Dining Out: Mango Yuzu Gelato Daifuku at Savorology

Mango yuzu gelato daifuku

Mango yuzu gelato daifuku

Went to Savorology to try their new viral gelato daifuku, which is made to order. Matcha is their signature flavour, but I decided to go with mango yuzu because it is so goddamn hot out and I wanted something more refreshing (which, in my mind, equates to fruity and/or citrusy). It certainly hit the spot and the mango yuzu flavour is incredible, but I do wish the mochi wrapper was thinner and softer to make it easier to dig into (as you know, mochi gets significantly harder and tougher once it gets cold). That having been said, it does provide an excellent barrier for those who want to bite into their ice cream but have sensitive teeth, so I digress...

Savorology

3621 Highway 7, Unit 120

Markham, ON L3R 0G6

(905) 470-8898

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: Cozze alla Marinara, Insalata Caprese e Prosciutto Crudo, Tagliolini Funghi e Gamberi, and Coppa Bronte at Costa Sorrento

My friend Chelsea called me up to meet up for dinner, so when we were deciding on where to go, I suggested Costa Sorrento, which I've wanted to try for years:

Cozze alla Marinara: Pan-seared P.E.I. mussels, "vesuvio" cherry tomato sauce, and crostini

Insalata Caprese e Prosciutto Crudo: Fior di latte, heirloom tomato, basil oil, and prosciutto

Tagliolini Funghi e Gamberi in Salsa Aurora: Prawns and mushrooms in cherry tomato rosé cream sauce

Coppa Bronte: Pistachio and vanilla gelato with pistachio pesto and cream

Honestly, I'm not sure why it took me so long to visit here. Every single thing we ordered was incredible. The mussels were plump and perfectly cooked, and the tomato broth was incredibly silky and aromatic. The Caprese salad tasted super fresh, and the tomato was thick and delightfully crisp. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the prawns were huge, and the sauce was divinely rich and flavourful. And the dessert (which is a daily special) was a pistachio lover's dream. Not a single criticism or complaint from either of us. Service was also phenomenal — Chelsea has a lot of dietary restrictions (gluten-free, allergies to egg, chicken, and soy, etc.) and our server went above and beyond to suggest replacements, even going to the chef to make sure none of her food contained certain ingredients.

Costa Sorrento is quite pricey (the meal ended up being about $100 each after tax and tip), but I do think it's worth it in its quality and a menu that is nicely curated but still gives a significant amount of variety. While it doesn't replace my old favourite, Il Postino, Costa Sorrento does absolutely tie for my go-to Italian restaurant in Markham. 

Costa Sorrento

179 Enterprise Blvd.

Markham, ON L6G 0E7

(905) 604-2019

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

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.

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: Mariachis Nachos, Classic Tacos, and Churros at 3 Mariachis

I got a nasty cold after coming back from NYC a few weeks ago, so I haven't really been going out to eat. Finally recovered, I had a little reunion dinner with Chelsea, Ronsee, and Val (and baby Tristan) at 3 Mariachis:

Mariachis Nachos: Black beans, salsa roja, Monterey jack, mozzarella, cheddar, pico de gallo, and serrano peppers
Classic Tacos: Tiger shrimp (with coleslaw, pickled red onion, and aioli sauce), shredded beef (with Spanish onions and green tomatillo salsa), chorizo (with cheese, Spanish onions, and green tomatillo salsa), and birria (with Oaxaca cheese and house consommé)
Churros for dessert

INCREÍBLE! EXCEPCIONAL! DELICIOSA! Highlights for me were the nachos (which we unanimously loved), the tiger shrimp taco, and the birria taco, but we all thought this dinner was an absolutely delightful experience. Our server was also amazing — super helpful and accommodating (Chelsea has a lot of dietary restrictions and he took time the time to go through the menu with her and advised on what could be changed or replaced for her needs), attentive but not overbearing, and kept the water refills coming. Frankly, my only regret is not visiting sooner. The Richmond Hill/Markham area isn't well-known for Mexican restaurants, so I'm so glad I finally got to discover this place. (Took me long enough. As it turns out, they have three locations across the GTA.) Will absolutely be coming back for all my Mexican food cravings.

3 Mariachis

Headford Place

16 Vogell Rd., Unit L

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3K4

(905) 237-6006

Dining Out: Condensed Milk Toast, Deep Fried Peanut Butter French Toast Bites, and Matcha Parfait at Sugar Marmalade

Minji, Daniel, and I wanted to get some late-night dessert and Minji was craving condensed milk toast (pregnancy cravings trump all), but it was also 10:00PM on a Saturday night. So where to go? Sugar Marmalade, of course.

