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Out & About #570 | Weekly Roundup: Uncle Tetsu + Ice Q (Rounds 2, 3)

7/28/2019

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Entering "downtown mode" means scouting the nearby neighbourhoods for amusement whenever possible, whether that be in the form of aimless treks in The PATH, or missioning to new spots with a purpose in mind.
1) Matcha Mondays call for Matcha Lattes from McD's and Matcha Cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu.
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Compared to the denser (read: damper) 2015 edition, this variation fares boasts prominence in both cheesiness and grassiness; the exemption of red beans is another welcome approach.
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​Meanwhile, Thursdays are reserved for the sales of Chocolate Cheesecakes, which I don't think I've tried in my multitude of visits to the now shuttered Angel Cafe. The item is new - well, at least to me - and noticeably fluffier than the Original and Matcha. The prominent presence of meringue, in conjunction with cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips dispersed throughout, causes the cake to lean towards an airy chocolate sponge than a soufflé cheesecake.
The Matcha rendition is more to my liking, however chocolate lovers will easily gobble this up.
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​2) Waterfront Runs
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I've never been too much of a marathon enthusiast, though never once not commended those that train endlessly to complete one. Constantly being near the waterfront has prompted me to give the sport a go; co-workers that have undertaken marathon challenges are also generating a positive effect on my overall health.
In fact, I completed the dreaded five-kilometre battle without them one day. My time was significantly better than the first attempt.
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Continuing the trend (and the inevitable thigh/hamstring spasms), I took to another run the following day. Timing improved yet again!
​3) Due to engaging in such strenuous exercise, I decided to reward myself. Amongst CoCo's July specials are the Pearl Milk Tea Smoothie and Passion Fruit Mango Slush, to which I requested additions of grass jelly and coconut jelly respectively.
4) Katsuya

The third anniversary of the popular katsu chain introduced four days' worth of 50% off Pork Loin Katsu promotions at their North York, Downtown, Mississauga, and Scarborough locations.
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​After a twenty-minute wait, we took to the tried-and-true Katsuya Original, along with the highly pungent Tako Wasabi and ultimate crowdpleaser of Cheese Crabmeat Croquette. Service was oddly speedier and more attentive than most visits - not even six minutes had passed when we received our entrées!
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5) Ice Q (Round 2) involved a Mango Bingsu and Thai Milk Tea.

Would you believe me if I confessed that the Mango had been my suggestion? Frankly speaking, the Strawberry had impressed me enough that I was willing to opt for another one of the cafe's fruit-based creations.
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Out & About #569 | Basecamp + Revisiting Kinton Bloor

7/26/2019

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Six weeks is a long time. In retrospect, it's only a little over a month, and likely a shorter duration than my last scheduled catch-up session. But these 42 days were sufficient in making me aware of my suppressed climbing capabilities. Meanwhile,Miss Rushka's been avidly preaching the phrase "Practice makes perfect", exhibited in her nimble movements up the wall.

We had probably arranged to meet for a climb in the first quarter of the year, at the time I had first become engrossed with the sport. Alas, as my enthusiasm wavered, she gained social climbing circle. It was at that point that our progress began shifting in opposite directions.
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​Fast forward to more humid conditions, our appointment finally realized on a late July afternoon.
I first headed to Hair Bank, where a stylist by the same name as Red Velvet's tallest member carefully tamed my frizzy, scraggly strands.
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Some forty-minutes later, Miss Rushka and I began our first climb at Basecamp - a gym neither of us had attempted prior. Day passes were twenty-five dollars plus tax (without a student discount), with rental shoes and harnesses extra.
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​The Koreatown spot comprised of three floors: a basement floor allocated for lockers and showers, a ground floor of belay routes, and an upper level dedicated to a small bouldering area. Much like both Hub locations, the second floor overlooked the rest of the facility as the highest static point in the establishment
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​Waivers were required from us first, followed by a read-through of the rules sheet, a bouldering orientation, and belay test. The staff member that guided these pre-climb checks was exceptionally stern, which wasn't bad at all. Safety training is not an aspect to overlooked in any sport, and the man's attitude was a pure reflection of this. He eased up towards the end of the orientations, cracking a small smile while giving us an introductory tour of the available routes, colouring/grading notation, and general policies.

