​Light Up The Square returned on a rainy Saturday this year. It was slated for a 3pm opening, though setup preparations extended well past 3:40pm - the approximate time of my arrival.

The dull, dreary skies caused a grey haze to hover about Celebration Square. Lights looked relatively lucid against the fog, and  an overall dampness was felt with each step around the pavilion.

​Food trucks and stalls were situated at one end of the venue, and independent shops at the other. The skating rink was also in full operation.

​Minimal time was spent here; cold and breezy conditions did not agree with my HEATTECH Warm. I trekked through the Candy Cane Garden, brimming with remorse and empathy for the soaked plushies on display.

Returning to the car provided much relief. As did a quick run through the mall.

Next stop was Snowies Bingsu, which I had been itching to visit since Day 1.

The modern dessert parlour had taken over Fauchon Bakery in the Man Doo Hyang plaza.

Replacing dingy yellow setting and dull, amber shelves were muted blush walls, rose gold light fixtures (à la Sorry Coffee), and neon pink LED wall decor.
Seating took the form of lilac and pink booths and marble tables. Laminated menus were placed before us after we had chosen our seat by the cashier. Nearby was a condiment stand that featured napkins, disposable cups, and a water dispenser.

Before we had a chance to peruse our options on the single-sided sheet, an all-too-familiar tune began to play.
My eyes widened, while the corners of my mouth lifted into a cheeky grin. "GOT7" I mouthed.

A cherished custom for the past three years, it was necessary to revisit Distillery for the annual Christmas Market trip.

With a resignation letter in the works, I wanted to drop by earlier than later, seeing as I would no longer be frequenting the downtown core once it took effect.

Some strenuous hours of ahju-torture later, I was on the 504, heading east along King Street, on the chilliest day of the week.
The first stop was Tandem Coffee - one of my all-time favourite destinations in the area. Little did I know though, the Trinity stop had been abolished; I was required to retrace my path from the Sackville stop.

orangecane can arrived some ten minutes early and secured a table towards the back of the café, near the artificial shrubbery (that I later realized to be genuine after all).

While waiting for the other members of our crew to reveal themselves, a Peanutty Hot Chocolate and London Fog were requested to restore warmth to our jittering bodies. The former remained consistent with the cup ochungg had purchased previously: creamy, chunky, and heavily laced with nuttiness. Minimal chocolatey essence was present.

Signature enamel pins were also placed near the cashier. I thoughtlessly caving to its kitschy, monochromatic profile, relinquishing ten dollars in the process. It wasn't until I whipped around the counter, receipt in hand, that I mentally kicked myself for not inquiring the price of the pin before committing.

Tandem was slated to close at 6pm, so we quickly gathered up our belongings and headed south while waiting for the remaining members of the party.

The number of light fixtures had doubled since the previous year; meanwhile, the vendor list remained relatively identical. Dispersed throughout were a variety of photo-ready attractions and - much to our relief - glowing heat lamps. It was the chilliest day of the week after all.

By 7:30pm, all members had assimilated and feelings of famine had slowly settled in.
Reservation-less, our original pick of piping hot ramen from Boku meant a wait time of one hour. Cacao 70 nearby wasn't much more favourable either: we were informed of an approximate 35-minute wait.

View the full album HERE !

Incoming is another mid-month round-up - ninety percent of which is food-centric, of course. No further introductions are necessary for these entries.

1) Mocha from good ol' Pilot

2) 7 Baker

This minimalist version of Bake Code chose an unexpected location for its first standalone shop. Just a brisk walk from Wellesley station, at the southwest corner of Yonge and Wellesley is 7 Baker. "Modern" and "upscale" are two words that would depict it artfully; "overpriced fusion bread" would be my take on it.

Ornate pastries and (undoubtedly gimmicky) buns were the main focuses of the boutique; a compact drink menu was also available, but the selection wasn't particularly appealing (especially given the plethora of bubble tea shops in the vicnity).
Nutty Espresso, Salted Egg Yolk Charcoal Bun, and a Matcha Lava Croissant were taken to go. These items alone came to a grand total of twenty-two dollars following tax; the first and second picks were priced at $6.99 apiece!

Salted Egg Yolk Charcoal was an interesting savoury option: despite being dry and somewhat chalky, the yolk alluded great depth of flavour. The bun itself was disappointing, with its components reeking of stale starchiness. Had I been blindfolded, I would have been unable to distinguish between a day-old production and its supposedly trendy, all-black profile.

The Matcha Lava Croissant was as crumbly as could be and utterly lacking in grassiness. Its appearance was rather lacklustre (the flaky strip of green appeared highly artificial), while the custard contained within was more reminiscent of vanilla than green tea. That said, the moderate amount of matcha was a hit with fans of regular croissants.

