New York City 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

Hong Kong 2024 Travel Log: Day 4 — Jumbo Shrimp and Seafood Flower Pizza at Pizza Hut

So one thing that both my mom and I wanted to try out here was pizza. Not authentic pizza, obviously. Chain restaurant pizza. Because the fast food pizza culture in Asia is vastly different than what we have in North America. So we went to Pizza Hut and ordered the one that sounded the most interesting: the Jumbo Shrimp and Seafood Flower Pizza.

Jumbo Shrimp and Seafood Flower Pizza

Like its namesake, it includes shrimp and seafood, but also cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms, and TOFU. Yes, TOFU. Like, slices of firm tofu. Maybe to add protein? To make it feel meatier? Give it some heft? I don't know, but I will say that I normally eat 5 slices of pizza to get full. Here, I only needed 3, so I guess it's doing its job. (Then again, this is more like garlic bread with toppings than pizza, so I digress.) But I wouldn't get it again. Forget about the tofu. Cream cheese on pizza is an abomination.

Pizza Hut

12 Humphrey Ave., 1/F

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Hong Kong

(852) 2739-1800

Tokyo 2023 Travel Log: Day 7 — Beef Udon Noodles with Runny Egg and Tempura at Hanamaru Udon

Looking for something cheap and quick but delicious and filling? Look no further than Hanamaru Udon, a nationwide create-your-own-udon restaurant chain where you can get a bowl of customized Sanuki udon in less than a minute.

Sanuki udon with beef, green onion, and a runny egg in hot broth
Shrimp and yam tempura

Technically, Hanamaru Udon is a "self-service" restaurant. There is a huge variety of sides — mostly tempura, but also ongiri and oden — that you grab yourself and put on your tray, but the actual udon is made to order by the cook behind the counter. I selected a medium bowl of udon with beef and a runny egg served in hot broth, and added shrimp and yam tempura on the side. It was freaking amazing and cost less than ￥1,300. WHY DON'T WE HAVE THIS BACK HOME?

Hanamaru Udon

1 Chome−６−1, Comore Yotsuya 2F

Yotsuya, Shinjuku City

Tokyo, Japan 〒160-0004

+81-03-5341-4151

Tokyo 2023 Travel Log: Day 7 — A Food Tour at Tsukiji Outer Market

We finally made it to Tsukiji Outer Market, arguably the most famous street market in Tokyo. We originally wanted to get there for 7:00AM... but we may have pressed snooze one too many times, so we actually got there at 8:30AM. It was already busy with line-ups everywhere, but we did manage to get our hands on some delectable delights:

Making tamagoyaki at Tsukiji Yamachou
Tamagoyaki from Tsukiji Yamachou
Monjya korokke with bonito flakes and green laver at Tsukiji Croquette
Cooking ikayaki in soy sauce
Sliced ikayaki
Cheese chikuwa (deep-fried cheese-stuffed fish balls) and Tsukiji kushiage (deep-fried wasabi mayo crab stick) from Kibun Sohonten
Salmon and tuna sashimi bowl from Matakoiya Tsukijiten
Ichigo daifukuin matcha and chocolate from Tsukiji Soratsuki

Highlights for me were the tamagoyaki (judging by the crazy line-up, this might be the most famous food item in the whole market — Tsukiji Yamachou's rolled egg omelettes are perfectly fluffy with a slightly sweetened dashi flavour — and costs less than $1!) and the chocolate ichigo daifuku (instead of a typical anko filling, this mochi had a silky, not-too-sweet chocolate cream inside, which paired perfectly with the strawberry), but there was not a single item we didn't thoroughly enjoy. The food here is as fresh as you get — everything is literally made in front of you. Our only regret was not taking out more cash because the vendors here don't take card. Sigh. I could've gotten at least another three skewers of tamagoyaki.

Tsukiji Outer Market

4 Chome-16-2 

Tsukiji, Chuo City

Tokyo, Japan 〒104-0045

+81-03-3541-9444

Osaka 2023 Travel Log: Day 2 — Takoyaki at Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori

Since we were not satisfied with the takoyaki at dinner, we went to get the real shit. (By "real shit," I mean an eatery where you can actually see the vendors making the takoyaki.) Now, takoyaki is Osaka's signature dish, so there are takoyaki vendors everywhere, especially in Dotonbori. We just decided to go to the one with the coolest looking signage. There was a fairly long line-up, but they went through it pretty quickly.

Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori
Making takoyaki at Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori
Making takoyaki at Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori
Takoyaki from Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori
Takoyaki with sauce and mayo from Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori
Takoyaki with salt and roasted nori from Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori

We got half with sauce, mayo, and bonito flakes, and half with salt and roasted nori. Both are insanely delicious, and both will burn your mouth. The quintessential Osaka experience. 

Takoyaki Juhachiban Sons Dotonbori

1 Chome−7−21 中座くいだおれビル 1F

Dotonbori, Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒542-0071

+81-06-4256-2817