Harry Potter x Tim Hortons — Back to Hogwarts Collection: Colour Changing Stir Wand, Golden Snitch Timbits Holder, Golden Snitch Caramel Timbits, and Hogwarts 6-Pack Donuts

So, the Harry Potter collaboration with Tim Hortons, Back to Hogwarts, launched last Wednesday, and the dual Potterhead-Canadian in me was DETERMINED to get it all. So I did. (Minus the drinks. Because in my world, donuts are only to be eaten with coffee or tea. Plus, if I'm going to consume that much sugar, it is damn well going to be in pastry form.)

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Colour Changing Stir Wand

I obviously got the Colour Changing Stir Wand — with a price tag of $19.99, it's the most expensive item from the Back to Hogwarts collection — which apparently turns blue when you use it to stir cold drinks. (Seems like a missed opportunity to make one for hot drinks, too, but I digress.) I got it purely as a collector's item and, frankly, it will never be used for any other purpose than to be displayed proudly on my dedicated Harry Potter bookshelf (on which all my other Harry Potter memorabilia and multiple book editions sit). 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Golden Snitch Timbits Holder

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Timbits Box

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Golden Snitch Caramel Timbits

As with the stir wand, I also got the Golden Snitch Timbits Holder as a display item, and the lady that took my order very kindly asked if I'd like my Timbits in the holder or in a separate box. I obviously got the Timbits in a separate box because the holder was sealed in plastic, and will never be sullied by food items, much less sticky donut holes. On that note, though, the Golden Snitch Caramel Timbits are fucking delicious. Like a Honey Dip Timbit, but filled with caramel and sprinkled with sugar crystals. Like all the food items from this collab, these are definitely bordering on too sweet, but they're addictive, especially for those who love caramel. A solid 8/10. And only 50 calories each! 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Hogwarts 6-Pack Donuts Box

I also got the Hogwarts 6-Pack Donut Box because for $11.99, I can get all four of the Harry Potter donuts as well as an Apple Fritter and a Maple Glazed in a fancy limited edition Harry Potter box, instead of getting each Harry Potter donut for $2.79 each and not getting the fancy box. (For those who can't math, you're basically getting two more donuts for $0.83.) Now, I had to limit myself to one donut a day because hi, I'm diabetic, so I ate half of one in the afternoon and the other half in the evening. And thus, it took me four days to eat all four different house donuts. 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Ravenclaw Blueberry Donut

The first one I tried was the Ravenclaw Blueberry Donut, which is a blueberry jelly-filled yeast donut topped with blue fondant icing and "blue crunch pieces." I love jelly donuts and the blueberry flavour is quite delightful, but the fondant on such a large surface of donut on top of the jelly filling is overwhelmingly sweet, so this is a 7/10 for me. Honestly, if the topping was blue sprinkles or even just glazed with the blue crunchy bits instead of fondant, I probably would've given this an 8. 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Hufflepuff Lemon Meringue Donut

The second one I tried was the Hufflepuff Lemon Meringue Donut, which is a yeast ring donut filled with lemon cream and custard with a "meringue crunch." I don't usually love custard fillings as much as jelly, but the lemon cream is a DREAM — it has a good amount of tartness to offset the insane sweetness — and it does actually taste very similar to a lemon meringue pie, so I give this a 9/10.

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Gryffindor Strawberry Cheesecake Donut

The third donut I tried was the Gryffindor Strawberry Cheesecake Donut. Like the Hufflepuff one, this one is a yeast ring donut with a double filling, but with strawberry jelly and a cheesecake cream filling, topped with white fondant and strawberry bark pieces. As mentioned, I am a sucker for jelly donuts, but I am ALSO a sucker for cheesecake, so this also merits a 9/10 for me, and only because I would've preferred an icing sugar topping rather than fondant. 

