Dining Out: Dim Sum Brunch at Luna Private Banquets

Starting my vacation week with a round of dim sum with Minji and Daniel at the newly-opened Luna Private Banquets:

Steamed shrimp dumplings (har gow)

Steamed pork and shrimp dumplings (siu mai)

Steamed BBQ pork buns

Deep-fried turnip patties

Steamed giant soup dumpling

Braised beef tendon

Steamed charcoal salted egg yolk buns

Everything we ordered — which is standard yum cha fare — was tasty, but pretty average for a good dim sum restaurant. We noticed that the size of each dumpling we ordered is smaller than average, but the portion per steamer is bigger. (For example, most dim sum places have four bigger har gow per steamer, whereas Luna has five smaller ones.) The only dish here that I found particularly notable and different was the deep-fried turnip patties, which are usually pan-fried. (Here, they cube them and deep-fry them so they're deliciously and addictively crunchy, and serve them with peanut and XO sauces.) That having been said, I personally prefer Casa Victoria and NKS Banquet Hall for dim sum, where the quality is excellent and the portions are bigger for the same price or cheaper.

The main draw here is that they only have private rooms, which means it's not deafeningly loud like at other dim sum places. However, the drawback to this is that they have a 1.5-hour seating limit per party, so if you're looking to spend an entire afternoon leisurely eating dim sum and drinking tea with your friends (like my mom does, for example), this is not the place for it. The hostesses at the front are somewhat rude and will ignore you even if you are right in front of their face, so be prepared to interrupt them to get anywhere with getting a table. (And yes, we had a reservation.) Strangely enough, once you get seated, all the servers are absolutely polite and attentive, so just get past the crappy people manning the front desk. Reservations are absolutely necessary, though, lest you want to wait an hour for a table, even on a weekday. (There were at least 15 people waiting for tables when we got there at 1:00PM on a Monday.)

The space looks upscale — sleek and modern with some traditional Chinese touches — which does set them apart from other dim sum restaurants which often look outdated, but this on its own is not enough for me to come here instead of my other go-to dim sum spots.

Luna Private Banquets

7225 Woodbine Ave., Unit East B

Markham, ON L3R 1A3

(905) 513-8989

Dining Out: Iced HK Milk Tea, Dong Po Rou Benny, and Korean Bulgogi Breakfast Poutine at Sugar Cafe and Lounge

Had the most impeccable brunch with Minji and Daniel (and baby Lillian) at the newly-opened Sugar Cafe and Lounge:

Iced HK milk tea

The iced HK milk tea, which features an iced tea mould in the shape of a cat in a lion dance costume (yes, just wrap your head around that for a sec), is the single cutest iteration of an iced tea I have ever seen in my life. (You're supposed to make a wish, kiss the "gold coin" on the top of its head, and then push the whole mould into the cup so it can dissolve into the rest of the tea. If I win the lottery, I will give this milk tea its dues.) Not only is it adorable, but it has a great deep tea flavour and a creamy consistency that somehow never seems diluted despite the ice. (The tea mould is truly genius.)

Dong Po Rou Benny: two thick cuts of classic Chinese pork belly with spinach on Japanese milk bread, topped with hollandaise sauce

Korean Bulgogi Breakfast Poutine: Beef bulgogi with a poached egg, cheese curds, and garlic home fries, topped with hollandaise sauce, sriracha mayo drizzle, sesame seeds, and green onion

Both Minji and I ordered the Dong Po Rou Benny, and it was phenomenal — the pork belly was soft and tender and intensely flavourful, which worked beautifully with the mellow flavours of the (perfectly) poached eggs and hollandaise. The Japanese milk bread toast is perfect here to absorb all the sauce and drippings to provide a perfect bite each time. It also comes with your choice of house salad or garlic home fries, but we decided on salads (which includes spring mix, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta with a delicious tangy-sweet creamy dressing) since we wanted to share the Korean Bulgogi Breakfast Poutine — which we were all absolutely delighted with. It not only came with a generous amount of (perfectly) marinated beef, but also includes actual cheese curds (!!!), and an incredible combination of Asian-influenced flavours. The hollandaise, mayo, and egg yolk provide an excellent amount of sauce that gravy would normally provide in a poutine, and the garlic home fries are just crispy enough that they never get soggy underneath all those toppings. Honestly, these two dishes are perfect examples of Asian fusion done right.

Service was notably excellent, too — our server was welcoming and cheerful without veering into annoying, and accommodating and attentive without hovering. She was always prepared for our needs, made delightful conversation without being cloying, gave compliments without seeming over-the-top — this woman is stacked with people skills and extremely experienced in customer service and genuinely deserves generous tips (unlike many, many, many other servers out there, who feel entitled to a minimum 18% tip for doing the bare minimum). According to our receipt, her name is Michelle, and SHE IS WONDERFUL. I will absolutely come back here, and hopefully soon — their entire menu looks incredible, and we had a truly delightful time today. And what sets Sugar Cafe apart from other brunch places is that brunch service doesn't end until 4:00PM every day (except Mondays, 'cause they're closed). This is especially nice for those of us who work Monday to Friday but really like to sleep in on weekends...

