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 grape 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 find 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, and 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 (BTS never steers us wrong), 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. As I said, BTS never steers us wrong.

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

Dining Out: Mango Bingsu at Snowday Bingsu Cafe

My friend Iris and I decided to take advantage of the total BTS takeover of Toronto this week to go down to the Royal Ontario Museum to take part in their ROM Quest: BTS this afternoon. It's a BTS-themed scavenger hunt that takes you all over the museum to answer questions through Scavify. It's fun and interactive and you get to feel a bit like a kid again going through the museum and all its galleries. Everyone gets a participation prize, too — ours was a ROM pencil that changes colour with heat. In case you're interested and in Toronto, the BTS one is running every weekend through the rest of August!

Mango bingsu

After we left the ROM, we went over to the Eaton Centre to check out the BTS Comeback Fan Zone event (honestly, it was just a big photo op and writing notes to tack up to a wall, kind of disappointing) and the BTS Nike by You event at the Nike store (unfortunately, the line-up was way too long and we didn't love the designs enough to merit waiting), and then took the subway back uptown. On the drive back home, we decided we deserved some bingsu for all the steps we got in today (10,864!), so we dropped by Snowday and shared the mango binsgu. I maintain that the watermelon bingsu is the ultimate summer dessert... but c'mon, I'll never say no to mango. I was my first bingsu love, after all.

Snowday Bingsu Cafe

5 Glen Cameron Rd.

Thornhill, ON L3T 5W2

(905) 597-8838

Dining Out: Chirashi Don at Mi-Ne Sushi

After two back-to-back disappointing dinners this week, I really needed a win. So I went with my mom to Mi-Ne Sushi.

Chirashi don

I got the chirashi don and it was PERFECT. I've always said this, but Mi-Ne consistently serves incredible quality sushi with beautiful presentation and amazing service, and this time was no different. Totally made up for the food disappointments this week. Plus, I said I'd make Mi-Ne my regular sushi spot, and I am making good on my word!

Mi-Ne Sushi

8865 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 5G1

(905) 470-1688

Dining Out: Esquites; Al Pastor, Birria, Sirloin, and Baja Fish Tacos; and Guacamole at La Cantina del Pueblo

For Minji's birthday (and first real outing since she gave birth to her son a month ago), she suggested going for lunch along with Daniel and the kiddos at a new Mexican restaurant in Newmarket that she found on TikTok called La Cantina del Pueblo.

Esquites

We decided to share the esquites and guacamole and then we all got our own tacos. The esquites — sautéed corn kernels with mayo, Cotija cheese, and chili powder — arrived first and was delicious and satisfying as expected. And then it was taco time! We all got two to start; I picked the al pastor (marinated pork with onion and pineapple) and the birria (marinated beef with onion). They give you a tray of extra sauces and toppings (like radish slices, pickled onions, cucumber slices, and lime wedges) to customize your tacos with. And they were also good about putting the cilantro on the side for me and Minji. I was expecting the birria taco to come with broth for dipping, but they don't provide that here for some reason. Overall, the birria taco was decent, but the al pastor taco was better with more flavourful and tender meat.

Al pastor and birria tacos

The tacos here in general are pretty small, so Daniel and I decided to order two more. And that's when we realized that the guacamole hadn't arrived yet. Turns out, our original server didn't input it into their system even though it was the first thing we ordered. Our original server, however, seemed to be busy socializing with his girlfriend/wife/special lady friend (?), so he told the busboy (who was literally still holding a tray and dish rag) to take our order. Thus, we ordered the guacamole again and then our second serving of tacos. He asked if it was for take out, and I said no, it's to eat inside the restaurant. He looked unsure, so between Daniel and I, we confirmed with him THREE TIMES that all of the food was "for here" and even made a hand gesture indicating the table.

Approximately 10 minutes later, all the food we ordered with the busboy? Arrived in takeout containers. I looked at him and said, "No, we didn't want take out. We wanted the food FOR HERE." And he said, "Ohhhhh, I thought it was for take out!" So he apologized and came back with our food on plates. Well, at least he was nice.

Sirloin and Baja fish tacos

After that whole mishap, we finally got to our second serving of tacos. I went with the sirloin and the Baja fish. The sirloin was good and pretty tender, maybe even more so than the meat in the birria taco. But the winner for me was definitely the Baja fish. The piece of fish was huge (almost couldn't wrap the tortilla around it); super soft and plush on the inside, perfectly crunchy on the outside, and paired with pickled onion for a most delightful bite. 

Guacamole with chips

Then we got to the guacamole and WOW, if this wasn't single-handedly the most disappointing guacamole I've ever had in a Mexican restaurant, ever. It was basically smashed avocado with a sprinkling of cubed tomatoes. No salt, no seasoning, no lime, no red onion. Literally nothing but the avocado and the tomato. I don't say this often, truly, but I could've made better guacamole at home. We had to get a salt shaker from another table and the extra lime slice that came with our initial tacos to SEASON OUR OWN GUACAMOLE. At least the chips were crispy, I guess?

