The time for the monthly photo dump has finally rolled around. Let the excessive photo-posting begin!

1. Cherry blossoms had been blooming earlier in the month, though the trees were soon ridden of the beautiful, baby pink petals when strong winds and heavy rainfall hit mid-May.

2. Fresh Lemonade was purchased from CoCo's as an alternative to Lemon King.

3. Kim Soo Hyun's poster was spotted at The Face Shop in Square One; I had stopped to take a photo beside it, and was somehow offered one of my own!

4. On one specific Saturday, yogen fruz was handing out free chocolate-flavoured frozen yogurt cups for their Triple-Point Spending event. Toppings were also free, so I loaded the swirly sweet snack with dozens of chocolate curls and granola bits.

5. It's been a long time since I stopped for Presotea in Square One - the main reason being that I can find better quality bubble tea (and much better service) elsewhere. Presotea is part of a chain of businesses that offer Vicinity points; upon showing the guy at the cashier, who was later discovered to assume a manager-like status, my purple Vicinity card obtained from Chatime, I was bluntly told that "We are Presotea, not Chatime.". In return, I replied that I understood this very well, but as both businesses were still used Vicinity, the card could also be used at this shop. His reply was nothing but the snatching of my card and the addition of one point.

A large Earl Grey Milk Tea with Grass Jelly was ordered, however we received one with tapioca instead. Not only did the manager provide us with an expression highly unfitting for any paying customer when we informed him of his mistake, an annoyed grunt could also be heard as he grudgingly snatched back the cup to add the grass jelly. "There you go!", an angry voice called out as the tea was slapped back onto the counter. Never again, Presotea, never again shall I return. Your courteous attitude has the left the most striking impression in my mind.

The day started with a quick stroll through First Markham Place. As it was still early though, there wasn't much to see as the stores had just began to open.
Seeing as the food court was open and I hadn't had a taste of egg waffles in what seemed like forever (and Dong Dong in P-Mall is severely overrated nowadays), I decided to go for Magic Fusion Cuisine.

Now, Magic Fusion Cuisine is really interesting. I've had cases where their egg waffles were really great (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside), but also times where the eggettes have been overly soggy. This visit resulted in the soggiest, worst-tasting set of egg waffles I've ever experienced in my entire life. Consistent quality is key to maintaining customers, and unfortunately, I don't think I'll be returning since this is precisely the element that this food court vendor lacks.

Walking around while reluctantly finishing the bag of soggy circular monstrosities, we managed to spot a few cute things.
The Monsters University-themed items are definitely things I want to add to my wishlist.

We later went for lunch at Tracy Dessert, or more commonly known by its Chinese name "許留山". The chain hails from Hong Kong and specializes in desserts made using fresh, just-ripe mangoes.

I've had a few friends rave about JOEY, and my interest was instantly peaked the moment I glanced through their extensive, unique options on the menu.

After an unsuccessful attempt at finding a table through their online reservation system, we proceeded to book for the following Friday. Upon confirmation, we eagerly waited for the end of the week to roll around.

We began our trek to the restaurant after a brief moment of shopping, and were already intrigued upon nearing the front. The windows had been opened to let in cool gusts of wind from time to time as diners happily chatted away inside.

Swiftly passing through the tall, black double doors, we were greeted with a lively atmosphere and a dimly-lit environment. It was chaotic, what with the various noises produced by excited game-watchers and numerous ongoing conversations, but it somehow exuded a warm, welcoming aura at the same time.

Lately, it's been a customary habit to eat out on Friday evenings, mainly since I'm at work throughout the week and life is too hectic when one needs to wake up before 6 AM everyday.
On this particular Friday, we first explored Chinatown and then slowly maneuver down Queen Street towards the Eaton Centre. The original plan was to gradually make our way back to the Eaton Centre to forage for food come dinnertime, but we had stayed at different shops for longer than expected. I was a little too famished by the end of our three-hour shopping excursion, and passing by a crepe place with an open kitchen (read: gaining complete exposure to crepes cooking on a large, round griddle) was probably the most comfortably convenient thing ever at that moment.

"That smells amazing!" I couldn't help but exclaim.
A voice soon replied back, "It tastes even better!"

