Has the city appeared more attractive since my return from the States? Not exactly.
But one thing is certain: The environment is nowhere near as repulsive (in comparison). The stifling sensation has been swapped for a liberating ambience.

Returning to the daunting reality of a newly-emptied wallet (as well as pending GOT7 comeback and looming deadline for DAY6 world tour tickets), regularly social outings have been promptly severed until economic replenishment has been obtained. (Civic long weekend was my only exception.)

In the meantime, I've been keeping busy with occasional North York runs over lunch break and all-too-frequent bubble tea excursions.

1) CoCo has revamped the Bubble Gaga formula by adding crunchy, tangy passionfruit seeds. While I grimaced at all of One Zo's concoctions that contained this element, CoCo's sweeter, less obnoxious version was readily digested.
2) Sidewalk training sighting at Shops at Don Mills
3) Early mornings equate to pre-packed breakfasts and lunches. This can refer to the classic Costco granola bar or caramel/strawberry jam sandwiches.

4) I've officially persuaded orangecane into the Nature Melon Lemon clan! One Zo's Spring Tea series, though, is less worthy of a mention.

5) Bake Code's newest release of a Crème Caramel Japanese Cheesecake has proven itself an interesting hybrid.

The cake is comprised of two layers: a delicate vanilla flan with a bittersweet surface and a fluffy Japanese cheesecake.

I opted for two slices instead of the 50-dollar whole cake, and was quite dismayed to see that the layers had detached almost nearly by the time I had reached home. Storage wasn't the issue here - mind you - since the carrying case has been sandwiched between two sturdy objects and further placed in a rigid, plastic bin.

With sufficient time inside a cooling device - aka refrigerator - the layers somehow managed to re-solidify, though the components demanded fragile handling nonetheless.

The top layer was soothing and sweet with discernible notes of vanilla, while the bottom was cheesy, slightly savoury, and ever-so-porous. Together, the creation was an intriguing amalgamation of gentle textures and complementing flavours. Consuming the portions separately enabled customers to embrace the cheesiness of the soufflé cheesake layer, while adjusting the portion of crème caramel consumed along with it.

It was a decently-priced specimen for its size and degree of crafting expertise. That said, I do not believe that I will be purchasing this product as the price tag for an individual slice is quite high ($4.50 before tax); the return on gustatory satisfaction would also be greater.

6) EAT BKK
Seemingly a part of a series of Thai street eateries, Eat BKK adopts a similar menu to Jatujak on Victoria Park.

For a particularly long day out, I decided to replicate my order at Jatujak for takeout: Tom Kha with Chicken and a Thai Iced Tea. The pickup was scheduled for 12:40 PM, but my order had yet to prepared even when I pulled into the immensely narrow parking lot. Entering and exiting plaza is a nightmare, and the limit of one parking spot per business only worked to complicate this matter further.

The thought of ordering a side of coconut Rice had completely went over my head, so I ended up departing with a cup of too-sweet Thai Tea and small plastic container of mild coconut milk-based soup. Eat BKK's Thai Tea was, without a doubt, authentic; however, while the unique spice blend was evident, the beverage was excessively watery instead of milky and smooth. The Tom Kha exhibited similar problems with consistency, in spite of being loaded with the wonderful flavours of lemongrass, coconut milk, and gently simmered onion.

Koreatown visits are executed every two months, at the very minimum. Reasons for these outings range from the need to restock hoddeok inventory to haircuts to abrupt desires for Put A Cone On It's Matcha White Chocolate Chip cookies.

I had anticipated a morning pick-me-up of Iced Kyoto Smoke, but alas, the coffee shop/dessert parlour hybrid would not be open until 1 PM. Passing by other similar establishments, I encountered the same dilemma, until my feet led me to Rustle & Still.

The Matcha Pandan Latte that orangecane and I had tasted on our first visit had been lovely, albeit pricey considering the neighbourhood. Not quite tempted to try the Purple Sweet Potato Latte this time around, I opted for a highly-caffeinated alternative: an Iced Vietnamese Coffee with condensed milk. The decision had been made upon being informed of the shop's dependence on Houjicha powder - drink mixes had never been an item of interest to me.