Harry Potter x Tim Hortons: Slytherin Chocolate Pistachio Donut

Finally, I tried the Slytherin Chocolate Pistachio Donut, which is a yeast donut filled with chocolate, and topped with pistachio fondant and "green crunch pieces" that apparently also contain pistachio. This was the biggest disappointment, my least favourite of the four, and the only one I wouldn't recommend. It seems like the chocolate filling is the same as what they dip their chocolate dip donuts in — that is to say, it is more of a runny chocolate syrup rather than chocolate cream or custard. The pistachio flavour in the icing so mild, it might as well not contain any pistachio at all, and then at least those who have nut allergies could try them as well. Honestly, it's a crime to call this pistachio anything. 3/10 for me, and only because it's still a yeast donut. I wouldn't pick this above any of Tim Hortons' other donuts.

Anyway, this is the most donuts I've ever eaten in the span of a year (maybe even two?) and I don't feel the need to eat donuts again for a long, long time, but I am glad I got to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter movie with Tim Hortons. Although, it occurred to me that they should've just waited until next year, which is the 30th anniversary of the first book — and is frankly more important to Potterheads.

Dining Out: Mango Bingsu at Snowday Bingsu Cafe

My friend Iris and I decided to take advantage of the total BTS takeover of Toronto this week to go down to the Royal Ontario Museum to take part in their ROM Quest: BTS this afternoon. It's a BTS-themed scavenger hunt that takes you all over the museum to answer questions through Scavify. It's fun and interactive and you get to feel a bit like a kid again going through the museum and all its galleries. Everyone gets a participation prize, too — ours was a ROM pencil that changes colour with heat. In case you're interested and in Toronto, the BTS one is running every weekend through the rest of August!

Mango bingsu

After we left the ROM, we went over to the Eaton Centre to check out the BTS Comeback Fan Zone event (honestly, it was just a big photo op and writing notes to tack up to a wall, kind of disappointing) and the BTS Nike by You event at the Nike store (unfortunately, the line-up was way too long and we didn't love the designs enough to merit waiting), and then took the subway back uptown. On the drive back home, we decided we deserved some bingsu for all the steps we got in today (10,864!), so we dropped by Snowday and shared the mango binsgu. I maintain that the watermelon bingsu is the ultimate summer dessert... but c'mon, I'll never say no to mango. I was my first bingsu love, after all.

Snowday Bingsu Cafe

5 Glen Cameron Rd.

Thornhill, ON L3T 5W2

(905) 597-8838

Dining Out: Fresh Watermelon Bingsu at Snowday Bingsu Cafe

So we came back from NYC to an insane heatwave this week (like, over 40℃ each day on the humidex). And I met up with Minji and Daniel today for lunch at Red Lobster (Minji is 9 months pregnant and was craving seafood and Cheddar Bay biscuits, so how could we deny her?) all the way in Thornhill. So we obviously had to go Snowday Bingsu for dessert. You know, to avoid heatstroke. And it was there that I inadvertently found the ultimate summer dessert:

Fresh watermelon bingsu

Unlike the other bingsu options there, this one uses fresh watermelon rather than frozen fruit and is topped with freshly made watermelon sorbet. (It's also supposed to come with chocolate chips to mimic watermelon seeds but I asked for mine without them because, frankly, it already has enough sugar.) It's light and refreshing, sweet and milky, thirst-quenching and happiness-inducing PERFECTION. (Also, maybe it's because I haven't had bingsu in a long time, but I didn't realize they made these smaller cup sizes. It's perfect for one person.) Basically, I'll be back for more.

Snowday Bingsu Cafe

5 Glen Cameron Rd.

Thornhill, ON L3T 5W2

(905) 597-8838

New York City Summer 2026 Travel Log: Day 2 — Matcha Latte and Assorted Italian Cookies at Sant Ambroeus

What to do when it's raining outside but the kids are napping so you have just over an hour to entertain your family visiting you from Canada?

Matcha latte with pistachio milk

Assorted Italian cookies

Well, my brother takes us to fancy Italian cafes for lattes, cookies, and family gossip. Indeed, a great way to spend an afternoon!

Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bar

1334 York Ave.

New York, NY 10021

(212) 606-7070

Dining Out: Matcha Tasting Flight, Mandarin Mini Cake, Citron Mini Cake, Croissant Mini Cake, and Cacao Mini Cake at Evana Pâtisserie & Café

My friend Minji kept seeing TikTok videos on these super adorable, ultra-photogenic desserts at Evana Pâtisserie & Café, so in lieu of a birthday cake for Daniel's birthday, we decided to get a whole load of treats instead:

Matcha Tasting Flight v3.0: Earl Grey, Raspberry, Black Sesame, and Pistachio

If you're a fan of matcha, the Matcha Tasting Flight (Toronto's first and only!) is incredible. They're currently on their third version, which includes Earl Grey, raspberry, black sesame, and pistachio. It is on the pricey side at $25 for four short glasses, but I found the experience unique enough to be worth it. They even provide you with an instruction card on the proper way to try them as well as the recommended tasting order. Honestly, all of them were so good, I couldn't pick a favourite. (Minji's favourite was definitively the Earl Grey, and Daniel's was the black sesame followed closely by the Earl Grey.) I will say that the raspberry is the most unique and surprisingly the one I drank the most of, but I would happily order any of these separately.

Mandarin (left): Orange crémeux, orange gelée, vanilla bean Bavarian mousse, vanilla sponge, milk chocolate crunch, and vanilla shortbread crustCitron (right): Basil vanilla Bavarian mousse with lemon crémeux

We also ordered four mini cakes to share. Minji and I both agreed that the Mandarin one was our favourite, for both flavour and texture combinations (it is extremely similar to the Orange de Terre Mini at Patisserie Fleur). It starts with a Creamsicle-flavoured cream but ends with an incredible shortbread crust. On the flip side, the Citron was my least favourite, even though it was my pick because I love lemon desserts. However, the shape and name of this cake is a little misleading because it really just tasted like plain, slightly sweetened cream. (And for that reason, it was the only one they let baby Lillian try.) There is a barely-there hint of lemon on the outer shell, but that's it. Despite being really cute, it was just a little too boring.

Croissant (left): Coffee chocolate mousse, hazelnut almond praline, and almond spongeCacao (right): Chocolate mousse, chocolate cake whipped chocolate ganache, and chocolate crispy pearls

My second favourite was the Croissant (not to be confused with their croissants), which has a very similar flavour profile to tiramisu with a delightfully nutty undercurrent. It is intensely sweet, though, so I imagine it would start to get too cloying after a few more bites. Definitely one to share, unless you have an extreme sweet tooth. Finally, the Cacao — Daniel's pick because he's a chocoholic. It's the combination of textures in this dessert that keeps it unique, with the stretchy jelly-like exterior, smooth fluffy mousse interior, and crispy pearl topping — but as expected with most chocolate-only desserts, the flavour is quite one-note (though surprisingly less sweet than the Croissant). Daniel really enjoyed it, though.

Overall, an excellent experience. And judging from the constantly revolving door of customers in the middle of subzero winter, the hype is real here. I will absolutely be coming back — their croissants (not to be confused with the Croissant mini cake) look too glorious not to try. And maybe they'll be on the fourth version of their Matcha Tasting Flight by then!

Evana Pâtisserie & Café

390 Silver Star Blvd., Unit 118

Scarborough, ON M1V 0G5

(416) 298-1222

Dining Out: Mixed Mango Shaved Ice and The Wizard of Oz Shaved Ice at Miss Lin Cafe

Minji, Daniel, and I actually wanted to get bingsu for some after-work dessert, but there just aren't any good places around Markham that serve it, so Minji suggested Miss Lin Cafe for their Taiwanese-style shaved ice instead:

Mixed Mango Shaved Ice: Mango shaved ice, mango, mochi balls, milky crunch, coconut crisp, green grapes, and coconut milk
The Wizard of Oz: Matcha shaved ice, strawberries, water chestnut pearls, milky crunch, and ice cream

We decided to share the Mixed Mango and The Wizard of Oz. They were both great but we all liked the Mixed Mango more — mostly because we just like mango more than strawberry as a fruit, but partly because the combination of flavours and textures just seemed to work better together. While the shaved ice here isn't as smooth or creamy as bingsu, it does hit the spot. (It must be noted, however, that the shaved ice here is significantly better than the version at Honeymoon Dessert.) And they definitely win for the most aesthetic shaved ice I've ever had.

