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

Unboxing: McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toys

So, you know how I was all ready to eat my weight in Happy Meals for the new McDonald's collab with BT21? (Well, not literally because, wow, my cholesterol would be going through the roof. But I was ready to eat at least 28 of them! Over the course of a few weeks! With friends!) Well, it was all for naught because THE COLLAB DIDN'T COME TO CANADA. According to some sources (namely random Canadian McDonald's employees who post on Facebook), it's supposed to come to Canada in the fall at some point, but even then, it's not confirmed. (Did I drop into McDonald's today just to check if the Internet was wrong? Yes, I sure did. And they are indeed promoting Spiderman right now.) Anyway, it's really a moot point because when I checked on the day of launch (July 14), people (e.g. the Internet) were saying that the collab wasn't coming to Canada at all, so I decided to get all the toys on eBay instead. And, man, my seller did not disappoint.

McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Box
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Box
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy Boxes
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Koya (RM)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — RJ (Jin)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Shooky (Suga)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Mang (J-Hope)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Chimmy (Jimin)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Tata (V)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Cooky (Jungkook)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — Van (ARMY)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toy — BT21 Spaceship
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Toys — Full Set (without BT21 Spaceship)
McDonald's x BT21 Happy Meal Group Poster (Sticker Roll not pictured)
Not only did the seller include all 10 collectibles, they also included a brand new folded BT21 Happy Meal box, all packaged neatly in a large McDonald's paper bag. Everything was in perfect, pristine condition — not the slightest of dents or fingerprints was found on any box. Which leads me to think that this seller might work at a McDonald's and might be doing some less than savoury things... like maybe "rummaging" through the boxes holding the BT21 toys... But I am not here to judge because collectors like me rely on these slightly shady characters to get all the BTS-related figures that aren't available in their country! And in total, the cost of all 10 collectibles actually cost approximately 26 Happy Meals after shipping and duties, which is less than what I thought I would spend in person! I didn't get any actual food, mind you, but it did save me from out of control triglyceride levels, so I'm calling this a win!

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

Unboxing: The Body Shop Summer Haul

Okay, this is super random, but I was watching an ASMR video a couple months ago that featured some sort of relaxing sleep spray from The Body Shop, and I thought, "Wow, when was the last time I used anything from The Body Shop?" I would buy the odd loofah or hand cream in the 2010s, but had largely forgotten about this once ultra-giant bath chain from the UK. I remember I wanted to buy a couple things online during COVID, but saw that the Canadian website no longer offered online shopping or shipping, and I didn't care enough to do curbside pick-up at the mall, so I shopped elsewhere.

As an '80s baby born in Canada, The Body Shop was the go-to place to buy literally anything shower, bath, or skincare-related in the '90s and 2000s. (FYI, Bath & Body Works didn't come to Canada until 2008.) And this ASMR video reminded me that The Body Shop still exists, so I went to their website to see if they offered online shopping again. Not only have they revamped the entire website and made online shopping available again, but The Body Shop in Canada is now a fully Canadian-owned company! (Yay to supporting Canadian companies!) I had bought a variety of products because they were having a 40% off sitewide sale a few months ago, and I was incredibly impressed at the quality of quite literally everything I got. So when I got a notice that The Body Shop was having another 40% off sitewide sale for Canada Day, I hauled HARD. 

Guarana & Coffee Energising Cleanser, Edelweiss Cleansing Concentrate, and Vitamin C Daily Glow Cleansing Polish
Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, Camomile Jelly One-Step Cleanser, and Aloe Soothing Toner
Vitamin E Gentle Face Wash, Vitamin C Glow Revealing Microdermabrasion, and Peppermint Invigorating Foot Scrub
Banana Smooth & Shine Shampoo and Banana Smooth & Shine Conditioner
Shower Gel (750ml) in Mango, Satsuma, and Pink Grapefruit
Body Yogurt in Mango, Satsuma, and Pink Grapefruit
Dewberry Bath & Shower Gel, Dewberry Body Butter, Refreshing Passionfruit Shower Gel, and Refreshing Passionfruit Body Yogurt x 2

My face and body genuinely feel softer, smoother, and more hydrated after using their products (moving to a condo means using hard water, which means my eczema-prone skin gets even drier, itchier, and scalier), and best of all, I'm not allergic to anything! In comparison, I am allergic to almost all skin products from Bath & Body Works because of the scent ingredients they use. And I found out the hard way. I had developed little blisters on my hands that would itch like crazy and then pop and burst open into lesions and bleed out. I would get patches of eczema on my shins and forearms seemingly out of nowhere. And I had these for YEARS before an allergy test at the dermatologist determined that both Bath & Body Works hand soap and body soap were culprits. Suffice it to say, I would only go there to buy candles. And I don't use candles.

The Body Shop, which is celebrating their 50th anniversary (!!!) this year, is still supporting, utilizing, and emphasizing fair trade, ethically-sourced ingredients, and women empowerment. Not only that, but no one's doing scents like The Body Shop, which are pure, nostalgic delights. One whiff of Satsuma, and I am brought back to Christmas morning when I was 8. A sniff of White Musk, and I am in Grade 9 taking the subway to school. Of course, I picked up some newer items I'd never tried before as well, like the Guarana & Coffee face cleanser (it's apparently "for men," but I'm happy to report that it smells amazing and leaves my skin feeling clean and baby soft), Camomile jelly cleanser (takes off all my mascara and sunscreen like a cleansing balm but with a much more fluid, bouncy texture), and the Vitamin C face scrub (not harsh at all despite being called "microdermabrasion" and leaves my skin smoother than ever) that have officially entered my repeat buy list.

I'm sorry I abandoned you for so long, Body Shop. But I am back, and I am here to support you again.

Unboxing: BTS — ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl

I still don't know how I managed to get this on Weverse Shop because it sold out within literal minutes, but my copy of the ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl that was released for BTS FESTA this year finally arrived!

BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — With Clear Outer Sleeve
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Front
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Back
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Preview Reel Front
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Preview Reel Back
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Polaroid Photo Card Set
I really should look into getting a record player at some point... Then again, I don't have a CD player anymore, so...

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