Extremely bold coffee was most definitely not the best idea, especially on an empty stomach. The brew was ridiculously acidic, even when mixed with a few heaping tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and a stout cup of ice.
Ringing in at two or three price points greater than the average Vietnamese Iced Coffee, I'll likely skip this should other shops be open at my time of visit. (Side note: Rustle & Still's facilities are on the fragile side: beware when utilizing their slow-flushing toilet(s).

orangecane had been skeptical about my proposal from the moment I dropped the link to Cookie tree's video.

"I don't if we'll have enough time..." had come her hesitant response. "Choux pastry is finicky."

​And I agreed. But when two well-versed eating enthusiasts bring their skills together, it's a shame not to challenge our baking repertoires with a magnificent yet labour-intensive project. Moreover, it seemed the ideal compromise between our individual desires for cookies and cake.

​After the highways had cleared of cottage-goers and weekend-trippers, I began my lengthy journey over. Early in the day it was, but it was adamant that baking preparations commenced early and ended early.

​I had transcribed the video into a condensed English recipe the night prior, so we merely had to decided on the amplification ratio and distribute responsibilities accordingly.
Swapping peach chunks for extra-ripe cubes of Ataulfo mango and incorporating a thickened mango syrup into the filling were the only modifications made. And while not a single issue was encountered with the making of the custard cream filling, the choux pastry flopped terribly, deflating into a thin, flat buttery biscuit upon removal from the oven.

Continuing on from my June madness, July began to pick up its pace quickly with the arrival of GOT7 in Toronto.

Then came New York.
And then came a sudden change of pace (ie. early mornings).

Before I knew it, I was welcoming August in a complete daze, and questioning whether I had been as humanly efficient as possible.

1) Prior to Eyes On You in New York, I knew I'd be making vast attempts to smooth my hands in preparation for Hi-Touch. IT's SKIN's Sesame Street collaboration worked amazing - even better than the LINE Friends and Mediheal line!

2) Low-res snaps from Eyes On You in New York

​3) Outtakes from our various trekking trips in the Big Apple, including a shot of the subway system and two of Ippodo's most popular drinks

​4) Testing out the Hatsu-Mukashi from Ippodo and readingly incorporating it into my daily breakfasts
5) My beloved Grazia magazine arrived!! Forever flawless, this photoshoot further complimented his striking visuals by experimenting with various lighting strengths.
6) Did you know you could add lettuce to Cheeseburgers?? I may have uncovered a newfound appreciation for (customizable) Happy Meals.

7) Steamed Mandu from Galleria and another visit to One Zo made up the bulk of an early evening North York run.

​8) Unnecessarily long downtown errands had me feeling grabby for a Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie. Oh, how I've missed Pilot! 

​It's been a crazy week. Like the driving-through-rush-hour-whilst-running-on-four-hours-of-sleep kind of crazy.

Quite a period of time has passed since the last time I held a position that involved insanely early mornings. Take heed to refrain from misinterpreting my statements though: however strongly I dislike rising before the sky is fully illuminated, there is great enjoyment to be found in contributing back to the community, even to the tiniest degree.

​Working through backlog was essentially impossible amidst a period of personal clock adjustments, but the shifted days grew easier with time.
To celebrate the end of a successful first week, orangecane and I took to another one of our eating excursions - this time spanning from North York to Markham.

Parking near Yonge and Finch on weekdays is never as straightforward as it should be. Instead of trying my luck at the Finch commuter lot, I figured that the asphalt grounds behind Shoppers would be more fitting for our purposes with consideration to time and desired activities.

​First up on the itinerary was One Zo Tapioca - no surprise there.

A refreshing Nature Melon Lemon with Cactus Tapioca was chosen by my fellow food fiend, while I fluctuated between trying the Dirty Tea Series or another signature beverage from the fixed menu.
The bubble tea spot was exceptionally serene at this time, so the girl behind the cashier actively attempted to assist me in arriving at a decision.

