Out & About #1000 | Tangzhong Pai Bao Again, May Flowers + The Cups Mississauga

When I first began to document my - decidedly random - thoughts on this space, I never thought I'd persevere until the quadruple digits. Yet here we are - the 1000th post in this series!

I'll commence the monumental moment by paying homage to the ever-persistent topic of interest: Food.

Throughout the years, my preferences and dietary needs have evolved. From the introduction of craft beer in the early 2019s to the recent interest in sake, followed closely by the expansion into leavened doughs and layered cakes from strictly cookies, there have been countless records of personal growth and development. By no means would I declare my skills anywhere near perfect; life is an ongoing process by which we encounter hiccups and learn as a consequence.

Snacks would span Chicago Mix Popron, a Matcha Espresso Latte, and wispy shards of Coconut Cookie Chips. Note that Hakutsuru's Junmai Sake and Reinhart's sugar-free Apple Cider were found somewhat disappointing.

Meals of the week comprised of: Oven Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato, Tomato & Egg Scramble, Steamed Salted Pork with Ginger, Blanched Broccoli, Potato Chunks with Pork, and leftover Instant Pot Soup.

​I would also try my hand at oven roasted spare ribs and kabochi. The pieces were blanched to remove impurities, then coated liberally in a mixture of red yeast rice sauce, salt, molasses, and splash of white vinegar. It was an amateur mistake to not hav etasted the red yeast rice sauce to start, for mindlessly believing the Internet's words that the condiment was strictly for pigmentation and bore no distinct profile resulted in a fatal mistake. Neither sugar nor potently acidic white vinegar would assist in combatting its saliva-summoning saltiness.

Although nicely charred with once-delectable kabocha chunks, the spare ribs were ruined - edible, but impossible to salvage.

​Roasted kabocha seeds was another project that would stem from the creative process. The seeds at the centre of the root vegetable were flushed with water until separated from the mossy mass, then submerged in salted water for about six minutes. After draining, the seeds were mixed with a few gochukaru flakes, golden yellow sugar, salt, and oil whisked with 1 egg white.
Ultimately, the seasoning blend had yielded a pleasant sweet-spicy-savoury profile, but seeds were simply too rigid to digest with their casing intact.

​Tangzhong Pai Bao (with egg)

The week would also see yet another (!) trial at Tangzhong Pai Bao. As foreshadowed, this time I'd be replicating the very much successful Whole Wheat Tangzhong Loaf by swapping whole wheat bread flour for all-purpose. The process was predicted to be nearly identical, but, in reality, was not.

​Constructed in the morning was a 230 g portion of microwave tangzhong. After chilling, however, the amount eventually lessened to 217 g, likely a result of evaporated moisture.

The dough was damp and impossibly fragile to work with. Consequently, I was coerced into slowly folding in 60 g of AP flour to ensure structural stability. (The ultimate hydration level hovered about 68%.) My stand mixer likely continued to knead for 20 minutes more before incorporating 68 g of softened unsalted butter.
Generally speaking, the dough was far too wet. Whilst angrily scraping down the sides of the bowl, I debating whether this turnout had been caused by AP flour instead of Whole Wheat, which usually retains more liquid within.

As one does not easily surrender to bread, the dough was scraped into a greased Pyrex bowl for the first proof. Contrary to my usual proofing location, I preheated the toaster oven instead. Its smaller size promoted a toasty, warm environment, allowing the yeast to ferment nicely.

​A total of 17 pieces could be formed: 5 of which would be arranged within a loaf pan and 12 of which would be formed into a 4 by 3 grid. It ought be noted that this shaping process was not devoid of frequent dustings of flour though, as the dough was simply too sticky to work with otherwise. Taking into consideration feedback from the last batch of pai bao, the mass of each roll was decreased from 114 g to 68 g for ease of consumption and food pairings.

​The baking trays had been greased thoroughly before being floured along all internal edges and corners. The step is intended to quickly release the bread once cooled, though does not always work on pans that have lost their nonstick coating. It was with great relief that no edges succumbed this time around.

