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.

BTS — "Merry Go Round" Official MV

"Merry Go Round" is about pure desolation, melancholy, and struggling with depression — it's by far the saddest song off of ARIRANG, and one of the most profoundly sad songs from BTS in general. 

I wish that I could tell you that it's over

I wish that I could walk away from pain

My life is like a broken roller coaster

But maybe I'm the only one to blame

I can't get off this merry go round

It spins me around 

I do my best, but I can't slow down

This merry go round

And I, I can't get off of this ride

I can't get off of this ride

I try, this happens every time

I can't get off of this ride

Feel like I'm all grown up now

But I still got the same old doubts

Every day on this merry go round

Feel like I'm stuck on this hamster wheel

Oh, questions with no answers

Running through this maze

We're all just smiling 

Like everything's okay, everything

I wish that I could tell you that it's over

I wish that I could walk away from pain

My life is like a broken roller coaster

But maybe I'm the only one to blame

I can't get off this merry go round

It spins me around 

I do my best, but I can't slow down

This merry go round

And I, I can't get off of this ride

I can't get off of this ride

I try, this happens every time

I can't get off of this ride

Spinnin' up, down

Just round and round

I'm fallin' apart

Still bound to ground

Can't break out of these chains

My inner child cries out

I've had enough of this ride

Please take me out, ma

My bed is my coffin

My whole world feels like caffeine

Every day, walk into death

Can't I turn off this dream

'Cause I can't stop dancing

Just thinking and thinking and thinking and think

Thinking about how I should stop thinking

Round and round, are you happy?

Smile 'til the end for me

It took three months, but they finally released this MV for everyone. This MV was originally released for Spotify Premium members only, which was extremely disappointing because BigHit has never had to put BTS' MVs behind a pay wall before and I vehemently disagree with this practice. And I still refuse to pay for Spotify.

BTS at iHeartRadio Music Festival 2026: "2.0," "MIC Drop," and "FYA" Live Performances

Frankly, I don't care about iHeartRadio unless BTS is on, and fuck, they killed the stage here. I especially love the badass, hip hop-driven setlist, because as fun and radio-friendly as "Dynamite" and "Butter" are (and sadly, what they're most known for in the West), this is what BTS really is to me. I'm really glad that, after nine years, they still choose to perform "MIC Drop" — and the Korean version, to boot. (In the US especially, they usually perform the full English version, and it's just a subtle flex that they know they're so globally relevant that they can sing the original version.) Also, I don't know if it's because they're in the middle of their world tour right now, but they just fucking dominated this stage like it's their own concert and not performing as part of a music festival.

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

Had a big nine-person banquet dinner/fam jam for Mid-Autumn Festival at NKS Banquet Hall:

Peking duck
Seafood egg white drop soup
Stir-fried Cantonese garlic ginger lobster
Baby bok choy with enoki mushrooms
Shredded Peking duck with lettuce cups
Deep-fried panko-crusted oysters
Steamed bass with scallions and ginger in soy sauce
Deep-fried garlic chili pork ribs
Sweet and sour pork

This is the first time that I've come here for a multi-course Chinese banquet dinner, which was quite exciting because that means we got to try so many more dishes. Everything was delicious, but the Peking duck and deep-fried oysters were definite highlights for me. (I always want to get the Peking duck here and my mom always say we'll come on a Tuesday because it's half-price, but we never end up making it.) I haven't been back here since February for Chinese New Year dinner, and I am happy to report that NKS is still just as excellent and underrated as ever before. (And also fantastic value — all this food was just under $40 a head after tax and tip. Anywhere else, it'd be at least $50 per person.) 

Happy Asian Thanksgiving!

NKS Banquet Hall

New Kennedy Square

8360 Kennedy Rd., Unit B06

Markham, ON L3R 9W5

(905) 948-8668

Take Out: Margherita and Custom Pizzas from Piazza Italian Eatery & Mercato

Pizza and game night at Chelsea's!