Nutty Espresso was, hands down, my favourite of the trio. Coating its exterior were crushed nuts and a sticky, caffeinated. Inside was a sweet, delectable filling oozing with aromatic properties. The bun remained dry, though the filling compensated for this slightly.
Regardless, $6.99 remains too hefty of a price tag for the carby invention.

3) Regular CoCo run Feat. Pearl Roasted Milk Tea

4) Labothéry x 7 Baker (The PATH)

It hadn't occurred to me that Labothéry had joined forces with the Asian fusion bakery to commence operations inside downtown's underground network until a day after visiting Wellesley station over lunch break.
Half of the interior was allotted to Labothéry's various syrup test tubes, while a condensed assortment of 7 Baker's best-sellers were on display on the shelf across.

Unable to resist the buzz of the atmosphere, I picked up a Darjeeling Milk Tea Bun, a Plain Croissant, and yet another Nutty Espresso.

Due to persisting neck and shoulder pain, weighty items have been exempt from the daily commute as of late. This comprises of full-sized wet wipe packs, a heavy duty portable battery, and my out-and-about media-capturing device of choice. And going camera-less naturally means a surge in images shot on my 4.5 year old smartphone.

This time around, I shall be presenting my roundup of recent happenings - in a format of lower resolution.

1) Christmas Tree Lighting at the Eaton Centre

orangecane happened to be downtown during the first snowfall of the city. Coincidentally, it was also the same evening that the tree lighting ceremony was scheduled to take place. LED wristbands were distributed approximately two hours prior. The intention was to create a sense of unity by having these wristbands flash at the same interval and hue as all other attendees in the area.

As it neared 6:30 PM, the spacious hallways of the shopping centre grew cramped with eager viewers. We witnessed the complete illumination of the stock pine tree before making our way to one of the many wristband recycling stations situated near the exits. An initiative to prevent littering was in place: one reusable Starbucks cups could be obtained in exchange for each wristband returned.

2) Nathan Philips Square preparing for the opening of its skating rink
3) Not far from Labothéry is a new bubble tea contender by the name of In Cha tea.

At a steep price of $6.10 for a medium cup (without toppings) before tax, one would expect the Grapefruit Green Tea to have surpassed even the purest of grapefruit nectar-based beverages. Not only was its profile astringent and lacklustre, grapefruit pulp was extraordinarily minimal.

I returned some days later to purchase a Hot Brown Sugar Milk Tea for someone wishing to broaden her horizons. The "experimental" offering - as she called it - bore great resemblance to Yang's Okinawa Milk Tea. A sip of the drink assured me that this had been a far better decision than the Grapefruit Green Tea.

4) Mos Mos Coffee
With several locations in the PATH, Mos Mos is no stranger to caffeine regulars. I attempted a Choco Latte with a double espresso shot on a whim, and even picked up a Matcha Cookie for a reduced price of $1.25.

The latte was crafted to perfection and did not disappoint: the concoction was silky smooth, subtly sweet, and richly flavoured. Moreover, efficient operations rendered a wait time of under five minutes. The Matcha Cookie wasn't half bad either; it wasn't as grassy as my favourite from Put A Cone On It, but nonetheless delicious.

5) Reuniting with the Sulley family

6) Oh, how drastically the world changes in the span of a mere week. (Why hello, snow.)
7) Microground Matcha Latte w/ Coconut Milk
8) Festive furnishings at the Eaton Centre

The night had been a restless one. A strict schedule was in place for the next day after all.

​It's honestly a sin for airport-bound buses to run every 15 minutes on weekdays, yet only hourly on weekends. Approximately one hour and ten minutes of idling later, DAY6 was spotted disembarking their van.

​The staff and members moved swiftly towards the security line, and minimal enforcement was necessary. Besides me, there were only a handful of girls capturing the scene in silence on their handheld devices.

​Not a single DSLR-equipped being was in sight - a distinct difference to GOT7's movements around the globe.

Thanks to orangecane, my second DAY6 concert could be delightfully viewed from the second row. I was a P1 ticketholder, with a photo op was in my name.

Toronto was the first stop of the Youth World Tour, which meant anxiety and anticipation for the boys and maximum hype for us.

I headed over to the venue after work for merch pickup and to find SCENE1219 for complimentary fans.

The plan was to meet up with ochungg afterwards. Dinner was simple: I suggested McDonald's in the PATH on the basis of economics and convenience.

Venue

We entered the venue through its main doors. Though Roy Thomson was connected to the PATH, indoor access was blocked, and all foot traffic had been directed to the main entrance. This was, of course, much to my dismay, for I had wished to avoid the dreary, rainy conditions altogether by making use of the underground network.
Just like Massey Hall, security was quite lax. And again, they seemed to care more about water bottles than anything else.

