Jin — "Don't Say You Love Me" Official MV

Okay, compared to "Running Wild" and "I'll Be There," this definitely takes on a more somber mood — in the best way possible. While it is a song about heartbreak, it's not slow or overly depressing — it's definitely still a pop song, not a ballad — but it's mellow and extremely easy to listen to. I have quite literally listened to this song twice through and I'm already singing along with the lyrics. 

I really thought I made up my mind

Hopped in the car and put it in drive

I tried to leave, like, a hundred times

But something's stopping me every time, oh

Faking a smile while we're breaking apart

Oh, I never, never, never meant to take it this far

Too late to save me, so don't even start

Oh, you never meant to hurt me, but you're making it hard

Don't tell me that you're gonna miss me

Just tell me that you wanna kill me

Don't say that you love me 'cause it hurts the most

You just gotta let me go

I really thought this was for the best

It never worked last time that I checked

I got this pain stuck inside my chest

And it gets worse the further I get, oh

Faking a smile while we're breaking apart

Oh, I never, never, never meant to take it this far

Too late to save me, so don't even start

Oh, you never meant to hurt me, but you're making it hard

Don't tell me that you're gonna miss me 

Just tell me that you wanna kill me 

Don't say that you love me 'cause it hurts the most 

You just gotta let me go

Lie to me, tell me that you hate me 

Look me in the eyes and call me crazy 

Don't say that you love me 'cause it hurts the most 

You just gotta let me go

Let me go

Gotta let me go

Gotta let me

Don't say that you love me 'cause it hurts the most

You just gotta let me go

But can I just say how fucking good Jin and Shin Se-kyung look together? That's a top K-drama couple right there. (But also, how stunning does Singapore look? It is giving me some serious wanderlust.)

Jin — "Don't Say You Love Me" D-1 Posters

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

I kept thinking that this woman's face was really familiar and realized that I watched her in Run On. So, it's DEFINITELY K-drama vibes. Can't wait to see how this story unravels...

Jin — "Don't Say You Love Me" Official Teaser

Okay, this is pure K-drama vibes and I need to know what happens ASAP.

Run Jin: Episode 34 — Taekwon Jin

There's a reason I quit all martial arts by the time I was 11. My joints hurt just from watching this. 

Jin — "Don't Say You Love Me" Posters

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

Oooh, this reminds me of the Love Yourself Highlight Reels (which are fucking MASTERPIECES and MUST be watched if you're a true ARMY). Will Echo bring back K-drama main character Jin?!

Jin — Echo Highlight Medley

So, at first, I was like, "This sounds like a continuation of Happy," which is not a bad thing because I LOVE Happy, but then I heard the FIDDLE and a COUNTRY TWANG?! Ooof, this is going to be interesting. I can't wait to listen to this album!

Dining Out: Mother's Day Dinner at NextDoor Restaurant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NextDoor Restaurant

Unionville Planing Mill

139 Main St. Unionville

Unionville, ON L3R 2G6

(905) 604-6983

Dining Out: Southern Platter, Southern Creole Mac & Cheese, and Pecan Bread Pudding at Smash Kitchen & Bar

I hadn't been back to Smash Kitchen in nearly six years — there was nothing inherently wrong or bad about the restaurant; it just didn't leave me with any lasting impressions. Nothing on their menu was particularly special, nothing stood out, and I didn't think the food wasn't really worth the price. Back then, their menu pretty much consisted of burgers, pizzas, and pastas; in the Markham area, there are now so many restaurants that do those categories better or cheaper, it just didn't occur to me to visit Smash again. But it is the sister restaurant to NextDoor, one of my favourite eateries in the city, and some of my colleagues said that they thought Smash was pretty good. So I decided to check out the menu online and noticed they revamped everything. There are still a few pasta dishes and some burgers, of course, but they definitely streamlined and now focus mainly on Southern comfort food. So when Ronsee asked if I was free for dinner with him and Val this evening, I suggested going back to Smash.

