Category: - Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger

Out & About #568 | Weekly Roundup: Sweet Treats Feat. Butter Baker + Ice Q

7/20/2019

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

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.

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.

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.

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

7/13/2019

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

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.

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.

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.

The striking gold knives are a wonderful touch, might I say.

Out & About #564 | GOT7 Keep Spinning in Toronto

6/30/2019

I'm not sure whether it's been apparent or not, but I've been teetering on the edge of an ahga-identity crisis.

Too frequent were the instances that I found myself feeling exhausted and utterly unmotivated, so tired to the point where there was not a drop of energy to spare for the other tidbits of joy in my life, namely GOT7.
I fell behind on the PAGE videos, then the sporadic V Lives, and even some of their Twitter posts. There was a sense of foreboding from within, and I questioned whether the thought of retirement from the fandom had been spurred from fatigue, anxiety, or mere moodiness.

D-Day came, and was it ever hectic. After several pre-Canada Day errands, I sped downtown. Though I missed the signing of the Canadian flag and a handful of fansite giveaways, I managed to secure a navy tour t-shirt in time for the show.

A sugary Matcha Latte from McDonald's supplied us with energy to last till dinnertime.

A Junior Chicken later, and we filed through the security gates for floor entry.

Concert commencement was slated for 7:30 PM, but the lights continued to flicker until the forty-minute mark, until, finally, the venue went dark. A stunning VCR began playing on the triple screens before us.

View the full album HERE !

Out & About #559 | Something About Simcoe DAY 1: Amiche Restaurant

6/20/2019

The start of another Barrie trip commenced with a disarray of last-minute packing. And by "last-minute", I mean scrambling to gather not only outdoor clothing, but also downsizing skincare essentials with the departure time ticking down to its final sixty minutes.

It was early afternoon as we made our way northwest. Lunch was skipped, naturally, due to the deadline that lay before me; instead, an Egg McMuffin, Iced Coffee, and Nature Valley Bar summed up the components of my mid-day meal.

The forecast had warned of precipitation, but little was I aware that the droplets would only increase in size and density with every passing minute. To say that it was merely pouring when we pulled in was an understatement: it was raining cats and dogs!

As such, we turned to indoor activities for the remainder of the day - namely a brief gym session (where I finally caught up with a bit of Absolute Boyfriend) followed by swimming. The events eased us into the evening, simultaneously leaving us ravenous yet uninspired to hunt for sustenance beyond a 10-kilometre radius.

Food delivery services were nonexistent, whether it be Foodora, UberEats, SkipThe Dishes - you name it. The luxuries of urban and suburban neighbourhoods could not be applied here. It was then that we bit the bullet and dove back into the car, taking no breaks until we arrived near the highway exit.

Amiche Restaurant had been passed by on several occasions, whether it be to visit Chelsea Chocolates or simply since it was situated at a busy tourist(y) intersection. For the duration of our visit, it wasn't too busy. Rather, guest volumes had seemed to slow with the angry patter, leaving both the asphalt lot and interior relatively quiet.

We were seated immediately, then shortly provided menus and our beverages of choice. The waitress batted not even an eyelash at my frizzy head of post-swimming waves - "volume" as orangecane calls it - which was something I greatly appreciated in my famished state.

The menu was scanned briefly, and items of interest were narrowed down accordingly. Primarily Italian with a few options for pub grub (this term never fails to bring a grin to my face), we settled two dishes: one carby and the other protein-heavy. As Bruschetta seemed to be a prominent side on quite a number of assortments, I suggested adding the nine-dollar appetizer to start. This was later revealed a very poor decision on my part.

Given its title of a "Social House", I had anticipated orders to be received, processed, and delivered at a leisurely pace. Perhaps it was due to the low flow of traffic, but the Bruschetta emerged without much delay, and the entrées followed after a mere ten minutes of its complete consumption.

< Pictured above and below: Bruschetta, Seafood Linguine, and Brie and Asparagus Stuffed Chicken >

Out & About #556 | Hub Markham Feat. Oomomo + Gyugyuya

6/13/2019

It's been a while since I've started climbing, albeit not complying with a regular schedule. Admittedly, this could be owed to a lack of climbing buddies - a crew willing to commit to the sport and meet up regularly as a form of social and physical activity. A handful of friends have been persuaded to come with, but single day pass and rental fees are far from a bargain.

About three months into dabbling - or rather, dangling - in the sport, a climbing date was finally arranged with orangecane. Well-versed in the ways of personal protection in bouldering, she accepted my proposal; the condition was that it take place at a facility within closer proximity.

A total of sixty-five minutes on the highway later, I arrived in the northeast end of the GTA, damp and not particularly pleased at my 401 travels. After a brief exchange of morning happenings, we set off to our scheduled first stop: Oomomo.