​At hand were the following dilemmas: the Dirty Tea Series was exclusive to medium-sized drinks and Brown Sugar Tapioca was not available for addition into any beverage from the fixed menu. It took approximately five whole minutes of persuasion to convince the staff to craft a Large rendition of the specialty item, after which they warned that the taste wasn't guaranteed to match their regular standards due to the absence of a Large-size recipe. This was entirely fine by me; they could have filled the remainder of the cup with milk or more tea for all that I cared.

​I was charged for a $6.39 Assam Latte instead, leading the total cost of the visit to emerge a whopping $7.22. Without a doubt, the Brown Sugar highlights were as enjoyable as predicted. Given that the flavours were on the sweet side though, the Medium may have been the proper choice after all.

​A hankering for something savoury prompted a detour to the eateries along Byng. I had a rare case of takoyaki yearning.

Naniwa Taro is a name not unfamiliar to me, for it's been known to be a popular casual diner amongst locals. The interior is small: two tables and a narrow strip of bar seating would accommodate a maximum capacity of ten. As such, it wasn't surprising to see customers take their orders to go.

​Images of takoyaki successfully awakened my appetite, while Katsu Curry tugged at orangecane's heartstrings (sorry, stomach-strings).
We chose the C1 combo and K4 Katsu Curry respectively, and relayed our picks to the friendly lady behind the cashier. The restaurant was empty at this time, so the decision was made to dine in before our next leg of activities.

The Katsu Curry emerged from the kitchen first. It was a substantial portion consisting of crispy strips of pork katsu, rice, and a questionably Glico-like pool of curry.
My own selection of the C1 combo comprised of a "half portion" of Okonomiyaki and four pieces of Takoyaki. When the choice of adding mayonnaise had been presented before me, I did a double-take before quickly responding in the affirmative. Are there mortals that wholeheartedly omit kewpie mayo?!

Having recapped on the entirety of my 4-day stay, allow me to provide some clarification on the "Never Again, New York" title with the following breakdown.

​1) Cleanliness

New York will remembered as the North American city with unrivalled griminess. Streets were filthy. General practices were disgusting.
Regardless of whether we found ourselves in Brooklyn or Manhattan, the same situation prevailed.

• Rats were apparently spotted on our first night in Brooklyn.
• Access/egress paths to subway stations possessed rusted gates and the undeniable whiff of urine.
• Concrete blocks bearing an immeasurable count of black blobs were found around heavily populated districts in Brooklyn. The same was seen in less commercialized neighbourhoods in Manhattan.
• Streetside "patios" in SoHo were directly exposed to the fumes of sewer systems, regardless of whether they were located nearby or not. The stench travelled.

Many food establishments featured an odd-looking grate outside their entrance. This wasn't a method of drainage though; rather, it was the entranceway to an underground cellar for storage. Puddles would be occasionally located around these grates, or just randomly on sidewalk patches, even if precipitation hadn't occurred in the past few days. Such scummy ponds had originated from vile bags of garbage whose fluids had failed to drain into the sewer style. Nasty.

2) Weather Conditions

New York weather didn't differ too greatly from Toronto: the vibe was the same, hence an absence of a sense of travelling somewhere "new and exciting".
With the added factor of smog and pollution, the humid air quickly became repulsive to be immersed in.
Even upon returning to a destination equipped with sufficient ventilation and air conditioning, the unbearable feelings of stickiness remained. Vivid in my memory is showering twice every night to rid myself of the vile New York air. I wasn't successful, and my complexion and overall well-being suffered severely.

​3) Public Bathrooms
​
Appending to the theme of gross, unsanitary conditions witnessed throughout the city, public bathrooms are definitely not exempted. While expectations for restaurant bathrooms had already plummeted beyond normal levels of comprehension, it was shocking to discover that the facilities found in hotel lobbies were of a similar status.
Cleaning staff hardly fulfilled their responsibilities; a member of janitorial staff at the Hilton at 53rd St and 6th Ave was observed to shift all of her weight onto a mop before lazily shoving the tool into a closed stall, then retrieving it. This pattern continued for a few more stalls before a sigh of exhaustion escaped her and she, and the mop, trailed out of the bathroom in a slug-like fashion.

