Cooking at Home: A Low-Key Birthday Dinner with Seafood Linguine and Carrot Cake

It was my friend Braden's 36th birthday and he just wanted a really low-key dinner, so he and Chelsea invited me over to their house for a quiet home-cooked meal:

Seafood linguine

His mom made one of his favourite dishes: linguine in a spiced tomato sauce with scallops, shrimp, asparagus, and basil — a light, delicious, aromatic pasta that, frankly, I could've eaten three portions of. It was paired with Caesar salad (with homemade dressing and croutons!) and slices of crusty baguette on the side. 

Carrot cake with cinnamon icing and pecans

For his birthday cake, Chelsea baked his favourite carrot cake with cinnamon icing (she had to make it gluten-free with egg replacement because she has a lot of allergies, but it was actually surprisingly tasty — denser than regular carrot cake, but still moist and flavourful). The three of us spent the rest of the night taking a long walk around their neighbourhood with their dog, just talking, joking, and sharing new music (which turned into a whole nostalgic conversation about our teenage years that ended up with us getting tickets to see Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria in August). Sometimes the best celebrations are spent quietly and, indeed, Braden seemed to be very happy.

Unboxing: Birthday 2024 Gifts

So, as it turns out, my friends know me really well and gifted me some AMAZING things for my birthday this year:

Harry Potter: MinaLima Edition Boxed Set

Harry Potter: MinaLima Edition Boxed Set
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Easily the most beautiful books I have ever seen in my life. They are designed by MinaLima (the studio behind the visual graphic style of the Harry Potter films), featuring stunning covers with elaborate gold foil, full-colour illustrations on every page, and eight interactive elements in each book. I had actually saw these MinaLima editions at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando last month and really wanted to get them, but they are really heavy and I knew my luggage would go over the weight limit, so I left them and promised myself I would order them when I got back. As it turns out, I didn't have to because Minji ended up getting me the box set. Only the first three books have been released by the MinaLima Studio so far, but I will absolutely be buying the other four once they come out. This collection is a must-have for every Potterhead.

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

I re-read the Harry Potter series every year, and as I was tucking into my hardcover copy of The Philosopher's Stone last month, the first page FELL RIGHT OUT OF THE SPINE. (Okay, mind you, it's from 1997, BUT STILL.) I was complaining about this to my friend and colleague, Samuel, and I said, "I guess I need to get a paperback set just for re-reading purposes." But then he beat me to it and got me the 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set, which is the complete series in paperback featuring cover art by Kazu Kibuishi, and they are GORGEOUS. (It's definitely because I have had my Harry Potter books from their original years of publication — yes, starting with The Philosopher's Stone in 1997 — but I never realized there were so many beautiful editions of these books out there. I mean, comparatively, the UK first editions that I have are actually quite hideous so it's really no wonder they went out of print...)

LEGO x Harry Potter 76414 Expecto Patronum

Knowing my love for LEGO as well, he also got me the LEGO x Harry Potter Expecto Patronum set, which coincidentally, is my favourite of all the sets released so far. I had, admittedly, been avoiding the LEGO x Harry Potter collection because I know once I start, I can't stop, and between BTS merch, Harry Potter merch, and Lego, I HAVE NO ROOM (OR MONEY) LEFT. But now I can't help it and I'm eyeing this one as my next set. Damn it.

Harry Potter Wand Chopsticks Set

My colleague, Seema, who quite literally started at the company right when Minji and I came back from Orlando (and therefore were talking about Harry Potter ad nauseam), bought Minji a Harry Potter onesie for her maternity leave gift and got me a set of Harry Potter wand chopsticks for my birthday, which was just freaking adorable of her. I will obviously not use these chopsticks for their intended purpose — they will join my Harry Potter display, right by my Collector's Edition wand.

BTS Wootteo x RJ Cushion Doll

BTS Wootteo x RJ Plush Mini Pouch and Plush Keyring

BTS Wootteo x RJ Pajama Pants

Okay, so I love Wootteo (the character Jin designed for The Astronaut) and I love RJ (the character Jin designed for BT21), so obviously, I was obsessed with the Wootteo x RJ collaboration collection (basically, it's Wootteo dressed in an RJ costume, and IT IS SO CUTE, I DIE). My friend and fellow ARMY, Iris, knowing how obsessed I was with this collaboration, got me pretty much the entire collection, including the cushion doll, the plush keyring, the plush mini pouch, and the pajama pants. This collection was on pre-order in JULY and was delivered in September, so this was planned FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE. BLESS HER.

