Unboxing: The Body Shop Winter Haul

Since my summer haul several months ago, I have fully converted back to being a Body Shop user (which, in Canada, is now 100% Canadian-owned!). So far, I haven't bought anything I didn't like or, in some cases, completely love, and the best part? I'm not allergic to any of it! (Knock on wood.) So I have been waiting for another 40% off sale to stock up for winter. (They've had many sales and discounts since July, of course, but none of them are as good as 40% off.) Finally, they had a four-day "Pre-Black Friday Sale" last week, so I took the opportunity to try some new anti-aging skincare (because I am turning 40 and, though I don't look it, I figure I could do with some preventative measures) and seasonal body products.

Edelweiss Cleansing Concentrate, Edelweiss Prep Essence, Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate, Edelweiss Smoothing Day Cream, and Edelweiss Intense Smoothing Cream
Vitamin C Daily Glow Cleansing Polish, Vitamin C Glow Revealing Microdermabrasion, Vitamin E Moisturising Toner, and Vitamin E Barrier Boost Cream
Cranberry Shower Gel, Cranberry Body Yogurt, Matcha Shower Cream, and Matcha Body Milk Lotion
The Body Shop has officially released their holiday scents for this year. I knew I would love the Cranberry because I like fresh, tart, fruity scents, and I knew I would skip the Gingerbread because I don't like smelling like cookies. Which is why I was initially hesitant to try the new Matcha collection because it's actually supposed to be matcha and white chocolate which doesn't sound particularly appealing to me. But when I read the reviews, people said it actually smells kind of citrusy, which intrigued me. And lo and behold, it smells kind of like a lemon pie... but with, like, a hint of pine. It's actually a very fresh, more delicate scent than what I'd expect from anything with white chocolate. Basically, it doesn't smell anything like matcha or white chocolate, and I'm kinda obsessed with it.

Dewberry Bath & Shower Gel, Dewberry Body Yogurt, and Dewberry Body Butter
Satsuma Jumbo Shower Gel, and Cleansing Face & Body Bars in Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma, and Strawberry
They're also having a promotion where you get a free jumbo shower gel of your choice with any purchase over $120. I ended up choosing Satsuma because it's the most nostalgic to me, but also because I find it to be a great all-year-round scent. (It's fresh and juicy, so it's great for summer, but mandarins are also such a big part of Christmas and Chinese New Year that it reminds me of winter, too.) That having been said, I haven't even opened up the jumbo Satsuma shower gel I bought in July, so basically, I have enough shower products to last me until 2028...

BTS EPISODE: iHeartRadio Music Festival 2026 Sketch

Okay, Yoongi stays winning because having Jungkook as your personal back scratcher is pretty much the biggest flex, ever.

Take Out: Coconut Green Grape Boba Mochi from Mochi Lab

Since Iris and I were already in the area, it would've been churlish not to stop by Mochi Lab.

Coconut Green Grape Boba Mochi with coconut egg roll crumbs
It was Iris' first time there, so she got the Mango Pomelo Mochi, which is what I got last time and highly recommended to her because she is also a mango fiend. Since I am making my way through the whole menu, I decided to get the Coconut Green Grape Boba Mochi ($12.99 + tax) with coconut egg roll crumbs this time. Iris had to go to a family dinner, so we took our mochi home rather than eating it right away, and I put it in the fridge overnight.

Coconut Green Grape Boba Mochi with coconut egg roll crumbs
I did eat it within the recommended 24-hour window, but of course, mochi loses its a lot of its pillowy, stretchy texture after being refrigerated. (That's on me, though, not on them.) That having been said, it was still tasty — the grapes were big, fresh, crisp, and not too sweet. The egg roll crumbs worked beautifully with the grapes, adding a hint of coconut and a nice crunch. The popping boba also lends a great contrast to all the other flavours and textures, though I wish they were more generous with it like they are with the fruit.

