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Out & About #237 | Collective May Visuals

5/31/2016

Sudden realization: These collections of monthly visuals have gradually morphed into assuming the same format as monthly recaps, but in a less intrusive manner compared to the "Monthly Favourites" videos of YouTube beauty gurus. (And by "intrusive" I mean "personal".)

Despite the conclusion of my Toronto term, I had no intention to go about a portion of my summer unproductively. This later led me into the neighbouring city of Oakville, where I have likely spent an equal amount of time being trapped amidst rush hour and attending to the academic troubles of struggling students.
(It's true, by the way, that Oakville's public transit system is horrendous beyond belief. Though despite the fact that a significant chunk of the city's inhabitants utilize automobiles as their main mode of transportation, very few are actually capable of maneuvering through local roads while maintaining a continuous speed, let alone make a simple left turn when traffic in the opposite direction stop to render their lives easier...)

Moving forwards shall be an expected increase in the number of Oakville-related driving challenges as well as the shots captured in the second half of May! (Partial visuals can be found here.)

1. Summer Drink Days at McDonald's means $1 drink deals all the time; my drink of choice: Iced Coffee and, occasionally, Frozen Lemonade/Iced Tea

2. Lazy Breakfast consisting of Pizelle cookies and Homemade "Nice Cream" with frozen bananas and matcha

3. Dinner consisting of Baked Panko Fish Bites w/ Parsley-Wasabi dipping sauce. a thin, herb-infused omelette, and avocado and apple slices

4. An impromptu meetup took place at Green Grotto as a result of my sudden lack of Wi-Fi at home.

< Pictured above and below: Mango Green Tea, Hokkaido Milk Tea w/ Brown Sugar Jelly, Sweet Potato Fries, Pork on Rice, and Very Berry Cheesecake >

5. Relaxing strolls in the neighbourhood
6. Lemon Yogurt Drink w/ Coconut Jelly from Chatime
7. My all-time fave from CoCo, Three Guys Milk Tea (aka milk tea w/ grass jelly, tapioca, and pudding) feat. my driving buddy

Out & About #236 | Waterfront Artisan Market and Kensington Market

5/29/2016

“I’m heading downtown on a Sunday.”
Only fellow commuters shall be able to identify with the pain associated with the above statement.

I generally relate weekends to two things: painfully slow drivers with little to no sense of direction and severely reduced public transit service. Combined, these factors have the potential to make for a possibly disastrous commute.

This Sundate had been planned several weeks prior, so I wasn’t about to allow Miway’s Sunday schedule ruin the sole chances of a much-needed catch-up session. I had left the house with time to spare, though was thrown into utter shock upon discovering that my first connecting bus was scheduled to come every thirty minutes, given that no delays were anticipated. With no other remaining options, I decided to walk the full distance to my next stop, the sun blazing down upon me as I trekked across unfinished sidewalks.
Thankfully, my second bus wasn’t too tardy, and I managed to hop on before dissolving into a depressing puddle inside the shelter.

The entire ride was lengthy, but bearable. We eventually made our way into the city roughly after an hour and twenty minutes. (Had the Electrification project already been completed though, we would have been provided a faster alternate route via the Milton train.)

The first stop of the day was the Waterfront Artisan Market. Situated just west of Harbourfront Centre, along the makeshift beach and patio chairs, was a collection of food vendors and independent businesses.

It was equal parts food festival, local marketplace, and buskerfest – all three elements had been incorporated to produce a medium-sized weekend event that would occupy the waterfront for several weekends throughout the summer months.

For locals, it meant a great deal of tourists – cameras in tow of course – invading their bike lanes. For businesses along the ferry docks, it would mean spikes in income from impromptu decisions to ride the “water taxis” to the islands. For us though, it simply provided one more area to explore on our excursion. And for the first time ever, I didn’t feel as if I was sticking out like a sore thumb by slinging a camera over my neck, primarily since many families were spotted with image-capturing devices of their own.

We walked through a portion of the marketplace first, but decided to forage for sustenance before continuing on. Freshly-grilled chorizo sausages, a heaping pile of Spanish paella, Apple Chicken Tacos, and rolled ice cream were only several unique choices amongst the vast selection of available dishes.

Out & About #234 | Toronto East Things: The Peasant Table + Tandem Coffee

5/19/2016

Based on several of my Toronto Things posts, it might seem that I rarely venture east of Yonge Street. And quite frankly, it's true.

I rarely have reason to extend my journeys any further, which was probably why I was more than eager to meet up with a friend after our initial plans fell through.

