Another month has passed with the blink of an eye!
Can you believe that tomorrow is Canada Day?! Despite the snow and horrid weather conditions thrown in our way every single winter, one can't help but remain particularly patriotic come July.

Nationalism aside, here are some of my snaps from the past four weeks! (As clearly shown below, I've made great attempts to veer from my standard food aesthetic, including several sunset shots as well.)


1. Gradient skies at dusk
2. My all-time favourite from Green Grotto: Hokkaido Milk Tea w/ Brown Sugar Jelly

3. Takeout from Sushi Tei: a Sashimi Platter, combination of Hawaiian and Crispy Dragon Rolls, Kalbi, and banchan make for a fabulous dinner at home

4. More sunset photos!
Multiple shots were captured throughout the GTA this month, including at the Mississauga Waterfront Festival in Port Credit, just outside Green Grotto in central Mississauga, and along the way home from Diana's Markham location on Father's Day.

5. Homemade Watermelon Juice was made after obtaining fresh, seasonal produce from T&T
6. Behold: my new slippers, plush and free of holes!
7. My first-ever attempt at creating a smoothie bowl: Frozen Bananas and Matcha topped with fresh berries

On the final day of our weekend trip, we took advantage of the summery temperatures to hop into the pool for a quick morning swim before returning to Allandale Waterfront for brunch at The Farmhouse.

The upper patio happened to be completely occupied, which actually turned out in our favour as we could enjoy the view of the skies and hanging lights above from ground level.

Our server promptly welcomed us and allowed just enough time for settling in before returning to take our drink orders. 

Iced water was requested, along with an interesting cocktail of sweet tea, lemonade, and vodka - termed "John Daily" - were ordered to start. Honesty, I had high expectations for this drink, as they had claimed to brew their sweet tea from scratch, making the final product resemble a sweetened iced tea, but instead found that it tasted relatively alcohol-free. I hadn't bothered to question our waitress regarding this, though did ponder whether the reduced input of vodka was a consequence of my outwardly youthful appearance.

After successful attempts at biking from the previous day, we opted to test out my newly-established physical capabilities by taking on a trail that was equal parts smooth pavement (asphalt) and rocky/sandy terrain the very next morning.

​​Majority of the path was devoid of curves and zigzags, enabling the inexperienced riders such as myself to focus on maintaining a straight line while exerting more or less power when going uphill and downhill respectively.

The expedition was short, but nonetheless a wonderful experience for touring the area, all while honing my skills.

Following our stop for lunch, we set out to Orillia for some fun on the water. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, making the drive through the downtown section of the city a very pleasant journey.
​By mid-afternoon, an incredulous amount of people, local families and tourists alike, had already gathered along the waterfront and claimed their territory via vibrant-hued beach towels. Fortunately enough, we were able to detect an empty parking spot almost immediately upon our entry into the busting lot.

The true highlight of the day commenced after we rented a Sit-On-Top (SOT) Kayak from Kayakity Yak's stall.
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​The centre front section of the lake had been sectioned off for swimming, leaving the remaining area to be shared amongst kayakers, rowers, speedboat enthusiasts, and compact cruise ships. With safety as our top priority in the water, I opted to pick the brighter yellow of the two Nereus kayaks. Banana-like in both shape and colour, the boat rendered us highly visible to other occupants of the lake even at a distance, and also more distinguishable in the case where photos were to be taken from the shore.

We took advantage of our two-hour rental period, leisurely paddling around (while being attacked by silently deadly UV rays) for the full duration; the trip also involved observing other occupants engaged in their own respective water activities, seeking shade underneath a short section of lofty trees, and examining the landing docks of several houses located directly on the edge of the lake.

The experience was not only fantastically refreshing, but posed a special significance as it marked my debut into the world of rowing.

Post-sports ice cream runs are mandatory for scorching summer days, so our next line of action was to join the steadily growing lineup outside Sweet Dreams.

