Out & About #1017 | Port Lands Tour, Hana Don + IKEA/MEC Errands

A claimed "complete recovery" from sinus infection encouraged my full, 2-day return to the office.

Whilst still recovering from the fatigue of the weekend, I dove head-first into a guided tour about the Port Lands area.
The event was set to commence at 1:30 PM, prompting an early lunch walk that transitioned into a bike trip towards the Cherry Street Bridge.

In the morning, my lovely coworker bestowed upon me a beautiful gift combo of lavender pouches - "7 for each member of GOT7!!", and I quote! - and an ahgase-themed pouch for my travel needs. The latter item was backed up with the reasoning that I "have a lot of stuff" and a pouch would enable storage and transport of such items. The previous year, she had gifted a set of GOT7-themed stationery, Ahgase charm, and a Cinnamoroll pouch - which, while cute and never ceases to remind me of our friendship, has never been used due to fear of tainting its light hue.

​Come lunchtime, a different coworker joined me on a speedy lunch trek. The main objective was to determine the availability of washcloths and closet organizers at IKEA. Albeit fully stocked, the homeware store featured steeper price points than desired.

I'd be introduced to "hidden" bathrooms at Atrium on Bay, then route back to Bay and Dundas for the closest Bike Share station. Within seconds, I'd embark on my second trip on the City's bike-share network, as well as my second ever city cycling venture.

It was during this trip that I learned of a lack of bike-friendly continuous north-south routes, along with cycle tracks exclusively running westbound on Richmond and eastbound on Adelaide. The newly paved facility on Adelaide was still partially obstructed, but fully operational east of Bay. From Adelaide, I'd turn south onto Sherbourne, east on Queens Quay, and continue along the Martin Goodman Trail until reaching the Cherry Street Bridge. At this point, I'd be required to disembark and walk the rest of the way.

Heading south, the trip proved warm but breezy. A few drops of perspiration began to form along my hairline, underneath my helmet.

It wasn't until reaching Cherry/Lake Shore that the impact of the dry heat kicked in. Within seconds, my steps slowed. The neck fan was withdrawn for use. It grew increasingly humid in the absence of shade, and the trekking conditions only worsened with the additions of dust from construction activities and associated activities.

​The guided tour entailed a history lesson on the planning regime for the area, inclusive of alterations imposed as a result of Council decisions. The bridges, as we learned, were constructed of steel imported from Holland and coloured specifically to mimic the shades of a rising and setting sun (red in the east, orange in the west, and yellow in the south). The nearby East Harbour project, road and Island naming, and furthering an urban park vs. increasing residential unit count constituted other topics of discussion.

​Some of these speeches were delivered in the shade of silos, while others were not so pleasantly declared under direct sunlight, reflected into our eyes by fresh concrete. Most of the group came equipped with water, sunglasses, and a hat. My gear supplemented this basic array with artificial ventilation, though I'd personally found that UV clothing would have aided intensely in preventing burning sensations on the skin (and potential Band-Aid tans on my arm).

​Positioned on the south side of the Cherry Street Bridge was an extremely minimal observation deck. Despite not being particularly lofty, it served its purpose of providing a view of the ongoing development from an elevation.

​By the 3:46 PM mark, I was extremely warm and ready to return.

​Instead of joining the group for a supposed "quick look" at the south bridge, I turned towards the opposite direction, slowly making my way back to the Bike Share station. To my surprise, the same bike I had used to reach the Island remained in place. I needed not to adjust the seat before hopping on and biking up Cherry Street.

​The Distillery District provided a number of comfortable east-west connections, almost inciting a detour. Navigating bike boxes and intersections with left-turn signs/priority signals was no simple feat the occasional suburban cyclist. I'd happily turn to other road users for guidance, though fellow commuters were few before the afternoon rush.

From Cherry Street, I'd route west onto Shuter and continue until reaching the Eaton Centre parking garage. There, a detour would be required down Yonge, west on Richmond, and north on Bay to accommodate the Ontario Line road closure on Queen Street. Finally, I'd pull into the Nathan Phillips Bike Share station and conclude the commute.

​Absolutely dehydrated and exhausted, I immediately crossed over to Tim Hortons for a Mango Frozen Lemonade. ​The beverage reinstilled a sense of coolness while simultaneously rendering an instant brain freeze. With almost four hours of abstaining from water consumption, the cup's contents were depleted almost instantaneously.

Around 5:30 PM, the Thai ahgase would join me for an early supper. Revealing herself in an all-pink ensemble, compact work purse, and Apple Watch fitted with a Kuromi jacket, she was the epitome of a working midtown millennial, with cute tidbits indicative of vacationing in Japan.

She'd note the greater variety of items at Uniqlo, as well as lower prices. There wasn't an intense desire to browse nor shop, so we'd gradually make our way to supper instead.

​Hana Don had been my pick of the evening. The Thai ahgase warned that she hadn't heard good things about the establishment, though I begged to differ based on coworker opinions. My own experience had also confirmed exceptional customer service, decent food preparation times, and delicious soft serve.

​Having visited previously, the limited seating had been noted. A 6 PM arrival saw greater diner volumes than anticipated. That said, we managed to secure a cozy - and, more importantly, clean! - two-seater in close proximity to the cashier area, washrooms, and sushi bar with ease.

I was ravenous, and reasonably so for the combined effects of an early lunch, nonstop physical activity in the face of heat, minimal hydration, and lack of snacking had finally kicked in. The Thai ahgase, on the other hand, was hardly hungry given her 2 PM lunch and minimal movement beyond departing the office by transit.