Sugar Cafe and Lounge

Times Square Richmond Hill

550 Highway 7, Building E, Floor 2, Unit 281

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z4

(647) 802-1268

Dining Out: Canada Day Dinner at Congee Queen

Celebrated Canada Day proper with a little fam jam this evening at Congee Queen — our go-to restaurant for not only special occasions but national holidays, too!

Thai-style green mango and tiger shrimp salad

General Tao chicken

Fried oysters with belacan sauce

Stir-fried beef and Chinese broccoli

Shrimp dumpling noodle soup

'Cause nothing says "Happy Birthday, Canada!" like a table full of delicious Chinese food. (Eaten at a restaurant, of course. There is no holiday or special occasion that could make my family actually cook at home.) Hope all my fellow Canadians had a lovely Canada Day!

Dining Out: Father's Day Dinner at Orient Bistro

Took my dad out for Father's Day dinner with the fam at Orient Bistro:

Crispy chicken

Jumbo shrimp with salted egg yolk

Sautéed garoupa filet with Chinese broccoli

Stir-fried oysters with Belacan sauce

Braised tofu with mushrooms

The food was delicious — the unanimous highlight was the salted egg yolk jumbo shrimp, which were plump and juicy with a great crispy texture on the outside and excellent flavour — but the portions definitely left something to be desired, especially considering the prices. Our general rule of thumb when ordering at Chinese restaurants is one dish per person, but we actually ordered five dishes for four people tonight so we thought we'd have plenty of leftovers; alas, there was nothing left to take home save for a small box of vegetables. Dinner was just shy of $200 before tip, and for that amount, we could definitely have gotten way more food with the same (or better) quality and way nicer presentation at a multitude of Chinese restaurants within a 5km radius. To be fair, my dad picked this location because it was the most central for all of us, but I'd definitely suggest going to NKS Banquet Hall or Starchiva Delight for a special occasion Chinese dinner next time.

Orient Bistro

Headford Place

10 Vogell Rd.

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3K4

(905) 237-1188

Dining Out: BBQ Eel Croissant, Duck Confit Pancakes, and Truffle Fries at NextDoor Restaurant

Met up with my mom to go look at my new car model (the new VW 2025 GTI just arrived in the showrooms) so we decided to have a little Saturday brunch moment beforehand at NextDoor:

BBQ Eel Croissant: unagi, 2 scrambled eggs, masago, tare sauce, baby spinach, and nori on a butter croissant

Duck Confit Pancakes: crispy duck leg, maple hoisin glaze, sunny-side up egg, green onions, and cashew crumble on a stack of pancakes

Truffle Fries with parmesan and garlic aioli

We usually come here in the evening, so I hadn't really explored NextDoor's brunch menu but am happy to report it's just as good as their dinner menu. The BBQ Eel Croissant is especially delicious; definitely a must-order if you like unagi. (Who knew I could get BBQ eel for breakfast?) The Duck Confit Pancakes have an incredible sweet-savoury flavour combo and the duck meat was nice and tender, but I do wish there was a little more of the maple hoisin sauce as the pancakes start getting a little dry. The Truffle Fries — a last minute addition because we saw another table having them — were surprisingly excellent. Not only do they have a good amount of truffle flavour (a lot of places skimp on the truffle oil), but the texture of these fries are perfect. Every single fry was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside even after sitting at the table for half an hour. SO GOOD, SO ADDICTIVE.

Man, I really need to get out for brunch more. 

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

Dining Out: Nam's Famous Dry Wings, Pork Vermicelli, and Vietnamese Beef Stew with Bread at Nam 2

Haven't been back to Nam 2 in nearly half a year because they are always so goddamn busy and I loathe waiting for a table when I'm hungry (hungry turns to hangry), but my mom and I actually managed to get a table without waiting (granted, it was very early evening before the dinner rush, but still) and feasted on some of my non-pho faves:

Nam's Famous Dry Wings with garlic, onions, and lime dip
Pork Vermicelli with onion oil, pickled veggies, bean sprouts, mint, peanuts, and deep fried pork nem
Vietnamese Beef Stew with brisket, carrots, tomato, onions, and basil, served with bread

Still my favourite Viet restaurant for the classics. I tend to order from them through Uber Eats when I want Vietnamese food, but everything just tastes better at the restaurant. However, I just discovered that they open until 2:00AM now! Another way to avoid the line-ups: go for midnight dinner instead.

