1) ​VDL - Expert Color Liquid Eyeshadow (2018 Glim and Glow) in No. 101 On The Floor

A sign of true sales skills is being able to convince a customer to make a purchase, even when they wandered into the boutique with seemingly no desire to take out their wallet. The girl at The Face Shop succeeded in doing this.

Fairview Malls' The Face Shop was stocked with more VDL products than that of Square One, Markville, and Yorkdale combined. The utter pinkness of the collection drew me in, while the liquid glitter eyeshadow convinced me to stay and swatch.

​To be frank, I probably didn't need a new addition to my accumulating pile of unused eyeshadows. But the incentive was there - in the form of a vivid purple massage stick with any VDL purchase.

Immediate regrets settled in with the first few uses of this product, however. The colour payoff was terrible - barely noticeable if you ask me - and specks of glitter transferred easily between the upper and bottom lids. The formula was difficult to layer with other eyeshadows as well, as it creased when set with powder types and smeared upon contact with gel eyeliner. (Liquid liner appeared fine though.)

Also to be noted is the applicator's inability to grab more than 1-2 ml of product at a time. The rose gold-toned flecks are an odd size and shape, which makes it difficult to determine whether they are more suitable for the eyelid and lower lashline. Moreover, the formula doesn't possess fabulous sparkle even when observed underneath direct sunlight.​

This was a disappointing account of twenty-four dollars. The massage stick was nice though, in spite of the poorly-made plastic handle.

​2) Fun on-site randoms
3) Brown Sugar Oolong Milk Tea w/ 2J (Tapioca and Coffee Jelly) from Gong Cha proved quite nice, as did the recently established array of eateries on York University grounds.

Be warned that drinks are extravagant at $7 after taxes, and that the interior finishes have yet to be completed. The washroom was not toured on this visit.

4) North York's Kung Fu Tea was a stop I wish I had skipped out on. Due to its proximity from Yonge and Sheppard, it seemed a good idea at the time. Yakult Green Tea definitely was not the best decision though.

​5) Iced Tea Lemonade and Belgian Chocolate Chip Cookie from JJ Bean

6) Settling for a Double Chocolate Cookie from Timmy's
7) Thoroughly exploring North York's new openings

8) Thai Iced Tea from Holy Snack

​​At the time of my first visit, I already had Kung Fu in hand - a decision I regretted greatly. I took to purchasing a Thai Tea Milk Pudding to go, though that was honestly quite disastrous. The second time around, Holy Snack was closed without explanation. On my third attempt, a small Thai Iced Tea was obtained; alas, the result was disheartening. I shall not be returning​, not even for $3.99.

Making its return to Celebration Square for the third consecutive year, Japan Festival has officially been renamed and promoted under the name "Japan Festival CANADA".

The first year had been exciting, but hectic; there was a larger turnout than expected, and vendors struggled terribly to keep up with the demand. I vividly recall myself being extremely eager about the event and arriving on an empty stomach to maximize my consumption power. Lineups were incredulous that year, and it wasn't until two solid hours of waiting underneath the blazing sun that fried chicken from Gushi was secured.

​We visited the second year's run briefly in the evening after I returned from KCON LA adventures. Stage performances were more varied this time around. The vendor count has also expanded. This was the year I discovered Momo Tea.

Third time's the charm! - right?
When I had learned of Momo Tea's pending appearance at this year's Japan Festival some few months ago, I immediately relayed this information to orangecane.

​The previous day had been gloomy and damp, so it came as no surprise that most attendees had saved their visit for Sunday afternoon. By noon, finding parking had become a nightmare. It was survival of the fittest, in the manner most pertinent to first world complications.
But a quick drive around led to the discovery that most participants weren't familiar with the area at all.

Large-scale productions placing heavy emphasis on cultural minorities seem to be the soaring trend of late. I guess one can say that Black Panther was only one amongst many that gave rise to this wave of so-called "under-represented ethnic groups", but really, the concept began much sooner than 2018 (with the release of "Fresh Off The Boat" being the pioneer series for Asian Americans).

Regardless of the manner that society likes to interpret mainstream media, I solemnly believe that movies are meant for enjoyment, with a hint of moral interlaced between its various layers. That said, this post is meant no more than a commentary on the recently released "Crazy Rich Asians".
Its announcement had garnered incredible enthusiasm from the Asian American community - namely for not only casting an actor/actress of Asian descent as the lead, but creating a story with a cast predominantly consisting of Asians. Many doted on this point, even promoting the movie without a shred of knowledge regarding the storyline as told by the original written document.
Personally, this supposed lack of uniformity of different ethnic groups in the arts is irrelevant to the amount of enjoyment I receive from a visual piece. If it's a good series, it'll remain a good series regardless of the participation of cast members hailing from different backgrounds.

​With the drop of the first trailer, I had already been set. The thought of a Western take on a classic Korean drama tale was intriguing, and, moreover, the cast was established and highly promising.

To be frank, the thought of venturing to Mel Lastman Square on a weekend hadn't ever crossed my mind until orangecane brought it up. North York's Korean Harvest Festival and Mississauga's highly anticipated Japanfest happened to be taking place over the same weekend.
We had eagerly agreed to take part in the event on the west end shortly after it was announced, but the festival outside NYCC was another story.