Coconut Green Grape Boba Mochi with coconut egg roll crumbs

My only real qualm about this one is that the grapes just weren't sweet enough to work against the cream cheese filling. While I think mango pairs perfectly with it because it brings out just enough tang from the cream cheese, the grapes are too mild and makes the cream cheese taste significantly saltier. I think this one would've worked better with a whipped cream or maybe a mild ricotta filling like in cannoli. In fact, Mochi Lab just came out with a yogurt cream filling two days ago at their Scarborough location for those who don't want cream cheese, and they recommend it with the Green Grape Mochi, so I might have to try this one again... You know, for research.

Mochi Lab

10 Northtown Way, Unit 112

North York, ON M2N 7L4

(416) 225-8885

Dining Out: Korean Comfort Food Buffet at BUNSIK84

After seeing so much hype around the newly-opened BUNSIK84, the first all-you-can-eat Korean comfort food buffet restaurant in Toronto, Iris and I decided to check it out today for a super late lunch.

DIY tteokbokki with classic rice cakes, wheat rice cakes, chicken wieners, green onions, cabbage, enoki mushrooms, fried tofu pouches, and a boiled egg
First things first: DIY tteokbokki. Once you get a table, you start your journey at the tteokbokki station because it's the one thing that they actually have to cook separately for you. On top of three different types of rice cakes and four types of noodles, they have a pretty big selection of ingredients for you to choose from. I got a mix of classic and wheat rice cakes, chicken wieners, green onions, cabbage, enoki mushrooms, fried tofu pouches, and a boiled egg. I then gave the server my bowl of raw ingredients, chose the sauce I wanted (I went with the classic sauce in mild), and she took it to the kitchen to get it cooked. (Note: certain sauces and "premium" toppings have an additional charge, so pay attention to the menu.)

Our tteokbokki arrived at our table about five minutes later and this was the star of the show for me. It was honestly my perfect bowl of tteokbokki with my ideal ratio of rice cakes to veggies to protein. Though some might find it boring, I thought the mild original sauce was delicious and had the perfect amount of spice for me — but note that "mild spicy" does not mean no spice. Iris got hers with the mild rosé sauce, but as someone who cannot handle any spice, she thought it was too spicy and couldn't enjoy it as much as she wanted because her whole mouth was on fire (even though I thought hers was quite delicious). So, be cautious when picking your sauce.

Gimmari, garlic soy Korean fried chicken, buttered corn, two types of gimbap, and sundae

In the prepared foods area, there are three chafing dishes with two different items in each one. I got a plate of all the offerings from the prepared foods section: gimmari, garlic soy Korean fried chicken (they change the flavour every week), buttered corn, crab gimbap and spicy fish cake gimbap (which they also change every week), and sundae. Everything was pretty good, but I do wish the food was hotter — when we got there, the chafing dishes weren't heated and we only saw them lighting them after more customers came in. I understand why — there were only two other customers when we arrived and heating food constantly can make it lose its integrity faster — but, still, we're all paying the same price to eat there.

Sadly, after my giant bowl of tteokbokki and one plate of the prepared foods, I was way too full to try the jumeokbap or ramyeon stations. But we did manage to squeeze in some tasty chocolate-vanilla soft serve and a cup of sweet creamy coffee for dessert before leaving. Our total after tax and tip was just over $25 per person, which I actually thought was quite reasonable given that an order of tteokbokki at most Korean restaurants these days is already $20 on its own. However, since neither Iris nor I live near Yonge and Sheppard, this visit to BUNSIK84 was a novelty and not somewhere we'd go regularly. It's definitely a fun, unique, and interactive experience, though, so I do recommend checking it out. But take note: When we got there around 3:00PM, it was empty except for one table, but within 30 minutes, there were at least 5 or 6 more tables filled. So definitely expect a wait during prime meal times.

BUNSIK84

4895 Yonge St.

North York, ON M2N 5N4

(416) 223-1117

Dining Out: Burrata & Prosciutto and Fusilli Beef Tenderloin & Mushrooms in Peppercorn Cream Sauce at Il Postino

It has been nearly two years since I've been to Il Postino because I had, admittedly, been cheating on them with Costa Sorrento for my Italian food needs. But since Chelsea and I were going to be visiting Main Street Unionville, anyway, it would've been churlish not to make a reservation for dinner at Il Postino.