The year-round sweets fixture featured a plethora of unique ice cream flavours housed within an adorable white-and-cotton-candy-pink shack. Maple Walnut, Algonquin Canoe, Heavenly Hash, and Nanaimo Bar were only some of the many that were being distributed in sugar and waffle cones.

Bright, sunny weekends call for ice cream and family outings (or both).

Venturing up north is a semi-annual routine of ours, and this summer was no exception. The sole difference was that the aim of the weekend had shifted from our regular routine of relaxing indoors to increasing Vitamin D levels by taking advantage of the weather and getting active under the sun.

Bags packed and activegear in tow, we set off.

​​Lunchtime approached quickly. While we pondered our options and debated whether to delve into unexplored regions, we subconsciously found ourselves nearing Allandale Waterfront. The Farmhouse came into view some thirty seconds later. It was a easy choice; we parked and headed inside.

Extremely sunny with wafts of gentle breezes every now and then, the weather essentially screamed "patio-ready". One of the first customers to brave the stairs to the upper level of restaurant, we succeeded in securing a corner spot with an impeccable view of the waterfront as well as the steady flow of traffic below.

The meal commenced with ice water, an Arnold Palmer (lemonade and sweet tea), and a hybrid of Grapefruit Juice and Ginger Ale.

Warm weather and ice cream is a no-fail duo.
But even better than this classic combination is smooth, creamy frozen yogurt on top of crisp, eggy waffles, with a generous portion of freshly-sliced fruit on the side.

And when there's A/C, Wi-Fi, a free private parking lot, and a clean bathroom to boot? You can bet I'm staying here for a while.

I had vowed to return to Yogoberri on a mission to try out their infamous waffle and frozen yogurt combo since my initial visit earlier this month. Entering the premises with a vaguely empty stomach and an equally curious friend, I knew this day had finally arrived.

We pointed in unison to the fifteen dollar special scrawled in pink on the small chalkboard: the Yogoberri Waffle w/ two hot drinks.

Between hot Americanos and an expansive selection of "premium" teas, we opted for Raspberry Pomegranate and The Earl Grey (with a side of milk), both arriving in clean, white mugs and adorable tulip tea infusers.

Shortly after, the space filled with an ever-fragrant, vanilla-esque aroma, indicating the arrival of our waffle and froyo plate.

Each extremely crisp waffle halve was topped with a different type of frozen yogurt - Vanilla or Green Tea, though swirling the two flavours had also been an option - along with spoonfuls of chopped strawberries, kiwi fruit, and sliced bananas before finally being dusted with cocoa powder and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Its presentation was stunning to say in the least, especially considering the size of the cafe and the single staff member operating the cashier and kitchen.

My previous conclusion still held: Yogoberri's froyo was a superb blend of tart creaminess and semi-firm sweetness. Served with seasonal fruit and meticulously swirled atop a slightly warm, well-made waffle only proved to further enhance its flavour profile, engaging not only the sense of taste, but the sense of sight as well. Vanilla was a smidgen sweeter than its Green Tea counterpart, but both were enjoyable nonetheless!

Our dessert, which was consumed in conjunction with steamy cups of  refreshing herbal and satisfying milk teas, was a fantastic mid-afternoon. In addition, the environment allowed for endless casual conversation and a consistently stable connection to the world of social media. The sole staff member of the establishment, who happened to be the same striped top-donning girl from my last visit, was also exceptionally friendly, attending to all of our needs in a timely manner.

I think it's proper to declare that I'll be trying their bingsoo next time.

View the full album HERE !

​Our next destination was Pacific Mall, where we were hoping to walk off the fullness until dinnertime. As we began our descent from the upper level Korean cafe and proceeded across Steeles, we were hit with the sudden realization that rush hour traffic had imminently dominated the streets. Patiently inching forwards every few minutes, we found ourselves gradually developing a hankering for bubble tea - Hokkaido Milk Tea from Green Grotto it was!

I don't know about you, but I'm convinced that most dads enjoy freshly-shucked oysters with a side of beer.

