The public outcry over the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, has sparked a storm of protests all across the country. Americans are not alone, as protests in response to his death have also spread across the world, as many other countries have expressed solidarity with the American protestors and the black community.  Like many others who viewed the video of Floyd's death, I was sad and outraged that another unarmed African-American man was murdered in cold blood for using a counterfeit $20 bill. Since when do police have the power of judge, jury, and executioner?

Image Credit: blacklivesmatter.com

 Unfortunately, George Floyd is not alone on the list of people whose lives were cut short at the hands of the police. Other victims of police brutality and racism include Breonna Taylor, Walter Scott, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, Antwon Rose, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Jordan Edwards, Freddie Gray, Keith Scott, Stephon Clark, and the list sadly goes on. Thousands of black people, particularly black men, have been killed by police since 1980 in America alone. It's time to change the system and dismantle structural racism that is placed in society.

Image Credit: REUTERS/Darren Ornitz

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Video Credit: @snoopdogg

Racism has been an ongoing issue for several decades, and I am glad that it's no longer swept under the rug. People and companies alike are being called out for their racist behaviors, and I think it's about time. Things need to change, and if protesting is the only way to reach through to the large masses, then I think it's important to use our voices to do so. For me - I acknowledged my privilege as a "model minority", and I cannot sit here and pretend to understand what it's like to be consistently discriminated against, or living in fear that I will get shot by the police because of my skin color. With that being said, in recent weeks, I have continued to educate myself on racial inequalities and learning how to help (by donating) and be a better ally to the black community, and Black Lives Matter movement. 

What is Black Lives Matter? They are an international human rights movement, originating from within the African-American community, which campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people. You can learn more about BLM at https://blacklivesmatter.com/.

Also, if you're on social media, then you probably noticed another movement that took place on June 2. That day - tons of people posted black squares to showcase their solidarity with #BLM. It was quite controversial online, as some people felt that this was just "performative activism" on some companies or individuals' parts. Performative activism is defined as "a pejorative term referring to activism done to increase one's social capital rather than because of one's devotion to a cause." I didn't post a black square myself, because I felt that it would have taken away from others who were posting vital information on Black Lives Matter. However, I don't have any negative judgment against people who did post because many (I am sure) did it to show solidarity.  To each their own. 

Overall, I hope that my peers will continue to stand up to fight against racism and racial inequalities by either using their social media presence to educate others or donate to charities. As for me - I will also continue to learn and do better to be part of the solution for equality. 

Here are some resources that I believe are useful and important if you are interested in learning more. It's never too late to research and learn about systemic racism.

Support Local Businesses:

Black-owned businesses (Toronto & GTA) (credit: @j.a.l.i.l and @desperateidiot)

Petitions:

Justice for George Floyd

George Floyd - thepetitionsite.com

George Floyd - amnesty.org

Breonna Taylor - moveon.org

Breonna Taylor - thepetitionsite.com

Ahmaud Arbery - change.org

Pass The Georgia Hate Crime Bill

Life Sentence For Police Brutality

Hands Up Act - change.org

National Action Against Police Brutality

Tamir Rice - change.org

Movement For Black Lives

Sandra Bland - change.org

Make Police Brutality Illegal

Donate (Local):

Black Lives Matter Toronto
COVID-Black Emergency Support Fund (Toronto)
FoodShare Emergency Good Food Box (COVID-19)
Donate Your Sephora Points (GTA) (credit: @angelaeum)

Donate:

NAACP
 Donate to the Victims

Fund The Movement: Black Lives Matter 

National Bail Fund Network

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund

Bail Funds (for protestors)
Color of Change
Black Visions Collective
North Star Health Collective
Liberty Fund
Donate to Black-Owned Businesses (destroyed in riots) 

Educate Yourself: 

Anti-Racist Packet (credit: @smooth_jas)

A reading list of Black and Asian-American feminist solidarities
Cineplex: Understanding Black Stories 
Black Activists on Instagram
BIPOC in the food industry
43 Books by Black Authors to Read
25 Books by Contemporary Black Authors

Disclaimer: Thank you to the original curators for all of the links above.

P.S: People also need to stop with the #AllLivesMatter bullshit! Those people are missing the complete point of the movement. BLM is not claiming that African-Americans' lives matter more than other races. Rather, they just want to highlight the injustice that black people go through on a daily basis just because of their skin color - whether it's with society, career advancements, or police.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel a bit in my life, and I still think that Toronto has one of the greatest food offerings in the world. You don't need to go to South Korea to find good KBBQ cause there are so many options right in the city. Earlier last week, I had the opportunity to check out Piggy's Restaurant in Thornhill. It was my first time at this location, but I have eaten at their downtown location (Little Piggy's) before. Piggy's offers authentic Korean cuisine and is a popular spot for KBBQ. Please note that this is not AYCE, and they are a full-service restaurant, so they do offer a wide variety of traditional Korean dishes as well. 

