Unboxing: McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys — Encore Edition

Back in August, McDonald's announced its second collaboration with BTS (the first being the BTS Meal that launched in 2021). This time, it's with TinyTAN, which are the insanely adorable characters based on the BTS members, and whose collectible toy figures are available through their Happy Meals. There are two editions of TinyTAN Happy Meal toys to be collected — the Throwback Edition and the Encore Edition, which launched three weeks apart. Both editions have 7 BTS/TinyTAN member toys — and matching photocards! — to collect. As you may know, I collect BTS toy figures, including all the TinyTAN ones since its inception. So, I was determined to get all of these. However, after my friend and I bought 28 Happy Meals (of which I ate at least 14) to get all the Throwback Edition figures, I could not eat any more McDonald's. For the sake of my health. And wallet. So, I cheated and turned to eBay.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toy Boxes (Encore Editon)
The TinyTAN Happy Meals launched across 70+ countries, with the roll-out of the Encore Edition starting on September 23. In Canada, it was announced that the Encore Edition would launch on October 3, although locations that ran out of the Throwback Edition toys early started giving out the Encore Edition ones. That having been said, I knew by the end of September that there would be a lot of Americans that would have the whole set of the Encore Edition toys already. So on my eBay search, I came across a seller from Georgia who was selling the whole set, brand new and unopened, for about the same price per figure as a Happy Meal in Canada. (Let's not talk about the shipping.) Either way, it was less than the amount Minji and I spent on Happy Meals for the Throwback Edition, so no regrets.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Photocards

Each TinyTAN Encore Edition Happy Meal Toy comes in a red box with the McDonald's x TinyTAN logo on it (which is the TinyTAN logo imprinted on the McDonald's Happy Meal box logo), and comes with the corresponding member's photocard, which features the member's profile on the back. While the Throwback Edition cards have purple backgrounds, the Encore Edition ones have golden yellow ones. The outfits featured on the Encore Edition toys are the same as BTS' "MIC Drop" MV outfits (which have been featured on manyTinyTANfigures before), except with little McDonald's logos on them. Each toy measures approximately 10cm H x 4cm W x 4cm D, and seem to be made of PVC/ABS plastics or something similar. The only difference I found between the American and Canadian versions is that the Height on the member photocards is listed in inches in the US (4 inches) rather than centimetres in Canada (10 cm).

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — RM
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Jin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Suga
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — J-Hope
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Jimin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — V
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Jungkook
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Full Set

And with that, my McDonald's x TinyTAN toy collections are complete! And at least this time, I'm not stuck with an extra 21 figures that I still don't know what to do with because I am way too lazy to list them on eBay...

Unboxing: McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys — Throwback Edition

Back in August, McDonald's announced its second collaboration with BTS (the first being, of course, the BTS Meal that launched in 2021, during which I ate so many McNuggets that I almost became one myself, and then spent way too much money on the official merch). This time, it's with TinyTAN, which are the insanely adorable characters based on the BTS members, and whose collectible toy figures are available through their Happy Meals. There are two editions of TinyTAN Happy Meal toys to be collected — the Throwback Edition and the Encore Edition, which launched three weeks apart. Both editions have 7 BTS member toys — and matching photocards! — to collect. As you may know, I collect BTS toy figures, including all the TinyTAN ones since its inception. So, I was determined to get all of these.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Box
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Box
The TinyTAN Happy Meals launched across 70+ countries, with the roll-out starting on September 3 in the U.S. It was finally released in Canada on September 16, and thus I began my hunt (a.k.a. Happy Meal binging). Between my friend Minji (who, bless her heart, was determined to help me hunt down all 7 figures even though she's not an ARMY) and I, we bought over 28 Happy Meals from 10 different locations across the Greater Toronto Area. And finally — FINALLY!!! — I have collected all 7 Throwback Edition TinyTAN figures.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toy Boxes (Throwback Edition)
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Photocards
Each TinyTAN Throwback Edition Happy Meal Toy comes in a purple box with the McDonald's x TinyTAN logo on it (which is the TinyTAN logo imprinted on the McDonald's Happy Meal box logo), and comes with the corresponding member's photocard, which features the member's profile on the back. Each toy measures approximately 10cm H x 4cm W x 4cm D, and seem to be made of PVC/ABS plastics or something similar.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — RM
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Jin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Suga
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — J-Hope
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Jimin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — V
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Jungkook
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Full Set