Burrata & Prosciutto
Crusty rosemary Italian bread drizzled with olive oil
Daily pasta special: Fusilli with beef tenderloin, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes in a peppercorn cream sauce

As per usual, we shared our favourite burrata and prosciutto to start (mostly because it's consistently delicious, but partly because Chelsea, who has many food allergies, can actually eat it), which I absolutely slathered all over the complimentary olive oil-drizzled, crusty rosemary bread (which Chelsea unfortunately can't eat, so I basically ate the whole loaf by myself with absolutely NO REGRETS). For our mains, both Chelsea and I got the daily pasta special: fusilli (gluten-free penne for Chelsea) with beef tenderloin, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy peppercorn sauce. Topped with parmesan and chili oil — it was absolutely DIVINE.

After my last visit to Costa Sorrento, which was surprisingly disappointing, I will say that for what they offer in variety, Il Postino makes up for in consistency. Il Postino's permanent menu consists of 24 dishes that has not changed in the last decade and they limit daily specials to three (usually a pasta, a meat dish, and a seafood dish) but they execute each one exceptionally well, and I will say that in the last 15 or so years, I have never been disappointed in their food (or service). So, I'm sorry I cheated on you, Il Postino. I promise to come back more often.

Il Postino

186 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G9

(905) 940-1555

Take Out: Lorelai's Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte at Nisa's Cakes and Cafe + A Little Gilmore Girls Self-Guided Tour

It is officially fall, which means I have started my annual Gilmore Girls marathon (a tradition I started in 2001 because I had recorded all of Season 1 on VHS to tide me over until Season 2 — of course, there are 7 seasons and a four-part miniseries on Netflix now so it takes a lot longer to marathon, but I AM STILL DEDICATED). My friend Chelsea, who I introduced to Gilmore Girls during COVID and is now similarly obsessed, sent me an IG post about a Gilmore Girls event at Nisa's Cakes and Cafe, where they are serving Gilmore Girls-themed drinks for the month of October. Nisa's is actually located on Main Street Unionville, where they filmed the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls, and since I live 5 minutes from there, Chelsea and I decided to check it out and then do a little Gilmore Girls self-guided tour.

"Stars Hollow at Nisa's" sandwich board menu
"Stars Hollow at Nisa's" chalkboard drink menu
We got to Nisa's around 5:15PM and it was INSANELY BUSY. Like, line-up-out-the-door busy. Granted, it is a very small space so it fills up pretty fast, but I just wasn't expecting that many people to be there. Like, the three small tables were obviously filled, but there were at least 15 people in line with another 10 people waiting for their drinks. Still, we lined up because we're die-hards, took some photos of the cute Gilmore Girls-themed decor (this cafe event had to have been sanctioned by whatever authority handles the Gilmore Girls brand, but I'm surprised that there hasn't been more of these types of events over the years), and after a 20-minute wait, it was finally our turn to order.

"Luke's" drink station signage
"Luke's" classic books signage
Stars Hollow location signs
Lorelai's Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte
Both Chelsea and I decided to get Lorelai's Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte — "espresso and milk spiced to match Lorelai's beloved brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts" — inspired by Season 6, Episode 3 ("The UnGraduate"). There's actually no pricing or sizes on any of the menus for the Gilmore Girls drinks, but our lattes were $10 each (plus tax) and the hot versions only come in 12oz. cups. It was another 15-minute wait before we got our actual drinks (and it was so busy that they actually forgot to put "Luke's" stickers on our cups until we asked for them, which is kinda crazy considering they're charging $10 per drink). Still, the latte was, admittedly, very, very good. It had a strong espresso flavour and was surprisingly not too sweet, but had a definite cinnamon aroma to it. $10 is insanely steep for a latte of this size and caliber, but I would still recommend it over any of the Starbucks lattes, which just taste like milk regardless of which one you order.