The First Markham Place location was newer and supposedly larger than the franchise's first foray into the province. Commonly compared to Daiso, the Japanese dollar store retailed a similar array of household items, along with several pieces from its competitor - is this purely an Ontario concept?
Product quality was on par with Miniso, while price points were a bit lower. Similar to Daiso at Aberdeen, majority of the items on the shelves could be obtained at a sheer toonie, and those that failed to fall within this range would be marked otherwise with a sticker.

On a personal preference, I'd take Daiso over Oomomo any day given its current performance. Our journey did not commence easily, as parking is known to be scarce in the FMP plaza to start. Aisles were narrow and bore absolutely no labels whatsoever, making it a challenge to maneuver between the middle-aged aunties and elderly locals while in search of specific items.
Staff members on the floor were friendly and helpful, though the checkout line was absolutely chaotic. Oomomo operated on one story, with only two members of staff situated behind the cashier. A seemingly more senior attendant assisted here and there, but took no steps to provide relief to the lineup by opening his own register.

Another aspect I cannot ever grow accustomed to is the additional charge for plastic bags. (Perhaps even Daiso in Vancouver has implemented this change, however five to twenty-five cents for a flimsy carrying device can never be warranted in my books.)

Several pairs of slippers, two canvas pouches, and a few other knickknacks later, we returned to the car, meticulously dodging puddles in the pavement on our way back.

Hub Markham opened at noon - a whopping three hours before the Mississauga location. While I was in favour of this earlier operating time, I could only frown at the parking situation before me. The gym was situated in a commercial area and shared its lot with a handful of other businesses during work hours, which limited the total number of spots to forty or less. Trudging along the perimeter of the building in search of its only access in heavy downpour was far from enjoyable either.

Once inside, it was immediately obvious that the original outpost was bouldering-centric. Routes were interesting, well distributed throughout the facility, and, most importantly, diverse in nature. On an overall note, there was more padding underneath the routes, eliminating the fear of falling and rolling onto the concrete floor.

In contrast, the belay section was incredibly small, assuming just under 25% of the wall space. It consisted of twenty auto-belay sections and only five toprope routes, which were slated to be removed and replaced wit auto-belays shortly. The walls were essentially the same height as the Learner's Area back home, with majority of the routes extending past the pulley at their peak. Triangular volumes were added in an attempt to create grading along the wall, as inward/outward sloping was very minimal. With the exception of the "racing route", an average of two courses were arranged beneath each pulley.

Out & About #553 | Collective May Visuals

5/31/2019

This time last year, I felt a lot more accomplished: I had received my Iron Ring and was antsily preparing for Convocation. The same cannot be said this time around, as change is inevitable and we, as mere mortals, must engage in continual development as means of survival.

At such times, I am reminded that one cannot escape hardships, and that to succeed is to persist in a clever manner. Normally, I'd throw a quick reference to my ever-encouraging saviour tune, but let's go for a throwback instead: Keep On, Keeping On.

1) Dollar Days are back!!
2) Evening seminars Feat. Chocolate Chip Cookies

3) Myeongdong Kalguksu (Mississauga)

When the cravings hit, there is no turning back. Itching for traditional Korean dumplings, I headed to Dundas and Hurontario on a whim. For a solo meal, I shamelessly requested about threefold the amount I could stomach, but had no qualms about judgement as all that remained would be taken home for later consumption.

The steamed MD Dumpling (명동 왕만두) were as plush as I recall; the MD Red Pork Set Meal (제육 정식) was an unexplored section of the menu, ultimately proving far spicier than tolerable. Shredded lettuce, julienned carrots, bean sprouts, and mushrooms surrounded the fiery helping of marinated pork; a bowl of white steamed rice accompanied the platter.
One of the two ahjummas on the floor appeared concerned that I wasn't heeding her suggestion of adding rice into the shallow dish and then mixing with gochujang sauce. Dabbing at watery eyes and madly rubbing away sniffles, I meekly replied in protest, for it was obvious that I could not withstand such strength.

4) Strawberry Jam Sencha Soda was a superb sip of summer smoothness.
5) The commencement of comeback season Feat. Ahgabong Ver. 2

Out & About #551 | Red Lobster

5/22/2019

Growing up, there were three primary diners for our weekly family gatherings. Summit Garden was one of them - despite my persistent distaste for lobster e-mien; another was Red Lobster, where we somehow always managed to secure a table in the face of winding weekend evening lineups.

