A lofty pine tree stood in the very centre of the chaos - the Christmas tree. Numerous lights and ornaments adorned its needles, but the plethora of other surrounding decorations drowned out its grandeur. Nonetheless, it remained a must-selfie-spot for almost all visitors.
For the past few years, the first half of December has always been dedicated to the intense review of course material in preparation for final exams. Temporarily exempt for academic stress (and happening to be in the downtown area already), I made plans to check out the Toronto Christmas Market held in the Distillery District every year. The sky had began to darken to solemn royal blue hue as we neared the area; the mobs of Friday evening market-goers contrasted with the daintily-lit Christmas lights strung between the brick buildings. There were various vendor booths located throughout, and merchandise varied from Christmas sweaters to scented candles to freshly-grilled, fragrant sausages. A lofty pine tree stood in the very centre of the chaos - the Christmas tree. Numerous lights and ornaments adorned its needles, but the plethora of other surrounding decorations drowned out its grandeur. Nonetheless, it remained a must-selfie-spot for almost all visitors. Behind the tree were carnival rides: one revolution on the very colourful ferris wheel or the dazzling merry-go-round was $5 each. View the full album HERE !
Introduced to the southwest corner of King and Peter / Blue Jays Way in mid-November, the PC Insiders Collection Pop-Up has undoubtedly induced on online frenzy by providing free guided tasting tours of the supermarket chain's new holiday items. Very few knew about the activities that were occurring inside this larger-than-life-sized nutcracker-accented building until images of the various finger foods surfaced on social media. December marked the start of insane lunch-hour lineups, beginning with a 40-minute wait, then followed by a 25- to 30-minute tour. Waiting outside was not fun, although I did feel a tad fancier with a red carpet below my scuffed sneakers. I joined a lineup consisting of approximately thirty people around 11:45 AM, stunned to find that such a loyal number had queued when the tours would not begin until noon. Thankfully, services did begin exactly at 12 PM as promised. Groups of approximately ten people were guided through the several door-less rooms contained within the pop-up; the remaining members of the lineup were gradually invited into the waiting area as the groups ahead proceeded to their next destination(s). The interior was moderately festive, with prominent splashes of red and the frequent use gold accents; it exuded a vibe most middle-aged ladies would thrive in. A distinctive "Free Wi-Fi" logo had also been plastered on the podium-like hostess stand, though no one was actually able to connect to the network at all. (PC, it's time to get on it!) Almost halfway into our wait, a round of piping hot mini puff pastries made their way around. Relatively hungry at this point, the flaky spinach and cheese-filled hors d'oeuvre was a nice piece to keep me going, albeit still bearing a strong, buttery pre-packaged taste.
A big birdie once told me that her favourite restaurant was Elephant Castle.
"What do they serve?" I recall asking her. "Pub food." she had confidently responded.
Adopting an inconspicuous corner of King and Simcoe, Elephant & Castle's vibe outright belonged in the Entertainment District. More pub than gastrohouse, it was evident that the unthinkably broad restaurant was a location frequented by businesspeople in the area looking for a lunchtime drink.
Although a rare occasion indeed, I found myself participating in a group lunch consisting of well over fifteen people. The tables had been reserved beforehand: one booth and two long, rectangular tables with bar seats. Seated near a tall window with subtle window glass-like decor, I had hoped for the perfectly diffused lighting to levitate the dining experience, as well as the images I was prepared to capture.
Having already evaluated the restaurant's offerings the previous day via Zomato (and ruled out the dishes deemed to lack in flavour profile), I took to connecting to their Wi-Fi as menus were passed around and read through.
When the amount of accumulated weekly visuals is trending in an upwards manner, the only feasible solution to prevent an excessively long monthly visuals post from surfacing is to post a portion of those photos first.
Thus, I present to you a partial visuals roundup! 1. Green Tea Chai Latte from Le Gourmand As opposed to regular chai lattes, this very foamy (and not-too-spicy) variation is steamed using a pre-made powder mix supposedly containing green tea. Definitely more milky than sweet, the drink was ideal for warming up on a chilly afternoon. I also noticed several reviewers had highly recommended the Chocolate Chip Cookie, so I suppose I'll attempt a gooey, sugary baked good on my next visit to evaluate whether it really does live up to the hype.
2. Clarkson GO Station just after sunrise
3. McDonald's (Queen and Spadina) - aka the only place to obtain McCafe before the standalone opened in the York Concourse
The stamp card has been completed!
An unthinkably large Kale and Feta McMorning Wrap was also obtained.