Making my best efforts to center the restaurant choices around healthier alternatives at an affordable price, I began evaluating several options on Yelp and Zomato, and ultimately ended up choosing The Peasant Table.

The casual Italian restaurant featured a glass window storefront and beautiful decor. Natural light was abundant, as was the variety of seating arrangements located throughout the two dining areas. A square bar area was situated between the sections, with rustic chandeliers and some sort of beam component fixed above.

The menu was largely comprised of Italian, with only brief descriptions of the dishes in English. Our server had welcomed us warmly upon entering, but hadn't been particularly generous in providing us with enough time to review their available options. I suppose the language barrier posed a slight problem for us, though I noticed that the same conditions applied to other guests; it was actually quite common to hear "We haven't really looked at the menu."

Incapable of conjuring up accurate mental images of the dishes, the menu merely served as a generic guideline that separated the items by type (ie. Insalata for salads and Pasta for, well, pasta).
Only one specific combination of ingredients piqued our interest; we both opted for the Barbabietola salad.

Embracing the maximum visual appeal possible through the use of complimentary colours and contrasting textures, the salad was comprised of alternative chunks of red and golden beet and deep fried onions over a bed of carefully chopped kale. All components had been uniformly tossed in a oil-based dressing whose taste was neither strong enough to clash with the existing flavours of the vegetables, nor subtle enough to be considered indiscernible. A handful of randomly scattered candied walnuts added a pleasant crunch to the plate, while poached cranberries lent a refreshing bite after each mouthful of kale and beet.

Both of us were quite content with the order; I was especially happy that the dish was filling (without being satiating) and on the economic side of the spectrum.

Out & About #234 | Roselle + Teara Lab Pre-Opening Event

5/19/2016

To read Part 1 of the day's adventure, click HERE.

I have this one friend who constantly nags me for filling my stomach with snacks and desserts instead of actual food? And while I admit that I do have a tendency to opt for Mango Snow Ice from Cha Me. Cha instead of his preferred choice of Spare Ribs on Rice (really, I just can't be bothered to work my way around bones for sustenance) for lunch, it's not as if I never adhere to a regular eating routine. In my defense, I just happen to intentionally leave room after meals to allow for a larger sweets intake afterwards.

Likewise, this was the case with Roselle.

The small, but insanely photogenic cups of light beige swirls had captured my attention early on in my Instagram searches, probably even before Sweet Jesus had debuted in the dessert scene. One might assume that Roselle only offered up candy pearl-topped Earl Grey Soft Serve due to the popularity of the single item, however it soon became apparent that the chef(s) behind the ever-hyped tea-based ice cream concoction were also in charge of producing beautiful, labour-intensive creations such as delicately torched Lemon Meringue Tarts and distinctly shapely Banana Cream Eclairs.

Roselle was definitely smaller in size than your average cafe but on par with majority of other dessert shops in Toronto, in which some don't even have seating at all - looking at you, Butter Avenue and Kekou Baldwin!
No more than four tables were situated for dining purposes; a L-shaped cashier area and brick-formed an industrial kitchen at the back of the tiny space. The sole remaining door led to a homey bathroom whose sink was in major need of a drainage check-up.

Behind the glass display case was a menu that listed their entire assortment of pastries, along with several beverage options. Tea and coffee were not to be absent in the presence of baked goods, but Roselle included one more thing: the addition of freshly-made crepes.

We took no delay in relaying our order: Earl Grey Soft Serve, with lemon bits for an additional fifty cents.

Out & About #233 | Commuting Adventures + Project Boyz Toronto

5/15/2016

Commuting between cities on a Sunday isn't always the easiest task: options are few, and the transfer times aren't always convenient.

For those that live in decently close proximity to Ontario's second largest terminal hub, GO Transit still offers a good number of bus routes to and from Square One on the weekend. One of my favourite trips (and yes, it is possible to have a preferred bus route) is Route 40, which is an extension of the 47J. The route originally served the Hamilton, Trafalgar, and Square One GO stations, but has now been expanded further east to Pearson Airport and Richmond Hill Centre GO on Hwy 7.

Initially, to travel from Mississauga to Markham, one would need to first travel to Union or Finch, and then board the 71 to Unionville, or a TTC/YRT/Viva bus from Finch. Route 40 has greatly reduced my travel time to a mere 45 minutes - a drastic improvement from the previous two-hour commute.
The fact that Route 40 utilizes the 407 as opposed to the 401 also helps ensure that riders are able to reach their destination of choice within the scheduled time frame.

