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

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 — 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

Dining Out: A Belated Birthday Dinner at Kiu

Indeed, I am still celebrating my birthday over a month later.

My friend Ronsee has taken me out for dinner for my birthday every year for over a decade, but he was in Halifax for a friend's wedding this year. With his work schedule, taking care of a one-year-old, and moving house, he doesn't have a lot of free time these days. So when he randomly asked if I was free for dinner on this Tuesday night, I immediately replied that I was. (To be fair, I am usually free outside of Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 5:00. The perks of having no spouse and no children.) I had been craving sushi, so I decided on Kiu, which is close to both of our workplaces. I hadn't been there since before the pandemic, but remember it being really good — better than the average Japanese eatery around here, but less fancy than an omakase restaurant (like Zen or ATO). 

Assorted sashimi (3 kinds, 6 pieces of chef's choice)
Beef tataki with sweet garlic sauce 
Tuna tartare with anchovies and shiso leaf
Ebi gyoza with chives and green onions
Takoyaki with mayo, bonito flakes, and aosa seaweed
Black cod marinated with saikyo yuzu miso
A5 Wagyu sukiyaki with tofu, veggies, and onsen egg
Assorted tempura (2 shrimp and 3 seasonal vegetables)
Assorted nigiri (7 pieces of chef's choice and toro handroll)
Matcha lava cake with mixed berry sauce

We wanted a good variety of dishes since we were going to share everything, so we decided to go for one prix fixe menu (which includes the sashimi, sukiyaki, tempura, nigiri, and dessert), and then added two seasonal items (the ebi gyoza and the takoyaki), plus three items from their permanent menu (beef tataki, tuna tartare, and black cod). I'm happy to report that Kiu has not diminished in quality since I last visited, which I think was maybe six or seven years ago — everything was fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. The sashimi and nigiri were impeccable, of course, but if I had to pick some other highlights, they'd probably be the takoyaki, black cod, and sukiyaki. But there wasn't a dud in the bunch, which is really saying something since we went through 10 different dishes. I think on my quest to try more new restaurants over the last several years, I kind of forgot about Kiu, which is really an oversight on my part. In a city where eateries close after only a year or two (especially in this downtown area), it's really telling that Kiu is still around after a decade. 

Three hours later (we had a lot to catch up on) and sushi craving curbed, I had another truly excellent belated birthday dinner. And that's the last one for this year, I swear. Onward to all the winter holiday meals!

Kiu

169 Enterprise Blvd., 2F

Markham, ON L6G 0E7

(905) 475-6348

Dining Out: An Early Birthday Dinner at Watercolour

I'd wanted to try Watercolour for a couple years now but kept forgetting about it because newer restaurants kept opening up, so when my mom asked where I wanted to go for this year's birthday dinner, I decided it was finally time to try it out. And I can't believe it took me so long to finally eat there.

Beets and goat cheese with roasted walnuts, shallots, dill, and champagne vinaigrette
Daily special: PEI mussels with leeks in white wine cream sauce
Daily special: Halibut with chickpeas and Swiss chard
Red wine braised short rib with rigatoni, Calabrian chili, and parmesan
Lemon meringue tart

We decided to go with two dishes from the regular menu and two from the daily specials. Impeccable combinations of flavours and textures in every dish. Not a single dud or disappointment. Just swooning after every bite. (I wish I had been paying more attention to what was in the daily specials, but I was so freaking hungry and excited at the prospect of eating that I only took in the key words, so forgive me for the lack of detail in the descriptions. Like, the red, aromatic, slightly spicy sauce with the halibut? I have no idea what it is. But it was fucking delicious.) Even when our server — who was incredible, by the way; professional but with a great sense of humour, attentive but not cloying — came by with our mains, he said, "That looks so, so good." 