In spite of my countless reservations during the mixing and shaping procedures, splendid results were observed upon tearing into the buns. Delicate, wispy layers could be spotted between the cooked rolls, indicating softness. I had also reverted to my usual method of rolling to prevent gumminess in the bottom third.

​Not quite sweet enough to earn itself the title of 排包, the bread rolls were still enjoyed immensely. Toasting the rolls lightly ensured crunchy surfaces all around and unfathomable crispiness.

Final ingredient quantities are as follows:

• 580 + 60 = 640 g AP flour
• 60 g  sugar
• 12 g  salt
• 10 g  dry yeast
• 10 g  milk powder
• 260 g water
• 1 egg
• Tangzhong (40 g AP flour + 200 g water)
• 68 g unsalted butter, softened
• egg wash (1 egg yolk + half & half cream)

​My office days were on the hectic side, for the arrival of moderate climate conditions has given rise to countless events throughout the downtown core.

​The first order of business was none other than the acquisition of a Smile Cookie from Tim Hortons.

​Beyond the adorable edible treat, the franchise has also launched a series of pins to accompany the limited-time promotion. Proceeds from the merchandise would also be donated to the location's charity of choice.

​Other components of my pre-planned lunch route included routing south to Union Station, then looping back through the PATH to complete several more stops.

My presence had coincided with National Bubble Tea Day, 20% off Friends & Family Day at Shoppers Drug Mart, and free Knorr samples at the Bay Concourse in Union Station. In true me nature, exclusive store promotions were investigated before setting foot on the slick concrete sidewalks of downtown.

Gong Cha would offer complimentary drink upsizes and a pin with purchase, CoCo a Buy 1 Large Drink Get a $1 Regular Milk Tea deal, and Chatime a 2 for $8 deal on select deals. Most intriguing was Palgong's, which priced all milk teas, fruit teas, and ades at $2 + tax. Evidently, I was not the only one to hear of the deal, for the kiosk within Chef's Hall saw an incredulous amount of traffic. The cashiers were overwhelmed, and seemed to be simultaneously struggling with a POS system error, resorting to recording orders by hand and manually processing payment afterwards. I had weaved around a couple of customers who had receipts in hand to join the lineup. Over the next five minutes, the queue would not budge whatsoever. Overheard nearby were colleagues complaining of a supposed forty-five minute wait thus far; the news immediately informed my departure from the space and towards the Eaton Centre.

​The earlier errands had coincided with other retail stops, such as verifying whether The Body Shop restocked on Tea Tree Oil and strolling through the recently unveiled Queen's Cross Food Hall at the mall's south entrance.

During the lunch peak, the food court was fumy and atrociously stuffy. I proceeded with my snack- and toiletry-centric stopover at Shoppers, then headed north towards the basement level Urban Eatery. Along the way, I passed a promotional booth for Cold Foam. From my less-than-stellar experience from stevia-sweetened soft drinks, I skipped the queue entirely.

The day would conclude with a frazzled sprint down the platform from the Bay Street access to the York Concourse side, down a flight of concrete stairs, then back up another flight of stairs. Unknown to me was the recent GO train schedule change, which also entailed a platform change for my regular return route.

​My next in-office day would no longer be gloomy, but instead feature brilliant, blue skies and an abundance of sunshine.

​Needless to say, I was eager to commence my lunch walk in balmy - but breezy - conditions featuring double-digit temperatures.

With tulips, daffodils, magnolia, and more around every corner, it was almost certain that spring had finally sprung.
​April showers do bring May flowers after all! reverberated through my mind.

​I took advantage of the opportunity to venture to the furthest possible POI: T&T on College Street.

 While weaving through U of T grounds, Yubu and Chatime were spotted shuttered. One could also observe new openings along College, the end-of-academic-year transitions (aka students moving out of residences), and seasonal promotions.