I boarded my all-time favourite route early in the morning, and resided at Richmond Hill Centre GO for approximately nine minutes in anticipation of riding the Viva Bus Rapid Transit system for the first time since its completion on Markham's major arterial roads. Clean and comfy blue seats aside, the bus was very spacious and travelled swiftly along Hwy 7 before turning onto Enterprise Boulevard just before Town Centre Boulevard. Along the way, it was noticed that each stop was separated from adjacent lanes of traffic - definitely increasing rider safety - and equipped with ramps for maximum accessibility.

We also passed by Downtown Markham, an area near Unionville GO currently undergoing development.

After daytime activities, we headed off for dinner. I was in desperate need of picking up a reference book from a Chinese bookstore, so the group decided to feast upon bowls of customized noodles afterwards, seeing as the restaurant was located in the same plaza.

Deer Garden Signatures has two locations on the East End: one in Richmond Hill and the other along the Scarborough/Markham boundary. Situated in the same plaza as Aka-Oni, this location is larger in comparison to their Times Square spot and capable of seating approximately twice the volume. The decor featured the same black booths, white, glare-prone tables, and multi-coloured scale-like wall graphic; an interesting, Ripley's-esque fish design swirled along the perimeter of the lofty ceiling and in the centre of the dining area.

Majority of the group opted for customized noodle bowls, while I, being the least hungry, decided to try their club sandwich combo instead.

Out & About #232 | Partial May Visuals

5/12/2016

May marks the first month of my gradual ease into laziness. (I mean, can you blame me?! 5 am mornings were considerably rough to be honest.)

Along with shifting my schedule according to PST hours, I've also been investing a significant amount of time at home, gorging on snacks at odd hours of the day. I've accumulated enough shots throughout these two weeks, and am now presenting my results in the form of a partial visuals entry. Enjoy!

1) Lunch consisting of leftovers from Chiu Chow Man and K-Pocha
2) Fries and cheese curds prior to cooking

3. Real Fruit Bubble Tea (Oakville Place)

I've found myself making more frequent trips to Oakville nowadays, for reasons that may be revealed at a later date. I stopped by Oakville Place one fateful afternoon in hopes to executing a plan of retail therapy. Unfortunately, majority of the mall was under renovation: barrels had been placed surrounding sections of unstable ground and several of the escalators weren't in operation.
The two-floor shopping centre was eerily quiet, considering that the time of day, but also provided significant relief from the traffic I've been accustomed to witnessing at Square One.

I completed a swift round through the entire mall in under half an hour, concluding my trip at Real Fruit Bubble Tea since it was located directly beside the entrance from which I had come. The decor was somewhat rustic, with old-fashioned wall decor, mounted wooden crates, and an ordering counter crafted with the intention of yielding the appearance of pressed wood pulp. The chairs and tables had been constructed in a similar manner.
It was a rare, unconventional setup - perhaps to pay tribute to crates of mangoes sold in tropical countries? They also had a sign that stated the availability of Wi-Fi, but neither store attendant knew the network name nor password when I inquired about this.

As with other bubble tea joints though, the menu was largely powder-based. I took to asking about their three most popular items, one of them being the Mango Diamond Slush. For a beverage concocted mainly from ice and mango-flavoured syrup (and with a few chunks of real mango), the small was fairly pricey at $3.99. Each size upgrade would induce an additional charge of one dollar. Yikes.

Admittedly, the drink was much better than expected, as if they had purposely held back on the amount of sugar syrup to prevent the flavour from reaching a point of exaggerated sweetness. It's likely that I'll return to try more of their drinks if I happen to find myself in the area once again, as any other Real Fruit Bubble Tea location in Mississauga is a ways away from my house.

4. Spotted couple charms taking the form of cartoon-ized fecal matter at Pacific Mall
5. Graduation gift card holders featuring an adorable, cloak-donning owl

6. My monkey finger puppet graciously gifted to me during my visit to Nanashake
7. Complimentary apple pie bars
8. Dropping by Clarkson Community Centre for the first time ever
9. Homemade Lemon Mint Tea + Junior McChicken Combo

10. Venturing downtown for the first time in two weeks
11. QQ Grapefruit Juice from Chatime

12. Flowers in partial bloom outside of the University of Toronto
13. Domo paying homage to the renowned Toronto post-secondary school
14. Freshly-baked cheesecakes emerging from the oven at Uncle Tetsu

Out & About #231 | Brunch at Otello's

5/8/2016

Whoever invented the concept of brunch deserves a standing ovation. The theory of combining sweet breakfast items with savoury, more filling lunch items is absolutely ingenious, especially since majority of the population enjoys sleeping in on weekends.