Southern Platter: Buttermilk fried chicken, BBQ pork back ribs, BBQ beef croquettes, L.A. mac and cheese, chicken gravy, creamy coleslaw, and pickled cucumbers

Southern Creole Mac & Cheese: Cavatappi pasta with creole cheese sauce, cajun shrimp, grilled chicken, andouille sausage, grilled corn, pico de gallo, cheese blend, and herb crumble

The three of us decided to share the Southern Platter and the Southern Creole Mac & Cheese for our mains. The food was more memorable than before — flavours are on-point, and the portions are generous — but the texture of both the fried chicken and the ribs were definitely on the drier side. The batter on the chicken was a bit too thick and it relied on the gravy for moisture, and the meat on the ribs was somewhat tough and difficult to separate from the bone. The BBQ beef croquettes were excellent and the L.A. mac and cheese was nice and creamy, but we all agreed that the Southern Creole Mac & Cheese is superior — deeper flavours, a good amount of spice, and with the addition of shrimp and sausage, just more well-rounded and interesting to eat. (Although picky eaters and those who don't like too much flavour will prefer the reliable one-note-ness of the L.A. mac and cheese.) The Southern Platter is good if you want to try out all the "Southern comfort" dishes that Smash offers, but note that all the items featured in it can also be ordered separately as well.

Pecan Bread Pudding with vanilla crème anglaise, chocolate crumble, banana ice cream

The stand-out for us was actually the Pecan Bread Pudding, which had a great moist texture, excellent flavour, and worked exceptionally well with banana ice cream. My conclusion this time around is that the food is decent and nothing was particularly disappointing — plus, the service is friendly and the atmosphere is great for socializing — but it's also nothing to write home about. Not sure if I'd come back for the "Southern comfort" dishes here, but I am interested to see if their fish and chips and other pasta dishes are any good. At least, I'm interested enough that I won't wait another six years to come back.

Smash Kitchen & Bar

Shoppes of Unionville

4261 Highway 7

Unionville, ON L3R 9W6

(905) 940-2000

Dining Out: Mother's Day Dinner at Starchiva Delight

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

Soy sauce chicken

Sweet and sour pork

Grouper fillet tossed with king oyster mushrooms and snap peas

Stir-fried grouper in black bean sauce

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

Starchiva Delight

8750 Bayview Ave., Unit 14 - 15

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4V9

(289) 588-3083

Jin — Echo Jacket Shoot Sketch

"We're going for more of a fierce concept. I'm not sure if I portrayed the fierceness well because I have kind of a nice guy face… but I tried my best to do so. I might not look fierce but I hope you find it cute at least."

"It's a rockstar concept, but why do rockstars dress so uncomfortably? The clothes are tight, the pants are tight, it's hard to sit down and get up. I don't think I could be a rockstar."

Yes, Jin, you are cheerful with a nice guy face, but you're still a rockstar in my eyes. 8 more days until Echo is released!

J-Hope on The Zach Sang Show: Interview

Zach Sang is the only other interviewer aside from Zane Lowe that I truly like and respect. While he does seem a little nervous at times, he still asks deeper, more insightful questions that lead into a great conversation. Zach Sang has been there from nearly the beginning of BTS' foray into North America, and he's always been genuine, kind, and thoughtful with his questions and the way he treats the members, and it's why they keep going back to be interviewed by him. He tells Hobi, "I really appreciate you very, very much, and what you've done for culture and music is immeasurable. And the fact that you've always shared your honesty and your truth — the whole thing — is just… thank you for being you." And Hobi replies, "I think you've become even more awesome! Since I saw you a while ago, you've become more amazing." You can tell they both really mean the words they say and have the utmost respect for one another. A truly great interview.

Run Jin: Episode 33 - Jin Wick (+ Clock-Out Mission Trailer)

Coincidentally, I watched the first two John Wick movies on Netflix about a month ago, and I have a whole new level of respect for Keanu Reeves because my body hurts just from watching this (and Reeves was already 50 when the first John Wick was released!). Anyway, Jin should totally look into acting. I mean, aside from being what he majored in, he's already got the visuals, and being in K-pop means he already has the stamina... plus, he looks pretty badass, doesn't he?