The previous week's bike tour had earned me a glimpse into Terima Coffee + Pantry Bar's menu. The Iced Sakura Latte banner had drew me back to the coffee shop, where I was greeted while hovering about the entrance. Instead of heading into the space, my footsteps would continue westward until reaching T&T.

​​One Zo would no longer be found on the ground level next to the elevators; it had been replaced by another similar bubble tea establishment, and a phone store across.

Once UCC had been obtained for my coworker, I retraced my footsteps towards Terima.

​The space within was sleek, tidy, and inviting. The corridors were deeper than envisioned, allowing for a pastry shelf, merchandise area, and compact seating along the cafe perimeter. Two members of staff operated the cashier and drink bar, with one of two members gesturing towards the seasonal offerings placed about the countertops as part of their recommendations.

​The $3.99 Iced Sakura Latte had captivated me from the start, though I inquired further to obtain a clearer image of the drink's composition. The foundation was a standard latte, modified with the inclusion of cherry blossom syrup and half an espresso shot. Increasing the espresso content and swapping for alternative milks (almond or oat) would normally incur additional charges, though the barista had merely waived both during my visit.

​Constructed with utmost swiftness, the drink was slid across the counter towards me some two minutes later. The clear cup boasted a beautiful gradient, with a layer of baby pink residing at the bottom of the cup. Beyond the pink syrup, bits of cherry blossoms had been included as well. The softened petals acted as a topping, contributing a nice, chewy touch to the afternoon pick-me-up. Futhermore, Oat Milk made for a distinctively creamy profile, which I've found to pair exceptionally with coffee.

​Hurriedly striding back, a detour through quaint residential streets led to the discovery of pink cherry blossoms in full bloom.

High Park crowds were nowhere to be seen in the vicinity, but neither were any forms of life. The tree merely stood at the boundary of an unoccupied land parcel, shading a bounty of yard waste and displaced tools.

​Droplets of perspiration began to form along my neck as I rounded back to University and Dundas. Without a cloud in the sky, the temperatures were best suited towards casual strolls, rather than "speed walks" about the city.

​Concluding the work week were chores and a drizzly Friday evening outing to the east end of Mississauga.

​The ideal rundown was to swing by Centennial Park first, followed by Sherway Gardens, and finally The Cups' newest location in the Mississauga Chinese Centre. Mother Nature was less than cooperative however, and grey skies persisted for majority of the day, with just a few instances of sun to conjure false hope.

Alas, given that the external conditions had not worked in my favour, I suggested bypassing the outdoor agenda altogether and heading directly to our closest CF retail centre.

​My primary goal had to be replenish the tea tree oil inventory whilst making use of two $5 CF Shop! Cards obtained from CAMP Cube. Unfortunately, not a single The Body Shop location had restocked my product of desire, for the US-based warehouses had temporarily closed due to the chain's intent to file for bankruptcy. A Mandarin & Bergamot edition was acquired in the meantime, as I've depleted all three bottles of tea tree in the meantime.

In the centre court, we discovered a pop-up to introduce the new Samsung S24 Ultra's "Circle to Search" function in collaboration with HelloFresh.

There, we'd participate in three rounds of time-based games to earn stars (stickers). Following completion, a frosted sugar cookie, kitchen towel, exclusive apron, and keepsake photo would be bestowed upon us.

​About sixty minutes remained until closing. During this period, we sauntered about the corridors in a lax manner, commencing from EATALY and eventually climbing the stairs to Sporting Life's two-floor establishment.

​The visit introduced me to a physical New Balance storefront (beyond downtown and Shops at Don Mills), as well as their surprisingly comfortable 928v3 model.

Occupying pinkberry's former location was a CoCo outpost, complete with a polo-donning mascot and a cup of bubble tea with overflowing tapioca pearls.

​Jo Malone was sighted; Arabica and Arc'teryx were slated to open in the near future.

When the rest of the shops closed at 9 PM sharp, we headed in the direction of EATALY. Perusing the compact aisles, we found a wide array of herbs, focaccia, and more Toronto-specific reusable tote bags.