Lorelai's route in Main Street Unionville
150 Main St. Unionville — Rose Gold Design & Build
We then took our lattes on a little self-guided Gilmore Girls tour, stopping by some of the spots that appeared in the pilot episode. Now, granted, I've walked down Main Street Unionville dozens and dozens of times in the last 39 years (my mom's music store was literally down the street from here, so my parents used to take us around Toogood Pond to feed the ducks and afternoon walks around the park when we were kids and I took art classes at Varley Art Gallery for many summers), but I guess I never took the time to actually stop at the spots that were shown in Gilmore Girls. 

139 Main St. Unionville — Unionville Planing Mill
139 Main St. Unionville — Unionville Planing Mill Gazebo
159 Main St. Unionville — Crock-A-Doodle
So we took Lorelai's route in the opening scene of the pilot. We passed by the church that is now an interior design showroom, and stopped by the Unionville Planing Mill sign which was used as the "Welcome to Stars Hollow" sign, and the little gazebo in front of the planing mill building (home to one of my favourite Markham restaurants, NextDoor) that apparently served as inspiration for the Stars Hollow town gazebo. We also stopped by the building that was used as the original Luke's in the pilot — it was most recently a questionable Chinese med spa — but it's currently vacant and looks really run-down and was frankly not worth taking a picture of (it's also on sale for $1 right now). However, the Crock-A-Doodle across the street — which is always busy — had some Luke's logos painted on their window, so I took a photo of that instead.

And that, friends, was our Gilmore Girls pilgrimage.

Nisa's Cakes and Cafe

209 Main St. Unionville, Unit 4

Unionville, ON L3R 2G8

(647) 928-0684

BTS VLOG: V's Vlog — 3 Days in LA

Man, they are so lucky that Jin loves fishing. Frankly, I think being able to catch two fish so big that they can get over 100 servings of sashimi is more impressive than that insanely fancy house. Sigh, I love BTS food content. 

HAPPY JIMIN DAY 2026! 🐥

(Photo source: BTS Official X)
To Bangtan's King of Duality, ARMY's cutie sexy lovely, and my second ultimate bias — happy 31st birthday! Thank you for your unparalleled stage presence and charisma; for being the most captivating, elegant, emotive, and fluid dancer in the industry; for your intense work ethic and passion for performance; for your incredible care and love for your members and your fans; for your eternal kindness and humility; for your striking beauty that affects men and women alike; and for having the most angelic voice I've ever heard. You are the very embodiment of poetry in motion and it has been a pleasure watching you grow up. Here's wishing you an amazing birthday with as much love, humour, and beauty as you give to the world. 💜

Run BTS! 2.0: BTS in Toronto Ep. 2

Yoongi: "Why is this actually so exciting? I think pickleball might be our thing!"

Yoongi: "I just need to move as little as possible."

Yoongi: "I just stood there and still lost!"

Yoongi: "That really just now was really good. Honestly, that was pretty cool."

Yoongi: "I think we might've… finally… found a ball sport for us!"

You know, despite moving the least, I think Yoongi enjoyed pickleball more than anyone else.

Dining Out: Thanksgiving Dinner 2026 at Swiss Chalet

As per Thanksgiving tradition, I spent the day binge-watching Season 1 of Gilmore Girls and then went for dinner with my mom at Swiss Chalet. We got there just before 6:00PM so we didn't have to wait for a table, but we did notice an increase in big families there, so clearly more and more people are realizing that cooking Thanksgiving dinner at home is totally not worth it. (Which is fair. Also, chicken is honestly just so much better than turkey.)

Chalet chicken soup
Thanksgiving Feast: Quarter rotisserie chicken with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, and dinner roll
Pumpkin pie

We got the Thanksgiving Feast, of course, but this is the first year that they wouldn't let us add an extra quarter chicken to make a double-leg dinner (which is what we do every year because a quarter chicken dinner is never enough for us). Not sure if it's because the kitchen wouldn't have enough dark meat for other customers (in this area, people generally prefer dark meat to white meat, which is fair, because same) or if the management changed and they can't figure out how to charge the Thanksgiving Feast with an extra quarter chicken (which, frankly, would make them morons), so I'm hoping it's the former. I ended up getting the chicken soup to start instead, which is somewhat overpriced at $5.99 per bowl, but is always tasty and comforting. And, hey, they do have to use all that extra white meat they don't sell.