Once our tags were securely knotted, it was time to start climbing!
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​Firstly, I noticed the limited number of auto-belay routes: a total of five versus the countless lead/top rope. In other words, solo climbers would have to stick to bouldering, or befriend a gym mate or two to exchange belays. To one side of the gym were somewhat easier routes, with relatively straightforward hold placement and minimal incline. Several of the routes, as I observed, crossed its neighbours'; extra heed ought to be used when attempting overlaps.
The most amusing aspect of the auto-belays were the animal-shaped holds, likely an initiative to encourage the younger generation to commence climbing.
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Out & About #568 | Weekly Roundup: Butter Baker + Ice Q

7/20/2019

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Only fools catch colds in the summer.
Or that's how the saying goes anyway.

So I've branded myself a fool, catching a bug and letting it wreck havoc on my entire being. A rapid recovery was made from a 101 fever - the actual kind, not the one catching fire in Korea - but a new hump arose after my round of unhealthy eats at Night It Up. I lost my voice instantly, and essentially transformed into a toad living in fear of inflammatory foods.
​1) Butter Baker goodies from my favourite fangirl
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Matcha White Chocolate tasted better this time around: crisp and more bitter, but still very heavy in the floral department. Winning my heart in a heartbeat was the Triple Chocolate, whose fragrant aroma I warmed up to even while launching the most disastrous coughing fit of the season. It was an item that was easily polished off. Birthday Cake was the sweetest of the pack, and, admittedly, my least favourite. Its spreadability and high sugar content did not pair particularly well, in my opinion. Then again, I'm not one to prefer overly sweet treats.
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2) Hestia
In The PATH underneath the TD Centre was a cafe find I hadn't expected at all. On the hunt for a turmeric latte, the name popped up in my results alongside nutbar at Assembly Chef's Hall. Nutbar's rendition was hefty at $6.25 before tax, and nut milks aren't generally my go-to either.
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​It took a few loops for me to finally find Hestia, and I'm glad I persevered. The caffeine-less Turmeric Ginger Latte soothed the throat while reviving the senses. Its potency was evident in the slight tingling sensation experienced during consumption. Oat Milk, which I had requested in fear that dairy might worsen my condition, was an alternative that incurred an additional charge of sixty cents. That said, it was a sweet decision that I felt no remorse towards making.

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Out & About #567 | Weekly Roundup: Afternoon Snacking + Night It Up! 2019

7/13/2019

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​The humidity has officially hit.
Personal catch-up time has suffered a dramatic drop.
Weekly visuals shall proceed until further notice.
1) The Vancouver haul Feat. Daiso and Nature Republic
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2) The Seunie Bingsu from Snowies

The GOT7-themed bingsoo series continues! Following BamBam's Thai Milk Tea was Jackson's Hong Kong Milk Tea, which, in comparison to the first item of the collection, exhibited more prominent flavour. The limited edition selection was served in a similar fashion: curated toppings and condensed milk on the side, and an absence of layering.
​Tapioca pearls made another appearance, but instead of grass jelly was an oddly orange egg pudding. It had been set directly and served in a ramekin - a sharp contrast to the abstract shards of yellow utilized by most bubble tea vendors. Its consistency was also a tad more rigid, indicating either a higher percentage of stabilizer, whether it be egg yolk, gelatin, or some derivative of starch. A pizelle cookie - broken and inserted in the shape of wings? - was intended to add crunch, though I cannot produce any comments towards this addition. Admittedly, it is not my fondest type of cracker, so I did steer clear of it.​
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​Sampling the bingsoo on its own, familiar notes of Hong Kong milk tea were made discernible. Frankly, it lacked the astringency and 金味 (an attribute I can only depict as a distinctly unique lingering aftertaste) associated with the tea blend, however its profile remained recognizable. I was informed that the first few batches of the dessert had proved "far too bitter", thus the formula was altered to fit the dessert niche.

Egg pudding, tapioca, and a condensed milk drizzle with the consistency of evaporated milk enabled greater enjoyment of the bowl's contents, albeit resulting in a somewhat messy eating experience. As mentioned previously (561), Snowies' ice flakes have been observed to contain the lowest moisture levels by far; a direct runoff of loosened condensed milk was owed to this precise property. On that note, it is worth mentioning that the taste of tea diminished with the subsequent addition of toppings.
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​We also took the opportunity to try the Honey Butter Toast, a seemingly new addition to their menu, along with the Black Sesame Bingsu. The item arrived looking near identical to the Injeolmi Toast, and it was only afterwards that I learned honey butter had been incorporated into the soybean-centric creation. It was not an entirely different entity after all. A poor pick on my part, it was far too sugary in the absence of java; the mochi bits were tasty as always, though the combination of sticky slickness and friable injeolmi powder made for a throat-clogging occurrence.
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​The striking gold knives are a wonderful touch, might I say.