Once inside, several members of security were positioned along the stage and in front of each stairwell leading to the main orchestra. They did not budge for the entire duration of the show. Eliminating them from images proved impossible. Once again, cameras seemed not the main issue for them. It was more imperative that we remain at our seats despite standing. 

A prime location for music appreciation, Roy Thomson did not disappoint in terms of sound quality. Regardless of the tier or row, clarity remained uncompromised. Whether it was ongoing performances or ments, each segment was crystal clear with depth and contrast.
Our seats were extremely close to the overhead speakers, but echoes were next to nothing. There was also no interference between mics nor other musical equipment. It was truly an upgrade from the crackly discord of the ACC.

The Members

Jae was a solid performer who thoroughly enjoyed his time on stage. He engaged in countless adlibs during songs, which only made the experience more enjoyable and memorable. Easily hyped, he didn't bother with concealing his emotions and simply let them run wild. He didn't quite finish his emotional speech this time around, but had a good laugh over it.

Sungjin, who recently made his return with an ahjussi buzz cut, constantly made amusingly bizarre expressions over the course of the show. His studio-quality vocals rang throughout the auditorium with absolutely no variance in strength nor definition. Despite not having much to say during ments, he was determined to deliver the message that he had enjoyed himself at the first stop of their tour. During the ending ment, he recalled the evening as "정신없어" - a good kind of "dizzy"; without realizing it, he had completed three songs in a giddy blur - he had said.

Dowoon was very cute in his new platinum hair. He sat behind the drums in his own little world for majority of the show and only stood up during the opening ment so front row attendees could spot him. The only other times he abandoned his elevated platform for the main stage were the ending ments and latter half of encore. This maknae is still as adorable as ever, and I'm honoured to have been able to witness his growing vocal participation in the band's songs. In his ending ment, he apologized and told MyDays to wait for him; the exact timeline was undetermined, but he confirmed that they "will be back".

​Young K - or, as Torontonians prefer to call him, Brian - was back at home with a boost of confidence. Last  time, he stuttered slightly when speaking in English, occassionally unable to think of the exact word to express his emotions. This time around witnessed fluid speaking skills, along with a highly humourous narration about how he selected the name "Brian". The crowd had proceeded to chant "Brian" at first, then <i> Young K towards the end upon Jae's request. Resonating intensely from the night were his crystal clear, angelic vocals contrasting against devilish rap.

From our seats at the far left, we were unable to see Wonpil very well for majority of show. Regardless, he was very sweet and cute; his facial expressions were few, yet it was obvious that he was moved by the audience's unconstrained engagements. For the moments where he was under the spotlight, he serenaded us with gentle, adept vocals. During ments, he made sure to acknowledge our efforts and even teared up slightly towards the beginning; in his own words, it was "unbelievable" that the crowd was able to enjoy and relate to their music even though if the lyrics were in Korean instead of their (our) native language. For the next show, he vowed to work harder to improve his English so that he'd be able to crack jokes like Jae and Brian.

View the full album HERE !

Encore

The "Youth" Tour in Toronto was, hands down, the most orderly encore I've taken part in to date. Spirits were crazy high and the members were having fun, but MyDays remained well-behaved. Instead of dashing up to the stage at the start of the encore, they didn't shift an inch from their seat. Of course, members of security were constantly observing our actions, but the scene remained calm.

I shall define the final performance of "Sing Me" as "calm" by ahgase standards. There was no shoving, no hair-pulling, and the aisle remained clear for the members to walk by. Fans were, dare I say, conservative. But this degree was very much appreciated, as it enabled all participants to enjoy the show (and depart free from injuries/muscle strain).

​It's hard to believe that we're already halfway to 1000 entries - and that's just with the Out & About local exploration series. Five hundred is a nice number, and a fitting entry to dedicate to munching with orangecane and indulging in relevant fangirl discussions.

​Korean Fried Chicken, also referred to as the modern "KFC", was an item that had been exempt from her individual adventures abroad. A bit of research later, we became aware that there was one more contender (besides The Fry) serving up these authentic morsels of satisfaction in the west-end suburbs.

​​Sikgaek was a destination I had originally pinned to my to-go list after coming across images of their Spicy Chicken with Cheese. Review of the menu revealed an assortment of fried chicken, kalbi and bulgogi dishes, along with a plethora of traditional Korean fare.

​The interior of the restaurant was homey, and guests had the option of dining in the main dining hall, or in partitioned rooms for enhanced privacy. Amenities were orderly and shiny, though a bit spotty from years of fatigue.
We were first provided with a small, Stainless steel pot of barley tea. Unlike the chipped ceramic varieties found in Chinese diners, the dented pouring apparatus was light and easy to handle. The provided double-layered cups proved efficient in insulating warmth, such that one could enjoy the warm liquid without succumbing to minor fingertip burns.