I obviously got the pumpkin pie for dessert because it's the only time of year that I can get it, and as per tradition, I am left wishing I got the pecan or apple pie instead because apparently I never learn that pumpkin pie is always better in theory than execution. Anyway, I hope my fellow Canadians had a safe and delicious Thanksgiving!

Swiss Chalet

Markville Mall

5070 Highway 7

Markham, ON L3R 4M9

(905) 305-1809

Take Out: Mango Pomelo Mochi from Mochi Lab

So, this is super random, but when I went to see my optometrist (who is a pretty hardcore foodie) last month, we started talking about restaurants in Koreatown North because I told her about my BTS food pilgrimage, and she highly, highly recommended Mochi Lab. In fact, she recommended it more than any other eatery in the area, and she's eaten almost everywhere along Yonge Street from Finch to Sheppard. I mentioned this to Minji who, as it turns out, is also obsessed with Mochi Lab, so since we were in the area, she insisted to take me there for my first visit.

Mango Pomelo mochi with butter crunch crumbs

Mochi Lab is a tiny take out-only shop that houses a little kitchen, a small prep area, a counter partition, and a very narrow front area that has just enough room for a kiosk to order from and maybe four to five people to stand in. We got there around 4:00PM and there was a constant line-up at the kiosk, though this must've been a "slow" period because some reviews have said that the wait is over 30 minutes, but both Minji and I got ours within five minutes. Now, they recommend eating their mochi within 24 hours, but it's obviously ideal to eat them right away to get maximum freshness. However, there's no room in the store to eat these, so you have to go elsewhere. Luckily, there are a lot of random parks and playgrounds in this area, so there's actually plenty of choice for benches and cement blocks to sit on. Thus, we took headed over to an empty playground so Daniel could play with Lillian and Minji and I could devour our mochi. 

Mango Pomelo mochi with butter crunch crumbs

I decided to get the Mango Pomelo Mochi ($13.99 + tax), which consists of fresh mango and pomelo layered in cream cheese, all wrapped in mochi and then coated in my choice of butter crunch crumbs. Apparently, they used to just wrap their mochi up in parchment paper so they got messy real fast, but they put them in wax paper-lined bowls with lids now and provide forks, so it's much easier to eat (and store, if you aren't eating it right away). Now, I will be the first to admit that these are not photogenic. But for what they lack in looks, they totally make up for in UTTER DELICIOUSNESS. 

The mochi itself is super soft, super pillowy, and super stretchy with just the perfect amount of chew. It is wrapped tightly around a very generous mound of filling — I counted no less than six giant chunks of mango. Mine actually didn't have a lot of pomelo in it, so it was definitely more mango-forward, but I'm not mad about it because, frankly, I got this more for the mango than the pomelo. The cream cheese filling is mild and fluffy, and I think the slight salty tang tempers the ultra-sweet fruit really well. It is expensive for what it is, but in a city where we pay $8 for bubble tea now, I actually think $15 is fair for what I got — especially since the mochi is bigger than my palm. That having been said, I'm glad I don't live near here because my diabetic ass would be tempted to get one every damn day...

Mochi Lab

10 Northtown Way, Unit 112

North York, ON M2N 7L4

(416) 225-8885

Dining Out: Half and Half Mandu, Bossam Kalguksu, and Haemul Pajeon at OnGi Korean Noodle & Soup

There's a new Korean noodle restaurant that just opened up in Koreatown North called OnGi that I've been seeing all over IG, and as I was in the middle of drooling, I sent one of the reels over to Minji to make plans to eat there immediately. And what better time to go than during Thanksgiving long weekend?