A brief Yelp search for suitable Mother's Day brunch options led me to Otello's Banquet Hall and Convention Centre in Oakville. With ample free parking spots and an acceptable price range, it wasn't hard to rule out the chaos of journeying downtown to the Ritz or Windsor Arms. Of course, its close proximity to my house also played a significant factor.

Two sessions were available for the actual day: 10 AM to 1 PM, and 2 PM to 5 PM; both required complete payment upfront.

I had ventured to the largely industrial location prior to the date, scoping out the venue for the sake of determining appropriate attire and camera equipment (should I decide to commit to lugging it with me). I had first been shown the ballroom, which appeared dim and somewhat lacklustre as a brunch spot. It was nowhere comparable to the gorgeous waterfront of Spencer's, but nonetheless, I was willing to give it a try.

To my sheer delight, the venue was styled every so elegantly on the actual date. Arranged atop white patterned tablecloths and ruched lavender satin pieces was the most expansive selection of baked goods, salads, hot dishes, and pastries I have witnessed.
Perhaps it wasn't presented in nearly the same quantities as Spencer's, but the variety of dishes remained impressive. There was something for everyone, whether it be those abiding to a strict vegetarian diet or those looking to lower sodium and chlolestrol intake. The salad bar was simple, but comprised of the essential elements to construct a completely customized bowl; roasted vegetables and fresh fruit were also in abundance.

View the full album HERE !

Out & About #230 | Nanashake + Lobster Fest at Apricot Tree Cafe

5/6/2016

Don't tell me you don't love bananas; I know that's a lie.
An efficient source of fuel in the form of complex carbohydrates and fibre, there really isn't anything about the fruit that one can complain about - except, of course, the fact that it can bruise easily if simply tossed into a bag.

Did I mention that I'm especially fond of monkeys? Yes, monkeys.
While your favourite animal may be a furball of a Tabby or a cuddly little Malteser, mine is a primate, and an adorable one at that!

Making waves among the vegan food community, Nanashake is the first soft serve joint of its kind to serve up icy, entirely dairy-free concoctions made up of - you guessed it - bananas.

After years of scouring Pinterest, the concept of blitzing up frozen bananas to produce a quick and easy, "guilt-free" mixture of ice cream-like smoothness was nothing new to me. I have even dabbled in this technique myself, though can't quite conclude that I've had much success in creating a dessert of satisfaction to me. (The ever-popular avocado chocolate mousse wasn't a winner either...)

It was largely because of my own failures that I was very intrigued to try Nanashake. Along with the flavours listed on their website, they also carried a vast selection of banana-based ice cream popsicles, some drizzled with peanut butter for enhanced texture and flavour.

Sampling of their six soft serve flavours was permitted - encouraged even - so I opted to try Minty Chocolate and Rosey Pistachio. The former was extremely smooth and chocolatey, though a tad lacking in mint flavour; the latter was bit more nutty than I would have liked, but then again, I'm not the biggest fan of pistachio. Both had an interesting consistency incapable of being accurately described other than a firm gelato; it wasn't melty though, and that was a characteristic that I appreciated ever so dearly.

It was clear that I wanted something a bit more structured to munch on for the journey back home, so I chose the Chocolate Nanapop with Peanut Butter Drizzle.
"100% Vegan, 200% Yummy" is their slogan, which might I add, is exceedingly accurate. Had I not entered the premises fully aware that the dessert house solely utilized plant-based ingredients, I don't think I would have been able to decipher the difference between the Nanapop and a regular (ie. dairy-/cream-based) popsicle. Maintaining the same smoothness and depth of chocolatey flavour as their soft serve, the only difference was that it was undeniably firmer than your standard ice cream popsicle. That isn't a problem for me though, since I detest runny formulas anyway.

View the full album HERE !

Out & About #230 | Aka-Oni Izakaya + Revisiting Love Me Sweet

5/6/2016

Izakayas are a hit or miss: some items are lovely and economical, while others are seriously overpriced and lacking in quality.

Situated in a small plaza along the Scarborough-Markham border, just across from Pacific Mall, is Aka-Oni Izakaya. Its Kanji roughly translates to "Red Demon". For whatever reason a restaurant would opt for such a name is beyond my reasoning. It's not like spicy ramen is their renowned dish either.

