​And with the New Year resumed the pre-arranged catch-up sessions. Three continuous days of toiling away at a major, soon-to-be released project had resulted in the over-exertion of wrist and ocular muscles. A breath of fresh air was needed before one could summon up the strength to proceed with the lengthy assignment.

I first stopped at Chinatown, a district that has never witnessed a shortage of bubble tea joints. Arriving after 3 PM meant the availability of Cactus Tapioca, so I headed to the spot that I hadn't frequented for quite some time. (Of course, I had to have forgotten my stamp cards at home...)

​With utmost confidence, I can now proclaim that One Zo has officially gone down the drain.
The pricing system and loyalty program have been altered such that customers are paying even more than before, but with fewer rewards even swearing loyalty. What's more is that drink quality has plummeted significantly - terrible to the point where nausea and stomach sickness were experienced after only one-third of the cup had been consumed.

​Purchasing a large-sized Caramel Oolong Latte had been an awfully uninformed decision, and I ultimately tossed the seven-dollar atrocity into the trash to prevent further unpleasantness.

To atone the lingering slickness of One Zo, I made a brief stop at Juicy Dumpling at Dragon City Centre. It was appropriately named after their signature $2.99 Steamed Soup Pork Dumpling - also known as Xiao Long Bao (小籠包/XLB), though the menu also comprised of savoury pancakes and other carby delights.

​At a measly $3.14 after tax, one could not go wrong with the eatery's namesake S1 order. The bite-sized dumplings were positively delicious with an insanely reasonable price. Moreover, seating was plenty and service was friendly and efficient. Several diners took their orders to go, but many also stayed to enjoy some chitchat time with their fellow feasters.

I met up with feedthebear shortly afterwards, at which point we leisurely made our way over to our chosen dinner destination in the Entertainment District.

​Fune was located in close proximity to Roy Thomson and the largely familiar King/John intersection, yet I had never batted an eyelash while striding past in the past (unintentional homograph usage).

​Just as countless others are reminiscing about their accomplishments within the past twelve months, I am subconsciously acting likewise. I've arrived at the conclusion that the latter half of the year progressed speedily without any signs of halting, whlie the first two quarters were sluggish and largely uninteresting - except for Kipling and graduation of course!

The Year of the Dog was a pivotal period in my life, overloaded with emotions and brimming with extreme ups and downs. I was periodically rewarded with several GOT7 sightings and a DAY6 World Tour, yet also flung into an unknowingly toxic work environment. New friendships were made, while old ones were strengthened (or withered, for whatever reason).

​2019 lies not far away, and I anticipate its many offerings. As someone who believes strongly in the concept of fate, there is not much else to kick back, observe the flow of the year's happenings, and react accordingly. (AND hopefully continue the Maritimes Madness series.)

Many would have assumed this roundup to consist mainly of meal snippets. And I have no reason to deny this hypothesis, for it is completely accurate.

​1) Experimental Pound Cake (as led by Cooking Tree)
​2) The inescapable CoCo runs

3) GOT7 - Present: You & Me
Despite my initial reluctance to purchase yet another repackage, the availability of a locally-organized G.O. (as well as Jinyoung's all-too-persuasive teaser images) convinced me otherwise.
That said, this may be my last time joining a group order, for I always seem to have better bias luck with sealed orders.

​4) More CoCo!
5) A late lunch of mild Chipotle at Mississauga's busiest shopping centre

Brunch?
The clock read 10 AM, and by the time we would reach Toronto, it'd unquestionably be past noon.
"Let's do it". I succumbed to the convenience of a combined mid-day meal and began to scroll through options in our area of interest.

​The skies were dull and dreary, camouflaging the fact that the drive had been lengthier than normal for an off-peak weekday slot. It neared 12:40 PM by the time we pulled into the municipal parking lot just north of Dundas on Claremont.

​Relatively easy to spot from a distance, we made our way across the street to Saving Grace - a restaurant catering specifically to brunch-goers. Nearing the entrance, I caught sight of a small group reviewing the menu. Upon closer inspection, I spotted a pair of all-too-familiar platform sneakers - it was orangecane (& co.)!
I had attempted to call the establishment earlier in the day, though no one had picked up. Now being faced with a compact restaurant brimming with boisterous diners,  we came to the realization that there would a wait after all.