A few tips I've picked up along the way with collecting these Happy Meals toys (which, by the way, is significantly harder now than when I was collecting the Teenie Beanie Babies back in 1997...):

• Call a McDonald's location ahead of time before heading there or ordering online from there to check which toy they have available. However, many locations don't pick up the phone unless it's really late at night, so...
• Go into physical McDonald's locations and simply ask which toy they have available that day. If you order through the app or a food delivery service, you obviously won't know which toy you get. And if you order multiple Happy Meals from the same location, you'll likely get multiples of the same toy because each location tends to release one member at a time.  The TinyTAN figures are numbered (there's a tiny number on the back of the toy boxes from 1 to 7) in fan chant order (RM and then oldest to youngest). The employees usually don't know the names of the members, but will know the toy by number. 
• Go to multiple locations, not just the one you live near. Depending on how many Happy Meals they sell, many of the less busy locations have the same toy for a few days.
• Prepare your stomach (or someone else's) for the onslaught of cheeseburgers and McNuggets. (Or, similarly, make friends with people who take their kids to McDonald's.) All the locations I went to do not allow you to buy the toys outright. (Back in the day — at least, in the '90s — you could just pay for an extra toy.) You have to order a Happy Meal to get the toy. (At my local McDonald's, they literally have a sign up at the cashier that says, "TOYS COME WITH HAPPY MEALS ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS.")

Anyway, now that the Encore Edition is being released, that's another 7 figures to hunt down. But if I eat anymore McDonald's, I will turn into a cheeseburger. So, I am going to hunt eBay instead. (Surprisingly, many sellers are selling each of the figures for around the price of a Happy Meal. Even with shipping, it's certainly less than the total amount Minji and I spent on Happy Meals in the last 2 weeks.) Now, what to do with the extra 13 J-Hopes, 3 Jimins, 3 Sugas, 2 Jungkooks I've acquired? Maybe I will have to sell on eBay, too.

New York City Winter 2025 Travel Log: Shack Stack, Fries, and Strawberry Milkshake from Shake Shack

Shack Stack

The perfect post-concert meal: A Shack Stack with fries from Shake Shack. (And a strawberry milkshake on the side. You know, to help soothe your throat after 2 hours of screaming.) 

Shake Shack (Flatbush-Barclays Center)

170 Flatbush Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

(347) 442-7711

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: Springfield at Universal Studios Florida — Day 3: Krusty Burger Combo at Krusty Burger and Pink Sprinkled Donut at Lard Lad Donuts

It's our third and final day at Universal Studios Orlando Resort before flying back home tomorrow. Since we thoroughly explored both of the Harry Potter parks over the past two days, we decided to check out some other parts of Universal Studios Florida and ended up spending quite a bit of time in Springfield, which is, of course, dedicated to The Simpsons.

Greetings from Springfield Sign

Krusty Burger

Krusty Burger with Kurly Fries

We went to Krusty Burger for lunch (tip: order through the mobile app and skip the massive line-ups) and obviously got the classic Krusty Burger, which is a 1/3 lb. burger with secret sauce, cheddar cheese sauce, a giant tomato slice, and iceberg lettuce on what seems to be a potato bun. We got the combo, which is served with Kurly fries and a drink. This burger, aside from looking almost picture perfect, was actually pretty incredible. The patty is smash-style so it has these perfectly crispy edges and incredible flavour, and the tomato and lettuce were fresh and crisp. Totally not what we were expecting. The Kurly fries are basically cajun curly fries but these, too, were fantastic — great flavour with a crispy exterior, and no condiments necessary. If you're looking for a good burger joint in this park, Krusty Burger is a surprisingly great option.

Lard Lad Donuts

Pink sprinkled donut from Lard Lad Donuts

We decided to go across the street to Lard Lad Donuts for a little dessert, and ordered the classic vanilla sprinkle donut. Honestly, I was expecting for it to be more unique or special, maybe like Krispy Kreme, but it really just is the most basic vanilla sprinkle donut. The kind you can get at Tim Hortons (or Dunkin' Donuts) for less than $2.00. This donut here, just because it's from a theme park, was $6.00 USD. I guess it's not surprising given that a bottle of water is also $6.00 here, but still, we were disappointed to say the least. Unless you're getting the iconic giant pink iced donut (which is equivalent to about 5 donuts), I'd skip this and find your sweet tooth fix at one of the dozens of other eateries and food stalls in this park.