He asked if it was a special occasion, so I told him it was my birthday and he lit a little candle to go with our dessert — the best lemon meringue pie I've ever had in my life. (Already knowing the answer, he did ask, while chuckling, if I wanted him to sing happy birthday, and I said, also smiling, "Absolutely not, but thank you.") Even my mom, who is notoriously critical, had nothing negative to say about this dinner. We both had nothing but praise for the food and the service. It was a truly incredible meal. So glad I finally got to try Watercolour. It's pricey, so it's firmly in the "special occasions" category, but I will absolutely be coming back. Wonder if they're open for Christmas…

Watercolour

166 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G9

(905) 266-6877

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: A Belated Birthday All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Feast at Ichiban

When my friend Iris asked where I'd want to go for a belated birthday dinner, I was craving Japanese food but also just wanted to eat a lot, so what better place than Ichiban, my go-to AYCE Japanese restaurant?

Assorted sashimi: Salmon, surf clams, sweet shrimp, scallops, and white tuna

Beef tataki

Smoked duck and wagyu aburi sushi

Truffle wasabi tuna roll with jalapeño

Assorted aburi sushi: White tuna, snapper, shrimp, salmon, eel, and wagyu

Japanese-style cubed beef with garlic

Deep-fried scallops

Grilled jumbo shrimp skewer

Cream puffs

Deep-fried coconut custard

There was also steamed shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, Japanese steamed egg, enoki beef rolls, baked mussels with uni sauce, deep-fried calamari, deep-fried tofu, and a plethora of tempura. Unfortunately, we were too full to even touch the Asian stir-fried and noodle and rice sections, but you know, I think we did pretty well overall. GLUTTONOUS BIRTHDAY DINNER, SUCCESS!

Ichiban Asian All You Can Eat

4261 Highway 7, Unit C-8

Markham, ON L3R 9W6

(905) 305-8825

Dining Out: A Gourmet Cantonese Birthday Dinner at Lobster Port

I had a great birthday. I did have to go to work, but my co-worker bought me lunch (I chose Tamago Jirou because I was in a Japanese egg sandwich kind of mood), I left at 4:00PM to get a glorious massage at Lumi Spa, and then had a delectable Chinese feast with Minji, Daniel, Samuel, and Carmen at Lobster Port:

Soy sauce free range chicken

Stir-fried lobster in Hong Kong style

Stir-fried AAA beef tenderloin with garlic, snow peas, yellow zucchini, and mushrooms

Snow pea leaves in broth with goji berries

Lobster tomalley and seafood fried rice

And after all that deliciousness, we decided to exercise our mental skills at Omventure, where we managed to complete the Dark Altar escape room with 5 minutes to spare and realized just how stellar our teamwork is. (Also, I haven't done an escape room in over a decade, and they have gotten super immersive and high tech. We're already planning our next outing.) A great evening with some of my favourite people! 

Lobster Port

7501 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 2W1

(905) 597-8508

Dining Out: Early Birthday Dinner Sushi Gozen at Zen Japanese Restaurant

My friend Ronsee took me out for an early birthday dinner at Zen, where we indulged in their seasonal multi-course menu, the Dinner Sushi Gozen:

Taro rice puff with chicken, snap pea, carrot, and maitake mushroom

Chawanmushi with shrimp, chicken, mushroom, and ikura

Maguro (bluefin tuna), madai (sea bream), ocean trout, and hotate (scallop) nigiri

Shrimp and vegetable tempura

Anago (conger eel) tempura

Otoro (fatty tuna), uni and ikura (sea urchin and salmon roe), kampachi (amberjack), and anago nigiri

Toro temaki (tuna hand roll)

Soy milk ice cream with mochi, anko, amd kuromitsu

Birthday dessert: Japanese citrus and strawberry sorbets

Maybe it's because it's been a while since I've had sushi, but my god, this dinner was phenomenal. Gorgeous, fresh, succulent pieces of fish, beautifully assembled and presented. Crispy, golden, perfectly battered tempura. A light, sweet, and balanced dessert to finish. They even presented me with an extra dessert for my birthday, two deliciously fruity, refreshing sorbets that I wish I could buy in pints to eat at home. What a spectacular experience. And, dare I say, the sushi here was better than any I had in Japan...

Zen Japanese Restaurant

7634 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 2N2

(905) 604-7211