Miss Lin Cafe

Liberty Square

3601 Highway 7, Unit 119

Markham, ON L3R 0M3

(905) 604-5513

Dining Out: Croissant Party at Patisserie Fleur

So, my friend Minji sent me a picture of her baby daughter eating a croissant, proudly proclaiming that she LOVES THEM (actually, my baby nephew is also obsessed with croissants, so clearly, our universal love of buttery pastries starts in the womb), so we agreed: We should have a croissant party. (This is basically just going to a bakery and eating many croissants, but this is definitely our kind of party.) We were going to finally try out Cros Croissanterie, but they literally closed down this past Sunday (RIP), so we had to find a replacement bakery. After a little bit of research, we decided on Patisserie Fleur:

Iced dirty matcha latte and matcha mocha

When I got there at 3:30PM, they actually only had the strawberry and matcha croissants left. When I asked if they had any more of the other flavours, the lady who worked there (possibly the owner or manager) asked which ones I wanted to get, so I told her an almond and a chocolate on top of the other two flavours, and she just offered to make some fresh for me if I was willing to wait 15 minutes. I said it wasn't a problem at all since some friends were meeting me to eat there anyway, so she went straight to the kitchen to put some in the oven for us. I just thought it was so nice of her to make fresh ones for us because a lot of staff at other places would just say, "Sorry, that's all we have for today." So, without even trying the food or drink yet, I already had a great impression of this place.

Strawberry-dipped croissant with raspberry jam filling

Almond croissant with frangipane filling

Pain au chocolat

Matcha croissant with matcha cream filling

Luckily, all the croissants we tried were excellent. My personal favourite was the almond, but we all agreed there was not a dud in the bunch. They were especially great because the server got them fresh out of the oven for us, and there is really nothing better than buttery, flaky pastry than warm buttery, flaky pastry. The matcha drinks we ordered were also delicious — I actually had a regular, unsweetened iced matcha latte, which was delightful (it isn't pictured here because I drank half of it before Minji and Daniel arrived), but they said their drinks were really tasty (and we found out what makes a matcha latte "dirty" — a shot of espresso). 

Orange de Terre Mini: Orange marmalade, yogurt mousse, brown butter orange ganache, orange chocolate dip, chiffon, sweet tart, and chocolate leaf and steam

Minji also decided to get one of their mini cakes, the Orange de Terre, which tasted exactly like a Creamsicle and was ABSOLUTELY DIVINE. (Also, it's really freaking cute.) I said this before, but the best part of eating at a bakery is being able to get a dessert pastry to follow up your appetizer and main course pastries. (I'll let you decide on which ones were the appetizers and which ones were the mains.)

Suffice it to say, we will definitely come back for our future croissant (and cake!) parties.

Patisserie Fleur

180 Enterprise Blvd., Unit 103

Markham, ON L6G 0G4

(905) 604-8009

New York City Summer 2025 Travel Log: Day 2 — Ham and Gruyère Croissant, Mushroom and Spinach Quiche, and Almond Croissant at Julien Boulangerie

Nothing like starting the day with a fresh cup of coffee and some delectably delicious (or délicieusement délicieux, if you will) French pastries at Julien Boulangerie:

Croissant au jambon et gruyère + quiche aux champignons et épinards
Croissant aux amandes

SO. FREAKING. GOOD. As it turns out, 9:00AM on a Saturday morning is the most ideal time to come here, especially if you have a toddler in a stroller — there was a line-up for take-out, but we otherwise had the whole cafe area to ourselves. (I guess there is some truth to "the early bird gets the worm.") And the best part of eating at a bakery? Being able to get a dessert pastry to follow up your appetizer and main course pastries. 

Julien Boulangerie

1247 3rd Ave.