Homemade matcha macarons with anko filling

Finally, my friend Daniel, who got really into baking during the pandemic and was particularly good at making macarons, made me a massive box of matcha-flavoured macarons with anko filling. I had asked him last year if he would make me macarons for my birthday and I would pay him for it, but he had to undergo surgery during that time so he couldn't. And thus, he made up for it this year with these macarons, and I gotta say, the texture of the meringue cookies are on par with some of the best macarons I've had from Ladurée, Daan Go Cake Lab, or The Social Blend. The matcha flavour wasn't overpowering, and the anko wasn't too sweet — just perfection.

Oh, man, turning 28 for the 10th time was really quite awesome. 

Dining Out: A Belated Birthday All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Feast at Ichiban

When my friend Iris asked where I'd want to go for a belated birthday dinner, I was craving Japanese food but also just wanted to eat a lot, so what better place than Ichiban, my go-to AYCE Japanese restaurant?

Assorted sashimi: Salmon, surf clams, sweet shrimp, scallops, and white tuna

Beef tataki

Smoked duck and wagyu aburi sushi

Truffle wasabi tuna roll with jalapeño

Assorted aburi sushi: White tuna, snapper, shrimp, salmon, eel, and wagyu

Japanese-style cubed beef with garlic

Deep-fried scallops

Grilled jumbo shrimp skewer

Cream puffs

Deep-fried coconut custard

There was also steamed shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, Japanese steamed egg, enoki beef rolls, baked mussels with uni sauce, deep-fried calamari, deep-fried tofu, and a plethora of tempura. Unfortunately, we were too full to even touch the Asian stir-fried and noodle and rice sections, but you know, I think we did pretty well overall. GLUTTONOUS BIRTHDAY DINNER, SUCCESS!

Ichiban Asian All You Can Eat

4261 Highway 7, Unit C-8

Markham, ON L3R 9W6

(905) 305-8825

Dining Out: Belated Birthday Dim Sum at Casa Victoria

To further celebrate my birthday and also Minji's first day of early maternity leave, we had a glorious dim sum session along with Daniel at Casa Victoria:

Steamed BBQ pork buns with abalone sauce

Super har gow (jumbo shrimp dumplings)

Deep-fried meat and chives dumplings

Spare ribs with garlic and black bean sauce

Beef tendon in chu hou sauce

Pan-fried turnip patties with preserved meat

Baked BBQ pork pineapple buns

Baked milk tarts

Maybe I should celebrate my birthday for another week...

Casa Victoria

8601 Warden Ave., Unit 4 - 6

Markham, ON L3R 0B5

(905) 948-1618

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: Early Birthday Dinner Sushi Gozen at Zen Japanese Restaurant

My friend Ronsee took me out for an early birthday dinner at Zen, where we indulged in their seasonal multi-course menu, the Dinner Sushi Gozen:

Taro rice puff with chicken, snap pea, carrot, and maitake mushroom

Chawanmushi with shrimp, chicken, mushroom, and ikura

Maguro (bluefin tuna), madai (sea bream), ocean trout, and hotate (scallop) nigiri

Shrimp and vegetable tempura

Anago (conger eel) tempura

Otoro (fatty tuna), uni and ikura (sea urchin and salmon roe), kampachi (amberjack), and anago nigiri

Toro temaki (tuna hand roll)

Soy milk ice cream with mochi, anko, amd kuromitsu

Birthday dessert: Japanese citrus and strawberry sorbets

Maybe it's because it's been a while since I've had sushi, but my god, this dinner was phenomenal. Gorgeous, fresh, succulent pieces of fish, beautifully assembled and presented. Crispy, golden, perfectly battered tempura. A light, sweet, and balanced dessert to finish. They even presented me with an extra dessert for my birthday, two deliciously fruity, refreshing sorbets that I wish I could buy in pints to eat at home. What a spectacular experience. And, dare I say, the sushi here was better than any I had in Japan...

Zen Japanese Restaurant

7634 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 2N2

(905) 604-7211