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.

ARIH Modern Noodles in Vongole, Truffle Bulgogi, and Gochujang Butter

ARIH NOODLES HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED IN CANADA!!! 

After months of being exclusive to the US, ARIH Modern Noodles (a.k.a. BTS instant noodles) is finally available here. Granted, we only got 3 of the 7 flavours so far — Vongole, Truffle Bulgogi, and Gochujang Butter — but I'm not even mad about it because a) it seemed unlikely that Canada was even going to get them, and b) they're literally the three I wanted to try the most. (Note: I have not actually tried them yet. I got them and was just extremely excited about it.)

ARIH Modern Noodle in Vongole, Truffle Bulgogi, and Gochujang Butter

It looks like they'll be exclusive to PC retailers here; they were first seen at Shoppers Drug Mart, and I have also seen them at No Frills, which means they'll likely be available at Loblaws, too. Shoppers is retailing them for $9.99 which is definitely steep for a pack of 4 instant noodles, but Iris' dad got them for us on Senior's Day last Thursday, so we got a 20% discount on them. (Bless him, he went to five different locations before finding them.) And hey, $2 for a meal is basically unheard of in this economy, anyway.

Now, we're just waiting for the drinks. (And hopefully, they'll have zero sugar options by the time they hit Canadian shelves.)

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: Chirashi Don at Mi-Ne Sushi

After two back-to-back disappointing dinners this week, I really needed a win. So I went with my mom to Mi-Ne Sushi.

Chirashi don

I got the chirashi don and it was PERFECT. I've always said this, but Mi-Ne consistently serves incredible quality sushi with beautiful presentation and amazing service, and this time was no different. Totally made up for the food disappointments this week. Plus, I said I'd make Mi-Ne my regular sushi spot, and I am making good on my word!

Mi-Ne Sushi

8865 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 5G1

(905) 470-1688

Dining Out: Esquites; Al Pastor, Birria, Sirloin, and Baja Fish Tacos; and Guacamole at La Cantina del Pueblo

For Minji's birthday (and first real outing since she gave birth to her son a month ago), she suggested going for lunch along with Daniel and the kiddos at a new Mexican restaurant in Newmarket that she found on TikTok called La Cantina del Pueblo.

Esquites

We decided to share the esquites and guacamole and then we all got our own tacos. The esquites — sautéed corn kernels with mayo, Cotija cheese, and chili powder — arrived first and was delicious and satisfying as expected. And then it was taco time! We all got two to start; I picked the al pastor (marinated pork with onion and pineapple) and the birria (marinated beef with onion). They give you a tray of extra sauces and toppings (like radish slices, pickled onions, cucumber slices, and lime wedges) to customize your tacos with. And they were also good about putting the cilantro on the side for me and Minji. I was expecting the birria taco to come with broth for dipping, but they don't provide that here for some reason. Overall, the birria taco was decent, but the al pastor taco was better with more flavourful and tender meat.

Al pastor and birria tacos

The tacos here in general are pretty small, so Daniel and I decided to order two more. And that's when we realized that the guacamole hadn't arrived yet. Turns out, our original server didn't input it into their system even though it was the first thing we ordered. Our original server, however, seemed to be busy socializing with his girlfriend/wife/special lady friend (?), so he told the busboy (who was literally still holding a tray and dish rag) to take our order. Thus, we ordered the guacamole again and then our second serving of tacos. He asked if it was for take out, and I said no, it's to eat inside the restaurant. He looked unsure, so between Daniel and I, we confirmed with him THREE TIMES that all of the food was "for here" and even made a hand gesture indicating the table.

Approximately 10 minutes later, all the food we ordered with the busboy? Arrived in takeout containers. I looked at him and said, "No, we didn't want take out. We wanted the food FOR HERE." And he said, "Ohhhhh, I thought it was for take out!" So he apologized and came back with our food on plates. Well, at least he was nice.

Sirloin and Baja fish tacos

After that whole mishap, we finally got to our second serving of tacos. I went with the sirloin and the Baja fish. The sirloin was good and pretty tender, maybe even more so than the meat in the birria taco. But the winner for me was definitely the Baja fish. The piece of fish was huge (almost couldn't wrap the tortilla around it); super soft and plush on the inside, perfectly crunchy on the outside, and paired with pickled onion for a most delightful bite. 