4. Penguin Cocktail Shakers spotted at Papyrus
5. Mean Mocha Smoothie (w/ Banana) from Booster Juice
6. Turkey Breast Waffle takeout + Green Tea Latte (not pictured) from N9 Cafe
7. Customized Bowl + Thai Iced Tea from Basil Box
Had it not been for my hour-and-a-half delay, I likely would have returned home for dinner. But as luck would have it, I found myself staring at a food court bursting with supper options. Basil Box was a restaurant/stall that particularly stood out to me, especially since I had glanced through numerous positive experiences with their completely customizeable meal option. The theory is simple: a step-by-step process is used to guide the diner through the available base, topping, and sauce options. Step 1 consisted of choices of white rice, rice noodles, brown rice, and salad greens. Steps 2 and 3 were comprised of vegetable and meat topping options, ranging from diced roasted sweet potato to chopped peppers and corn kernels. Steps 4 and 5 involved adding the finishing touches: mild or spicy sauce(s) and chopped peanuts if desired.
Combo options were not available, but I decided to order a Thai Iced Tea anyways, seeing that the cup I had tried previously did not disappoint.
And it didn't. Quite frankly, neither items did. The box was undeniably the most satisfying meal I've purchased from a food court, and the Thai Iced Tea only elevated the experience to even greater heights. Hidden within the colourful layers were bursts of flavour and absolute scrumptiousness.
Increasing the levels of customization allow for the most personal approach to customer service, and I must say: Basil Box has nailed this business concept perfectly.
The student life is great, except when finals roll around. Thankfully, I've managed to escape the grueling battle this year (even though I do realize that I'll be confronted with the beast once again come next winter).
Taking advantage of my exam-devoid weekend, I decided to participate in DTAC (oddly renamed to "Toronto Fan Days" this year) for the first time ever.
After conducting a brief evaluation of potential photoshoot locations, we headed to Banh Mi Boys for lunch. Their original location at Queen and Spadina was half the size of their second shop at Yonge and College; featuring the same red-white colour scheme and identical décor elements, the only difference was the lack of a vivid-hued mural and an open dining area. Situated within this location were five small tables, a couple cramped bar seats, and a narrow hallway for lineups.
Despite it being an early weekend afternoon, all the tables were occupied. Reluctant to sit at the bar in fear of my hair and scarf absorbing greasy fumes from the kitchen, I suggested taking the baos to go.
< Pictured above: Club Bao and Kalbi Steamed Bao (not shown on the menu)
Sriracha-slathered buns in hand, we scrambled across the street to Nohohon, hoping to sit and munch once the accompanying Japanese-inspired drinks had been obtained. There was only one girl working behind the counter today, and she welcomed us in with a giant, bright smile. At this point, I feel that it's important to declare Nohohon to be one of the exceedingly few food establishments in the Downtown Core to constantly maintain exceptional levels of customer service. From their very first day of operation in late June to several brief Ritual orders to this most recent visit, I have never witnessed even a hint of ineptitude, regardless of whichever staff member is/are present. Not only are they extremely friendly, they also proudly serve customers in a positive and pleasant manner – personally delivering freshly-made drinks to the straw/napkin bar and holding the door open for customers are little things that go a long way in customer service, especially when done with a smile.
I would also like to express an appreciation for their efficiently-concocted beverages. Nohohon's drinks are made-to-order, utilize real ingredients as opposed to the sugar-laden powder mixes that bubble tea is commonly comprised of, and includes one complimentary topping. Authentic Japanese matcha is challenging to find, to say in the least, in the GTA, however Nohohon manages to deliver high-quality, hand-whisked matcha to customers that crave the aromatic tea.
On previous (un-documented) occasions, I've had the opportunity to try their Yuzu Hot Chocolate (a wonderful citrus-y twist on a fall/winter classic) and Hot Matcha Latte w/ Red Bean (which provided instant warmth and satisfaction) (Side note: They also offer soy milk substitutions on select menu items; I've also been notified that skim milk is soon to be added to this list as well.)
We opted for the Hot Taro Latte and Lavender Nohohon Homebrew on this occasion. The latter boasted fragrant floral notes in conjunction with a mildly-flavoured brewed tea, while the latte was creamy and smooth, placing a strong emphasis on the subtly sweet taro paste used to create it.
The girl was kind enough to bring our drinks out from the bar and even offered to remove the matcha whisk and other decorative elements from the table situated near the front of the shop to make room for our steamed baos. The offer was politely declined, as resting upon the homey bamboo mat provided sufficient seating.
I've mindlessly passed by the Queen Richmond Centre (or QRC for short) on more than one occasion, but had previously never thought to take a glance at the interior components of the building through its forward-facing glass panels. During my weekday intake of (the ever-so-biased) blogto, I learned that the newly-constructed building was spotted to house an pop-up coffee shop: Early Bird Espresso Bar & Brewery. The stark white, "mobile" bar was centred directly underneath a lofty, teepee-like structure from which festive ornaments had been hung, just a mere feet from the entrance. Along with the standard espresso options, Early Bird also offered a significant variety of teas (from which tea lattes could be created upon request) and an appealing selection of glazed donuts, dense bars, butter tarts, granola cups, and more. The food items were definitely on the pricier side; each was priced differently, though some cookies ranged from $2.75 to $3.10 individually. (Yikes!) The full album can be viewed HERE !
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Who Am I?Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics. Archives
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