Walking into the restaurant, I found it to be quite spacious, but it still had a homey vibe to it. Each table is equipped with a charcoal grill with utensils. We were quickly seated for 6 pm, and dinner started promptly then. What arrived out first was a succulent tower of beef short ribs, the King Kalbi. The platter consists of non-marinated large cuts of premium beef short ribs, and highly recommended for 3-4 people. There is a smaller portion available for 2 people. While it was non-marinated, the cooked BBQ meat tasted amazing with the accompanying sweet sauce. 

If you look at their extensive menu, the meats are priced for two people. The bill can add up if you get more than 2+ kinds of meats, but they do offer lettuce wraps and a wide assortment of banchan (side dishes), which are re-fillable. 

The beef ribs cooked quickly on the grill, and I loved the smokey flavor that the charcoal provided. Speaking of charcoal, they are specially imported from Korea.  

Next up was the Pork Belly, and they were thick! Piggy's Restaurant is one of the few restaurants in the city to serve up extra thick slices like what locals enjoy in South Korea. Excellent quality of meat and the pork belly had a good balance of meat and fat. 

Garlic Beef

L.A Kalbi

The drinks menu was pretty decent with a nice variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. I got the Fresh Soju Twist in a Lightbulb - mango.

Ended the night off with Magic Flower Pot Soft Serve Ice-Cream - 100% pure milk house-made vanilla ice-cream served with a layer of cookie crumble sprinkled on top.

Overall, the staff was accommodating, great food and service. If you're looking for some really good KBBQ, then definitely check Piggy's Restaurant out. Thank you to Piggy's Restaurant and Richard (@richardjwtang) for hosting.

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed Taiwan from our first time there in 2018. We jumped at the chance to return again in early 2019 for my 32nd birthday. We spent a total of 3 weeks in Japan and then 12 days in Taiwan. Our last two nights were in Taipei, and since our return flight was going to be a long 13 hour one, we decided to splurge and booked The Regent Taipei for two nights. Taipei has a handful of high-end hotels within the vicinity, but I chose this one for us mainly for Lady M. Yes, the popular cake boutique has a location on the main floor of the hotel - so convenient.

The Regent Taipei is a 5-star luxury hotel (under the IHG umbrella) located in the commercial Zhongshan district, and very close to several key attractions. I'd even say that it was one of the best hotels that we have stayed at in Asia - in terms of space, amenities, and service.



 If you're into shopping, there was a Chanel, Harry Winston, and Louis Vuitton on the ground floor across from the reception desk. More luxury shops are located in the underground high-end luxury mall at Regent Galleria. 



J and I booked the Deluxe Room, which offers a city view through a full-length window. The room was 7353 TWD per night ($324.23 CAD/night). We opted out of breakfast, as there was no way we would be able to wake up before 10:30 am. Unfortunately, we are not early risers, especially while on vacation.



 The room was super spacious with a King bed, sofa set, TV, working desk, and chair. It was hard to get up in the morning to start my day, as the bed was insanely comfortable. So comfortable that we actually slept in the next morning. Thank you to the desk clerk who moved us from our original room that was next to a family with kids to this one (with no one on either side) :) He was Japanese-Taiwanese, and we started talking about how much we loved both countries. Anyway, since we were early with our check-in (room wasn't ready yet), we dropped off the suitcases and went to lunch. We returned at 4 pm to find that our previous room number was scratched for one on a much higher floor with a bigger washroom. I have read enough stories on Reddit about people's rudeness with front desk employees. Be nice and don't demand stuff. Employees are generally nice if you're nice too.











 Bottled waters are complimentary with 2 in the minibar, and another 2 left on the bathroom sink. Water bottles are also replenished daily which was great cause Taipei was extremely humid outside.
 


There was ample room in the marbled bathroom with a deep soaking tub, separate shower stall, single vanity with a full wall mirror and a Japanese-style toilet. It was a really nice washroom!













  After lunch, it was time to go up to our room. The bellhop came to the front desk to take our luggage up to our room, and we went on our merry way to check out the hotel. We spent about 30 minutes chilling on the roof of the hotel, where their swimming pool was located. Afterward, we went down to our room to find the bellhop waiting for us in front of our room. Most hotels often take the luggage into the room, but he wanted to wait for us. We felt so bad cause we didn’t know that the policy was to wait for guests, as the staff didn't tell us (so we're not rushed). Plus, Taiwan has a no-tipping policy, so he declined it. The only place that has a service charge was the bar on the main floor.

There was also a staff member on the ground floor telling guests to watch their step (as there was a slight rise) on the ground floor. Service was very guest-oriented from check-in to check-out. Additionally, great service does not just pertain to 5-star hotels in Taiwan, as we had great service everywhere we went - whether it's a cheap/casual eateries or high-end.