​On this topic, I cannot forego the mention of toilet paper quality. Thin and rough sheets reminscient of crude sandpaper were placed in every single establishment visited, including hotel lobbies and guest rooms. The city seemed unwilling to spare customers the pain of low-quality toilet paper and reluctantly exfoliated bottoms.

Water pressure was also insufficient in older neighbourhoods, meaning that trickling streams and/or rapidly cooling faucets were frequent.

Hand soaps were utterly unacceptable: with a strength on par with corrosive cleaning agents, the detergents installed in public bathrooms were anything but epidermis-friendly. In under 24 hours, the surrounding edges of my fingertips began to shrivel and peel, resulting in a week's worth of excruciating pain. Hand-washing frequency hadn't increased on the trip - shockingly enough - and neither did the intervals at which moisturizing lotion was applied. It wasn't me; it was the soap.

Number locks were also seen on almost every public bathroom. Whether it was to discourage the use of customer restrooms as public washrooms or keep in line with the nationwide concept of consumerism, it was an unnecessary add-on in districts where homeless residents were minimal.

Read Part 1 HERE !

​There was a distinct reason behind our purchase of a single drink at Nohohon. It was in preparation for a (much warranted) pre-flight Boba Guys run.

Bidding farewell to St. Marks, the path was retraced back to 8th and Broadway. During this Vitamin D-filled walk, I came across my first ever K-Mart. In my head, it was the American equivalent of our H Mart - a Korean superstore that offered clothing items in addition to foodstuff. Various times had it been mentioned in Fresh Off The Boat, further contributing to my curiosity. That said, one could imagine my response at discovering its status as an outdated Sears/Zellers. Sigh.

I had difficulties pinpointing Boba Guys' Waverly Place location at first. The neighbourhood appeared commercialized, with large, flat tiles (and zero trip hazards) to prove it.

​The Canal Street Market location had been empty at our time of visit, but this one featured a winding line up that curved outside of the store's air-conditioned quarters and onto the dominion of NYU (New York University).

We joined the lineup of bubble tea - or should I say boba? - enthusiasts, praying that the wait would not hinder our late packing plans. Majority, if not all, of the surrounding citizens hailed from a similar demographic group: mid-20s, dark hair, and Asian descent. For a moment, it felt like I was in LA again.

​The lined moved at a snail-like pace, approximating 10-15 minutes to reach the order counter. 

Another five minutes or so passed before drink orders could be retrieved.
In retrospect, the crafting of drinks was probably the swiftest process amongst them all. What hindered the smooth flow of traffic were indecisive customers that struggled to arrive at decisions howbeit the cashier's knowledgeable suggestions.

I'm ready. I'm ready to go home.

By the fourth and final day of our stay had rolled around, my mind and body had detached from the city without reservation. For the sake of my hygienic sanity, it was imperative to abandon the place whose air felt filthier than a jog in 37-degreee weather.

Alas, we would not be boarding until the early evening. A half-day's worth of possibilities lay before us.

I opted to venture to Manhattan once again, for my main duties in Brooklyn had been accomplished.

Multiple neighbourhoods had been covered by this point: from Midtown to Koreatown to Lower Manhattan, all major streets along the subway lines had been visited and documented. What remained on my dwindling destination map was St. Marks in East Village - a quiet strip filled with eateries, and some queer shops in between.

The main focus of this extension was locating Nohohon's New York location - more precisely, Nohohon's sole operating location in North America.

As bubble tea could not be adopted as a meal, we hunted for lunch first. Ramen Setagaya won over its competitors with an appealing menu and sleek storefront.

​Sporting an all-black uniform and visible layer of cosmetics, the waitress/hostess welcomed us with a smile (and slightly judging gaze). Menus were provided immediately after we seated ourselves onto two of the many stools.

< Pictured above and below: Asahi, Deluxe Shoyu Ramen, Mazemen >

​An ongoing three-dollar beer special was being promoted via banners along the exposed concrete-esque walls. This was taken advantage of first before reverting back to menu options.

Read Part 2 HERE !

