Dining Out: A Belated Birthday Dinner at NextDoor Restaurant

My friend Iris also took me out for a belated birthday dinner (scheduling a meet-up gets hard when your friends have kids) this weekend, this time at one of my go-to special occasion restaurants, NextDoor:

Fried Brussels sprouts with maple balsamic vinaigrette, lemon zest, parmesan aioli, and parmesan snow
Street corn guac with crema, feta, and friend corn tortillas
New England seafood pot pie with fresh catch of the day, double-smoked bacon, fingerling potatoes, sweet corn, creamy bisque, and puff pastry
Crying tiger steak bowl with 6 oz. Thai marinated bavette steak, salmon caviar, garlic fried rice, sous-vide egg, nam jim jaew sauce, and fried shallots

Four dishes — two starters and two mains — to share. The fried Brussels sprouts and the street corn guac are tried-and-true favourites, but the seafood pot pie and steak bowl are new to their menu. The "pot pie" is presented in a kind of deconstructed format, so it's not really a pot pie, but more of a rich, creamy, thick seafood chowder with a delightful puff pastry on the side for dipping. Exactly what I expected in terms of flavour, with the bacon adding a nice smoky, savoury element, and the seafood was generous. Delicious, cozy, and comforting. All the things I want on a freezing, gloomy day.

The steak was perfectly tender and the salmon caviar added a punch of oceanic flavour — a true surf and turf experience. We mixed the sous-vide egg with the garlic fried rice and each bite was a gloriously creamy flavour bomb. (I did not touch the nam jim jaew sauce, though. It was full of cilantro and therefore would have ruined my entire experience.) The steak bowl definitely made up for the lack of fusion in the seafood pot pie, and offered a totally different but equally enjoyable experience. This was another delightful meal for the books. You know, I'm officially a huge fan of belated birthday dinners. I get to celebrate with good food and good friends for a month!

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

Dining Out: A Belated Birthday Dinner at Costa Sorrento

When my friend Chelsea asked me where I'd want to go for a birthday dinner over a month ago, I said, without hesitation, "Costa Sorrento." We had to re-schedule a couple times, but she, Braden, and I were finally able to meet up at Costa Sorrento for dinner this evening, where we indulged in a delightful Italian meal of daily specials. (I swear I'll make it to their permanent menu at some point, but their daily specials are just too enticing.) 

Bufala, Insalatina, Pistacchio Mortadella, Crudo, Cipolle, Focaccia: Bufala mozzarella, mixed salad, pistachio mortadella, prosciutto, pickled onions and beets, and focaccia
Insalatina di Polpo, Patate, Carciofi e Olive: Octopus with potato, artichoke, and olive salad tossed in citronette dressing
Mezzi Rigatoni al Grano Khorasan alla Siciliana: Small Khorasan rigatoni with fried eggplant, fior di latte, basil, and parmigiano
House-made peach sorbetto and chocolate gelato

It's one of those meals where every bite is met with a resounding "MMMM!" I find that Italian meals can be a little too heavy and make me feel really bloated, but this one was particularly light and refreshing and we all felt perfectly full afterwards. I took our server's suggestion of pairing peach sorbet and chocolate gelato for dessert and, I gotta say, it was INSPIRED. It's not a combination I would have ever thought of, but the tartness of the peach worked surprisingly well with the bittersweet richness of the chocolate. The night ended with a lovely chat with the owner (who recognized us from our previous visits) and a pint of my favourite green apple sorbetto to take home. Food is truly the best birthday gift.

Costa Sorrento

179 Enterprise Blvd.

Markham, ON L6G 0E7

(905) 604-2019

Dining Out: A Korean BBQ Birthday Feast at Daldongnae

Well, I've officially entered the last year of my 30s. And to celebrate my 39th, I went to watch J-Hope's Hope on the Stage: The Movie with Minji (who is not an ARMY, but I was so proud of her for knowing six songs!) and then we met up with Daniel for a Korean BBQ feast at Daldongnae, which has unintentionally become a birthday tradition for me.

Pork belly, thin sliced pork belly, and beef boneless short rib
Pork belly
Pork belly
Thin sliced pork belly
Beef boneless short rib
Beef boneless short rib
Black tiger shrimp
Black tiger shrimp
Kimchi jeon
Doenjang jjigae

Two orders of pork belly, thin sliced pork belly (you know, for a crispier experience), and beef boneless short rib, with side orders of black tiger shrimp, assorted mushrooms, and kimchi pancake. (We got the kimchi jeon because Daniel doesn't eat seafood and while it's decent, the seafood pajeon is so much better. The one at Daldongnae is still one of the best I've ever had. Minji and I have vowed to get it next time we come here, Daniel's tastebuds be damned.) The BBQ also comes with unlimited egg, corn cheese, lettuce for wraps, garlic slices, kimchi, soybean stew, and a variety of banchan (I don't care what anyone says, acorn jelly is the best of them all and I'm pretty sure between me and Minji, we had at least eight refills).

In lieu of birthday cake (I already blew out a birthday candle at last night's dinner, anyway), we went over to Tiger Sugar for bubble tea and croffles. A lovely ending to a perfectly low-key birthday.

Daldongnae

135 York Blvd.

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B4

(905) 707-0683

Dining Out: An Early Birthday Dinner at Watercolour

I'd wanted to try Watercolour for a couple years now but kept forgetting about it because newer restaurants kept opening up, so when my mom asked where I wanted to go for this year's birthday dinner, I decided it was finally time to try it out. And I can't believe it took me so long to finally eat there.