Condensed milk toast

Deep-fried peanut butter French toast bites

Matcha parfait

But one condensed milk toast is never enough, so we also got the deep fried peanut butter french toast and a matcha parfait (you know, for variety). I don't even wanna know how much sugar and cholesterol we consumed tonight, but MY GOD, IT WAS WORTH IT. I hadn't been back to Sugar Marmalade in years and I forgot how good they are for Hong Kong fusion desserts. I'll have to re-visit more often. You know, to make up for the lean years...

Sugar Marmalade

First Markham Place

3235 Highway 7, Unit 19-20

Markham, ON L3R 8P9

(905) 604-8211

Take Out: Cappuccino Cake from Paris Baguette

Cappuccino Cake

Okay, so Minji bought the Cappuccino Cake (mocha cake filled with mocha buttercream, coated in chocolate, and topped with buttercream and caramel) from Paris Baguette to celebrate Daniel's birthday today at work and dare I say, it might just be my new favourite cake...? Now that they've finally come to Canada and are opening more locations, I will need to look into more desserts from Paris Baguette... You know, for research.

A Friend's Baby Shower: 3:15 Cake from Daan Go Cake Lab

My friend Minji's baby shower was today!

3:15 Cake from Daan Go Cake Lab

We hosted it in the party room in my building because it was the most central location for everyone invited, but between liaising with concierge, decorating, and meeting and socializing with over 20 new people, I kinda forgot to take photos. But there was a tasty spread of Korean food (two kinds of japchae, bulgogi and rice, gimbap, Korean-style potato salad, etc.), baby games (don't say the word "baby," guess what's in the baby food, etc.), a whole lot of mingling, and the incredible 3:15 cake from Daan Go Cake Lab (which contains Hong Kong milk tea mousse, Vietnamese coffee and evaporated milk crémeux, and the most incredible Ovaltine "pineapple bun" crumb crunch) which was as delicious as it looks.

Loot bag goodies

We even got little loot bags to take home that included the most adorable towel shaped like a bear, a bag of caramel popcorn, and a little trinket box filled with Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Hi-Chew candies. SO FREAKING CUTE.

Congratulations to my very good friends, Minji and Daniel. You're going to be amazing parents!

Take Out: Apple Cider, Tanghulu, and Churros at Holiday Fair in the Square

After our downtown adventure, Minji, Daniel, and I went to check out the Holiday Fair in the Square.

Tanghulu
Churros
Custard bungeoppang

It was... disappointing. We dropped by to see what kind of sweet treats we could get, and though Minji picked up a couple boxes of baklava and Turkish delight to bring home, we only got some apple cider, a skewer of tanghulu, and a couple of churros. There were no funnel cakes, no cookies, no crazy holiday-themed hot chocolates. Maybe it's because we went on a Friday, but there were only about 10 food stalls in total, so I'm guessing they open way more stalls on Saturday and Sunday. Either way, we ended up having to make up for the lack of food variety by getting some custard bungeoppang up the street. 

Sigh. This is what we get for not wanting to pay the admission fee for the Winter Village.

Holiday Fair in the Square

Mel Lastman Square

5100 Yonge St.

North York, ON M2N 5V7

(416) 338-3343

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: 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

Dining Out: A Gourmet Cantonese Birthday Dinner at Lobster Port

I had a great birthday. I did have to go to work, but my co-worker bought me lunch (I chose Tamago Jirou because I was in a Japanese egg sandwich kind of mood), I left at 4:00PM to get a glorious massage at Lumi Spa, and then had a delectable Chinese feast with Minji, Daniel, Samuel, and Carmen at Lobster Port:

Soy sauce free range chicken

Stir-fried lobster in Hong Kong style

Stir-fried AAA beef tenderloin with garlic, snow peas, yellow zucchini, and mushrooms

Snow pea leaves in broth with goji berries

Lobster tomalley and seafood fried rice

And after all that deliciousness, we decided to exercise our mental skills at Omventure, where we managed to complete the Dark Altar escape room with 5 minutes to spare and realized just how stellar our teamwork is. (Also, I haven't done an escape room in over a decade, and they have gotten super immersive and high tech. We're already planning our next outing.) A great evening with some of my favourite people! 

Lobster Port

7501 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 2W1

(905) 597-8508

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