The Ippodo ordeal had worn us out a bit, so by the time we had made our way back to the busy intersection 34th and 6th, I was more than ready to relieve myself of my growing backpack and bags of purchases.
The immediate area revealed a terrible shortage of cafés (and benches for that matter), so we reverted back to Koreatown in hopes of finding a spot equipped with washroom facilities, air conditioning, outlets, and perhaps reasonably priced sustenance.

A lovely potato had warned against Caffe Bene, while Tous Les Jours simply did not appeal to me. Paris Baguette it was.

Lining the shelves was a distinct variety of breads, rolls, and cakes; between these shelves, a checkout line began to form slowly. The bakery/café possessed two of the factors I had hoped for: A/C and a customer bathroom. Other than that, seating was minimal and cramped, and there were no smartphone-friendly elements in sight. Breads and cakes were undeniably on the pricey side as well.

The concept of waiter service did not apply here, for the tables were sticky and dirty. Shop attendants emptied garbage bins from time to time, however no efforts were made to ensure a bright, orderly dining area for customers. A sheer lack of a janitorial team was observed via the status of the unisex bathroom stall. Put simply, it was appalling. From the sticky floor to the disgusting toilet seat to the dangling soap dispenser, it was a germaphobe's worst nightmare. The cherry on top was a dysfunctional simplehuman garbage bin that could only be opened manually - GROSS.

​I wasn't all too sure about Paris Baguette's ordering process, but the cashier did not prove to be any use in that regard. A pre-packaged Japanese cheesecake had rested on my tray for the entire ten-minute checkout period, and I merely wanted a Green Tea Chiffon Cake from the display case to munch on in-store. The girls in front of me simply grabbed a slice of cake without any issues, yet my attempt was met with a jarring warning and utterly distasteful expression. Mild reprimands fell upon these girls later, but this was no excuse to treat a paying customer poorly.

The Green Tea Chiffon was alright, though the whipping cream was a tad stifling after a while. No drinks were purchased during our stay, though two small items were consumed by my dining parter towards the end of our chatty stay.

​We wandered back onto 32nd St as the sky transitioned to a cool blue. A quick round of browsing in a mask-centred beauty shop and we were off to find dinner.

​Xi'An Foods was a recommendation from an Instagram user who had previously resided in New York for some time. Rarely is it that I go out of my way for Chinese food, so I retained the optimism that it would be unlike the others. Prior research had shown the name to be relatively successful, with several locations inaugurated throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The restaurant offered fast, casual northern Chinese cuisine that didn't stray far from dumplings in spicy sauce and flat noodles in broth. A menu was fixated at the entrance, just beside the cashier. Refrigerated drinks, condiment stands, and seating were located towards the back. Additional seating was found on the second floor.

As first-timers, recommendations definitely assisted us in the decision-making process. The two employees behind the cashier took their time in explaining some of their most renowned picks, eventually steering us in the direction of a Stewed Oxtail Noodles in Soup and Spicy & Sour Spinach Dumpling.

​< Pictured above and below: NS10 Stewed Oxtail Noodles in Soup, F6 Spicy & Sour Spinach Dumpling, Sour Hawberry Tea >

​Before I headed down to the Big Apple, I had big plans to be a big tourist during my stay. From The Statue of Liberty to Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan Bridge, there were many places I had wished to visit prior to physically finding myself in New York. Ultimately, I didn't end up going to the aforementioned places. Nor did I turn out to be as enthusiastic of a tourist as I had pictured.

​Other than Times Square, we managed to visit one more noteworthy spot during our stay: the September 11th Memorial nestled between the numbered World Trade Centers.

​We didn't bother with guided tours or museum tickets, as the point of the excursion was simply to deepen our knowledge. The area was paved nicely, with spacious spotless tiles that lay flush. Greenery was abundant and architectural wonders were recurrent.

​In place of the Twin Towers that had originally stood upright, the grounds had been remediated into two pools. They were termed the North Pool and South Pool respectively. Names of the victims of the attacks were engraved onto the border of each pool.

Outside the museum were interactive panels that allowed visitors to search up specifics of the incident, though the system was ultimately found to be faulty and unusable.
Museum access was strictly forbidden to all attendees that did not hold admission tickets - not even a peak of the interior was allowed.

View the full album HERE !