The above statement then leads me to Father's Day dinner, a meal frequently booked eons in advance to secure the best table in the house for our daddies. Not unlike other children on the hunt for the ideal restaurant, I also made the effort to call Diana's two weeks prior to confirm their Father's Day menu (as their website was still displaying the set course from the previous year) and the availability of a table for three.

As some readers may recall, it was with much grief that I was unable to bring my oyster-loving guest of choice to their Grand Opening two months back due to their repetitive rescheduling of the event. While no gift coupons nor certificates had been provided to guests to prompt revisiting of the seafood bar, my will to reserve was undeterred.

Ultimately, a table was successfully booked over the phone; I even completely disregarded the unpreparedness that was the chef's indecisiveness in confirming a proper selection of items for the celebrated Sunday evening. And on Sunday, in the early evening, we made our way over in hopes of undergoing a culinary experience as exceptional as the suede-booth-and-dark-wooden-table-featuring environment indicated possible.

We pulled into Diana's just shortly before our 6:30 pm reservation, and immediately checked in with the hostesses to obtain our table. After being briefly greeted by a rather timid-looking, glasses-donning hostess, a stout, circle lens-wearing hostess guided us into the dining area.

"Here you go." She almost left us with the menus as we stared in horror at the seating arrangement being offered to us. Along with the standard tables, Diana's had opted to maximize the number of seats in the house by adding temporary tables in between each booth.
This wouldn't have been an issue, normally, though the fact that I had purposely booked a table - might I add, two weeks in advance, with the intention of enjoying a proper meal void of worrying about whether other guests entering the establishment would be brushing by us every few minutes was, indeed, a massive problem.

I wasn't about to simply settle for a temporary table awkwardly situated in the middle of the restaurant, especially not when only three chairs​ had been embarrassingly placed around it.

I wasn't about to settle for something mediocre; compromising to accept something of a lower standard has never been my style, nor will it ever be. Especially not on special occasions such as Father's Day.

My first reaction to the catastrophe was to request a different table from the hostess, who replied with an uninterested "This is a table for three people."
"We would like a booth." I calmly responded.
"Did you say you wanted one?"
"I booked two weeks in advance." I retorted, adding "before your chef even decided on the menu" under my breath.
​"So did everyone else." she glared.

I almost lost all composure at this point, but instead heaved greatly to prevent causing a disturbance to my parental units beside me.

"We would like a booth." I restated my request simply.
 The hostess tone remained unchanged, "Did you request for one when you booked?"
I returned her glare. "I wasn't given that option."
She hesitated, and eventually agreed to check whether other tables had specified a booth table, offering to yield should she fail to locate such specifications.

I nodded and watched as she clumsily trudged back to the hostess podium, being intercepted along the way by a balding, crude-looking middle-aged man dressed sloppily in slacks and a Salvation Army-esque sleeveless fleece zip-up.
"What's the matter?" he spat at us in a thick, Chinese accent.

I merely restated my request as the hostess returned, face once again devoid of apology, shame, concern, and any other acceptable customer service expressions for that matter.

"Well, did you check?" I glowered over her, eyes slowly filling with fury and exasperation.
Her next steps of action only threw me further off the edge: a silent gesture was cast in the direction of the middle-aged man whose apparel and demeanour would be unfit even for serving customers at a Pho bar. "Talk to him." she seemed to be implying. "I don't need to check because he's here."

Positively outraged at this point, I stood my ground, further expressing the need to satisfy my demand for an acceptable seating arrangement. This was no longer a matter of making a simple request, but also an absolutely repulsive encounter with a team of front-line management staff clearly unaware of the concept of customer service.

"We have over 200 people here tonight!" The middle-aged man almost threw his arms up in the air for the sake of exaggerating his already grammar-less, accent-tainted statement.

​A brief moment of silence passed as I looked around.

​He bitterly yammered, "What do you want?!".
"I want a booth."
"Ok, fine. Pick a booth."

I immediately walked over to one of the many empty booths, sliding into the middle table against the wall before being rudely shuffled into a corner. The impossibly rude duo waltzed away, and soon the timid-looking glasses girl re-appeared to remove one chair from our table, leaving behind nothing else but an embarrassing gap and insufficient seating area.

