Instagram/@deadmau5
Known for its quintessentially unpolished nightlife view of the city, the producer enjoyed sharing these views with his followers. Deadmau5 captioned the nocturnal and neon shot of one of the late-night hot favorites across the city, New Ho King: “`3am in Toronto, how can you not?`” There is an atmosphere to the image-neon signs colored in red and green pierced through the dark with an advertisement that said, “Fine Chinese Cuisine,” while in the founding hours, most of the city has “gone out,” the patrons were huddled inside. A true “only-in-Toronto” kind of scene, better captured by deadmau5 himself.
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New Ho King is almost a legend in the city. Set right in the heart of downtown, it’s the place haunting back in the corner of your mind after a show; haunting after-full night partying; or haunting when that one feeling for greasy, yummy Chinese food hits you hard at an ungodly hour. It ain’t fancy, that’s for sure, and it certainly doesn’t want to be-far from it is what people love about it. The picture feels genuine and unfiltered-a real insight into the artist’s life away from the stage.
The one-line comments soon led into an explosion of nostalgia mixed with inside jokes and Toronto pride all at once. A user tapped perfectly into the vibes, “This post is everything, takes me back to good ol’ nights living in the Big Smoke. All da love Joel.” That was said about a dozen times from many others; for a lot, it was not just a restaurant’s picture; it was a memory. A time and a place-these are things one only really communes with when they have been there.
Contrariwise, the other side was not entirely agreeing on the pros and cons of food. Another comment tossed some shade, “Canton Chili next door is waaaay better! Don’t get caught up in the hype! 😉🔥” And that was Toronto’s food debate forever. No conversation about local food would be complete without a little friendly rivalry over whose jurisdiction actually does the best noodles or the best fried rice.
From here, the timing of the post sparked a series of comments. A few wondered aloud if this was a post-concert munchie: “Post-NIN I take it? 🙌” queried one, and another mused, “@deadmau5 did you hit the NIN show haha.” Not a wild guess, really-Toronto’s music scene is quite tight-knit, and deadmau5 is very much woven into its fabric. Grab some grub after the gig-just what you do.
Meanwhile, some eagle-eyed viewers were paying close attention to the deets, and one fan cracked a joke: “The guy inside is like ‘is deadmau5 taking a fing picture of me?’” That’s precisely what probably crossed that dude’s mind. Imagine you’re just trying to enjoy your late-night lo mein when the world’s most famous electronic music producer shows up outside and starts taking pictures of your dinner.
Another user took a touch darker and weirder: “That place got shot up once. Good chow mein. Recommended.” The pairing of violent history with a casual recommendation is nearly absurd. Very much online and very deadmau5 in his weird, blunt style of honesty.
The jokes just kept coming; somebody else hilariously commented: “broke my phone screen there once at 2am,” strangely enough, becoming almost an achievement. If you haven’t come close to breaking something or losing an item on a hazy night at a joint like this, can you even say you’ve tasted city life?
Contradicting all that, a legend-in-the-making had to say: “Shitty Asian food almost always best Asian food. Frequently the more sketch it seems the better it tastes. Goodnight friend. :::ptfo::: 🙌.” And they’re not wrong. It’s an unofficial rule that the best venues have all the vibe of those places that look like they haven’t updated the décor since the ’80s, fluorescent lighting, sticky floors. It’s part of the charm.
Long established, deadmau5 has always done his own particular sometimes dry humor and style of communication with his fans, almost feeling more like a group chat than one-way celebrity information flow. Nothing is more fitting than this moment. It’s not advertising a new track or a tour; it just is… a moment. An experience shared. A nod to anyone who’s ever found themselves in a brightly lit restaurant at 3 a.m., surrounded by the quiet chaos of a city that never quite sleeps.
The more spontaneous posts, in many ways, are among the most resonant ones. They’re relatable. They’re very human. For an artist whose branding is sewn into futuristic sounds and high-tech stage shows, something as simple as a picture of a neon sign and good food is a rather grounding change. It reminds people behind the mouse helmet that the guy is just like any of us who’d like to have some spicy shrimp when the night’s too long.
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So yeah… 3am in Toronto. How can you not?