I haven't seen my friend Chelsea and her family in ages so they invited me out for dinner at Luna Ristorante, where we had the most incredible Italian meal:
Grilled calamari with arugula, cherry tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette
Fritto misto with lemon and aioli
Pasta special: Penne ricce with beef tenderloin, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes in a peppercorn cream sauce
Tiramisu
Okay, every dish was truly delicious this evening, but the pasta special was SPECTACULAR. It is one of the most unique pasta dishes I've ever had, and each component worked so perfectly together that I genuinely wonder why they haven't added it to their permanent menu. It's richer than a tomato sauce-based pasta, but somehow lighter than a typical cream pasta — I could easily have eaten two portions of this. To my tastebuds, this pasta was flawless.
Luna is Il Postino's sister restaurant, so it's no wonder why their food is so goddamn delicious (and their menus are very similar as well), but one huge difference I found here is the service. Il Postino is friendly and professional, but at Luna, the servers (including the owners themselves) treat you like family. They go above and beyond to make sure your experience is simultaneously comfortable and impeccable. I cannot rave about this place enough. It's quite far from home (about 30 minutes by highway) but TOTALLY WORTH THE DRIVE.
I don't know if it's because I haven't had fried chicken in over half a year or because I just haven't had Korean food in months, but this meal was, like, extra satisfying? The shrimp menbosha is still revolutionary, of course, and the rose tteokbokki is reliably delicious, but as someone who usually prefers non-sauced fried chicken, I thought the Galbi Q flavour fried chicken was incredible. It's sweet like honey garlic, but it has a deeper, smokier, more savoury flavour. Would absolutely order again. (Oh, and best tip: Dip the fries into the rose sauce from the tteokbokki. It's SO FREAKING GOOD.) Bb.q Chicken, you remain my favourite Korean fried chicken restaurant. "Best of the best quality," indeed.
My mom and I took my dad out for an early birthday dinner at Maxim, our other go-to restaurant for special occasions (the other one being Congee Queen):
House salad with deep-fried shrimp
Cream of carrot soup
Prime rib with roasted potatoes and vegetables
Strawberry meringue cake
Their prime rib ain't beating The Keg anytime soon, but where else are you going to find a four-course meal (plus tea or coffee) of this quality for $46 in this economic climate? (The answer: You're not. Frankly, I don't even know how they're making profit.)
Souvenirs: Cosmetics pouch, hair brush, coin purse, and glasses case
Starbucks Been There Series: Across the Globe Collection Mug — Tokyo
Starbucks Been There Series: Across the Globe Collection Mug — Osaka
Starbucks Been There Series: Across the Globe Collection Mug — Japan (Spring Edition)
Starbucks Been There Series: Across the Globe Collection Tote Bag — Japan (Spring Edition)
Uniqlo "Asakusa" and "Daruma Dolls" by Bog Craft UT Graphic T-Shirts
Uniqlo "Asakusa Icons" and "Kaitenzushi" UT Graphic T-Shirts
Not included in this post are the plethora of random skin ointments and lip balms I got at pharmacies and the atrocious amount of jeggings and sweatshirts I got at Uniqlo (which are HALF THE PRICE than they are here!!!!!).
(On that note, I've been back home for a week now and just getting back into the swing of things. Spent the first three days back unpacking, cleaning, doing way too much laundry, and getting over jet lag. Going back to work has been especially exhausting — I already need another vacation — so this movie will feel particularly rewarding to watch in theatres.)
I am waiting until all the episodes of the documentary are released before binge watching, but I'm still playing the shit out of the Hope on the Street EP. I've literally added this track to all of my regular rotation playlists and it is especially excellent to listen to when driving to work in the morning because it significantly decreases my road rage.
Hope on the Street was released just in time so I can play it on repeat on my flight back home because this whole EP fucking SLAPS. Not a single skip on this album.