The exterior of the (likely) Chinese-operated izakaya is quite unobtrusive, leading us to completely miss its sign at our first glance around the plaza. Upon closer review, the glass entranceway was lined with at least a hundred colourful sake bottles of different sizes. Inside were dark grey walls, a tall ceiling sporting a similar rope decor piece to Santosei, and red paper laterns that seemed oddly out of place in my opinion. Mounted directly behind the lofty sake casing was a television screen, from which Breakfast Television was airing. (Talk about things getting weirder and weirder...)

I requested the booth closest to the doorway, in hopes that some natural light would shine our way. It didn't - the area was as dim as could be. The booths were roomy though, and quite comfortable at that. Our table even had a two port outlet directly underneath, meaning that I could recharge my phone's aging battery as I snapped away.
A total of four menus were placed in front of us, along with a steaming pot of genmaicha - a noteworthy contrast to the standard Jasmine green tea at sushi restaurants. The Taste of Asia deals were also presented after I inquired about the poster near the entrance.

The Taste of Asia menu provided three set meal options, priced at $20, $30, and $40 per person. Each included a mix of their most popular items, all at a fraction of the price. The only catch was that all members of the table were required to order the same meal.

Being first-timers, we knew not the original prices of the tapas, and instead ordered four items individually in fear that we wouldn't be able to finish the sets. Little did we know that this was, by far, one of the worst mistakes ever committed in ordering tapas.

View the full album HERE !

First up was the Ikura/Uni Donburi. I'm uncertain why it didn't immediately occur to me that ordering sea urchin sashimi in a Chinese-dominant area was a bad idea. We were charged a whopping $14.99 for a bowl of plain short-grain rice topped with a spoonful of fish roe and a few teaspoons of uni.

Out & About #229 | Checking out the Sherway Scene

5/3/2016

"Sherway" used to be the name that we associated with an old mall with poor reception as students. A lack of affordable retail shops also meant that we were more likely to take our business elsewhere.

Fast-forward to present-day CF Sherway Gardens, and you'll notice that the mall has been renovated and expanded to include several luxury stores imported from our southern neighbours and an entirely new wing. A large portion of the mall still remained under construction when we pulled into the parking lot, though Saks Fifth Avenue, the most anticipated opening, was already in business.

I suggested a quick lunch at JOEY before embarking on our shopping expedition; outside was an almost freshly-laid asphalt parking lot, which would have been our first choice had already been filled at the early hour of 11:30 AM. The next closest option was a covered parking area immediately adjacent to the construction zone, which we headed towards after engaging in an eyeroll-inducing struggle with middle-aged lady drivers that had seemingly no sense of direction. It also didn't help that the pavement markings in the lot had been very poorly done - they were faded and confusing to follow.

JOEY's Sherway location was grand: the main floor featured high ceilings, intricate lighting fixtures, and an assortment of wall decorations. Seating options ranged from high tables with stools, booths, and standard family-style tables.
The second floor, where the washroom was situated, was equally grand, if not even more so. A clear, greenhouse-like structure housed the patio; the patio had both covered and uncovered sections, providing customers with the choice of bathing themselves in sunlight as they dine.

Clearly undecided about our item choices, our waitress made several trips to our table to take our orders after we had been seated. She was very patient, and also showed no immediate expressions of frustration even when the restaurant became filled at lunch hour.
We ordered two Social Sharing plates and one Main: the Korean Fried Cauliflower, Sushi Cone, and Miso Ramen.

Both appetizers were relatively pricey for the amount given, with a single Sushi Cone at $4.75 and a handful of fried cauliflower bites at $10.50. (Oh dear...). The Miso Ramen appeared to be slightly lacking too, given that $14 could probably earn you an extreme size (complete with authentic pork bone broth!) in one of downtown's famed ramen houses. Despite the appearance of the perfectly charred chicken, the soup was definitely inadequate in terms of depth of flavour.

Out & About #237 | Collective May Visuals

Out & About #236 | Waterfront Artisan Market and Kensington Market

Out & About #234 | Toronto East Things: The Peasant Table + Tandem Coffee

Out & About #234 | Roselle + Teara Lab Pre-Opening Event

Out & About #233 | Commuting Adventures + Project Boyz Toronto

Out & About #232 | Partial May Visuals

Out & About #231 | Brunch at Otello's

Out & About #230 | Nanashake + Lobster Fest at Apricot Tree Cafe

Out & About #230 | Aka-Oni Izakaya + Revisiting Love Me Sweet

Out & About #229 | Checking out the Sherway Scene

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