Guacamole with chips

Then we got to the guacamole and WOW, if this wasn't single-handedly the most disappointing guacamole I've ever had in a Mexican restaurant, ever. It was basically smashed avocado with a sprinkling of cubed tomatoes. No salt, no seasoning, no lime, no red onion. Literally nothing but the avocado and the tomato. I don't say this often, truly, but I could've made better guacamole at home. We had to get a salt shaker from another table and the extra lime slice that came with our initial tacos to SEASON OUR OWN GUACAMOLE. At least the chips were crispy, I guess?

Between the miscommunications with the staff (and let it be noted that it was NOT BUSY — there were, at most, two other tables) and the general disappointment we had with the missing item and then the mistaken take out order and the completely unseasoned smashed avocado acting as guacamole, I can't say I would ever come back to La Cantina del Pueblo when there are significantly better Mexican restaurants around. (For example, La Mexicanada is literally down the street.) I just can't believe this place has such a high rating. 

La Cantina del Pueblo

446 Davis Dr.

Newmarket, ON L3Y 2P2

(905) 898-8484

Dining Out: Sigara Boregi, Adana Kebab, Etli Pide, and Trilece Cake at Turkish Flames

When my friend Ronsee and I were deciding on where to go for dinner, he mentioned that he had been randomly craving pide for weeks, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out the newly-opened Turkish Flames.

Sigara boregi

We decided to share the sigara boregi (Turkish-style fried spring rolls stuffed with feta cheese), the adana kebab (a mixture of ground veal and lamb with Turkish spices), and the etli pide (thin bread topped with a ground meat and vegetable mixture). Though I don't think you can really go wrong with deep-fried cheese in any culture, the Turkish spring rolls were incredible. Super crispy, perfectly golden shells filled with delightfully creamy feta cheese. You can't go wrong. I could've honestly eaten, like, three orders of these. And in hindsight, I probably should've.

Adana kebab
The adana kebab was decent in flavour, though it was both drier and tougher than I expected. I've eaten similar kebabs from other Middle Eastern cultures (Afghani, Lebanese, Persian, etc.) so maybe I was expecting it to be more like those — juicy, tender, almost soft enough to cut with a spoon. Maybe the chef was having an off day, or maybe these were sitting around for a while, but I wasn't particularly impressed. I would try one of the other kebab or doner options over this one.

Etli pide
What was truly disappointing, though, was the pide — the very reason we even went to Turkish Flames to begin with. I'm not sure if it's specifically the ground meat variation (etli) that we ordered or if it's the same for all the different ones they offer, but ours was severely lacking in flavour. It was my first time trying pide and I was genuinely shocked at how bland it was — I asked Ronsee, "Is it just my tastebuds or does this have no flavour?" — because Middle Eastern food in general usually utlilizes a plethora of spices. But Ronsee agreed and said that this pide was definitely under-seasoned (if seasoned at all?), and we ended up having to add quite a bit of salt on our own to it to give it even a modicum of flavour. Again, not sure if this was a one-off, but I definitely can't recommend the ground meat pide here. 

Trilece cake
To try to make up for the general disappointment of the dinner, we thought we would get one of the desserts, so we asked the server for a recommendation and she whole-heartedly suggested the trilece — the Turkish version of tres leches — and thankfully, it was excellent. To be quite honest, I don't know how it differs from the Latin American version because they taste identical to me, but whatever, good cake is good cake. And at least we had a good ending to an unfortunately mediocre meal. But I'm actually surprised at how disappointed I am with this meal because Turkish Flames has quite a high rating on Google. Not sure if it's because we went when it wasn't busy or if the chef was having an off day (and I'm definitely not an expert on Turkish food), so I'm not going to write this place off yet, but I think I need to try another Turkish restaurant to do a little compare and contrast.

Turkish Flames

7677 Markham Rd.

Markham, ON L3S 3J9

(905) 471-6111

Dining Out: Sashimi Platter and Hoe-Deopbap at Mi-Ne Sushi

Ever just crave a shit ton of raw fish?

Sashimi platter
Hoe-deobap

Well, I do, so I went with Chelsea and Braden to Mi-Ne Sushi, where we shared the sashimi platter and then I proceeded to get the hoe-deopbap because I hadn't had it in nearly four years and OH MY GOD, IT WAS SO FUCKING GOOD. Firstly, I don't know why I hadn't gotten it in so long. Probably because most sushi restaurants don't offer it unless they're Korean-owned... Which leads me to a second point: I don't know why I haven't gone to Mi-Ne Sushi in so long. They've been open for over a decade in the same location, which is very close to where I live now, and I keep forgoing it to try out newer sushi places. But if this dinner is any indication, their quality is incredible and, most importantly, CONSISTENT. I have never had anything less than an excellent experience here. Their fish is fresh and abundant, portions are fair given the price, the presentation is always beautiful, and their service goes above and beyond. I need to make Mi-Ne my regular sushi spot.