Gong Cha's been packed since the day it first opened.
Casually strolling around North York after getting CoCo's soon led us to pass by other bubble tea-loving citizens holding Gong Cha cups in their hands. There had been no news of the renown Taiwanese franchise's grand opening prior to this on social media. Nonetheless, the Kaoshiung-native shop drew hoards of customers in with their Buy One Get One Free Deal.

While the sweet smell of sugar syrup commonly associated with tapioca was undeniably alluring, we had already purchased CoCo's. Time was short before the bus needed to be caught, and dinner was yet to be had. The insanely long lineup didn't seem too appealing either.

The BOGO deal technically lasted until the Monday of long weekend, but as Finch GO buses did not run on weekends or holidays, we were unable to make use of the deal.

It wasn't until Tuesday that a trip to Gong Cha was finally made.

The original plan was to arrive early to avoid long lineups. We got there a bit later than expected, but managed to enter the park before noon. Somehow, it was already packed, but I suppose the gorgeous weather and extra day off played a huge part in this.

It was incredibly sunny, but still breezy enough to walk around for hours without ducking into the gift shops for A/C. The lineups gradually got longer as the hours passed, so we left just before the fireworks began airing to forage for sustenance.

Yonge and Finch is an area heavily populated with cafes and small businesses, making it easy to miss signs if not intentionally searching.

I've passed by Soban a number of times before when finding my way to CoCo's, but it wasn't until a thorough Instagram search on the bingsoo hashtag was conducted that I discovered the small Korean cafe.

The cafe was located on the second floor of the building; it had a rather clean design, with several large windows to let in natural light. The sofas, stained in excess by past customers, were comfortable despite their unclean state. With free Wi-Fi access, the premises was ideal for post-school/-work lounging and socializing among young adults. The only downside was that there was an awkward distance between the sofa and the table, which could probably be mediated by making minor adjustments to the seating arrangement.

A clear view of the bus terminal and busy intersection below could be easily also seen from the tables.

Commonly being in the downtown area means increased accessibility to a variety of afternoon snack locations.
The most frequently visited places to date? So far it's been zenQ and Coco's Fresh Tea & Juice.

< Pictured below: Tofu Pudding with Sweet Potato and Q Balls from zenQ, Lemon King and Mango Yakult from Coco's >

Neither the sweet potatoes nor the peanuts in the tofu pudding dessert were quite what I expected in terms of texture - the de-shelled peanuts were on the sweet side and a bit soggier than I would've preferred, while the sweet potato chunks were rather soft and crumbly, instead of the distinct, chewable composition that I am accustomed to. The dessert was still great after all, though I may go with different toppings next time around.

We were kind of late to the Mother's Day reservation game, but luckily there was still a slot at Union Social Eatery.

My parents had tried this restaurant a few times before, but this was my first time seeing the black-yellow-white logo.

The place was generally empty when we arrived, despite being the morning of Mother's Day.  We were immediately greeted and sat down at a comfortable booth with sufficient window light for photo-taking.

With its extensive selection of brunch options and general lunch appetizers/mains, it took us a while before we could finally decide on what to order. Our server, a cheerful girl named Pat, had already came by our table twice before, but remained completely patient with us until we were ready on her third visit.

It's easy to splurge on Starbucks when you pass one every day. Not to mention that all other commercial building food court options just seem less appealing when you're Gold. And, oh yeah, bonus stars help too.

< Pictured above: Maple Macchiato, Ham & Swiss Breakfast Sandwich, Vanilla Bean Frappuccino w/ Orange-Mango Juice, Blended Frozen Blackberries, and a Cookie Straw >

There are generally three times at which I visit the American coffee joint: in the early morning (when I'm severely sleep-deprived), during lunch (to access the Wi-Fi), and in the late afternoon (when I need a slight boost to make it to the end of the day).


Despite having the deal with the morning rush, being in the Toronto area definitely has its perks. Besides access to large retailers that aren't present in other parts of the GTA, a quick hop on the subway can easily take you to a street full of various amazing dining options (aka the dream destination of food enthusiasts such as myself).
On a recent occasion, a visit to Han Ba Tang was made.