for the dessert was also on the small side and I could easily have eaten another one. (But I didn't, because as we all know, I am the queen of self-control.) I did also get an iced latte with oat milk, but I didn't think this was worth $9, especially for the size (it was about 16 oz., but a significant portion of it was ice). 

Service was okay — pleasant enough, but quite inattentive (in fact, the servers seemed to go out of their way not to look at our raised hands and did not check in on us even once, even for water refills) — though I will give them the benefit of the doubt because it was incredibly busy. I would come back because the rest of the menu does sound incredible (Minji's soft shell crab carbonara pasta was amazing), but maybe just not on a weekend day. (And if you do want to check this place out on a weekend, especially for brunch, I would highly recommend making a reservation.)

Cafe Bon Bon

Times Square Richmond Hill

550 Highway 7, Unit 89 - 90

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z4

(905) 597-3166

Take Out: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream at Kawartha Dairy

The weather is finally warming up, so what's the perfect way to celebrate actual spring weather? Ice cream. (Obviously.) With my new favourite flavour, too: Key Lime Pie at Kawartha Dairy. It tastes exactly like its namesake. It's the perfect mix of sweet and tart; it's creamy but citrusy without veering into sorbet territory, and there's bits of graham cracker in there to give it a nice chew. And if you actually go to a Kawartha Dairy store, the "baby" size is like a large at Baskin Robbins so it's a pretty incredible value for $6. (No, really, this cup is huge. It can feed two people. Or one ice cream fiend, a.k.a. me.) Yes, I know that I can go to my local supermarket and get a tub of Kawartha Dairy ice cream to eat at home, but it's never the same as going out for ice cream, is it?

Kawartha Dairy

5 Alexander Rd.

Newmarket, ON L3Y 3J2

(905) 953-2881

Dining Out: Truffle Fries, Sausage Campanelle, Short Rib Pappardelle, and Skirt on Skillet at Cafe 85

I have been busy, busy, busy. On top of work, I got a call back for a job that I had applied for a few weeks ago. After three interviews, I got a job offer that I am very, very excited for. Coincidentally, my friend Samuel also got a job offer that he really wanted the day after I got mine. So Minji and Daniel asked where we'd want to go for a celebration dinner, and I suggested Cafe 85, which has been popping up all over my Instagram.

Truffle Fries — Shoestring fries, parmesan, and thyme

Sausage Campanelle — Italian sausage, tomato sauce, kale, basil, and fennel

Short Rib Pappardelle — Braised short rib, pan sauce, pesto, and parmesan

Skirt on Skillet — 8 oz. skirt steak, confit fingerling potatoes, balsamic mushrooms, wilted spinach, and peppercorn sauce

The restaurant just had their soft opening so we missed out on their $10 short rib special promotion, but I'm not even mad about it because I don't think it would have given me the true, unbiased experience of what they're capable of. Most of the average-to-negative reviews of this restaurant were because people went for this promotion only to find out that it was a limit of one per table. The restaurant would lose money before they could even have their grand opening if this promotion was unlimited, and I don't think they should be penalized in a negative review for that. That having been said, those diners were missing out on some of the other amazing dishes on the menu. We decided to share the Truffle Fries, the Sausage Campanelle, the Short Rib Pappardelle, and two Skirt on Skillets, and everything was pretty damn incredible.

Flavour and texture combinations were on point, pastas were cooked perfectly al dente, the short rib and the skirt steaks were incredibly tender and juicy and not even a little chewy (the steak is on rarer side of medium-rare, which is exactly how I like it, so I might be biased here), portions were decent, and the pricing is entirely reasonable. Our server was pleasant and accommodating and not cloying at all, but made sure that we had everything we needed and refilled our waters regularly. The restaurant itself is cozy but modern with huge comfy booth seating. My only regret is not getting dessert (we had an 8:45PM booking for an escape room and couldn't stay longer). I will absolutely be coming back to try their brunch options — the Sausage Shakshuka and Duck Confit Benny are calling my name.