Between the miscommunications with the staff (and let it be noted that it was NOT BUSY — there were, at most, two other tables) and the general disappointment we had with the missing item and then the mistaken take out order and the completely unseasoned smashed avocado acting as guacamole, I can't say I would ever come back to La Cantina del Pueblo when there are significantly better Mexican restaurants around. (For example, La Mexicanada is literally down the street.) I just can't believe this place has such a high rating. 

La Cantina del Pueblo

446 Davis Dr.

Newmarket, ON L3Y 2P2

(905) 898-8484

Dining Out: Sigara Boregi, Adana Kebab, Etli Pide, and Trilece Cake at Turkish Flames

When my friend Ronsee and I were deciding on where to go for dinner, he mentioned that he had been randomly craving pide for weeks, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out the newly-opened Turkish Flames.

Sigara boregi

We decided to share the sigara boregi (Turkish-style fried spring rolls stuffed with feta cheese), the adana kebab (a mixture of ground veal and lamb with Turkish spices), and the etli pide (thin bread topped with a ground meat and vegetable mixture). Though I don't think you can really go wrong with deep-fried cheese in any culture, the Turkish spring rolls were incredible. Super crispy, perfectly golden shells filled with delightfully creamy feta cheese. You can't go wrong. I could've honestly eaten, like, three orders of these. And in hindsight, I probably should've.

Adana kebab
The adana kebab was decent in flavour, though it was both drier and tougher than I expected. I've eaten similar kebabs from other Middle Eastern cultures (Afghani, Lebanese, Persian, etc.) so maybe I was expecting it to be more like those — juicy, tender, almost soft enough to cut with a spoon. Maybe the chef was having an off day, or maybe these were sitting around for a while, but I wasn't particularly impressed. I would try one of the other kebab or doner options over this one.

Etli pide
What was truly disappointing, though, was the pide — the very reason we even went to Turkish Flames to begin with. I'm not sure if it's specifically the ground meat variation (etli) that we ordered or if it's the same for all the different ones they offer, but ours was severely lacking in flavour. It was my first time trying pide and I was genuinely shocked at how bland it was — I asked Ronsee, "Is it just my tastebuds or does this have no flavour?" — because Middle Eastern food in general usually utlilizes a plethora of spices. But Ronsee agreed and said that this pide was definitely under-seasoned (if seasoned at all?), and we ended up having to add quite a bit of salt on our own to it to give it even a modicum of flavour. Again, not sure if this was a one-off, but I definitely can't recommend the ground meat pide here. 

Trilece cake
To try to make up for the general disappointment of the dinner, we thought we would get one of the desserts, so we asked the server for a recommendation and she whole-heartedly suggested the trilece — the Turkish version of tres leches — and thankfully, it was excellent. To be quite honest, I don't know how it differs from the Latin American version because they taste identical to me, but whatever, good cake is good cake. And at least we had a good ending to an unfortunately mediocre meal. But I'm actually surprised at how disappointed I am with this meal because Turkish Flames has quite a high rating on Google. Not sure if it's because we went when it wasn't busy or if the chef was having an off day (and I'm definitely not an expert on Turkish food), so I'm not going to write this place off yet, but I think I need to try another Turkish restaurant to do a little compare and contrast.

Turkish Flames

7677 Markham Rd.

Markham, ON L3S 3J9

(905) 471-6111

Dining Out: Sashimi Platter and Hoe-Deopbap at Mi-Ne Sushi

Ever just crave a shit ton of raw fish?

Sashimi platter
Hoe-deobap

Well, I do, so I went with Chelsea and Braden to Mi-Ne Sushi, where we shared the sashimi platter and then I proceeded to get the hoe-deopbap because I hadn't had it in nearly four years and OH MY GOD, IT WAS SO FUCKING GOOD. Firstly, I don't know why I hadn't gotten it in so long. Probably because most sushi restaurants don't offer it unless they're Korean-owned... Which leads me to a second point: I don't know why I haven't gone to Mi-Ne Sushi in so long. They've been open for over a decade in the same location, which is very close to where I live now, and I keep forgoing it to try out newer sushi places. But if this dinner is any indication, their quality is incredible and, most importantly, CONSISTENT. I have never had anything less than an excellent experience here. Their fish is fresh and abundant, portions are fair given the price, the presentation is always beautiful, and their service goes above and beyond. I need to make Mi-Ne my regular sushi spot.

Mi-Ne Sushi

8865 Woodbine Ave.

Markham, ON L3R 5G1

(905) 470-1688