"Do you have a scarcity of chairs here??" My voice retained an ironic edge, clearly looking for our chair to be re-instated.
The girl hovered, evidently shaking in anxiety, before ducking away and mumbling an almost inaudible "Yes."
​
Well, I'll be. A restaurant like Diana's expanded to Markham, and yet management has become this stingy over the amount of chairs placed on the floor for an event such as Father's Day? My my, you aren't making much sense now, are you?

Thankfully, our evening took a quick turn for the better as a half-apron-clad staff member took action upon observing our undismissably awkward situation: she immediately brought over a chair to fill the gaping disaster that the despicable hostess-old man duo had created. A waitress with black-rimmed glasses shortly came over to take our order.

Embracing our newly-earned - why did we even need to earn it though? - seating arrangement, we took to gazing through the menu in search of exclusive menu items for the day. To our dismay, the waitress explained that, as opposed to the previous year's unique three course, the only "special" item being offered this year was a Surf 'n' Turf at a discounted price.
This wasn't to our liking, of course, so we opted for several other items instead.

< Pictured above and below: Blanch de Chambly, Kusshi oyster, Clam Chowder, Grilled Atlantic Salmon w/ Mixed Greens Salad, Lobster and Shrimp Tagliatelli, Penne Alla Vodka, and Virgin Colada >

With blazing hot summer days on their way, the most proper way to celebrate is a lazy afternoon by the waterfront, preferably with ice cream in one hand and a pocket-sized camera in the other. For the suburban folk of Mississauga, this means leisurely trolls along the Port Credit harbour.

Apparently an annual tradition for the past twenty years, the Mississauga Waterfront Festival made its way back to Port Credit Memorial Park for a weekend of food trucks, live music and entertainment, and carnival attractions. While last year's event had featured an unexpected amount of decent food vendors, it brought me great disappointment to discover that a list of vendors for this year's festival hadn't even been posted on their website at all!

​Vendors and food aside, I decided to revisit the festival in hopes of witnessing improvement from the previous year's poorly-lit mess of a dreary Friday night.

In reality, it was more of an opportunity to attempt long exposure shots with a fellow photographer friend once the sun had extended past the horizon. The only weekend that our schedules happened to be free coincided with the Waterfront Festival anyway.

Prior to heading off on a mission to find parking along the waterfront was a brief stop at Sugar Marmalade.

Almost a year has passed since my last visit; within this year, I've noticed that they've not only expanded their menu to included shaved ice (in addition to Taiwanese snow ice) and bubble waffles, but also partnered up with local pastry chefs to launch new items such as mille crepe cakes and cheese bread. (Check out my post on their recent collaboration partner here!)

Our table opted for Fresh Mango with Sago Mixed and Black Glutinous Rice with Durian in Coconut Milk, while I specifically ordered a Green Tea Egg Waffle for sharing. The first dessert was rather appalling when compared to Tracy Dessert's rendition with proper chunks of ripe mango as opposed to the spoonfuls of artificial syrup used at Sugar Marmalade. However, it was also pointed out that Tracy Dessert priced their menu items a tad higher as well.
The Durian dessert was one of the least popular items, though the Green Tea Egg Waffle was admissible. A compilation of store-bought red bean paste, green tea ice cream, medium shiratama balls, and a thorough drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, the dessert was as filling as its appearance had indicated. The overall combination of chewy mochi, coarse red bean, and smooth ice cream was great, though a little less condensed milk and a waffle with firmer, crispier properties would have resulted in an even more enjoyable experience. For $7.99 though, the portion size was definitely decent.

We then proceeded to head south in search of parking spots along the Credit River.

The Mississauga Waterfront Festival, also commonly abbreviated to MWF, wasn't stated to be in operation until 6:00 pm. In the meantime, we cobbled past awkwardly-arranged metal fences to secure ourselves a comfy spot for geese-watching along the river.