I'll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
(Your deep-rooted movement
Don't ever lose it
'Cause above all, it's priceless)
[Refrain: J-Hope]
N-E-U-R-O-N, attention
N-E-W-R-U-N, ain't enough
All my neurons respond
Get up, neu
Get up, ron
N-E-U-R-O-N, attention
N-E-W-R-U-N, ain't enough
My upright generosity begins
Better new
Better run
[Verse 1: J-Hope]
NEURON, it responds to my mind
NEURON, it responds to my life
New run, a time for myself, once again
Get my nerves working again, just like the younger me, dive
My body’s freestyle, still freestyle
My timeless soul, a whole new type
Such a deep-rooted tree, like deep-spring water
'Cause these neurons are the cells that awakened me
[Chorus: J-Hope]
I'll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
I’ll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
[Refrain: J-Hope]
N-E-U-R-O-N, attention
N-E-W-R-U-N, ain't enough
All my neurons respond
Get up, neu
Get up, ron
N-E-U-R-O-N, attention
N-E-W-R-U-N, ain't enough
My upright generosity begins
Better new
Better run
[Verse 2: Gaeko]
When the life I've lived is reflected on my face
I sneak a peek at the mirror, and what I see is not bad
I relaxed my shoulders, to be upright
Dozens of given motivation
At the intersection connecting each neuron
I carefully assemble the meaning and reason of life
The driving distance of a lightning delivery ball
Whether it be short or long is up to each's decision
I no longer embrace bombs
I've passed the ball on to my crew
While I play catchball with my look-alike son on weekends
Metro on the outskirts
The metronome next to my childhood piano
Matching it became my job, and the payout keeps pilin' up
Still on thin ice
Anxiety about the future lurks beneath the stage like a ghost
I scream, shout, then come back
To relax with a bland home-cooked meal
Make some white noise
[Chorus: J-Hope]
I'll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
I’ll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
[Verse 3: Yoonmirae]
J-Hope X Yoonmirae, we on a new level
Love and peace, the two letters roaming in my heart
Throw ya peace in the sky, with two fingers
But no, okie doke, yo, dark winged baby T
Little Miss with a fiery smile (Oh, no)
J-Hope done gave T the beat drop
Look at ya, mad like, how she get the best spot
'Cause you can learn to flow
But passion it can't be taught
I got a passion for the game
Hustle, never stop
Music and family, that's what it's all about
They keep me going like day in and day out
Music and family, that's what it's all about
You keep me motivated on the days I hate it
Reminded that God created something special
Look at me, I made it
[Chorus: J-Hope]
I'll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
I'll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
[Refrain: J-Hope]
N-E-U-R-O-N, attention
N-E-W-R-U-N, ain't enough
All my neurons respond
Get up, neu
Get up, ron
N-E-U-R-O-N, attention
N-E-W-R-U-N, ain't enough
My upright generosity begins
Better new
Better run
[Outro: J-Hope]
I'll tell you again
We'll never ever give up, forever
I'll say it again
We'll always be alive to move us
I think "NEURON" might actually be my favourite track on this EP. Yoon Mirae KILLS IT here.
For our last dinner in Hong Kong, we made our way to Discovery Bay for a family reunion with appropriately classic Cantonese dishes at Peony:
Sweet and sour Iberico pork
Roasted crispy goose
Roasted crispy pork belly
Braised bean curd with mushrooms
Seafood and glass noodles in fish broth
Pan-fried oyster pancakes
King crab fried rice with crab roe
Though the portions are small here (we ended up having to add another five dishes for our table of 12 people, which I didn't take pictures of because my family is fast at snatching up food), I thought everything was delicious — particularly the roast goose, which is less common in Canada as Chinese restaurants tend to serve duck instead — and well-presented. I wouldn't necessarily take a ferry to eat here specifically (we came here because two of my cousins live in DB), but it was definitely a great last dinner for our trip, and I had a great time catching up with everyone as well.
On our first day in Hong Kong, we passed by an adorable pancake restaurant aptly named Pan de Pain, and I made a note to try it out at least once during our trip. So as our trip is nearly ending, we finally decided to go there for brunch today:
All Day Breakfast Pancake Set
Uji Matcha Soufflé Pancake
The all-day breakfast pancake plate was excellent; it satisfied all my Western breakfast cravings (because, as it turns out, there is such a thing as too much dim sum) and was just the perfect portion size to be able to fit in dessert afterwards. Which worked out great, because one thing I didn't have a chance to eat in Japan was soufflé pancakes, so I was able to make up for it by getting the delightful Uji Matcha Soufflé Pancake here. Perfectly creamy and jiggly and not too sweet, served with matcha cream, matcha syrup, matcha ice cream, matcha mochi, and azuki beans — the ultimate matcha lover's dessert. A rousing success, 10/10, would absolutely eat again.