Half and half mandu (kimchi and pork with vegetables)

We ordered the half and half mandu (that includes three kimchi dumplings and three pork and veg dumplings) and the haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) to share, and then Daniel and I both decided on the bossam kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup with steamed pork) while Minji got the tteokguk (rice cake soup). They also give each table a big container of geotjeori kimchi which is crisp, sweet, garlicky, and ULTRA-ADDICTIVE. Eat it with everything. You won't regret it.

The mandu are huge and plump and — most importantly — retain their moisture. I find that once mandu cool down, they get kinda grainy and dry, but these ones don't. I preferred the kimchi ones as the pork ones were just a little too bland for me (though Daniel preferred the pork ones because he can't eat spice and Minji liked both equally, so it's really subjective here), but overall, the mandu here are delicious. You can add two mandu to any bowl of noodles for $4.99, but an order of six is $15.95, so if you have people to share with or just have a really hearty appetite, it's well worth it to get a full order.

Bossam kalguksu
Next, the noodles. The pièce de résistance, and for good reason. The kalguksu here is SUBLIME. Smooth and springy with a great chew and overall mouthfeel. They're served in a rich, flavourful, perfectly salted, almost milky beef broth that is so addictive that I actually drank half the broth on its own once I finished the noodles. This is noteworthy because I usually leave the broth due to sodium overload but IT IS WORTH EVERY DAMN SIP HERE. Also the bossam is soft and tender and juicy and flavourful, and will absolutely up your kalguksu game. This bowl of noodles was worth every goddamn penny, and if I were in any way poetic, I would write an ode for it.

Haemul pajeon

Finally, the haemul pajeon arrived. The variation here is thicker than the usual pajeon, but also way more jam-packed with seafood and green onions. It seems like it was double-battered just to hold the sheer amount of ingredients in it, because it had a phenomenally crunchy texture, almost as if it was deep-fried. Basically, it's a HEFTY boy and Minji and I agreed — it's our new favourite haemul pajeon in the city. (Her toddler also agreed with an "MMMM!!!") If you prefer thin or floppier pajeon, then you might not enjoy this one as much... but frankly, it's worth trying, anyway. And you'll also have lunch for the next day because you will absolutely have leftovers.

Overall, the portions are great, value is excellent, service is friendly and efficient, and the space is cozy and spotlessly clean. It currently holds a 4.9 rating on Google, and I actually think it's well-deserved. (Note: We got there around 2:45PM today and didn't have to wait for a table, but there was a steady stream of customers for the entire hour that we were there. So if you're coming on a weekend day, I would definitely avoid prime meal hours if you don't want to line-up.)

OnGi Korean Noodle & Soup

5529 Yonge St.

North York, ON M2N 5S3

(647) 435-2700

Run BTS! 2.0: BTS in Toronto Ep. 1

• Yoongi speed-walking like a grandpa is the cutest thing I have ever seen. 
• Jungkook is truly a genius-level troll.
• Yoongi self-eliminating to avoid having to play a game is the most Yoongi-coded thing I've ever seen.  
• The unbridled laughter of these seven men playing children's games is the ultimate balm to soothe the soul. 
• Sorry, but poutine without cheese curds is not poutine. 
• Yoongi, Jin, and Jimin are wrong about avocados, but I guess everyone has to be wrong sometimes. 
• The "I'll think about it" debate is truly dependent on context. If a friend asked me, "Do you want to see the Backstreet Boys next year?" I'd reply, "I'll think about it," because I'd actually need to think about it. But if a co-worker asked me, "Do you want to go to the Christmas party?" I'd reply, "I'll think about it," but what I really mean is, "No."
• I love that "X-nailing" a mosquito bite is universal.
• I would 100% rather wash someone else than have someone wash me, unless I absolutely had no choice (like, as Namjoon says, I broke all my limbs). But if I were a BTS member? I could really go either way...
• I love that they've been idols for so long that they would have to discuss with their protocol team on how to handle a situation wherein one of their members turned into a zombie.
• My god. I haven't laughed this much in a very long time. My cheeks hurt. My eyes have sweat actual tears. I have missed Run BTS! so fucking much.