Beets and goat cheese with roasted walnuts, shallots, dill, and champagne vinaigrette
Daily special: PEI mussels with leeks in white wine cream sauce
Daily special: Halibut with chickpeas and Swiss chard
Red wine braised short rib with rigatoni, Calabrian chili, and parmesan
Lemon meringue tart

We decided to go with two dishes from the regular menu and two from the daily specials. Impeccable combinations of flavours and textures in every dish. Not a single dud or disappointment. Just swooning after every bite. (I wish I had been paying more attention to what was in the daily specials, but I was so freaking hungry and excited at the prospect of eating that I only took in the key words, so forgive me for the lack of detail in the descriptions. Like, the red, aromatic, slightly spicy sauce with the halibut? I have no idea what it is. But it was fucking delicious.) Even when our server — who was incredible, by the way; professional but with a great sense of humour, attentive but not cloying — came by with our mains, he said, "That looks so, so good." 

He asked if it was a special occasion, so I told him it was my birthday and he lit a little candle to go with our dessert — the best lemon meringue pie I've ever had in my life. (Already knowing the answer, he did ask, while chuckling, if I wanted him to sing happy birthday, and I said, also smiling, "Absolutely not, but thank you.") Even my mom, who is notoriously critical, had nothing negative to say about this dinner. We both had nothing but praise for the food and the service. It was a truly incredible meal. So glad I finally got to try Watercolour. It's pricey, so it's firmly in the "special occasions" category, but I will absolutely be coming back. Wonder if they're open for Christmas…

Watercolour

166 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G9

(905) 266-6877

Dining Out: An Early Birthday Dinner at Bâton Rouge

When my dad texted me asking where I'd want to have dinner for my birthday, I originally told him The Keg, which has been my go-to for many years. But he said we always go to The Keg and should try something else. So I decided to go with Bâton Rouge, which I figured was the most similar in menu to The Keg and close enough in location (coincidentally, it's right across the street from The Keg).

Cauliflower wings with General Tao sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds
Crispy Brussels sprouts with Mike's Hot Honey, sesame and tahini vinaigrette, and maple candied pecans
Mixed greens salad with croutons, chopped egg, and green goddess vinaigrette
Prime rib with au jus, garlic mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables
Choco-espresso cream pie

The appetizers were good, especially the Brussels sprouts (which I highly recommend), but everything else was… okay-to-decent. Maybe because I'm actively comparing the food here to The Keg, but the prime rib just doesn't compete. Both my mom and I ordered it, and it looks like we somehow both got the ugly end pieces. We're used to prime rib being sliced from the centre, with a nice pinkish-red surface, but this looked almost unappetizing. Still, the inside was medium rare and the flavour was good, which is what counts, I guess. Unfortunately, the meat was way chewier with way more tendon than what we're used to from The Keg. Our cuts were also supposed to be 12 oz., but they seemed much smaller here, maybe closer to 8 or 9 oz. (For context, I usually can't finish both the meat and mashed potatoes at The Keg, but I polished off everything on my plate here.) I thought it was just the prime rib that was a flop, but my dad had gotten the ribs (which is really what Bâton Rouge is famous for), and he said that they were on the drier side and tough to eat. He didn't even bother finishing them.

All in all, our mains were disappointing.

For dessert, I decided on the choco-espresso cream pie for the table to share, and while I thought it tasted decent enough, it looked really, really sad — just small and kind of warped, and not fresh at all (we could see the crack lines in the cream along the edges). Both of my parents commented that it was definitely an older pie and that they could taste that it was sprayed with syrup to keep it from tasting stale. Again, disappointing. So, conclusion: For these prices (it was about $80 per person after tax and tip), go to The Keg instead. 

Bâton Rouge

230 Commerce Valley Dr. E., Unit 7

Thornhill, ON L3T 7Y3

(226) 240-8349

Dining Out: An All-You-Can-Eat Wagyu Early Birthday Dinner at Shinta Japanese BBQ

When we came across an IG reel for 20% off all-you-can-eat wagyu at Shinta a few weeks ago, Minji, Daniel, and I immediately made plans for dinner to start off my birthday week properly.

Australia M9+ top sirloin steak
US Gold Grade brisket short rib
US Gold Grade brisket short rib
Australia M9 toro beef
Australia M9 toro beef
Chef-selected wagyu cuts 
Chef-selected wagyu cuts and pineapple
Garlic scallop and shrimp, enoki mushrooms, and cheesy butter corn
King oyster mushrooms, asparagus, and zucchini
Takoyaki
Bibimbap
Desserts: Crème brûlée, mango pomelo sago, mango pudding, and deep fried buns with condensed milk

Not pictured (because there was just too much food on our table and we had to keep eating to make room for more): baked sweet potatoes with cheese, Japanese-style tofu salad (to keep it healthy?), chicken karaage, Korean cold noodles, and tempura udon. We ended up getting double servings of all the wagyu, and then triple servings of the chef-selected wagyu cuts and brisket short rib (Daniel and I are serious pigs). It would've been churlish not to take advantage of the 20% discount, after all. (Note: This discount is only applicable when paying in cash.) It was still $100 per person after tax and tip, but I thought it was totally worth it just for the sheer amount of wagyu we ate. 

Shinta Japanese BBQ

Jubilee Square

280 West Beaver Creek Rd., Unit 37 - 39

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B1

(905) 597-0305

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.