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.) 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 Red Bull.
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. 😩
As someone from Toronto, it makes me feel oddly proud that BTS has now filmed not one, but two Run BTS! episodes here (the other one being Episode 69 from 2018). I knew that they had quite a bit of free time while they were in Toronto, 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 on Sunday!
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.)
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.
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
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.
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!)
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. 💜
After feasting at both Woojoo BunsikandDaldongnae 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
Denise, circa 1986. Chinese-Canadian. Born, raised, and still living in the Greater Toronto Area. Retired professional make-up artist, now office worker. Introvert with brilliant extrovert skills. BTS ARMY since 2016, OT7, Jungkook and Jimin biased. BTS merch collector, amateur foodie, skincare fiend, mascara connoisseur, shopaholic, teetotaler, Scorpio, avid The Sims 4 player, K-drama addict, and Potterhead since 1997. Penchant for live concerts, collecting figures, dining out, building LEGO, and food photography.
About the Site
Circuits of Fever is a personal blog and a hobby only. It mainly features my interests in BTS, food, beauty, music, photography, travel, lifestyle, and culture. The name "Circuits of Fever" is a song by Thursday from their 2009 album, Common Existence. The title of this blog has no relevance to the actual purpose of or topics discussed within the blog.
All photos since November 2023 have been taken with an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. All photos are taken by me, unless otherwise noted. Please do not use my photos or blog content without permission. Photos are edited by me using Adobe Photoshop 2024. This blog is written and edited by me using Blogger through Google Chrome, on an Apple MacBook Pro.
Note: None of these posts are sponsored.
Playlist (October 2026)
ALT BLK ERA - Come On Outside
ALT BLK ERA - Hunt You Down
ALT BLK ERA - My Drummer's Girlfriend
ALT BLK ERA - Run Rabbit
ALT BLK ERA - Straight to Heart
Au/Ra - Emoji
Au/Ra - Panic Room
Bella Poarch - Don't Fear the Reaper
Bella Poarch - Living Hell
Bella Poarch - Sweet Delusion
Bella Poarch - Will You Always Love Her?
Bella Poarch - Zombie
Bella Poarch & Sub Urban - Inferno
BENEE - What
BTS - 2.0
BTS - Aliens
BTS - Body to Body
BTS - Come Over
BTS - FYA
BTS - Hooligan
BTS - Into the Sun
BTS - Like Animals
BTS - Merry Go Round
BTS - NORMAL
BTS - One More Night
BTS - Please
BTS - SWIM
BTS - They Don't Know 'Bout Us
Ellie Goulding - For Your Entertainment
FKA Twigs - Perfect Stranger
Foxes - Feet Don't Fail Me Now
Girl in Red - Midnight Love
Glass Animals (feat. Denzel Curry) - Tokyo Drifting
Hayley Williams - Good Ol' Days
Hayley Williams - Parachute
Hayley Williams - Showbiz
Kim Petras - Malibu
Sombr - 12 to 12
Taylor Swift - Patient Zero
Teddy Swims - You've Got Another Thing Coming
Towa Bird - Your Girl