At a later point in time on the next day (ie. the day prior), I jumped out in search of Oreo-decked Korean churros from Mr. Chu. A mere two minutes remained until opening time, but the cart's serving window remained shut. The convenience store staff informed me of a delayed opening of 3 PM, due to Korean Harvest Festival preparations.

He suggested we head over to the venue to try our luck. We did, but was told that setup would be ongoing until 5 PM.
Ultimately, I never got my Mr. Chu fix.

​The next day, I arrived bright and early. Festivities were in full swing, with Torontonians gradually filing in.
Galleria's booth had hodo kwaja and kimchi samples on display, along with a wheel of fortune on display, where I succeeded in earning a bag of Honey Butter chips. Free kimbap-making classes were also scheduled for later on in the day.

I didn't sign up though, since a showing of Crazy Rich Asians was awaiting me. Grabbing an Oden Sausage to go, I made one more quick round.
Mr. Chu wasn't open yet. So I filled up my water bottle and sped across the street to Empress Walk.

It's been well over a year since my last visit to the theatre, and my Fabricated City commentary.

Nothing has changed too drastically. I guess my sole regret is that I didn't get to play DDR on this trip

​Personal opinions on the heavily hyped Hollywood production can be found HERE.

By the time the movie had concluded, external conditions had turned unfavourable: It was downpour of despair.

​​Many of the vendors had taken to the insides of their stalls for shelter - and who could blame them? The amount of precipitation was downright dreary. Even the colourful umbrellas fixated on the plastic white tables lost their shine amidst the endless dampness.

​A splendid day out should equate to an afternoon of biking, hiking, or other sorts of outdoor activities. Yet I commenced the day by slicing into our gradually wrinkling bag of cherries.

​Anyone who's ever had their fair share of slicing and snacking on the blossoming fruit ought to be well aware of its hazards: the inevitable gush of blood red juices.
Might I add that one unfortunate specimen of a white shirt succumbed to this precise form of assault, never again revealing itself to be the same brilliant shade of white as it used to be. If the scene is difficult to fathom, just picture a cutting board slaughter scene reminiscent to the aftereffects of handling fresh beetroot.

Of course, the results were well worth the effort. My tried-and-true jam recipe has yielded more than one successful type of preserve with minimal manual labour.

The jam was enjoyed atop an eggy slice of toast.
The matcha white chocolate-covered macadamia nuts we received as souvenirs, on the other hand, were less gratifying. We could barely perceive a shred of grassiness from the super-sweet morsels

​After some serious pleading - and a much-needed Wonton Chai fix - we set off westward.

It's been well over a year since my last trip to Downtown Oakville. Within this period, Goldstar has shuttered and several new stores have popped up.
The neighbourhood's utter lack of complimentary parking had originally imposed no further intentions to revisit. However, Sundays and holidays were apparently park-for-free days. And with the number of residents away on end-of-summer travels, Lakeshore was lined with an abundance of spots.

​You read that correctly: It's "Tea Bubble", not bubble tea, for your information.

​In an area that's saturated with quick service eateries, questionable nail salons, and more industrial organizations than hip hangout spots, I hadn't expected to find decent bubble tea parlour within the 15-kilometre radius.

​While en route back from another deeply stressful North York run - 5-minute stopovers always have me antsy for parking enforcement teams - a shop bearing a yellow-white storefront caught my attention. Chat One was one of the names that had appeared on a prior search of the area, though it hadn't actually occurred to me that it was located so close. Moreover, there was a parking lot - tiny, but nonetheless a private space where I wouldn't live in fear of being ticketed.

My first visit took place on a Friday afternoon. The specialty shop was largely empty at the time, and there was only one customer before us.

​​Wait time was minimal at the cashier; it was, in fact, my demands for further clarification of the menu that was time-consuming. Choices were vast, though decision-making was difficult for the menu had been arranged in a somewhat confusing manner.
A set of ten signature drinks were shown on a folded takeout sheet, but displayed underneath them was no more than an internal item code. One would need to dart back and forth between the complete menu and condensed takeout menu to match beverage images with names.

Approximately five minutes passed before I finally decided on the Dazzling Matcha Milk Tea. The concoction comprised of freshly whisked matcha powder, milk, and a combination of the tea shop's Caramel, Cactus, and Crystal Tapioca.
Similar to One Zo, Chat One offered a rotating selection of tapioca - all supposedly crafted in-house. I couldn't perceive distinct differences between the individual flavours of the starchy pearls, but the texture was undeniably enjoyable.

It was belatedly discovered that the girl behind the cashier hadn't inquired about my desired ice and sugar levels. Yet, oddly enough, my drink was delivered with the ideal amounts of both components. Although not quite reminiscent of ceremonial grade, the drink was tasty and as grassy as I had desired/expected.

A Taro Milk Tea was also ordered on this visit. I was informed that it did not exhibit the overly powdery characteristics of other establishments.

​On a tightly-spaced second visit, I was informed of the shop's new, off-the-menu addition of Taro Slush. The girl behind the cashier had recognized me almost instantly, much to my surprise. (Or maybe I'm just terrible with remembering faces?)

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 train 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.