BTS VLOG: RM's Trip to Niagara Falls

I am so glad Namjoon found the time to do such quality Namjooning in Canada. 🥰🇨🇦

ARIH Dual Biotic Soda in Red Ruby Galore, Clear Lemon, and Peach Mango Horizon + Energy Drink in Tropical Wave, Lemon Crest, and Orange Hour

Okay, so ARIH's drinks were finally released in Canada at the end of August. This was actually sooner than I had anticipated since brands have to adhere to Canada's packaging (all wording has to be bilingual in English and French) as well as Health Canada's regulations (on top of approving all ingredients, they've added warning labels at the top right corner of all food/drink packaging if the product is high in sugar, cholesterol, etc.). Like the ARIH noodles, the drinks seem to be exclusive to PC (President's Choice) retailers here, like Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

I originally wasn't going to get the drinks because I thought they were going to be insanely high in sugar, but when Iris was at Loblaws getting them and asked if I wanted any, I asked her to take photos of the nutritional value tables for me. And surprise of all surprises — the Dual Biotic Sodas are only 20 calories with 1 gram of sugar and the Energy Drinks are only 10 calories with 0 grams of sugar (!!!). This is TREMENDOUSLY good news for those who are health-conscious, diabetic, or just watching their sugar intake in general. Basically: I CAN DRINK THESE!!!

ARIH Dual Biotic Soda in Red Ruby Galore, Clear Lemon, and Peach Mango Horizon
I asked Iris to get me two of each flavour. Like the noodles, ARIH have only released three flavours for each drink type in Canada instead of all seven. (Hoping this is for market testing only and not the permanent line-up here.) So for the Dual Biotic Soda, we got Red Ruby Galore, Clear Lemon, and Peach Mango Horizon; for the Energy Drink, we got Tropical Wave, Lemon Crest, and Orange Hour. They're currently retailing for $2.49 per can, which is actually on par with independent pop brands and cheaper than most energy drink brands. Basically, I think the pricing is very fair, though I do wish they would sell them by case instead of by can. (Indeed, Iris, who also got two of each flavour for herself, had to place a total of 24 cans on the supermarket conveyor belt to be scanned and had to bag them all by herself. I did thank her profusely.)

Now, having had all of September to try these, I will say: I like the Dual Biotic Sodas more than the Energy Drinks. There wasn't a single flavour of the Dual Biotic Sodas that I didn't like, though the Red Ruby Galore ended up being my favourite. While the sodas are obviously carbonated, they have a very smooth, almost milky finish — closer to a can of Milkis than Sprite. I'm guessing this is because of the pre- and postbiotics in the drinks (basically, they help with gut health over time). I would definitely buy the Dual Biotic Sodas again. I hope they bring the other four flavours into the Canadian market at some point, though — Pineapple Drift and Apple Flare sound AMAZING.

ARIH Energy Drink in Tropical Wave, Lemon Crest, and Orange Hour

The Energy Drinks actually have 100mg of caffeine in each 355ml can, which is about the same as an average 8-ounce cup of coffee. (For reference, a can of Red Bull of the same size has 114mg.) The Tropical Wave flavour ended up being my favourite, but they all have a kind of bitter chemical aftertaste — not sure if this is from the coffee bean/guarana extract they use for the caffeine, or if it's from the sugar alcohols, or if it's from the postbiotics. (However, the Dual Biotic Sodas also have sugar alcohols and postbiotics and don't have this aftertaste.) The Orange Hour was the worst of the three in terms of flavour and had the strongest aftertaste. I do have to admit that I am not an energy drink person — I prefer to get my caffeine from coffee and tea — and I likely won't re-buy these, but I still prefer them to most of the other energy drinks on the market.