Got some delicious pizzas from Piazza Italian Eatery & Mercato: two Margheritas (this was my vote, which I admit is safe and can be boring, but it's CLASSIC and I find is the best pie to see how authentic the place is), two mushroom and pepperoni pizzas (also pretty safe), and a Make Your Own Pizza that Brayden chose that had way too much stuff on it (but honestly ended up being pretty damn tasty). Chelsea also got a gluten-free Hawaiian pizza for herself because she's allergic to basically everything. We didn't touch this one, but she insists it was amazing. 

Margherita: Tomato sauce, fior di latte, parmigiano, fresh basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze
Pepperoni and mushroom pizza
Make Your Own Pizza: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, sweet bell peppers, mushrooms, and caramelized onions

We then played 11 rounds of Five Crowns, took their dogs for a long walk around the neighbourhood, and then indulged in pistachio and raspberry gelato while watching Gilmore Girls re-runs. Indeed, it was a pretty perfect Saturday night in.

Piazza Italian Eatery & Mercato

15198 Yonge St.

Aurora, ON L4G 1L9

(905) 727-9911

Dining Out: Seoul Soup, Beast Mode Kimchi Fried Rice, Chicken & Waffles, Korean Milk Bread French Toast, and Golden Corn Cheesecake at Wild Beast Cafe

A new Asian fusion restaurant called Wild Beast Cafe started popping up all over my Instagram over the past month and the food looked amazing, so I saved it into my "visit soon" list. Then Minji messaged me a week later with a reel featuring the same restaurant, so we knew we had to make a date to try it. Apparently, Wild Beast Cafe is a re-branding of Glass Kitchen, but Keith Pears isn't associated with it so I'm guessing there are different owners involved but the same kitchen staff. While Glass Kitchen had completely separate brunch and dinner menus, Wild Beast has a more curated, singular, all-day brunch menu. They are only open until 3:30PM from Monday to Thursday, but are open for dinner service featuring the same brunch menu from Friday to Sunday. So, Minji, Daniel, and I went to check it out this afternoon and shared a variety of dishes:

Seoul Soup: Gochujang soup with pork belly, tofu, potatoes, zucchini, tomato, onion, and mozzarella, served with baguette
Beast Mode Kimchi Fried Rice: Kimchi fried rice topped with slow-roasted pork belly, creamy corn cheese, sunny-side egg, nori, chili, chives, and perilla oil
The Seoul Soup was excellent, kind of like a sundubu jjigae meets a French onion soup. Savoury, warming, comforting, and super-flavourful with just the perfect amount of spice. Even though we shared this, it is an individual portion and isn't too heavy; you could easily have this as your starter and still have room for a main (and possibly a dessert). Both Minji and I agreed, however, that the star of the meal was the Beast Mode Kimchi Fried Rice. The addition of creamy corn cheese and juicy pork belly to kimchi fried rice makes it insanely addictive — kind of like a Korean BBQ meal all in one bowl, so it's obviously amazing.

Chicken & Waffles: Korean sweet soy fried chicken on black sesame bubble waffles
The Chicken & Waffles features Korean-style fried chicken — we picked sweet soy glaze so Daniel could enjoy it, too, but there is also a "Korean spicy" option — with black sesame HK-style bubble waffles. The chicken had that incredible crunchy skin that Korean fried chicken is known for, and the sweet soy glaze had a great umami flavour. I did find the bubble waffles to be lacking, though — it wasn't firm enough to hold up to the chicken and none of us could detect any actual black sesame flavour despite the colour of the waffles being black. Despite that, the portion is huge — three gigantic pieces of chicken with two huge waffles — so you do get pretty good bang for your buck. And this ended up being Daniel's favourite.