View the entire Lakeshore album HERE !

Going downtown is rarely a dull experience. With new shops, pop-ups, and events surfacing in different neighbourhoods every so often, there's always something to explore!

Before meeting up with a friend of mine, I decided to venture to the core slightly earlier than the time we agreed upon meeting up for the sake of including a brief visit at my previous workplace. Eventually, the "brief visit" morphed into something along the lines of a half-day excursion, and I ended up picking up lunch during my stay.

A fraction of lunch hour was spent embarking on a brisk walk to Kekou Gelato. I made the belated discovery that their Jasmine Green Tea and Almond Tofu soft serves are now back in stock for the season; they've also added a Passionfruit flavour as well!

Hopping on the train almost immediately after waking up meant that I hadn't consumed a proper lunch yet, so I opted to swing by the McDonald's at Queen and Spadina for "The 12" Grilled Chicken before striding up to the counter.

Truthfully, I was in the mood for soft serve more than anything, even if the soft serve samples I had tasted last fall weren't to my ideal liking. But, as luck would have it, they had just engaged in a two- to three-hour long equipment cleaning process on the soft serve machines. I had initially requested a sample of their Passionfruit soft serve, only to be notified of this coincidental occurrence; the staff provided me with a sample of their Fresh Watermelon Slush though - it was extremely refreshing and likely to be a popular item in the midsummer months.

< Pictured above: Vietnamese Coffee Gelato and Hong Kong Milk Tea Gelato >

Spotting the interesting selection of popsicles beside the cashier, I opted to try the Spiced Black Tea popsicle after inquiring about its degree of resemblance to Chai tea and Thai iced tea. Quite frankly, its flavour profile was unlike either of the aforementioned varieties, and emerged as a smooth, icy dessert with surprisingly fragrant properties (and a potentially roasted aura).

When my friend later notified me of his arrival, I set out on foot to the specified destination. Iced coffee cravings struck me abruptly, prompting me to duck my head into Bac Ky on King West.
The self-proclaimed Vietnamese Canteen was much more glamourous than your standard pho joint; with turquoise wooden planks for the ceiling, contrasting walls of tan-hued brick and sleek white for the dining area, and bamboo-like decor elements for the bar, Bac Ky combined a medley of distinctive design elements of which none were uniform in shape, texture, nor colour, yet emitted a strong cohesive bond all the same.

The drink menu was listed on a chalkboard in colourful writing, ranging from classic Avocado Shakes to the trendier option of Mango Matcha Green Tea. I was merely looking for a way to satisfy my hankering for caffeine, and thus went for the $3.20 Iced Vietnamese Coffee.

The restaurant was rather empty at the time, so I was able to carefully observe the crafting process of my drink. I watched as Vietnamese coffee powder was spooned into a small, Stainless steel contraption and set atop a ribbed glass mug containing a tablespoon's worth of sweetened condensed milk. Hot water was then meticulously dispensed from a metal teapot, such that the brewed coffee would slowly mix with the contents of the mug below.

When asked about the defining characteristics of Vietnamese Coffee (ie. versus regular coffee), the very friendly staff member explained that, in addition to the use of condensed milk instead of sugar, Vietnamese coffee utilizes coffee grounds containing chicory as opposed to raw coffee beans. The process of allowing the coffee to slowly drip also creates a deeper flavour, or so I was informed.

According to my feed, ice cream adopting the form of black sesame dim sum rolls are now "a thing".
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"A thing", in this particular instance, refers to an inexplicably explosive gustatory trend that has been popularized by night market snack food as of late. I admit to attempting the likes of the cylindrical creation before: Teppan Ice Cream at Night It Up had presented me and a friend with flaky, frozen chunks of flavourless milk - how could I forget that?

When the trend came rolling back into this year's list of summer must-try items, feelings of sheer disgust and severe doubt resurfaced once again. But as with anyone and anything, food also deserves second chances. When an unmistakably Asian-sounding name popped up on the insauga page indicating a new spot to enjoy this sweet treat, I decided to check it out for the sake of being a good sport.