​Peeling away the red cloth curtains behind the doors, we made our presence known to one of the servers. She proceeded to gesture towards a clipboard fastened by the door: "Write your name down."
"Do you know how long the wait will be?" I inquired earnestly.
"About 20-30 minutes." She responded blankly (and admittedly a little hesitantly).

Orangecane and her party were seated shortly, followed by two other small groups. Our names were called at 1:30 PM - just as the server had predicted - and we were ushered inside to a cramped yet well-illuminated corner spot by the window. I had silently been wishing to be seated here, for other tables were either shrouded in complete darkness or glazed with grim, dingy lighting.

​The double-sided laminated menus had been reviewed while waiting outside the premises, so we had a vague idea of our options. As first-timers though, we requested additional details. A different member of waitstaff strode over for assistance. We were made aware of the rotating selection of pancakes and waffles, in addition to their best-selling sweet and savoury dishes.

Heeding her advice, we took to a half order of the Carrot Cake Waffles with Honey Cream Cheese, Cornmeal Pancakes with Lemon and Blueberry, and Savoury Waffle with Fried Eggs, Swiss Cheese, Avocado, Pickled Jalapenos, and Blueberry Chutney. In addition, a Vietnamese Iced Coffee and Espressado were ordered to start.

View the full album HERE !

​Drinks arrived with maximum swiftness, and were followed shortly by the "main" courses. With stout glasses, utensil sets, and a cap-less jug of water on the table, we were required to juggle our table space in order to commence the consumption process comfortably.

​I originally had my doubts about the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, fearing that authenticity may not be guaranteed. However, I am glad to report that beverage quality was superb and succeeded in providing the copacetic dose of caffeine. While the glass could have easily done without copious amounts of ice and condensed milk, it was nonetheless enjoyable.

Espressado was apparently a Saving Grace signature; crafted from a bewildering combination of espresso and avocado, one may be led to picture a pulpy amalgamation reminiscent of superfood smoothie fads, though reality was distinctly different. The mixture was aromatic, buttery, and entirely smooth - as if the normally nasty aftertaste of avocado had been chemically extracted to yield a creamy, stimulating pick-me-up. In short, it was tastier than either of us could have imagined.

Diana's Oyster Bar was a distant (and not particularly pleasant) memory for me. I hadn't bothered with the various varieties of oysters at the time, nor had the open bar piqued my interest. Besides the immensely delicious crabcakes, it was the sole instance where I had met someone adopting both the entities of a food enthusiast and makeup/style fiend

​A few years (and two cases of plan fall-out) passed before we finally agreed on meeting up again.
Said social media user is based in Markham, and having put Pacific Mall errands on the back burner for some time now, it was essentially killing two birds with one stone.

​I pulled into the parking lot a few minutes past noon, then swiftly met up with her to discuss the plan. The initial route consisted of restocking my K-Beauty inventory, next lunch, and lastly churros for dessert.
Alas, our appetites trounced the desire to shop; we retreated back to the car, then made the painstaking drive to Nichiban Sushi 4 U, our pre-determined (read: pre-researched) midday meal of choice.

Being the impatient one of the two, I committed the terrible mistake of U-turning into the adjacent gas station, nearly annihilating a cyclist in the process. Upon discovering that the asphalt lots did not connect, there was no other option than to turn back onto Kennedy and loop into the correct plaza.
One ought to note the narrowness of the Nichiban plaza, for it only capable of one-way traffic when the compact lot hit capacity. It was thankful that loading time has passed, and that no trucks were parked in the main passageway during our visit.

​Nichiban was a sliver of a casual Japanese restaurant, and apparently geared more towards takeout orders than dine-in. Though, it also appeared to be popular amongst those that worked in the vicinity.

My friend - a seasoned feaster in the Milliken Heights area - did not hesitate to suggest the 888 Combo to share. The twenty-four-dollar platter had been named appropriately: it included eight slices of sashimi, eight specialty rolls, eight pieces of nigiri, along with the standard offerings of miso soup and side salad.

​Both starters were mediocre. Adding to the fact that traffic volumes were on the low end, it seemed odd - and slightly stingy - to me that we were not offered a starter set each. Such small details go a long way in leaving a lasting impression.