Cafe 85

280 West Beaver Creek Rd., Lower Level Unit 10

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z1

(905) 224-0757

Dining Out: Mom's Birthday Dinner at Pears Restaurant

I decided to take my mom out for her birthday at the newly-opened, super-hyped, Asian fusion restaurant, Pears by Keith Pears, who also owns Glass Kitchen (where I took my mom for her birthday last year and thoroughly enjoyed). Wanting to try a bigger variety of the dishes, we decided to forego the mains and shared six of the small plates and two desserts:

Lobster Wontons — Shiitake mushrooms, shaoxing butter sauce, and ginger scallion relish

KFC Sliders — Korean fried chicken, sweet and spicy glazed, topped with garlic aioli, and citrus slaw

Mussels & Shrimp — Poached seafood, corn "chowder" butter sauce, served with pain de mie bread

Croquettes — Potato, leek, smoked onion, parmesan, and truffle aioli

Shrimp & Scallop Toast — Mousseline, pain de mie bread, mentaiko mayo, and chives

Stuffed Mozza Meatballs — Canadian ground beef, pork, and veal, parmesan, basil, served with grilled bread

Black Sesame & Tofu Baked Alaska — Tofu ice cream, ginger lemon gel, and mixed sesame crisps

Pear Tart — Almond cream, cognac, and brown butter ice cream

There are a lot of mixed reviews about Pears now that they've been open for a few weeks, so I thought I'd add my two cents because I actually went in with no expectations and having read no reviews prior. Firstly, the meatballs were just straight-up disappointing, and there is no "fusion" to be found here. The texture of the meat was fine, but even then, it severely lacked flavour (no salt, no seasoning), and the tomato sauce quite literally tasted like Chef Boyardee's. I understand upscale restaurant pricing, but it should be criminal to charge $18 for two meatballs that I could make better at home. Secondly, the croquettes, while having an excellent crispy texture, were overwhelmingly smoky in flavour. Almost offensively so. It suffocated every other flavour in the croquette, and there's supposed to be parmesan and truffle aioli in it. These definitely have potential, but I think there needs to be a better balance in flavours. 

That having been said, the other dishes were truly delicious, with the KFC Sliders and Mussels & Shrimp "chowder" being highlights for me, as well as the desserts, which were beautifully presented with unique flavour combinations that I'd never had before. Even my mom commented on how well done the desserts were. The portions for the small plates are, of course, small, but they are mighty. They use such rich, heavy ingredients that a bigger portion would almost be too filling. These six small plates and two desserts made us so full, in fact, that it was like we had just gorged at a buffet. (And we eat a lot. Yes, my 71-year-old mother can chow down.) So while some people might think that the dishes are way too expensive here for the portion you get, I actually didn't think the pricing (for the most part) was unreasonable for the small plates.

What actually made this experience less than stellar was our server. He started off by telling us the background of the restaurant and the chef behind it, which is fine. I understand why he would want to show off Chef Pears' achievements and why it's worth it to eat at his restaurants. But we also don't need to hear such a long story about how Keith Pears is "Wasian" (white and Asian) so he became passionate about creating fusion food and that he's currently in France for his Michelin star and has won many, many awards, etc. I can quite literally read this on his website. (Which I have.) 

Then, he went on and on about their mocktails because Pears is still waiting for their liquor license. I asked him if there was a lot of sugar in these drinks, and he kept saying that they're "not too sweet" and listed all these substitutes to make them "less sweet and taste more like alcohol." So I quite literally said, "It's not the sweetness I mind. I'm actually asking about the sugar content because I'm diabetic. Don't worry, we'll skip the mocktails and save room for dessert instead." To which he said, "But we can put less of the juice and substitute with non-alcoholic gin to make them taste more like cocktails!" So when my mom said, "It's okay, we don't drink alcohol, either," he quite literally just WALKED AWAY. 