"Wow Wow Yum Yum", eh? It ought to be breathtakingly amazing with a name like that, am I right?

Located just off the edge of the food court in Rockwood Mall, which, might I add, is really more of a rundown plaza than a proper shopping centre, this was the single stall with a lineup of over five people amidst the lunch rush.

The menu was quite extensive, though very poorly displayed and difficult to understand. A never-ending list of ingredients, toppings, and prices were scribbled onto dark grey slates - two of which were hung just above the cold ice cream plates, and one large one on the wall behind various types of kitchen equipment.
Between the options of caramel popcorn, soft serve ice cream, Pinoy waffles, hot dogs, egg waffles, and "Thai Rolled Ice Cream", I could hardly make sense of which ingredients/toppings/prices were associated with each item or item combo.

Eventually I walked around to the cashier, away from the group of flabbergasted customers that had remained stationary despite my clear indications that I required a closer look at the tiny font on the menu boards hanging directly above their heads. Hypnotized the were, as they continued to ignore their duties as regular citizens and film portrait-oriented videos (cue the eye roll) of the staff member aggressively mixing ice cream formulas on the other side of the glass.

On the cashier side of the stall was a small dining area with a bar-like seating arrangement. The walls were lined with plastic figurines, an assortment of framed photos, and white cartoonized ice cream appliqués.

"Give me one second!" a stout, ponytail-donning lady called out to me in a strong East Asian accent. I nodded and smiled in reply, content with the fact that I had been acknowledged.

"There are four people ahead of you anyway." she added ten seconds later.
"Um, alright?" I thought, "I suppose she means that there's no point in ordering if I have to wait for my dessert anyway. However, she could have omitted that, as the wait time was pretty obvious given the amount of people I had spotted outside."

Upon meeting new people, one of the first phrases that escape my mouth will be "Oh, you're from ____ ? Do you have any recommendations for food?" - that or "Have your tried ______ ?" anyway.

Regular visitors of this space would already be aware of the fact that I enjoy short adventures, in particular venturing into unexplored culinary territory, regardless whether the result is disastrous or rewarding. That being said, I decided to embark on a journey in search of Portuguese egg tarts.

Macau would be the obvious destination for the best selection, though I had been contemplating the existence of a bakery closer to home that would craft the flaky pastry from scratch (ie. not T&T). A quick Yelp search landed me on Caldense Bakery's page.

In the Shoppers plaza just north of Eglinton and Creditview was the European-style bakery housed in a cozy corner. Parking was abundant (thank goodness!), but somewhat tight in places due to trucks that were stalled for unloading purposes.

The storefront was easily recognizable even at a distance, unlike cafes in Toronto, and consisted of a series of glass windows to allow for a decent amount of natural light to penetrate the interior. Half of the bakery was allocated for plastic tables and chairs, while the remainder was comprised of a cashier and storage area, hot water dispensers, and two large display cases - one for baked, bread-like goods, and the other for elaborately-decorated pastries.

Situated along the walls behind the display cases were small chalkboard menus. Along with an impressive variety of breads and sweets that were baked in-house, Caldense also offered several types of hot caffeinated drinks. 
We took to ordering two of their self-proclaimed (and evidently Yelp user-acknowledged) "Famous Custard Tart", which were priced at $1.30 individually.

Large chunks of bread topped with chewy, fragrant coconut shreds lay by the cashier, While definitely deserving of a purchase, we opted to save it for another visit, and a layered, custard-filled Napoleon-like creation was added to the order instead.

And how flaky they were - the cross sections were even more honeycomb-like that majority of the croissants I've munched on! This is probably an indication of the atrocious amount of butter used its creation process, but the "bubbles" inside were indeed quite a spectacle. 
​Frankly speaking though, the Napoleon/puff pastry was much too sweet for my liking, and the fact that they had topped an already rich item with powdered sugar made the piece even less appealing. But in its defense, the size was well warranted by the amount that they had charged; it retained an almost identical length and thickness to both my hands put together!