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Out & About #566 | Weekly Roundup: The PATH Finds + Koryo North York

7/5/2019

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​I'd like to think that the world operates in such a manner that the quality of results yielded is linearly proportional to the amount of effort exerted. And sometimes, just sometimes, this theory proves true.

Despite still recovering from major backlog and lack of proper sleep (it is far too humid these days), a new page in my career has begun, and I've been once again launched to a familiar part of the city.
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​This week's finds includes a selection of McCafé items exclusive to Union Station, namely the Smoked Salmon Bagel and Iced Matcha Latte, a beverage that's only elevated with the inclusion of an espresso shot.
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A popular spot in the underground of Commerce Court, Mos Mos has now made its way to the waterfront. Those looking to get a bit fancier than Starbucks can peruse its selection of gluten-free and vegan offerings, as well as specialty beverages such as a Chai or Taro Latte.
Beware though, as sophistication comes at a steep price. A medium Cold Brew set me back almost four dollars.
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Since sleep is often compromised on the early commute, fuel is usually found at a later point in time. My XL mug, gifted to me by none other than my favourite fangirl, illustrates my mornings to a tee: Running Late is My Cardio.
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​Other PATH discoveries include an upscale food court by the name of Harbour Eats by Mercatino and, directly beneath it, Coppa's Fresh Market. The latter was a true saviour during my times of need for fresh bananas and soy milk, at an extremely reasonably rate too!

​Adjacent to the supermarket is a restaurant featuring Buck-A-Shuck Wednesdays and a gelato parlour.
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Concluding the week off with errands and appointments, I found myself in North York after what feels like an eternity.  ​The shops at Yonge and Sheppard have finally opened to reveal Blaze Pizza, Five Guys, and LA Fitness as their ultimate occupants. Besides this, I can confirm no further changes in the area, except maybe Sushi Moto getting a revamped storefront. 

Debating between The 5th Taste on Wilson or Koryo, I eventually caved to samgyetang. Because apparently adding heat is a common method to ward off heat, right?
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​The patio area had opened, but patrons had opted to be seated inside (for obvious reasons). The compact restaurant housed about forty inside; we were seated at one of the few tables by the entrance. These spots were well-illuminated and a good distance away from the kitchen and cashier area. That said, greasy fumes infiltrated our hair and apparel regardless.
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< Pictured above and below:
  • S1 Koryo Samgyetang (고려삼계탕)
  • B3 Koryo Bibimbap in a Hot-Stoned Bowl (돌솥비빔밥)
  • ​M3 Millefeuille Spinach Cheese Tonkatsu (밀푀유 시금치 치즈 돈까스) >

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Out & About #565 | Canada Day BBQ + Collective June Visuals

7/1/2019

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​We've steered ourselves into the third quarter of the year: the midpoint of summer holidays and peak of construction activities. An extremely fruitful month for those in the heavy civil sector, I'd like to officially announce my upcoming reduction in leisure time. And not to be exempt from announcements of any sort, below is my usual recount of short-lived excursions, errand runs, and recent items of fondness.
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​1) Polishing off the remnants of Cafe Seoulista's Korean Fermented Grapefruit Tea with a splash of sparkling water
​2) An expectedly chilly morning calls for a Matcha Latte.

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3) A sweltering morning in Milton was succeeded by a brief visit to the Toronto Premium Outlets.
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It was here that Cacao 70 had opened up shop and introduced a three-dollar seasonal promotion.

Having only ever tried the chain's savoury crepes and marshmallow pizza, dipped ice cream cones were a new discovery for me. The lady behind the cashier was blunt - and outright rude, might I say - though the man executing the dipping procedure was exceptionally friendly.
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The concept in place was not so different than La Diperie, where the soft serve flavour was kept a constant vanilla and the only customization options resided with the chocolate dip. We took to the Coffee and Black Sesame cones - both ginormous portions at the exchange of mere pocket change.
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​In contrast to the Trinity Bellwoods spot, the vanilla soft serve underneath remained intact, instead of imploding into an annoyingly sticky mess. The waffle cone wasn't half bad either. It were the chocolate shells that disappointed: excessively sweet and exhibiting minimal sturdiness, the supposedly carefully tempered coating induced feelings of sluggishness - something far from commendable amidst the humid external conditions.
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WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

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