New York, NY 10021

(212) 401-1200

Dining Out: Mango Strawberry Mixed Rolled Ice Cream at Roll Me Up

It has been a long time since I've had Thai-style rolled ice cream (probably two decades, honestly), so I was particularly excited to go to Roll Me Up with Chelsea for a late night dessert:

   Mango Strawberry Mixed Rolled Ice Cream

When the server asked me what toppings I wanted, I told him to decide for me, so he chose the matching mango and strawberry popping bobas and this combination was PURE DELIGHT. So, now I must come back ASAP to make up for all the years I didn't have rolled ice cream.

Roll Me Up

9325 Yonge St., Unit 18

Richmond Hill, ON L4C 0A8

(905) 508-0600

Take Out: Pistachio and Hazelnut Gelato at Love Gelato

Pistachio and hazelnut gelato

Went to Love Gelato (because spring means gelato ice cream frozen dessert season has begun) after work and got a double-cup of my favourite pistachio and hazelnut — my forever couple.

Love Gelato

116 Main St. Markham N.

Markham, ON L3P 1Y1

(905) 201-2918

Hong Kong 2024 Travel Log: Day 4 — Afternoon Tea Set at Fast Gourmet

We were exploring the many, many levels at The ONE and decided to stop for afternoon tea at a cafe called Fast Gourmet, which offers a set for $129 HKD from $258 HKD on weekdays:

Afternoon tea set

Seared Hokkaido jumbo scallops with caviar

Prosciutto bruschetta, French duck liver mousse, and crab meat salad on toast

Sous-vide crème brûlée, white chocolate truffle cheesecake, French rainbow macaron, and classic Opera cake

Latte (with a swan!)

This is the first time I've ever seen seared scallops as part of an afternoon tea set, but it actually ended up being my favourite item, followed by the crème brûlée. Generally, I'd say the dessert items in the afternoon tea set were better than the savoury, but we can't complain at an afternoon tea for less than $25 CAD per person. (We did pay extra to switch from tea to lattes, though. I know it's called afternoon tea, but... we're coffee people.) 

Fast Gourmet

The ONE, L608, 6/F

100 Nathan Rd.

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Hong Kong

(852) 3572-0736

BTS Birthday Event: "SOPE" Celebration for J-Hope and Suga at Golden Bubbles

Oh, yes, Iris and I are back at it again with the BTS cup sleeve events! We unfortunately missed Tae's and Jin's birthdays because we couldn't find an event that would work with our schedules in December, so when we saw that GTA BTS Events was hosting a SOPE event (that's Suga + J-Hope for non-ARMYs) this weekend, we jumped at the chance.

BTS Suga and J-Hope "SOPE" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles
The BTS Waffle
Apple Pie Waffle with vanilla ice cream
Brown sugar tea lattes with BTS SOPE cupsleeves
BTS Suga and J-Hope "SOPE" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles
BTS Suga and J-Hope "SOPE" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles
BTS Suga and J-Hope "SOPE" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles
BTS Suga and J-Hope "SOPE" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles — Photocards

It was held at Golden Bubbles, so of course, we had to get the BTS Waffle that only comes out for BTS birthday events (taro bubble waffle, taro ice cream, whipped cream, and star-shaped sprinkles), but we also got their new Apple Pie Waffle with vanilla ice cream, and two of their new Brown Sugar Tea Lattes, which were all quite delightful and provided us enough sugar intake for the next three days.

Thank you to GTA BTS Events for hosting and organizing this event, and happy early birthday to our beloved Hobi (February 18) and Yoongi (March 9)! 🐿️🐱🎉💜

Golden Bubbles Vaughan

Tuscany Place

3175 Rutherford Rd., Unit #41

Vaughan, ON L4K 5Y6

(905) 760-9288

BTS Birthday Event: "Jimin Chaos" for Jimin at Golden Bubbles

Due to some scheduling and commuting issues, we couldn't make it to any of the RM birthday events last month, so Iris and I decided we had to go to at least one Jimin birthday event this month. Technically, Jimin's birthday was last week, but due to the BTS "Yet to Come" in Busan concert, a lot of the Jimin birthday events were pushed back to this weekend instead. So Iris and I decided to drive all the way to Vaughan to attend the "Jimin Chaos" cup sleeve event at Golden Bubbles this afternoon.