Swimming pool on the roof of The Regent Taipei.


 There was a separate small room for coats and there was a safe as well.


 The hotel is easily accessible via the Taipei Main Railway station and is near Zhong Shan MRT Station. However, Uber is readily available and affordable so we opted to use them to get around the city.



Overall, we had a great stay at The Regent Taipei and their service was impeccable. If you're looking for a luxurious stay while in Taipei, then I highly recommend this hotel. I was super glad that we chose this hotel for our stay, as I enjoyed everything about it. Plus, I was able to grab some Mille Crepe Cake from Lady M for our flight home the next morning :) Overpriced, but oh so good! 

Since December 2018, J and I have made it a mission to visit JaBistro at least once a month, as we love their food. It's probably one of my favorite restaurants in Toronto, and the quality is consistent. JaBistro is a modern Japanese restaurant known for its beautifully presented sashimi platters and blowtorched sushi. Established in November 2012, JaBistro has remained a popular choice for many when it comes to choosing a premier sushi restaurant to dine at. Additionally, the restaurant is part of the Kinka Family, which also owns other establishments in the city, including Kinton Ramen, Yakitori Kintori, and Kinka Izakaya.
 
The restaurant is easily recognizable for its logo of the fish with the luminescence in front of its face. Walking into the establishment, you'd be greeted by a hostess, and most likely be asked to sit at the bar while you wait for your table. The interior was tastefully designed with its sleek use of wood, and it's also windowless. Due to the nature of having no windows; there is no natural lighting (even during lunchtime). Please note that this blog post is a combination of multiple visits throughout the 2019 year. 


JaBistro offers a more elevated dining experience by offering both classic and contemporary dishes that are sourced using the finest, and freshest fish from coastal waters around the world. We always start our meal off with two bowls of hot Miso Soup ($5). The soup here is made out of lobster broth and comes with a small piece of lobster claw.


The salad ($9) - cucumber, greens, is another regular order that we often get. A light start to a pretty filling meal.


Besides fresh sushi and sashimi, JaBistro also offers a bistro menu consisting of a variety of cooked items. My favorite bistro item is the Ika ($11) - calamari, tosazu vinegar. I order this dish every single visit, as I love it that much! Perfectly deep-fried, and the calamari isn't super chewy.





Ebi Nanban ($15) - battered tiger shrimp, tartar sauce


Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the Agedashi ($13) - deep-fried b.c. oysters, seasonal veggies, kombu dashi. I found the oyster too soggy and a little too battered.


Another popular bistro item is the Tori Nanban ($17). It's basically chicken marinated in rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili and then deep fried in batter. It comes with tartar sauce on the sauce.


If you want sushi, then definitely get the Kyukyoku ($55). It's 12 pieces of market-fresh sushi and it's all comes down to the Chef's choice. So the pieces do vary depending on what's available that day. Each piece of sushi is already brushed with soy sauce and includes a small dab of wasabi.

Most of the time, service has been consistently great. The servers would explain each piece for the Kyukyoku platter. However, on our recent visits (November 14, 2019), one of the female servers just dropped the platter down and ran off quickly. I thought it was weird! Luckily, that lady wasn't our main server for the night, as ours was friendlier.





At times, they don't have enough fish for the Kyukyoku, so it's replaced by the Chef's Choice ($45). Instead of up to 12 pieces, you get a platter consisted of nine pieces of nigiri.





If you want to try a variety of their aburi, then I highly recommend getting the Aburicious ($22). The platter comes with 2 ebi, 2 saba, 2 salmon, and 2 JaBistroll. JaBistro's specialty lies in their aburi sushi. It is made by pressing sushi rice and fish into a mold to get that rectangular shape and then blowtorched. Blow-torching the top of the aburi creates a wonderful smoky flavor.




I don't get the Wagyu Oshizushi ($25) as often as I do salmon or ebi. It's pricier than the other oshizushi options, and the rice to wagyu ratio is sometimes not consistent.




Ebi Oshizushi ($15) - pressed tiger shrimp sushi. Another popular option for pressed sushi. Love this one too!



The Salmon Oshizushi ($17) - pressed Atlantic salmon sushi, was the perfect balance between sauce and fish. By torching the top of the sushi, it provided a nice smokey flavor as mentioned above. My second favorite after their signature roll, the Jabistroll.


Out of their entire menu, my favorite item is their signature roll called the JaBistroll ($22) - salmon, snow crab, uni, cucumber, tobiko. So creamy and melts in your mouth.



Fatty Bluefin Tuna Hand Roll ($10) 


JaBistro is a great mix of traditional sushi with modern approaches. One of its downsides is definitely the price as it's not wallet-friendly for everyday occasions. However, it's a nice place for business dinners, special occasions, and social gatherings. I highly recommend this place if you love sushi.

Address: 222 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1V6