The nigiri and sashimi specimens were determined by the chef, but we were given the option to choose our preferred style of specialty roll. Black Dragon was my pick, on the basis that marinated eel has been included on the list of constituents.

​How could one possibly go wrong with tempura and unagi, right? WRONG.
In hindsight, it probably wouldn't have mattered which specialty roll was chosen. Quality was consistently terrible throughout.

It's that time of the month again. (Please excuse the not-so-obvious fact that I've also lumped a few November extras into this post.)

​1) Butter Baker

As if the Tiramisu slice and Matcha Cookie hadn't been enough to deter me from a second visit to overpriced bakery, I decided to give the prime location patisserie the benefit of the doubt and try a Matcha Latte. Of course, this was largely due to the facts that cravings had crept up before Tsujiri's slated opening time of 11 AM and Starbucks' lineup was too lengthy.

Quite possibly one of the ickiest green tea lattes I've tasted to date, Butter Baker's costly variation was gritty and bitter - devoid of the fragrant grassiness found in other specialty shops. While the distinct microfoam heart earned vast visual appeal, the overall value of the product was shockingly low. It was on par with The Library's equally disappointing version, actually.

2) CoCo has always been known to be extra-festive during this time of year
3) Redeeming Monopoly rewards as post-OT dinner
4) McDonald's $1 Premium Roast Coffee is too fabulous of a deal to pass up, especially when a Muffin Pairing only tacks on an additional one dollar and thirty cents.

5) Homemade Matcha Lattes (Feat. Momo Tea's Matsu) remain the best.
6) And now, we bid farewell (and good riddance!)
7) Cuppa Tea has unfortunately banished their convenient glass milk tea jars due to extreme temperature variances in the wintertime.

​December 10th marks the end of a truly backbreaking era.
While neither as prolonged nor physically draining as my days in a (lower-than-) minimum wage position devoid of health and safety practices, I shan't hesitate to declare this short-lived occupation as the worst job I've encountered to date. Amidst a society flooded with technological advances and the drive to constantly improve oneself, there lies a community of tight-knit, good-for-nothing tattlers that thrive off taxpaper funding. And where one cannot assimilate, he or she shall be exiled for their nonconformities.

​My final mid-day meal in the vicinity comprised of sushi. Yet, it wasn't just any old regular grab-and-go joint. Spring Sushi was located on the top floor of 10 Dundas East, next to the VIP Cineplex entrance and overlooking the bustle of Toronto's busiest pedestrian crossing.

​The interior was quite grand, featuring a street art-esque mural along the ceiling of the dining area. Staff were aplenty, but many failed to immediately acknowledge our presence in spite of the nonexistent lineup at the reception desk.
Order placement had shifted from interaction with physical bodies to being completely electronic. An iPad was placed at the end of our table, where diners could select All-You-Can-Eat or à la carte items. For the most part, Spring operated in a manner similar to Hana, just simply without the small-scale monorail.

< Pictured above and below: Diamond Sushi, Crystal Sashimi, Chashu Miso Ramen >

Sashimi cuts were average at best, as was the presentation of our orders. Stray sesame seeds and random squirts of mayonnaise were not appreciated. The provided starter salad and miso soup were decent, though the rice proved tremendously dry.
Ginger slices and wasabi were also of mediocre quality: the former hadn't undergone sufficient pickling, while the latter was mushy and lacked pungency.

​The highlight of the meal was the Chashu Miso Ramen, strangely enough. In spite of the spurious noodles (wavy ones reminiscent of the instant variety), its overall composition was far tastier than Chef Papa's custom creation.

Washrooms were not visited on this occasion, and therefore no comments can be made in that regard.

​Bidding farewell to an environment of utmost toxicity meant indulging on two of my all-time favourite activities: karaoke and grabbing bubble tea - specifically CoCo.

​Customer service has seen a steep plummet since our last visit: no longer was the friendly elder working the counter, but a bitter middle-aged man instead. Prices have seemingly also undergone inflation, though this has yet to be confirmed since we had upgraded to a large room from our regular small one.