We shared a Half Yangnyum and Half Pa Dak combo, which rang in $33 before tax. My favourite starter, UhMukTang (aka fishcake soup or oden), was also selected. The boiled/buttered squid had also piqued my interest, but none of the squid-centric dishes were available.

​< Pictured above and below: Half Yangnyum and Half Pa Dak combo (양념 반마리 + 파닭 반마리),  UhMukTang (어묵탕) >

A trio of banchan were served shortly after orders were taken. These comprised of kimchi, crunchy bean sprouts tossed in sesame oil, and salty, picked onion slices. Cubes of heavily pickled (read: extremely sour) white radish (무) also made its way over in preparation for chicken consumption. Mr. Chimaek's mixed white/pink radish remains the winner.

​UhMukTang arrived first. Contained within the stone pot were soggy triangles of flat fishcake, a handful of springy fishballs, and a hard-boiled egg amidst a clear, bubbling broth. The starchy contents were decent, as was the hard-boiled egg, in spite of its tacky, powdery yolk. The broth, on the other hand, was worth commending: adequately seasoned and absolutely comforting, it easily overtook Daldongnae's disappointing rendition.

Two baskets of piping hot chicken surfaced approximately ten minutes later.

​The rise of weekly visuals is a sure sign that I've been indulging in snacks too often as of late. And, mind you, these treats don't come cheap in the Downtown Core.

Yang Tea Shop opened up extremely close to my daily operation quarters, so it only seemed right to pay a visit after recuperating from moderate food poisoning. It has since replaced Ken Oh's cramped interior with a spacious waiting area and a total of six seats along the west perimeter of the establishment.

​With emphasis on different brews of tea and their unique, complex properties, a row of tea domes were situated along the bar-style seats - with a hot pink sticky note invitation to boot.

​Having skimmed their online menu in advance, it was apparent to me that my preferences would lie with either the comforting Signature Tea Latte or avant-garde Tea Boss Nitro Latte.
The latter was unavailable at the "early" hour of 12:15 PM; the preparation process involved a chilling procedure that yet to be completed. "After 1 PM" was the better bet, or so we were told.

For a somewhat chilly day, my partner-in-crime took to a hot Okinawa Milk Tea, refuting her usual mango tendencies. A sip of the beverage informed me of its sweet and utterly soothing characteristics. The inclusion of brown sugar was apparent, but not overwhelmingly so. Chunks of unblended milk powder remained, however.

​My own Tea Latte - made with the standard organic 3% milk - had been requested at 30% sugar, which fell short of my desired sweetness level. The concoction was a tad bland, though otherwise enjoyable with its prominent tea aromas.

​On a second attempt to try the Nitro Tea Latte, I was told that the beverage had sold out for the day. It was merely nearing 3 PM at this point.
Disappointed - yet not disheartened - I opted for an iced Marble Boba Latte at 30% sugar. Having familiarized myself with the slickness of One Zo's Brown Sugar series, choosing the smallest size seemed the conservative choice.

Iced beverages were available in three sizes: Small (360 ml), Medium/Regular (500 ml), and Large (700 ml). Drinks that were served hot were limited to Medium and Large sizes only.
​For the Marble Boba Latte, the small cup was more than enough in my opinion. Primarily comprised of milk, the drink did not bear any essence of tea; the included brown sugar tapioca had been a syrupy choice of topping, so a Small was sufficient without resulting in signs of satiation.
This was, by no means, an economic cup of bubble tea. At $5.80 before tax, I could have easily scored myself a Junior McChicken meal at good ol' McD's.

​Finally, on the third consecutive day, the Tea Boss Nitro Latte was obtained at 1: PM.
Following the recommended temperature and sweetness levels - those being Iced and 50% sugar - 
a Medium Nitro Tea Latte was secured with glee. This transaction took place on the day immediately succeeding Halloween, when not only spooky decals had been removed from the premises, but the tea domes as well.

Steering clear of toppings, I was able to experience the depth and profile of the beverage without interruption. Each sip was delicious - smooth yet stimulating; subtly sweet yet refreshing. I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase this item, though did contemplate the reason behind odd twitches of stomach pain after its consumption.

The stability of the shop's Wi-Fi network is decent (read: able to load V Live with minor stuttering), as one should hope for a tea house of its caliber. Washrooms are located at the foot of a steep, narrow staircase, though I cannot provide comments in that regard as yet.
Be aware that the entrance is slowed outward and paired with a ledge. Black tiling was chosen for this aspect - a design detail to be aware of (especially on rainy, slippery days).

A trip to Chinatown fell upon a different day. Cravings for egg waffles were high on the list.
After visiting Dragon City Centre, I chanced by a name that was somewhat beknownst to me: Yi Fang.

The tiny sliver of a shop housed a narrow staircase and drink crafting bar/cashier area. Two small tables, as well as a wooden near the top of the stairs, were the main dine-in accommodations.