Dining Out: Smoked Salmon Benedict and Golden Sous-Vide Apple French Toast at Cafe Bon Bon

It's been a hot minute since I've gone out on for a weekend brunch (I am generally a hermit on weekends and usually sleep in until noon so I rarely make it for brunch), but Minji and Daniel are finally able to take their baby out so we had planned a little reunion brunch/baby introduction meeting at Cafe Bon Bon.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Because it was brunch, I thought it was most appropriate to get the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which is served on a croissant, topped with parmesan and bacon bits, and served with a nice avocado garden salad on the side. It was delicious and exactly as I imagined (and the top of the croissant was perfect to dip into the delectably runny yolks with), but I did think the portion was a little on the smaller side (at least, for me)… Which just meant that I had to — oh, no! — order dessert. 

Golden Sous-Vide Apple French Toast

So I got the Golden Sous-Vide Apple French Toast, which features a pan-fried log croissant as its base (!!!) and sous-vide cooked apple slices, topped with vanilla ice cream and buttery crumble — an absolutely delightfully delicious treat. It is worth noting, however, that the portion for the dessert was also on the small side and I could easily have eaten another one. (But I didn't, because as we all know, I am the queen of self-control.) I did also get an iced latte with oat milk, but I didn't think this was worth $9, especially for the size (it was about 16 oz., but a significant portion of it was ice). 

Service was okay — pleasant enough, but quite inattentive (in fact, the servers seemed to go out of their way not to look at our raised hands and did not check in on us even once, even for water refills) — though I will give them the benefit of the doubt because it was incredibly busy. I would come back because the rest of the menu does sound incredible (Minji's soft shell crab carbonara pasta was amazing), but maybe just not on a weekend day. (And if you do want to check this place out on a weekend, especially for brunch, I would highly recommend making a reservation.)

Cafe Bon Bon

Times Square Richmond Hill

550 Highway 7, Unit 89 - 90

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z4

(905) 597-3166

Cooking at Home: A Low-Key Birthday Dinner with Seafood Linguine and Carrot Cake

It was my friend Braden's 36th birthday and he just wanted a really low-key dinner, so he and Chelsea invited me over to their house for a quiet home-cooked meal:

Seafood linguine

His mom made one of his favourite dishes: linguine in a spiced tomato sauce with scallops, shrimp, asparagus, and basil — a light, delicious, aromatic pasta that, frankly, I could've eaten three portions of. It was paired with Caesar salad (with homemade dressing and croutons!) and slices of crusty baguette on the side. 

Carrot cake with cinnamon icing and pecans

For his birthday cake, Chelsea baked his favourite carrot cake with cinnamon icing (she had to make it gluten-free with egg replacement because she has a lot of allergies, but it was actually surprisingly tasty — denser than regular carrot cake, but still moist and flavourful). The three of us spent the rest of the night taking a long walk around their neighbourhood with their dog, just talking, joking, and sharing new music (which turned into a whole nostalgic conversation about our teenage years that ended up with us getting tickets to see Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria in August). Sometimes the best celebrations are spent quietly and, indeed, Braden seemed to be very happy.

Take Out: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream at Kawartha Dairy

The weather is finally warming up, so what's the perfect way to celebrate actual spring weather? Ice cream. (Obviously.) With my new favourite flavour, too: Key Lime Pie at Kawartha Dairy. It tastes exactly like its namesake. It's the perfect mix of sweet and tart; it's creamy but citrusy without veering into sorbet territory, and there's bits of graham cracker in there to give it a nice chew. And if you actually go to a Kawartha Dairy store, the "baby" size is like a large at Baskin Robbins so it's a pretty incredible value for $6. (No, really, this cup is huge. It can feed two people. Or one ice cream fiend, a.k.a. me.) Yes, I know that I can go to my local supermarket and get a tub of Kawartha Dairy ice cream to eat at home, but it's never the same as going out for ice cream, is it?

Kawartha Dairy

5 Alexander Rd.

Newmarket, ON L3Y 3J2

(905) 953-2881