​The east end of the GTA is supposedly the go-to region for "superb" Chinese food.
I tend to disagree with this statement on the bases that not a single restaurant has convinced me - a non-lover of rambunctious, greasy Cantonese diners - to willingly act as company on more than one occasion and that there are unarguably classier dishes to be found in Metro Vancouver.

​Alas, an invitation to a winter wedding sent us to an unexplored Chinese banquet hall, just nestled between ​Dayali and the space that once belonged to HOPO . It went by the name of Elegance, ironically enough.

To be frank, the chosen appellation was far from fitting. The night started off a tad chaotic, but otherwise adhered to schedule. The restaurant's true colours were revealed with the delivery of the ten-course meal.

​Commencing the meal was the all-too-typical spiced jellyfish slaw. Many prove wary against waxy, dangly bits of collagen, but I personally find much enjoyment in the dish. That is, if it hadn't been coated in preposterous amounts of red pepper flakes. Heavily pickled wakame salad wasn't a great accompaniment either.
On the positive side, the roasted pork had been executed to perfection: uniform marbling of fat and flesh were sealed underneath crispy, amber-toned skin. 

Next up were angular chunks of celery and tough segments of squid - both tossed excessively in oil to obtain the dine-out shine standard. These elements were already underwhelming, but even more so with the unnecessary addition of pepper flakes and black pepper. Only the quality of the scallops had been maintained.

​Spinach stalks and shiitake mushrooms were passable albeit greasy; the abalone boasted a suppler texture than anticipated.

​A lack of consistency was witnessed throughout the evening. Dishes could fall within two categories: 100% Miss or 70% Miss. Offering neither bite nor burst of flavour, the Battered Shrimp Balls with Slivered Almonds was another disappointment.

There is no shortage of Christmas markets in Toronto, and adding to the list is Nathan Phillips' Holiday in the Square.

Operating during the late afternoon hours (on every day of the week except for Monday), the event includes a range of family-friendly activities such as skating and kids' rides, along with independent vendors and unique food stalls. There were even fire pits for warmth, though no heaters in sight.

I dropped by the event on four different occasions: lunchtime and after-work hours on Thursday, and then again on Friday. The holiday fair was slated to commence operations at noon on both days, but majority of the vendors were unprepared for the scheduled opening. Friday was the only day where many began rolling in to set up at the half past mark.

At around 4:45pm, Nam Wan's hot Thai Tea was declared unready for serving. As such, myself - along with two other lucky visitors - scored a complimentary cup of warm Thai Tea with condensed milk. Albeit the amount of sweetened condensed milk we observed them spooning into the tiny plastic cups, the combination yielded a super-satisfying beverage of optimal sweetness. I opted out of whipped cream - and the complimentary rose bud garnish - thus acquiring a tad more tea to fill the cup.

My next stop was Tiny Tom's sky blue truck. Retailed at $6.50 by the dozen, one could choose from four flavours: tried-and-true Icing Sugar, harvest-ready Apple Cinnamon, fun-and-festive Icing Sugar/Cinnamon, and slick Chocolate. I veered toward the safest selection; the starter pick of Icing Sugar proved absolutely delicious, especially when served piping hot and fresh.

The next day welcomed the curtain-opening of several vendors. It was at this point that purchases were made at Señor Sock and fraktals (a Coffee & Tea Expo discovery!). Originally eyeing the dark chocolate buttercrunch, I ultimately left the stall with a 100g bag of milk chocolate and a 375g bag of dark chocolate - a bonus gift from the man who I had interrupted in the midst of setup procedures.

Nam Wan remained shuttered until the late afternoon hours, when the skating rink gradually reached full capacity. With a fellow foodie in tow, I suggested grabbing two cups of Nam Wan Hot before retreating into City Hall to soothe our numbed limbs and digits.

Today's schedule marked a deviation from the regular Saturday routine. Instead of taking advantage of the weekend to replenish one's sleep quota, I set out early in the morning to tend to several crucial assignments.

Several months have elapsed since split ends were to last eliminated, and approaching was (yet another) important event demanding my attendance. Heading to Koreatown on a weekend is quite the nuisance, so I began to review other similarly-priced options associated with a lower travel time.

Ultimately, I arrived at hb Salon - a spot that I had previously spotted while working nearby in the summer months. No longer was their thirty-five-dollar soft opening special in place, though the regular women's cut price of forty dollars wasn't terrible either.