Times have changed, inevitably. No longer is the waiting area filled to the brim during evening hours - at least not on weekdays - and no longer are the Cheddar Bay Biscuits the highlight of the experience. It is unclear to me when the graduation from toastiness caressed within cloth napkins to grease spots in a paper napkin-lined wire basket took place, however I can conclude that this change surely wasn't for the best. More starchy than cheesy, and more stiff than crisp, the original Cheddar Bay starter biscuits are no more.
Furthermore, the waitress didn't bother delivering these carby morsels until after orders had been placed - an aspect of the meal that differed from my distant, yet still prominent, memory.

I also couldn't help but notice a sense of urgency in the server's actions. Although one could have perceived her constant appearances as attentiveness, the manner in which such actions were carried out were sufficiently aggressive to cause annoyance and uneasiness.
My favourite fangirl and I had begun to engage in conversation as we began perusing the menu - which, may I add, had failed to be wiped down after each splatter; our intentions to proceed at a leisurely pace were obvious, yet we were repeatedly asked about order placements at intervals of five minutes or less. Incompetent analytical skills were first detected at this point.

Both of us ultimately opted for the 4-Course Feast, a weekday special that included appetizers, a single entrée, and dessert to finish for $22.99. While in the midst of deciding, the waitress did not hesitate to steer us in the direction of add-ons. Her tone of voice remained unchanged, but her words were misleading.
The first course was Soup, entitling customers to the standard Clam Chowder, or Lobster Bisque at an additional $2.99; the final element was Dessert, which included a Triple-Chocolate Brownie a la Mode or, at $2.99 extra, an alternative from their Dessert Book. Not only did the server breeze through the fee-laced swaps without a single mention of the supplementary costs, one could perceive a tinge of passive aggressiveness to select the pricier menu options.

Truly, I was not a fan of this sly "strategy".

< Pictured above and below:

Triple Berry Sangria
4-Course Feast: Clam Chowder, Fresh Garden Salad (no dressing), Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, Triple Chocolate à la Mode
4-Course Feast: Clam Chowder, Fresh Caesar Salad, Fire-Grilled Tilapia, Triple Chocolate à la Mode >

The Clam Chowder was utterly depressing, to the extent where I found myself nibbling only on the scarce bits of clam and avoiding the starch-thickened white paste altogether.

Out & About #550 | K-Town, Kinton + ThirsTEA Revisited

5/16/2019

This weekday trip spurred from simple fangirl desires. There was one - and only one - motive behind this trip: to see NCT 127 before they hit the streets of Toronto.

A Thai ahgase - who is no longer an unfamiliar name on this space - and I had been monitoring our feeds all morning, hoping to catch glimpses of the members departing LAX so we could make the necessary arrangements for the remainder of the day.
By the time the necessary information had been acquired, we were already easing into the latter half of the day. As opposed to meeting up at the airport, then continue east for Korean BBQ near Christie, the plan was altered drastically.

I headed to Koreatown first. A last-minute hair appointment had been made while en route.
Having arrived earlier than the scheduled slot, my first order of business resided with Hodo Kwaja: a five-pack of brown sugar hoddeok was purchased to go, along with a tasty afternoon snack of walnut cakes and iced coffee. The family-operated establishment offered an expectedly potent three-dollar variation of the caffeinated beverage; four large chunks of ice assisted in maintaining its frosty temperature.

Ms. Faith was till a bit behind schedule, so I settled for exploring the area (yet again). In doing so, I discovered that Mississauga's ThirsTEA was soon to launch immediately next to CoCo. Meanwhile, I also caught sight of a limited edition Hello Kitty x h.naoto notepad that I had purchased some ten years ago in Harajuku.

Restricted in terms of time (and anxious over the reliability of public transit systems during rush hour), I set out to Kinton first to secure a table. Less than thirty minutes remained for feasting, rendering ramen a more suitable alternative to meat grilling.

< Pictured above and below: Burnt Kogashi Shoyu Ramen, Pork Miso Ramen with Thick Noodles, Hot Yuzu Sake >

Come to think of it, I don't think I've stepped foot into Kinton since my less-than-spectacular experience at the chain's original Baldwin Village spot. The Koreatown outpost carried an exclusive Cabbage Miso Ramen as well as a monthly special of Burnt Kogashi Shoyu Ramen.
The former was informed to be a somewhat spicy concoction, which ultimately led to swapping for the Pork Miso Ramen. Comprising of soybean paste, torched pork slices, corn kernels, scallions, and few dollops of garlic oil, my fellow idol-chaser devoured this in a matter of minutes. (We were on a time crunch after all.)

The Burnt Kogashi Shoyu Ramen boasted a far richer broth - evident in its darker hue and thicker consistency. A heavy handful of bean sprouts, two wide strips of torched pork belly, and a soft-boiled egg were substantial elements of the bowl. A dusting of charred seasoning - type unspecified - added depth and nuttiness, reducing feelings of satiation from the rich broth.