The Cups' Mississauga outpost would assume the last stop of the day. ​Having opened to the public for just one week, I was speechless to find the interior absolutely brimming with patrons at the late hour. Few of the specialty dessert parlour's neighbours continued operations past the 9 PM mark, and a little over ninety minutes remained until closing.

​I made a beeline for the photobooth first. Life4Cuts priced photo strips starting at ten dollars, cash only, with the price climbing gradually for exclusive photo frames or multiple copies.
The IKEA corner shelf was as unstable as I had expected it to be, and the surface had already grown dusty in spite of its measly seven-day period of use.
The screen was slightly grimy and the interface somewhat annoying in that the back button would always revert back to the home screen. Dissimilar to other self-operated photobooths was the simplicity in layout - there would be no stickers, no drawing, and no printing delays. In addition, one could opt to use a handheld shutter remote instead of an automatic ten-second countdown. That said, the shutter itself was rather finnicky, jamming and continually capturing photos at our mercy. Its location wasn't exactly straightforward either, being affixed to the side of the machine using a magnet.

We then maneuvered to the cashier, where the assortment was reviewed for items of interest. I was tasked with the final decision, which led to orders of two Hodo Kwaja and a small Tiramisu Bingsoo.

Two pieces of Hodo Kwaja were priced at $2.99 plus tax, which was admittedly steep given that an entire container retails for $6-$7 at Galleria or 6 pieces for $3.75 at Hodo Kwaja in Koreatown.

We took to a duo of Original Red Bean and Red Bean Paste & Butter. The surface indentations were prominent compared to the typical portions and their exterior crisper. Though, it remains uncertain whether this was due to toasting before serving. Besides its distinct warmth and initial crunchiness, the Original Red Bean was pretty standard in all aspects. In contrast, the Red Bean Paste & Butter edition was served cold, likely to preserve the slab of salted butter within. I presume the pairing to originate from Japanese anko toast, but the butter masked the red bean as opposed to complementing it. Thankfully, the quantity of butter was just adequate in rendering a creamy aftertaste but steered clear of evoking feelings of satiation.

The Small Tiramisu Bingsoo was delivered in a Stainless steel bowl atop a round plastic tray. The insulating apparatus was greatly appreciated against its ceramic counterpart, which often leads to dissolution (402, 466) within minutes. That said, the puny slice of tiramisu cake was hardly beyond my anticipation. It was the teensiest slice I've ever seen: utter blasphemy of a frozen corner slab compared to all the tiramisu bingsoos I've sampled to date.

​At the very least, the shop seems to have grasped a better handle of the milky shaved ice. Unlike the previous week's Mango Bingsoo in a cup, the icy shards had adopted an airier texture and were alternated with creamy, cocoa powder-topped layers. Coffee syup was discovered at the bottom of the bowl, offering toasty aromas without unwarranted late night caffeine intake.

Atrocious sliver of partially thawed cake aside, the bingsoo was largely enjoyable. The tiramisu formula was creamy but neither overly rich nor cloying. When first served, its edges had bubbled peculiarly with every jab of the spoon. The texture had taken me back slightly, though I ultimately assumed the phenomenon to result from excessive aeration.

​Two bathroom stalls were located at the back of the dessert shop: both unisex and one accessible. The latter was passable in terms of cleanliness, but dust had started to form on top of the hand dryer. As with the seating area, more half-occupied IKEA items were spotted. There was one extra roll of toilet paper, but not a plunger in sight.

Members of staff scurried to clean off tables in between the departure of customers, young and old. In their haste, however, they had omitted sticky patches along the edge of the table and on the patent leather chairs. Majority of the team revealed evident inexperience, but were openly friendly and earnest.

Fighting feelings of fullness, we strolled about the inner perimeter of the plaza, being mindful to avoid the plethora of potholes.

Out of the corner of my eye, Gol's Lanzhou Noodle's red logo caught my attention. As with The Cups, the eatery was also offering a 10% promotion as part of soft opening promotions.