When he came back five minutes later to take our orders, he proceeded to only recommend the most expensive dishes on the menu in a very transparent, blatant tactic to hike up our bill. During our meal, he was actually perfectly pleasant if not a little too enthusiastic in checking on how we liked the food (read: every 5 minutes). However, when it came time to pay for our bill, he placed the machine in front of me and then HOVERED to see how much I would tip him. Unprofessional, pushy, and way too obviously tip-hungry. Honestly, I expect way better service for an upscale restaurant. Overall, the food was great for the most part and the restaurant is very aesthetic with fun Asian fusion decor, but there are definitely a few kinks to work out. I would come back to try a few of the main dishes and give it a fair chance after they've been open for a bit longer, but I really hope they train their servers better. And take those abysmal meatballs off the menu.

Pears Restaurant

170 Enterprise Blvd., Unit J105

Markham, ON L6A 0A2

(365) 608-0939

Dining Out: A New Year's Reunion Dinner at NextDoor Restaurant

Since I always talk about how much I love NextDoor, my friend Ronsee really wanted to try it. After two months of trying to meet up (he and his girlfriend just had a baby so it's been busy for them, to say the least), the three of us (plus new baby!) finally made time to have dinner there:

Beef Tartare: Raw beef tenderloin, chili garlic oil, egg yolk, pickled cucumbers, and wood ear mushrooms served with fried baos

Fried Brussels Sprouts: Maple balsamic vinaigrette, lemon zest, parmesan aioli, and parmesan snow

Tuna Ceviche: Albacore tuna, coconut vinaigrette, red onions, English cucumbers, and jalapeño peppers served with fried corn tortilla chips

Char Siu Iberico Pork: 7.5oz Iberico pork secreto, grilled broccolini, ginger scallion sauce, and rosemary sweet potato purée

Spaghetti Bolognese: Fresh pasta, beef Bolognese sauce, chorizo sausage, cheddar cheese, and fried chicken 

Steak Diane: 8oz USDA prime top sirloin, roasted fingerling potatoes, miso mushroom sauce, roasted portobello mushrooms, and beer-battered onion rings

Mexican Chocolate Cake: Flourless chocolate cake, mezcal-infused caramel sauce, house made churros, chocolate crumble, and whipped cream

3 apps, 3 mains, 3 happy diners! Highlights for me were the Brussels sprouts and the char siu Iberico pork, but everything (including the service) was excellent, as always. My favourite thing about NextDoor is that they're consistently innovating new dishes to put alongside their classic favourites. Plus, they really do Asian fusion spectacularly well, truly marrying the flavours of different cuisines in unique ways. I can't wait to go back to try out their new menu items over the next few months.

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

Dining Out: A Belated Birthday Burger at Woody Wood Burger

My friends Chelsea and Braden and I have been meaning to try out Woody Wood Burger for months now, so when they asked me where I'd want to go for a birthday dinner, I suggested Woody Wood Burger knowing that I'd have a lot of Asian food this week and would want something Western by the weekend.

Woody Wood Burger with curly fries

I decided on the Woody Wood Burger as I like to order the signature item when trying out a new restaurant. This burger comes with cheddar, caramelized onions, onion rings, sautéed mushrooms, and house sauce on a toasted sesame bun. The beef patty was excellent — juicy and super-flavourful — and both the onion rings (which weren't soggy!) and the toasted bun provided a great crispy texture to provide contrast to the caramelized onions and mushrooms. But I did find that without the addition of fresh vegetables, it was quite rich and heavy. A great burger, but I'd like to try the Classic or Cheese Burger next time as they come with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. I would, however, skip the curly fries. They're nothing special — they're just the classic cajun-spiced curly fries that you can find at any supermarket — and they get cold way too fast so it's not worth the extra $2.00 from the regular golden fries. 

There are five dine-in tables with a high table for those who want to stand and eat something quick, but the space is quite small and a little shabby as you'd expect from a non-chain burger joint. There's also no table service here — you order at the front and pick-up your food at the front — but the staff are nice and try to be as accommodating as possible. Note that this restaurant is halal, but if you have food allergies, I would definitely call ahead to see if it's worth going. (Chelsea is allergic to gluten, eggs, and soy, so she had to bring her own gluten-free buns and vegan mayo. She also had to eat her Greek salad with no dressing because they only have one dressing option that she was allergic to.)