BTS EPISODE: ARIRANG World Tour in Europe Sketch

Sigh, watching any ARIRANG tour footage just makes me miss them all over again. Watching this also makes me sad because it just reminds me that both the banner projects and the light projects that were prepared for Toronto all failed so miserably. I know Day 1 couldn't be helped because of the weather, but no one seemed to remember the projects for Day 2, either. Hell, I didn't even get a banner for Day 2, and I think it was the first BTS concert that I have ever been to that didn't have ARMY holding up banners. THE. UTTER. REGRET. 😩

Run BTS! 2.0: BTS in Toronto — Preview

As someone from Toronto, it makes me feel strangely honoured that BTS has now filmed multiple Run BTS! episodes here over two visits (Episodes 69/70/71 were filmed in 2018 and released in 2019). I knew that they had quite a bit of free time while they were in Toronto back in August, judging from all their restaurant jaunts and the BTS staff's (and RM's) adventures in Niagara Falls, but I really wasn't expecting them to film anything official here so this is a delightfully pleasant surprise. Can't wait to watch Part 1 next Tuesday!

Dining Out: Stir-Fried Beef & Snow Pea Claypot and Seafood & Egg Dumpling Soup Claypot at Miss Qu Claypot & BBQ

Went back to Miss Qu Claypot & BBQ, this time for dinner with my mom:

Stir-fried beef and snow pea claypot
Seafood and egg dumpling soup claypot

Both of these were delicious — savoury but not too salty; great contrast in textures and flavours; excellent balance of meat/seafood and vegetables; good portions while being pretty reasonably priced. We also got a side of steamed lotus buns (not pictured because, frankly, they're not that exciting to look at) because we weren't in the mood for rice, and they were perfect to stuff all that beef in. Like the tofu and seafood soup claypot I had last time, the seafood and egg dumpling one is also mellow and comforting — perfect for this cooler weather.

We got to the restaurant around 5:15PM today and there were actually quite a few tables filled already (mostly families with kids), but by the time 6:00PM rolled around, there was a line-up out the door with people continually coming in to add their names to the wait list. It was actually crazy, given that it's a MONDAY. (As it turns out, the hype is REAL.) So, fair warning, either go early or go late, otherwise you'll be waiting at least 45 minutes for a table. But I gotta say, I do see why it's so busy here because I've only been here twice and I'm quite impressed with the food and the service. I can definitely see it becoming one of my go-to Chinese restaurants once the hype dies down a little. 

Miss Qu Claypot & BBQ

3828 Highway 7, Unit 2

Markham, ON L3R 0B5

(905) 415-9900

Dining Out: Mid-Autumn Festival 2026 Dinner at NKS Banquet Hall

Another Mid-Autumn Festival dinner at NKS Banquet Hall, but with just my mom and her bestie:

Stir-fried beef tenderloin with celery, snow peas, and cashews
Deep-fried stuffed Chinese sausage and mushroom tofu with broccoli
Stir-fried gai lan with garlic
Crispy skin free-range chicken with shrimp chips

Got all our favourites, of course. We were contemplating getting Peking duck again, but the restaurant actually had a curated menu just for Mid-Autumn Festival and when we saw that Peking duck was a whopping $65.99 just for today, we did a hard pass. (They do a $25.99 Peking duck special on Tuesdays. I think if it was double the price, we still would've gone for it. But more than that? No, thanks.) Not a huge loss, though, because their other dishes are delicious enough on their own; they're always cooked perfectly and we always leave satisfied, and tonight was no different. No moon cakes for me because they're too expensive (seriously, $12+ for one), too high in sugar, and frankly, I don't even like them. But I made up for it by having a scoop of Kawartha Dairy's Death by Chocolate ice cream at home while looking at the full moon from my window.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

NKS Banquet Hall

New Kennedy Square

8360 Kennedy Rd., Unit B06

Markham, ON L3R 9W5

(905) 948-8668

BTS EPISODE: ARIRANG World Tour Practice Sketch

Jimin: "It's fine, it looks good overall!"

Jin: "We're pulling it off!"

Taehyung: "We're just not in sync!"

Sigh, I can't believe the North American leg of the tour is over. Seven months of waiting and intense anticipation… and the concerts happened in the blink of an eye. It's been a month since they were in Toronto and I am still suffering from post-concert blues.