While still in Springfield, we did go on Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl, one of the very few rides that we were both allowed to go on, and walked through The Simpsons Ride to see the interior of the building. Like both Gringotts Bank and Hogwarts Castle, the ride attendants are very accommodating to those who can't actually go on the rides and will absolutely let you go through the building to see the inside, so don't hesitate to ask!

Springfield

Universal Studios Florida 

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 363-8000

Canadian National Exhibition: Summer 2024

Over the course of nine hours at the CNE (by far the longest I have ever spent there), Minji, Daniel, and I managed to go through all the exhibitions, play roulette at the casino, buy some air plants (me) and an Italian squeegee kit (them), and eat all the extraordinarily overpriced junk food we wanted to try this year:

Dilly Ranch Twisted Pickle

Tanghulu Mochi Doughnut

Wasabi Soft Serve Ice Cream

Fruity Pebbles Fried Chicken with Lime Dipping Sauce

Ruffles All Dressed Fried Chicken with Dill Pickle Dipping Sauce

Fried Soft Shell Crab "Kaarage" with Sriracha Mayo

Crème Brûlée Soft Serve Chimney Cone

Deep-Fried Pickle Oreos

Ube Sesame Corn

Deep-Fried Pickles

Deep-Fried Hickory Corn Ribs

Deep-Fried Cheese Curds and Curly Fries

Winners for me were the twisted pickle (so good, we almost got two), the Fruity Pebbles fried chicken (especially with the lime dip — a perfect combination of sweet, salty, and tangy), the soft shell crab (amazing texture and flavour — if it wasn't $20 each, we would've gotten another one), and the Tiny Tom's doughnuts (a classic for a reason; and did you really go to the CNE if you didn't get some Tiny Tom's doughnuts?). The most disappointing was the tanghulu mochi doughnut (sickly sweet, and I thought the fruit would be more incorporated into the doughnut somehow rather than just a skewer sitting on top), the Ruffles All Dressed fried chicken (the fried chicken was decent enough, but we could barely taste the All Dressed chips), the crème brûlée soft serve Chimney Cone (the burnt sugar and custard were just sitting on top so once you get past that top layer, it's just vanilla soft serve), and the deep-fried pickle Oreos (even the thick layer of sweet deep-fried dough could not hide the fact that pickles and Oreos just do not go together). 

And in case you're wondering, all of this cost $90.34 per person (not including entry tickets and parking). I wasn't kidding when I said "extraordinarily overpriced," because we could each have had a pretty lavish steak dinner for the cost of all this junk food. I guess we really made up for not going during the pandemic years. On another note, thank you to the guy at "Fool the Guesser" who thought I was still 27. At least Minji's $10 didn't go to waste and she got a stuffed frog plushie out of it. 

Canadian National Exhibition

Exhibition Place

210 Princes' Blvd.

Toronto, ON M6K 3C3

(416) 263-3330

Dining Out: Super Smash Double Burger and Super Fries at Super Smash Burgs

My friend Ronsee suggested having burgers for our dinner meet-up this evening, so I decided to take the opportunity to finally try out Super Smash Burgs:

Super Smash Double
Super Fries

I decided on the Super Smash burger (which is the Classic Smash but with the addition of lettuce and tomato) with double patties because I was ragingly hungry and it was a most excellent choice. The beef patties were juicy and flavourful with just the right amount of seared crisp on the edges. You can't go wrong with this one if you like smash burgers in general. (And it might be the closest I can get to a Shake Shack burger here.) Ronsee got the Oklahoma Smash and said it was decent but was disappointed with the lack of onion flavour in the patty. We did share the Super Fries, though, which we both thought were incredible. (It did seem to make up for his disappointment in his burger.) Pretty pricey at $14, which is more expensive than either of our burgers, but the portion is huge and it's LOADED (with chopped beef, American cheese, caramelized onions, jalapeños, Smash sauce, and honey BBQ sauce). Will definitely visit again when the smash burger craving hits. 