Woody Wood Burger

8950 Yonge St.

Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6Z7

(289) 597-8878

Dining Out: An Early Birthday Dinner at The Keg

My dad insisted on taking me out for a birthday dinner, so along with my mom, we went to The Keg to celebrate tonight:

Iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese

Caesar Brussels sprouts with bacon

Prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and crispy fried onions

Billy Miner Pie

Of course, I got all my favourites: An iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese to start, the Caesar Brussels sprouts to share, and the classic prime rib cooked a perfect medium rare with garlic mashed potatoes as my main. And because this dinner was to celebrate my birthday, our lovely server prepared a slice of Billy Miner Pie (mocha ice cream, chocolate crust, fudge, caramel, and almonds) for dessert on the house, which is one of my favourite things about celebrating birthdays at The Keg. (Billy Miner Pie has been one of my favourite desserts since I was a kid, and it is absolutely crucial to save stomach space for it.) Honestly, after going to The Keg for over three decades, it's still my favourite Canadian chain restaurant. 

The Keg

162 York Blvd.

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3J6

(905) 882-0500

Dining Out: An Early Birthday Dinner at NextDoor Restaurant

My mom took me out for an early birthday dinner at NextDoor, and I gotta say, it's become our go-to special occasion restaurant for a reason. We've never had a dish here that was short of incredible. Our choices this evening:

Pork Sisig Bombs: Garlic rice, crispy pork filling, salmon caviar, and fried garlic in marinated bean curd pockets

Chopped Salad: Grilled chicken satay, lettuce, purple cabbage, arrots, red onions, fried shallots, crushed cashews, and fried wonton chips with soy peanut dressing

To start, the pork sisig bombs and the chopped salad. The pork sisig bombs were truly excellent — I've never had sisig before, and I don't know who's genius idea it was to stuff it inside delightfully marinated bean curd pockets, but these are INSPIRED. (I really need to try more Filipino food.) The chopped salad, which is definitely hefty enough to be a main course, was perfectly balanced in flavours and has so many amazing crunchy textures from the cabbage, cashews, and fried wonton chips that make it incredibly addictive. 

Singaporean Chili Crab: Tempura soft shell crab, P.E.I. mussels, tiger shrimp, pickled chilis, and crushed cashews with fried baos

Steak Diane: 8 oz. USDA prime top sirloin, roasted fingerling potatoes, and roasted portobello mushrooms topped with miso mushroom sauce and beer-battered onion rings

For our mains, we got the Singaporean chili crab and the Steak Diane. The chili crab — which comes with a plethora of delicious seafood — is flavour-packed and has just the right amount of savoury spice. It's the kind of spicy that makes your mouth tingle but doesn't take away from any of the other flavours. (Though, fair warning, this one might be too much if you can't handle spice in general.) I think my only critique would have been to replace the fried baos with rice  — the buns were great, but I think rice would've soaked up the sauce really nicely. Now, maybe it's because I'm just a huge fan of steak with mushrooms, but I thought the Steak Diane was utter perfection. The miso mushroom sauce was impeccable and not a drop could be wasted so we soaked up every last bit of it with the potatoes and onion rings. 

Piña Colada Tres Leches: Triple layer vanilla sponge cake, whipped cream, and cinnamon crumble served with cinnamon and rum infused pineapple and coconut ice cream

Finally, I picked the piña colada tres leches for dessert, which sounded the most unique (the other choices were strawberry shortcake, Mexican chocolate cake, and mango gelato). What I loved was that the combination of flavours — vanilla, cinnamon, pineapple, and coconut — was simultaneously tropical and comforting at the same time. And the texture of the cake was light and airy so it didn't feel heavy after such a huge meal (we did have to take half of the chili crab home — we can eat a lot but even this was too much for us). A lovely ending to an epic feast. 

I gotta say, birthday week is off to a great start!

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Markham, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983