BTS Jimin "Jimin Chaos" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles
BTS Jimin "Jimin Chaos" Birthday Event at Golden Bubbles
Golden Bubbles is, of course, known for their Hong Kong egg waffles (or "bubble waffles"), and they've created two specialty waffles for this event. One is the "BTS Waffle," which is a taro waffle with taro ice cream, taro syrup, whipped cream, and star-shaped sprinkles. (If it looks familiar, it's because they've made this before for another BTS event.) The second one is the "Jimin Waffle," which is a black sesame waffle with black sesame ice cream, mango ice cream, and whipped cream. 

The BTS Waffle: Taro egg waffle with taro ice cream, taro syrup, whipped cream, and star-shaped sprinkles
The Jimin Waffle: Black sesame egg waffle with black sesame ice cream, mango ice cream, and whipped cream

 

MY GOD, I haven't indulged this hard in a while. I do think the BTS Waffle is more aesthetic (I mean, it's purple with sprinkles and sprinkles make everything prettier), but I actually preferred the Jimin Waffle as a whole because I'm biased towards black sesame and mango flavours and they work surprisingly well together. Still, they're both delicious in their own right and you can't go wrong with either. (Unless you hate taro, mango, or black sesame flavours. In which case, you're fucked up. Just kidding. Kinda. But there are a ton of other non-BTS-themed options to choose from.)

   Kiwi Guava Green Tea (left) and HK Lemon Tea Slush (right) with "Jimin Chaos" Cup Sleeve

But then we got really thirsty, so we also ordered some boba — a kiwi guava green tea for me (I had to go sugar-free on this — I can't even imagine how high my glucose level spiked after those waffles) and an HK lemon tea slush for Iris, which were both delightfully refreshing on a surprisingly warm and sunny fall day like today. Of course, we got cup sleeves to go with our orders — this angel wing-style is particularly gorgeous — as well as a bunch of photocards and little bags of candy for Halloween. Thank you so much to GTA BTS Events for hosting and organizing this lovely event! It will be on tomorrow as well, so if you're an ARMY in the GTA reading this, you still have a chance to go if you missed out on today.

And, most importantly, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO OUR BELOVED JIMINIE!

Golden Bubbles Vaughan

Tuscany Place

3175 Rutherford Rd., Unit #41

Vaughan, ON L4K 5Y6

(905) 760-9288

BTS Birthday Event: "HAPPY JK DAY" for Jungkook at Palgong Tea

Went to celebrate Jungkook's birthday with Ying at Palgong Tea!

BTS Jungkook "HAPPY JK DAY" Birthday Event at Palgong Tea
BTS Jungkook "HAPPY JK DAY" Birthday Event at Palgong Tea
BTS Jungkook "HAPPY JK DAY" Birthday Event at Palgong Tea

This is the first time I've seen an actual cafe host and organize a BTS birthday cup sleeve event. Usually, these events are organized by an ARMY or a team of ARMYs, and they ask a cafe if they can host it at the venue, so I'm guessing the team at Palgong Tea Metro Square are ARMYs themselves. This particular location does not have any seating so it is take-out only, but the cafe staff did an amazing job at decorating their little shop space. 

"Euphoria" Banana Milk Tea with "HAPPY JK DAY" Cup Sleeve at Palgong Tea
"Euphoria" Banana Milk Tea at Palgong Tea

They made a special menu just for this event with three limited edition drinks just for the occasion, so we both decided on the "Euphoria" — banana milk tea, in honour of one of JK's favourite drinks — because we wanted to try something that was different from our usual boba choices. It's sweet as heck but is ridiculously delicious and incredibly addictive, like banana ice cream. Some people don't like artificial banana flavour, but we are not those people. I would absolutely order this again. (And I imagine Jungkook would totally approve of this boba.)

Happy 25th birthday to our beautiful, talented, golden maknae! 

Palgong Tea 

Metro Square

3636 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 125

Markham, ON L3R 1K9

(289) 554-9638