 
Korean Milk Bread French Toast: French toast with a crispy exterior and soft interior, finished with warm butterscotch anglaise, fresh berries, and banana brûlée
Golden Corn Cheesecake: Basque cheesecake with corn anglaise, garnished with grilled corn and sweet & salty popcorn
The French toast was good and satisfied my French toast craving, but I didn't find anything particularly special about it. They use milk bread instead of the usual stale brioche, but once it's pan-fried, they honestly have very similar textures. That having been said, this French toast is very kid-friendly (Minji and Daniel's toddler was obsessed) and the torched banana is a really nice addition. Finally, we got the Golden Corn Cheesecake — Minji's corn and dessert addictions all in one neat package. The basque cheesecake was fantastic — great flavour and perfect texture — though I do wish it had a more intense corn flavour. Like rather than having the corn components added on top of the cheesecake, it would've been more unique to have corn infused into the cake itself. It was tasty, but not a must-order, even for a corn fanatic like Minji.

Still, Wild Beast Cafe has a lot of very interesting, delicious-sounding Asian fusion dishes that I want to try. The prices are also surprisingly reasonable here — all of this ended up being about $45 per person after tax and tip — but it doesn't take away from the great service and the lovely presentation. Minji and I have already agreed to come back to explore more of their menu — the TTC Mussels, Gangnam Rosé Fire Pasta, Inferno Seafood Pasta Jjamppong, and Short Rib Benedict are calling my name.

Wild Beast Cafe

505 Highway 7, Unit # 98 - 99

Thornhill, ON L3T 7T1

(365) 556-0257

Dining Out: Steamed Pork Buns, Lychee Shrimp Balls, and Silken Tofu and Crab Roe Soup Claypot at Miss Qu Claypot & BBQ

Finally went with Iris to try out the newly-opened third location of Miss Qu Claypot & BBQ:

Steamed pork buns
Lychee shrimp balls
Tofu and seafood claypot

While the steamed pork buns were pretty basic and just a little too soft, both the lychee shrimp balls (which, to be clear, are just shaped like lychee, not lychee-flavoured) and the silken tofu claypot were excellent. The shrimp balls contain huge chunks of shrimp and have this delectably crunchy exterior unlike anything else I've ever tried (or seen) — if you like deep-fried shrimp, these are a must-have. The silken tofu claypot was filled to the brim with tofu cubes, shrimp, and crab meat sticks. The vivid yellow colour apparently comes from crab roe, but I didn't find this tasting fishy or particularly seafood-y at all. It's mild, comforting, and oddly addictive. It's also perfect for those who can't eat spicy (like Iris). 

We went just after 3:00PM, thinking that it wouldn't be busy at all since it's just after the typical lunch rush. So I don't know if it's because of the hype (I mean, Miss Qu is so popular that they've managed to open a third location) or because people around here just eat really late lunches, but we managed to snag the last remaining table. So, take note, because I have a feeling there's a really long wait for a table during lunch and dinner rushes. (Although, they close at midnight every single day, so hello, late-night skewers!)

Miss Qu Claypot & BBQ

3828 Highway 7, Unit 2

Markham, ON L3R 0B5

(905) 415-9900

HAPPY RM DAY 2026! 🐨

(Image source: BTS Official X)

To Bangtan's fearless leader, ARMY's President, and the God of Destruction — happy 32nd birthday! Thank you for being the backbone of BTS, for your sincerity and integrity in everything you do, for your eloquent speeches and intellectual lyrics, your endearing clumsiness and awkward handshakes, your adorable dimples, and your passion for art, literature, and music. I hope you are staying healthy and happy, and are able to find solace and strength in your everyday life. Wishing you a peaceful, stress-free birthday with your loved ones. 💜

Dining Out: Pina Colada Bingsu at The Cups

After feasting at both Woojoo Bunsik and Daldongnae in the span of three hours, Iris and I somehow managed to find room for dessert. (To be fair, we did walk around 10,000 steps while we were out, which really helps when the two of us ate enough for four people...) It was not a part of our BTS food pilgrimage (I guess BTS doesn't care to eat dessert...?), but since we were in Koreatown North, we thought it would be churlish not to get bingsu. So we went to The Cups.