Super Smash Burgs

76 Main St. Markham N.

Markham, ON L3P 1X5

(289) 554-2874

Osaka 2024 Travel Log: Day 5 — Seaweed Salt & Buttered Mashed Potato with Bacon Teritama Burger, Shrimp Filet-O, and Matcha Kuromitsu Warabi Mochi Pie at McDonald's

Yes, I know it's, like, the most foreigner thing ever, but I didn't get to try McDonald's the last time I was here and their spring menu — a.k.a. the Teritama series — is out now, so I had to get it this time. (Surprisingly, even my mom was hellbent on trying McDonald's here. Every time I asked her what she wanted to eat, she would think for a minute and then say, "McDonald's?")

Seaweed Salt & Buttered Mashed Potato with Bacon Teritama Burger

Seaweed Salt & Buttered Mashed Potato with Bacon Teritama Burger

First up, the Seaweed Salt & Buttered Mashed Potato with Bacon Teritama Burger. (There are 4 burgers in the Teritama series, but this sounded the most interesting and is apparently new for this year, so that's the one we went for.) Put simply, this was not good. Firstly, there is way too much teriyaki sauce. It gets everywhere and your hands will get sticky, whether you're holding it with the wrapper or not. Secondly, the teriyaki sauce — which is mildly sweet and slightly garlicky — just doesn't go well with egg. I know this was the whole point behind the Teritama series, but it just doesn't jive to me. (Seems like it's just popular enough to bring back for a month every year, but not enough to put on the permanent menu.) Thirdly, the mashed potato has a strange aftertaste (probably that seaweed salt) that really, really doesn't go well with the sauce. Basically, the flavours here are just not cohesive. Great in theory, but not so much in execution. (My mom agreed.) I will say, however, that the quality of the ingredients and the portion sizes are incredibly impressive. The patty, the egg, the bun, even the lettuce, are all superior to what you can find in North America. 4/10

Shrimp Filet-O

Shrimp Filet-O

But the Shrimp Filet-O... Oof, Japan doesn't even know how good they've got it at their McDonald's with just this one sandwich here. It's like the Filet-O-Fish, except a fried shrimp patty instead of fish, and Big Mac sauce instead of tartar sauce. And the shrimp patty isn't just made up of shrimp paste. There are full-on big chunks of shrimp in there. Like the Teritama burger, this sandwich is deceivingly hefty, too. In Canada, I'd need at least one combo with an extra sandwich to get full. Here, one combo is the perfect amount. Ironic that the McDonald's portions in North America are smaller than in Japan. (Yes, I was indeed extremely full after this meal.) 9/10

Matcha Kuromitsu Warabi Mochi Pie

Matcha Kuromitsu Warabi Mochi Pie

Finally, for dessert, another limited springtime release: the Matcha Kuromitsu Warabi Mochi Pie. The first bite was okay, but quickly became way too much. The mochi with kuromitsu — a Japanese black sugar syrup that is similar to molasses — inside a deep-fried shell were way too rich and heavy together. And the flavour of the kuromitsu overwhelms everything else — you can barely taste the matcha in the crust, and it becomes too sickly sweet. The kuromitsuwarabi mochi and the matcha pie would be good separately, but like the Teritama burger, just do not go well together. Go for the classic apple pie instead. There's a reason why it's a permanent item. 5/10

My conclusion from this very, very small sampling: I need to try more of the permanent menu items in Japan.

McDonald's

2 Chome-5-3 

Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0085

+81-06-6214-5101

Osaka 2024 Travel Log: Day 3 — Dotonbori Street Food Tour

We fought our way through crowds and spent way too much time waiting in queues, but it wouldn't be a trip to Osaka without a plethora of street food:

Original takoyaki

A variety platter of takoyaki

Mitarashi dango

10 yen cheese coin pancake

Sweet potato taiyaki

Melonpan with strawberry ice cream

Ichigodaifuku with strawberry cream and matcha cream

Sweet corn with strawberry soft serve

Not a single disappointing item. ONLY DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIT ANYMORE IN. 

Dotonbori

Chome Dotonbori, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0071

+81-06-6211-4542