Mi-Ne Sushi

8865 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 5G1

(905) 470-1688

Dining Out: California Spring Salad, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Fried Basa Fish Tacos, and Blackened Chicken Alfredo at Milestones

Milestones has been around for years — it was one of my go-to restaurants in high school — but I hadn't gone there in over a decade, until my boss took me there for a few employee lunches over the past year. (My office is really close to one, so my company does of a lot of business lunches there.) I was randomly craving their California Spring Salad (yes, I know, I have CHANGED), so when my mom asked where I wanted to go for dinner this afternoon, I told her to meet me at Milestones.

California Spring Salad with goat cheese, strawberries, avocado, red onion, candied pecans, and honey mustard vinaigrette
Spinach & Artichoke Dip with fresh cut salsa, Italian cheeses, and tortilla chips
Fried Basa Fish Tacos with cabbage slaw, fresh cut salsa, avocado, and chili avocado aioli
Blackened Chicken Alfredo with mushrooms, spinach, brie, feta, roasted garlic, fettuccine, and garlic focaccia

And we discovered that they have a HAPPY HOUR MENU! Obviously, there are many drink specials but, more importantly, there's a number of food items that are cheaper from the hours of 3:00PM to 6:00PM everyday! So aside from the salad I was craving (which is unfortunately not on the Happy Hour menu but is totally worth paying full price for), we got the spinach and artichoke dip ($16 instead of $19!), the fried basa fish tacos ($6 each instead of $24 for 2!!!), and the blackened chicken alfredo ($23 instead of $27!). I don't go to chain restaurants often, but I will obviously be coming back for happy hour again.

Milestones

169 Enterprise Blvd. Unit I109

Markham, ON L6G 1B3

(437) 525-4596

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

Cooking at Home: Canada Day Dinner with Meatloaf, Mixed Green Salad, Corn on the Cob, Roasted Cajun Potatoes, and Honey Glazed Carrots

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to my friend Chelsea that I had never eaten meatloaf before (despite being born and raised in Canada, growing up in a Chinese household meant that meatloaf was never even thought about), and she immediately gasped and said I had to go over to her house ASAP so she could make it for me. 

Meatloaf!
Mixed green salad
Plate #1 with meatloaf, salad, roasted Cajun potatoes, and honey glazed carrots
Plate #2 with meatloaf, corn on the cob, roasted Cajun potatoes, and honey glazed carrots
Okay, so, admittedly, meatloaf ain't pretty. It's basically a massive hamburger patty-meets-meatball shaped like a loaf and then glazed with a tangy ketchup-meets-BBQ sauce on top. Chelsea's meatloaf was well-seasoned, surprisingly moist, and pretty damn tasty. At least enough for me to eat seconds. And take some leftovers home. We also had corn on the cob, honey glazed carrots, roasted Cajun potatoes, and Greek salad as accompaniments, which made for a delicious, well-rounded dinner.  Would I go out of my way to eat meatloaf again? Probably not. I think I'd actually go for burgers or meatballs over meatloaf. But I definitely wouldn't say no if it was offered to me, and I'm glad I finally tried it.

We spent the rest of the night taking a long walk with their dogs, watching fireworks in the park, and indulging in some pistachio gelato and raspberry sorbet from Chocolate & Company for dessert. A perfect ending to another Canada Day!

New York City Summer 2026 Travel Log: Day 3 — Country Sausage Benedict at EJ's Luncheonette

For our final meal in NYC, we went for brunch at the iconic diner, EJ's Luncheonette:

Country Sausage Benedict: Poached eggs and breakfast sausage on buttermilk biscuits, topped with sausage gravy and served with home fries

I went for the Country Sausage Benedict — a Southern twist on a New York classic. I've never actually been to the Southern US or, like, Cracker Barrel, so this is pretty much as close as I'm gonna get to Southern food. (Actually, this Benedict originally comes with grits on the side, but I didn't feel like I was ready for that step yet...) This is one of those dishes that tastes like it'll clog your arteries, so basically, it's tasty AF and I'm now sort of obsessed with sausage gravy. A truly delightful ending to this year's decadently delicious NYC trip.

EJ's Luncheonette

1271 3rd Ave. 