Nam 2

8380 Kennedy Rd., Unit C7

Unionville, ON L3R 0W4

(905) 470-1271

Dining Out: Marinated Raw Shrimp and Crab, Boiled Pork Belly, Stir-Fried Kimchi and Pork with Tofu, and Fish Cake Soup at Anju Korean Kitchen

As I was casually strolling through Instagram, I came by a reel of the raw marinated seafood at the newly-opened Anju Korean Kitchen and sent it to my friend Minji, who was so excited about it that she immediately suggested it for our reunion lunch with Daniel and Samuel. (I say "suggest," but there really was no choice in this. We were gonna eat some goddamn raw marinated seafood and no one was going to stop us.)

Marinated raw shrimp (spicy + soy)

Marinated raw crab (spicy + soy)

Boiled pork belly with green onion kimchi

Stir-fried kimchi and pork with tofu

Fish cake soup

Entirely worth visiting for the seafood alone. There are tons of Korean restaurants in the Toronto area, but very, very few of them offer marinated raw seafood, and Anju's is excellent. (Minji, a seafood-obsessed Korean who hasn't been able to eat raw meat or seafood in nearly a year because she was pregnant, was ecstatically satisfied.) Basically, we've already decided to come back here ASAP. But if the line-up out the door is any indication, I suspect that the wait times for a table will only get longer after their grand opening...

Anju Korean Kitchen

7333 Woodbine Ave., Unit 4

Markham, ON L3R 1C4

(905) 205-1547

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: Mother's Day Dinner at NextDoor Restaurant

Took my mom out for Mother's Day dinner at one of our faves (and go-to special occasion spot), NextDoor Restaurant:

King Salmon Ssam Bap: Ora king salmon, salmon caviar, Asian pear, yuzu egg salad, furikake, and black tobiko on seasoned rice, served with toasted nori

Kurabuta Pork Tenderloin: Blue crab mousse, fondant potatoes, baby bok choy, gooseberries, and fig demi glace

Koji Chicken: Grilled koji marinated chicken thighs, creamy miso polenta, roasted portobello mushrooms, shishito peppers, and yuzu kosho

Triple Chocolate Parfait: Chocolate brownie, chocolate crumble, caramelized white chocolate, cashews, and vanilla ice cream

Both my mom and I thought the pork tenderloin could've used more seasoning to bring out the blue crab mousse, but the meat was perfectly cooked and went beautifully with the fig sauce. The highlights for me were the Koji Chicken, a new addition to their regular menu — incredible flavours and the most juicy, moist chicken I think I've ever had — and the King Salmon Ssam Bap, which I hope gets added into the regular rotation as well. (The ssam bap, pork tenderloin, and chocolate parfait were all from the Mother's Day menu, so they're currently limited edition dishes.) As usual, we had a great time at NextDoor. The food is always delicious, always unique, and always changing, which is why we love it here.

I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! 

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

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: Mother's Day Dinner at Starchiva Delight

My dad invited my mom and I out for a little pre-Mother's Day dinner at Starchiva Delight:

Soy sauce chicken

Sweet and sour pork

Grouper fillet tossed with king oyster mushrooms and snap peas

Stir-fried grouper in black bean sauce

The food was delicious, flavourful but not too salty; the prices were reasonable for the portions; service was attentive and very friendly; and aside from the requisite dessert soup, they also gave us (genuinely tasty) chocolate mousse cake and vanilla cheesecake, which is honestly unheard of at a Chinese restaurant. Most importantly, even my mom had nothing to complain about.

Starchiva Delight

8750 Bayview Ave., Unit 14 - 15

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4V9

(289) 588-3083

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

Dining Out: Wonton and Beef Brisket Noodle Soup at Wonton Hut

There's one place that I go to eat at least twice a month and that is Wonton Hut.

Wonton and beef brisket noodle soup

For some reason, I never post about it, maybe because it's so ingrained into my dining routine, like fast food for some people. But they make, in my opinion, one of the best wonton noodle soups in all of the GTA. Honestly, better than the ones I've had in Hong Kong. (To be fair, it's owned and run by Hong Kongers, but still.) I always get the wonton noodle soup, sometimes with flat rice noodles instead of the typical Chinese egg noodles or with beef brisket added in, but it is ALWAYS delicious. Their wontons are made in-house and are huge and plump and filled with whole shrimp, and the broth is flavourful and perfectly salted. Anyway, the weather is gloomy AF today (it is April and we quite literally have had an ice storm and freezing rain — indeed, Canadian spring is a joke), so I decided to get a bowl of wonton and beef brisket noodle soup (with some Chinese broccoli on the side) — one of my ultimate comfort foods.

Wonton Hut

Markham Town Square

3760 Highway 7, Unit 2A

Markham, ON L3R 0N2

(905) 604-9060

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