Pina Colada bingsu

We knew we were going to share one bingsu so we wanted to try a flavor that neither of us had tried before. After some debate, we decided to go with the Pina Colada: Pineapple chunks, green grapes, pineapple purée, whipped cream, and coconut powder. Okay, I know that I waxed poetic about Snowday's watermelon bingsu and I do maintain that it is the perfect summer dessert, but the Pina Colada... Oh. My. Goodness. The way both Iris' and my eyes LIT UP after that first bite... Iris had actually initially been against the Pina Colada, but when I pointed out that it was mostly pineapple and not coconut, she caved. And SHE IS SO GLAD SHE DID because this is our new favourite. Like, as we were eating it, we were talking about when we could eat it again.

Suffice it to say, we had a ridiculously successful outing. God, I can't wait to go on another BTS food pilgrimage.


The Cups
5647 Yonge St.
North York, ON M2M 3T2
(647) 343-7277

Dining Out: The BTS Combo at Daldongnae

Iris and I continued our BTS food pilgrimage at Daldongnae, where the members reportedly visited on FOUR separate occasions while they were in Toronto. Now, we've both been to Daldongnae many times (it's been my go-to K-BBQ restaurant for years), but we went to the location near Yonge and Finch because we were already in the area (it's literally two doors down from Woojoo Bunsik) instead of the one at Yonge and Sheppard, which is the location they actually went to. It doesn't really matter, though, because the main reason for our visit to Daldongnae was the BTS Combo — "a limited-time combo featuring the dishes BTS enjoyed" for $80.99, available at all of their locations until September 23.

Thin-sliced pork belly, pork shoulder butt, and boneless beef short rib
Thin-sliced pork belly (daepae samgyeopsal)
Pork shoulder Butt (moksal)
Pork shoulder Butt (moksal)
Boneless beef short rib (galbisal)
Cold noodle soup with kimchi broth (kimchimari-guksu)

Incredible meal, as always at Daldongnae. This combo is actually meant for three people, but Iris and I ate all of this (plus most of the soybean stew, banchan, corn cheese, and egg that came with it) by ourselves. Granted, we didn't have a lot of carbs with the BBQ, but this was also only an hour after feasting at Woojoo Bunsik... What can I say? It's the power of BTS.

Daldongnae

6034 Yonge St.

North York, ON M2M 3W5

(416) 226-6034

Dining Out: Basil Cream Tteokbokki, Crab Meat Rice Balls, Unagi and Tuna Mayo Rice Tofu Pockets at Woojoo Bunsik

As we were heading back home from the BTS concert a couple Sundays ago, Iris and I decided that we had to make our way over to the Yonge and Finch area to see the BTS Boulevard street signs in person. Because how often does your city add street signs in honour of your favourite band? (For those who don't know, the City of Toronto officially re-named a section of Yonge Street in North York, "BTS Boulevard," in honour of BTS' two concert dates here for their ARIRANG Tour.) And since the signs are only up until September 23, we decided to head over there this weekend to take a look in person and then do a little BTS food pilgrimage while we were in the area.

We decided to start with a trip to Woojoo Bunsik, where J-Hope, V, and Jungkook stopped by to order a whole lot of Korean street food. Take note: the restaurant itself is very, very small — there's an open kitchen behind a counter, with four 2-person tables in a cramped space, so if you go during prime lunch or dinner times, you probably won't get a seat. We went around 4:00PM, which we figured was the least busy time at a restaurant, but there were two tables already taken and another couple came in after us. So, be warned.