The appointment had been booked two days prior, then changed to an earlier time slot due to previous arrangements. At precisely 10:00 AM, I marched up the creaky, wooden staircase; at the top was a door-less salon and several Korean ladies conversing between themselves. My arrival hadn't been met with the most pleasant of demeanours, but that changed for the better once I uttered the words, "I have an appointment for ten o'clock."

A petite girl with lavender-streaked locks reached for my jacket and bag to stash away, while an older lady - an ahjumma donning a black - and extremely outdated, if I may add - layered skirt began to arrange her hair-cutting station.

I took to the bathroom first, witnessing a bounty of unswept hair bits as well as a relatively slow flushing system. Returning to the floor, I was immediately directed towards one of the chairs. Seemingly the most senior member of the team, the ahjumma asked if I had any particular specifications towards the cut.

There wasn't much to say, to be frank. I simply wished for a neater rendition of my current style, while maintaining my existing thickness (or rather, lack thereof). The lady suggested trimming two inches from the bottom, while I lobbied for 1.5 inches at most.
In the end, it hadn't mattered what I said, since her scissors moved at the speed of light. Before the opportunity to speak up arose, she had snipped away majority of my already-thin treads. <i> Had there been a language barrier after all? I can't remember ever experiencing such an issue at other establishments.

Whether I had specified a maximum trim length or not did not make a difference in the amount the hairstylist was determined to remove.
"Is this alright?" She dared to ask after digging her scissors into my mane.
Not really...? I thought. "Uh, it's pretty short." I achingly tugged at the remnants of my longest layer. "No more than this!" I repeatedly warned.
Within a mere fifteen minutes, the cut was complete and I was whisked to the hair-washing station. I have several gripes about this dimly illuminated section:

• An artificial head of hair poking out from a stack of towels was downright horrifying.
• The lavender-haired girl not only failed to prevent water from entering my ears, but also didn't bother with the double-shampooing standard most salons abided by.
• There were no eye covers at this location, so a small towel had been arranged to prevent splashing.

I was then gestured back towards my seat. The lavender-haired girl began to work essence through my tresses, then reach for a hair dryer affixed underneath the salon chair. Might I add that these tools were positioned in ridiculously close proximity to the ground, where an unspeakable amount of fallen strands resided.

By this point, two more customers had walked in, both capable of understand Korean. Thew were greeted warmly, and clear instructions were promptly digested.

The drying process was tedious beyond belief. About twenty minutes later, the ahjumma returned to add some finishing snips. The ends of my hair were fluffed and styled, all while she commented on how "beautiful" the final product turned out to be. I was not in agreement with this statement, but the result still proved better than my last-minute, self-initiated trims.

Cash is the preferred method of payment, as customers using cards would be subject to applicable taxes on services. The total came to forty dollars, without tip and pre-cut hair-washing (an additional five dollars).
While there were no negative comments directed to my fresh cut, chances of returning to hb fall between zero to none. This conclusion is supported by the following:

• There is a massive language barrier present. Regardless of the gestures or simple terminology used to describe a basic haircut, the stylist remained foggy about my straightforward request.
• There is a higher ratio of operational staff (ie. hairwash-ers, sweepers, etc.) than stylists. Only one stylist was present during my visit and she refused to take her client's concerns into consideration before commencing the cutting session.
• The hair-washing procedure was utterly unprofessional. (Details can be retrieved above.)
• Both the environment and cloaks are filthy; I departed the premises with bits of hair on EVERY SINGLE CENTIMETRE OF MY ENTIRE BEING. Please note that these snippets may have been left from other patrons.
• Lastly, a password-secured Wi-Fi network is provided, but the connection was very unstable and utterly incapable of loading even basic Twitter videos.

And so, the hunt continues for a more reliable salon.

We returned home in time for lunch. The entire party was in favour of Wonton Chai, thus we vamoosed.

< Pictured above and below: Shrimp Wonton in Soup, Egg Noodles w/ Beef Brisket and Dace Fish Balls in Soup, Rice Noodles w/ Beef Brisket and Wonton in Soup, Deep Fried Fish Skin, Blanched Veggies >

​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.