Decided to check out a very fancy-looking restaurant (apparently it's inspired by secret agents like James Bond) called Voynich for dim sum lunch. We decided on their "Kwai" set lunch which is $218 HKD (about $38 CAD) per person, and thought it seemed somewhat reasonable considering the variety of dim sum included:
"Kwai" set lunch
Steamed shrimp dumpling with black truffle sauce
Steamed pork dumpling with crab meat and black caviar
Steamed mixed mushroom dumpling
Stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp and scrambled egg
Fried rice with seafood and dried scallop
Except what we were not prepared for was the portion size. The menu actually states every dim sum item in PLURAL FORM, but in execution, you get ONE PIECE of each dim sum. $218 HKD all of a sudden seemed like a complete and total rip-off. I get that the presentation is nice and there's some gold flecks in the har gow and the smallest dollop of caviar on the siu mai, but sorry, even with the quality of ingredients, this amount of food absolutely did not merit such a price point. (This doesn't include the tea fee, either, mind you.) The dim sim here doesn't taste any better than any other plebe dim sum I've had, either. The set meal also included your choice of rice or noodle dish, but again, in the smallest portion you can imagine. (To put in perspective, an order of fried rice or fried noodles at a regular Cantonese restaurant is around $15-20 CAD, but the portion is about five times bigger than what we got here.)
Xiao long bao
Creamy chicken filo pastry puffs
We were not nearly full enough from this rip-off of a lunch set, so we ended up ordering xiao long bao and the creamy chicken filo pastry puffs on top of it. And that's when we learned that we should have just ordered à la carte from their regular dim sum menu, where both the prices and the portions are much more reasonable. A ROOKIE MISTAKE.
But, hey, at least the interior design is top-notch.
Denise, '86 liner. Chinese-Canadian, born, raised, and still based in the Greater Toronto Area. Professional make-up artist turned office manager. Introvert with brilliant extrovert skills. BTS ARMY since 2016, OT7, Jungkook and Jimin biased. BTS and BT21 merch collector, amateur foodie, skincare fiend, mascara connoisseur, shopaholic, teetotaler, Scorpio, avid The Sims 4 player, and K-drama addict. 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 CC 2019. 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. All products reviewed or shown on this blog are purchased by me for personal use only.
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Playlist (March 2024)
Ailee - Breaking Down
Clairo - Bags
Ellie Goulding - Easy Lover
Ellie Goulding - Love a Saviour
Emotional Oranges - Not Worth It
Foxes - Body Talk
Froidz - Nobody But You
IU - Love Wins All
J-Hope (feat. J. Cole) - On the Street
Jimin - Closer Than This
Jungkook (feat. Justin Timberlake) - 3D (Justin Timberlake Remix)
Jungkook - Closer to You
Jungkook - Hate You
Jungkook - Please Don't Change
Jungkook - Shot Glass of Tears
Jungkook - Somebody
Jungkook - Standing Next to You
Jungkook (feat. Usher) - Standing Next to You (Usher Remix)
Jungkook - Yes or No
Le Sserafim - Perfect Night
NewJeans - Cool With You
NewJeans - Ditto
NewJeans - ETA
NewJeans x League of Legends - GODS
NewJeans - Hype Boy
NewJeans - Super Shy
Oohyo - Pizza
So!YoOn! (feat. RM) - Smoke Sprite
Stalking Gia - Euphoria
Taylor Swift (feat. More Lana Del Rey) - Snow on the Beach
The Kid Laroi, Jungkook, and Central Cee - Too Much
V - Blue
V - For Us
V - Love Me Again
V - Rainy Days
V - Slow Dancing
Umi (feat. V) - Wherever U R
Yoari - True