Basil cream tteokbokki
Since we had never been there before, we decided to forego most of the "BTS menu" (the restaurant has posted what the BTS members ordered all over their walls as well as their social media), and ordered what sounded the most enticing to us: the basil cream tteokbokki, the crab meat rice balls, plus the unagi and tuna mayo rice tofu pockets. Everything was so immediately delicious that every time we opened our mouths to take a bite, we were met with resounding "MMMMM!!!!" sounds from each other. The basil cream tteokbokki was incredible — mild (this is excellent for those who can't handle spice, like Iris), aromatic, very rich, and extremely creamy. If you can't handle a lot of cream or rich foods in general, I would go with one of the other options, but the best adjective that comes to mind with this dish is unctuous. The actual rice cakes are perfectly thick with the most insane, bouncy, springy chew. I might even go so far as to say this is the best tteokbokki I've ever had. (Yes, even better than the ones I had in Seoul.)

Crab meat rice balls
My friend Minji ordered from Woojoo Bunsik two to three times a week when she lived in North York and highly recommended the rice balls. All the rice balls come with mayo, pickled radish, seaweed, and onion crisps, and we decided to go with the crab meat variation. The "rice balls" come deconstructed in a large bowl — we didn't actually know how big each portion was and definitely should've shared one instead of ordering one each since we got so many other items — and a plastic glove is provided to mix the ingredients and roll them into balls. Oh, my god, this is so freaking good. It's kind of like a mashed up onigiri, but I actually prefer this because the ratio of the rice to the other ingredients is so much more balanced. I definitely need to thank Minji for this recommendation.

Unagi and tuna mayo rice tofu pockets
Finally, we decided to get two variations of the tofu pockets. Partly because J-Hope, V, and Jungkook got the entire menu of them and we wanted to try at least one item that they had ordered here, but mostly because they looked too fucking good to resist. Each tofu pocket comes stuffed with rice mixed with mayo, pickled radish, and onion crisps (yes, it's the same ingredients as their rice balls), and we chose the unagi and the tuna mayo options. One bite into the unagi pocket, and both of us looked at each other with wide eyes and stuffed mouths and exclaimed, "HOLY SHIT." Despite the unagi and tuna mayo having such different flavour profiles, we could not decide which one was better. We just wished we had bigger stomachs, because all of a sudden, it made sense why the three members of BTS ordered all seven variations of these tofu pockets. 

As we were leaving with full stomachs and full hearts, entirely delighted with the unbelievably delicious meal we just had, we were already discussing when we'll be coming back. We've decided it is absolutely necessary to try every item on the menu. 

BTS Boulevard street sign!
And, of course, we got a picture of the street sign, which I almost forgot was the whole point of this trip.


Woojoo Bunsik 

6026 Yonge St. 

North York, ON M2M 3W5 

(416) 218-0026

HAPPY JUNGKOOK DAY 2026! 🐰

(Image source: BTS Official X)
To Bangtan's golden maknae, the cutest muscle bunny in the world, and my ultimate bias — happy 29th birthday! Thank you for your incredible talent in everything you do, your admirable passion in performance and music, your genuine gratitude and love for your members and ARMY alike, your hilariously dorky sense of humour, your adrenaline junkie tendencies, your adorable bunny smiles, and your unparalleled perseverance and integrity. You may be the most talented person I have ever seen, and I am so glad I've been able to witness it. It has been 10 years since I first saw you, and it has been a pleasure watching you grow up into this humble, confident, sexy force of nature. You're in the middle of a world tour with your brothers during your birthday this year, a vast change from last year, but I do hope you find some time off to have an amazing day filled with joy and happiness and love on this last birthday of your 20s. 💜

BTS VLOG: Suga's Hiking Vlog in Switzerland

Firstly, Suga really should start a vlogging channel. He's a natural at it and can somehow make the mundane interesting to watch. (I also love the old-school, tacky editing. It's a huge part of the charm.) Secondly, how do people hike up mountains so casually? I would a) never make it to the end, and b) be in constant fear of tripping and falling to my death. If I don't get run over by a wild cow first.