Both of these options paired well with the Hot Yuzu Sake, a warm glass of sweet citrus. It arrived in a stout glass, with bits of sugary yuzu jam lining the bottom. A single lemon slice drifted afloat.
Several rounds of prodding were required to obtain the precise species of house sake utilized in the drink. I rephrased my question three different ways before finally hearing the response I was searching for: Hot Yuzu Sake contained 5 oz. of Sho Chiki Bai.

Out & About #546 | Stackt Market, Raku + Trinity Bellwoods

5/7/2019

Working odd hours means never really being able to spend time with the 9-to-5-ers in my life. Or, it leads to super-compact meetups, followed by immediately speeding off to mid-afternoon appointments.

Upon being notified by a friend's weekday availability - and desire for a downtown excursion - I was quick to suggest lunch at one of Queen West's newest eateries.

Prior to assembling in the core, I opted for a brisk detour through the city's first outdoor container market. Known as Stackt, it consisted of black containers with glass windows, with impenetrable ones stacked on top of each other for design purposes.

Each container, or portion that of, was allocated to an individual vendor. Some of these included: Donut Monster from Hamilton, Bean + Pearl from Brampton, and Toronto's very own Reunion Island Coffee Roasters.

At the west end of the market was the Belgian Moon Brewery, along with seating in the form of picnic benches. Plants in milk crates and loose rocks secured in wired blocks (retaining rock walls?) decorated the area.

Out & About #544 | BLACKPINK 2019 World Tour in Hamilton

4/27/2019

Who would have predicted the day that global K-Pop acts would choose Hamilton as their performance location of choice?
Not me, that's for sure.

Of all the neighbourhoods within the GTHA, downtown Hamilton does not rank high in terms of (my own list of) explore-able neighbourhoods. Campus life had been quite mundane a few years back, though I do admit that quite a handful of coffee shops have emerged since my era.

The Thai ahgase and I arrived at the early hour of noon, which coincided with the commencement of concert merch sales. Grey skies above our heads, we proceeded to affix ourselves to the winding lineup, jittering for the entire duration. Amidst this wait, we observed the Sound Check ticketholders: they were arranged about the venue a similar fashion, patiently awaiting their turn to file into the exclusive event. A few even had blankets wrapped about their bodies.

Each squeaky pink hammer lightstick rang in at a whopping sixty dollars, and yet, somehow, the bulk of the attendees had no issues mindlessly relinquishing this amount. This statement may come across a tad hypocritical, given its origin from one of the most dedicated Canadian ahgases, but I've never been to drop hard-earned funds before window shopping elsewhere.

Once the ordeal had finished, we sauntered over to the Hamilton Farmer's Market for lunch. Majority of the vendors remained familiar to me - an indication that they had survived the test of evolving demand. pokeh had shifted to a larger location (for reasons beyond me), and the ramen bar had acquired the adjacent next stall in its expansion.

We first took to Thai Tea from Nam Nom. The plastic cups contained less than the standard 12 oz./16 oz. serving, but the orange beverages could be depicted as nothing less than exquisite. Common gripes of the variations found throughout Toronto included heavy quantities of ice, excessive sugariness, lack of authenticity, and disproportionate milkiness. The undernotes of Nam Nom's version were unmistakably legitimate - not far from the result of brewing my own blend at home. Moreover, the slickness wasn't overpowering.

Hamilton isn't known for competitive prices, though I'd proclaim four dollars to be a fair deal.

The Slow-Cooked Pulled Chicken sandwich, on the other hand, did not deserve the same amount of commendation. At $8.50, the modern banh mi-style sub was not only pricier than Subway around the corner, but also far more compact in comparison. Personally, the combination of pickled veggies, crisp baguette, and fresh herbs never fail to impress. That said, large chunks of scallions, minimal dressing, a painfully lengthy wait time, and cash-only requirements are enough to encourage taking my business elsewhere for better value.
Slurp Ramen's customizable Miso bowl was tasty according to the tester, however one cannot dismiss elements such as chopped cabbage and charred sweet potato being ungenuine ramen components. The lumpy egg, in spite of its runny interior, was a deduction in terms of visual appearance for me.

We tossed our Thai Tea cups - now depleted of liquid - into the bins next to Cake & Loaf, where I secured a Chocoate Peanut Butter Cookie sample, and then proceeded with a walking tour of the one-kilometre radius. By this time, the drabness had cleared to reveal blue skies and warm rays of sunshine.

James Street proved to have undergone drastic developments in my period of absence. Added to the roster were new cafés, street art, and kitschy independent shops. The small stretch had been reformed in such a manner that it near emulated the crafty character of Trinity Bellwoods.

A hybrid motorcycle gear/coffee shop - with a lounge to boot! - was quite the striking combination.

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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