New York, NY 10021

(212) 472-0600

New York City Summer 2026 Travel Log: Day 2 — A Feast of "Bites" at NR

We went for an early dinner (like, really early, as in happy hour early, because our schedule revolves around the babies' nap times) to a gorgeous Japanese fusion eatery called NR, where we had a feast of appetizers (or "bites," as they call them):

Spicy Tuna: Tuna, anchovies, truffle, shallot, porcini mushroom, spicy mayo, and lime zest in filo cups

Deviled Egg + Egg + Egg: Sea urchin, caviar, tosa vinegar jelly, dashi, wasabi, Japanese mustard, mayo, and shiso on quail eggs

Seafood Tower (Bottom): Fresh oysters

Seafood Tower (Middle): Uni + salmon red caviar jelly, hamachi sashimi, tuna with cucumber foam

Seafood Tower (Top): Fried shrimp and fries

Pork Buns: Pork belly with lettuce, scallion, teriyaki, and tartar 

Miso Glazed Eggplant: Deep fried eggplant, miso, pomegranate, mint, and dill

Incredible flavours and ingredient combinations — this was honestly one of the most interesting meals I've had in a long time, and there is no shortage of Asian fusion restaurants back home. We were unfortunately too full after the apps, but I'm really hoping we get to come back for the ramen, which is actually what NR is known for. I mean, there is a $42 USD wagyu and bone marrow ramen on the menu that is just too indulgent to not try once in my lifetime...

(Oh, and in case you're wondering, we managed to do just over 11,000 steps today. So, yes, we feasted, but at least we felt slightly less guilty about it!)

NR

339 E 75th St.

New York, NY 10021

(646) 226-4874

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

New York City Summer 2026 Travel Log: Day 2 — Prime Steak Tartare, Poulpe Grillé, Moules Frites Marinières, and Croque Madame at Match 65 Brasserie

Met up with my brother and his family at Match 65 Brasserie this morning for a most délicieux brunch:

Prime steak tartare: Black Angus sirloin, quail egg, cornichons, and toasted baguette

Poulpe grillé: Grilled octopus, olive oil, lemon, herbs, and capers

Moules frites marinières: Mussels, white wine, shallots, roasted garlic, fresh herbs, and toasted baguette served with fries

Croque madame with fries

Yep, that's a lot of calories and fat grams to consume before noon... And that's not even including the leftover piece of brioche French toast from my nephew's plate that I shared with my mom for "dessert"... So we'll have to walk a lot today, rain be damned. (Good thing I wore my new Hokas.) But it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. 

Match 65 Brasserie

29 E 65th St.

New York, NY 10065

(212) 737-4400

New York City Summer 2026 Travel Log: Day 1 — Market Vegetables and the Steak Sandwich at Westville

Greetings from NYC! We're back for our annual trip to visit my brother and his family — and finally meeting my 8-month-old niece, Amelia, for the first time! (She is, objectively, the most adorable baby I've ever seen with the smiliest face, squishiest rolls, and most perfect milky skin. No bias, of course.) We arrived late afternoon so, to see the kids before their bedtime, my brother suggested an early dinner at their favourite NYC chain, Westville. They're known for their fresh produce, with a menu featuring over 20 different vegetable sides. Outside of vegetarian/vegan restaurants, I don't think I've ever actually heard of any restaurant that specializes in vegetable dishes, but here are. So we ordered 6 veggie plates to share:

Beets with goat cheese and walnuts

Brussels sprouts with honey dijon

Yuca fries with chipotle mayo

Roasted mushrooms with fresh herbs

Esquite (Mexican roasted corn kernels with chipotle mayo and cojita cheese)

Roasted carrots with fresh herbs

Steak sandwich with caramelized onions and horseradish mayo on a club roll and a side of sweet potato fries

And I got the steak sandwich as my main because, you know, balance. All the vegetable sides were delicious — my favourites were the beets and yuca fries — but I'm happy to report that Westville does their other dishes equally well because my steak sandwich was excellent. The steak was tender and cooked perfectly medium rare, the bun had a good chew but didn't hurt the roof of my mouth, and the horseradish was just spicy enough to feel a clearing in the nasal passages but not enough to overwhelm. It was the perfect accompaniment to a vegetable feast.

I can see why Westville opened up so many locations in NYC. Honestly, it's a great concept — delicious but (mostly) healthy dishes that also promotes fresh produce and local farmers — and the prices are reasonable. I wish they would open one closer to home. I can see this doing really well in the Toronto area. Then again, it took Shake Shack two decades to come to Canada, so I'm not holding my breath. 

Westville

1359 1st Ave.

New York, NY 10021

(212) 257-2133