After much deliberation, I took to the Unatama Don & Chef Choice Sushi 3 pcs. The ideal set would have comprised of unagi, egg, and sashimi, though the waitress informed me that the only way of attaining these dreams was to request an Unatama Don with sashimi à la carte. Needless to say, this would drive up the total price significantly, thus I refrained from this proposal and merely adhered to my original pick of F02. An onsen egg could be added for three dollars more, but could not be swapped for the pickled radish on the side, as I had initially inquired/suggested/hoped. The Thai ahgase opted for a six-piece California Roll platter. J01 Hana California Roll was pretty basic, and admittedly minimal compared to her usual appetite.

​The Unatama Don included a Miso Soup starter. Pleasantly surprised was I to find not only the standard wakame within, but also teensy cubes of soft tofu. The Unatama Don boasted four plump pieces of unagi, beni shouga, and a luscious section of dashimaki tamago boasting beautifully tinted layers and a delectably supple interior - perfect for egg lovers such as myself. The accompanying three-piece Chef Choice nirigi was quite tasty as well. Fishy odours and scallion pungency were kept at bay. Moreover, the trio included a harmonious pairing of lean, fatty, and chewy cuts. Both the salmon and cuttlefish had been torched slightly for improved texture. More beni shouga and a mild pickled radish would be served on the side.

At its given price point, the portion was fair, though undoubtedly comprised of a greater portion of kabayaki sauce-slathered short-grain rice than protein. The details lay in the traditional ceramic tableware and presentation. I depleted all but one piece of unagi and majority of the rice, which were taken home in a paper container with a plastic bag. The sight of complimentary takeout containers spurred laughter, for we had both experienced Vancity's ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶a̶i̶n̶e̶r̶-̶d̶e̶s̶p̶i̶s̶i̶n̶g̶  sustainable initiatives firsthand in 2022.

Her eyes would later dart towards the Matcha Soft Serve on offer. The request for a Matcha-Vanilla Twist Soft Serve in a cone incited the waitress' notification of a BOGO 50% offer. Advertised on the store window was a Soft Serve Parfait, though it would appear that the previous summer's BOGO offer had returned. With Butter Baker a few doors down, Tsujiri across the street, and Uncle Tetsu on the other side of the intersection, there was decent competition for matcha soft serve vendors.

​The Thai ahgase encouraged me to sample a smidge of her cone. Scraping the edge of the swirl with the back end of my chopstick, I confirmed fragrant vanilla mixed with mild matcha. The smooth texture was preferrable to Butter Baker's quickly disintegrating formula, which adopts an almost sorbet-like consistency that melts upon exit from the store. Hana Don's moderate A/C assisted in preserving the dessert's structural integrity, though consuming the mass too slowly would eventually require one to sip from the cone instead of licking at its sides. It would be an understatement to say that the Thai ahgase's struggle did not inform me to substitute the cone with a cup; the wooden spoon was not an issue here.

Service was as friendly as my last in-store experience. The team of two (or three?) were courteous and prompt, in spite of being not the most attentive. The Thai ahgase's soy sauce-soaked napkin would reside on the table for the entire duration of the meal had it not been brought to the waitresses' attention. On the contrary, my meal tray would be removed for ease of continued consumption and conversation shortly after leftovers had been packed away.

Washrooms would not be visited during this stay, for I'd return to the office afterwards.

Our chatter would lead us into dusk, and we emerged back onto Dundas to face the gradual shuttering of nearby businesses. Butter Baker's market section had also closed for the day, leading us to poke our heads into their dessert parlour section for a quick review of offerings before continuing south.

My original plan had been to accompany the Thai ahgase to Osgoode station, then traverse down University using a Bike Share device. Unfortunately, the evening hour revealed an utter deficiency of functional bikes. All but three docks were empty at the Nathan Phillips station. Two were e-bikes with no battery and tilted seats; one had broken brakes.

Similar issues would be encountered at other downtown stations. The Bay and Temperance station had one bike remaining, but it could not be scanned nor removed from its dock. Consequently, the available count would persist as 0 on the Bike Share app.

​Resorting to walking the rest of the way amidst treacherous humidity, I ultimately arrived several minutes after my GO train had departed. The next one would come thirty minutes later, delaying my arrival back home by at least one hour.

The meetup had presented to me a box of Trader Joe's Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix and a handful of Peach Hi-Chew from the Thai ahgase's respective trips to New York and Tokyo.

Other snacks of the week included "Macau-style" Pineapple Cakes from my browsing partner and Chapmans' Almond & Milk Chocolate Ice Cream bars obtained on sale at Superstore.

Returning to the office on Thursday, I slipped into my new dotted Uniqlo blouse to combat the toasty climate.

At my time of awakening, I had contemplated a lunchtime trip to Hazukido for a croissant snack of sorts. Lo and behold, my innermost desires were answered with complimentary (!!) specimens from the croissant retailer in the subsequent few hours. A cocoa powder-dusted coil would reside on my desk until after my mid-day musings.

With a Hazukido stop promptly removed from my plans, I ventured in the direction opposite of Atrium. On this quest, it was learned that the Miniso at Queen and University had closed, making way for a new Starbucks location instead.

​Entering into the retail section of Queen Street, I took note of bike boxes and on-street cycle tracks in the area. They were clearly identified with coloured road surface treatment and pavement markings, though not extremely intuitive at staggered intersections with pedestrian crossings located at three of four legs.

​The main mission of the afternoon was to visit MEC at Queen and Peter. There, I'd investigate sizing for cycling gloves and discounted helmets with the intention of purchasing them online at a later date. In essence, a second set of cycling gear would enable me to explore the City's cycling infrastructure without needing to carry my own set from home each time.

​My in-office attendance would conclude about 4 PM, at which point setup for Taste of Vietnam was well underway.

​Back on the west side of the GTA, I'd proceed with my remaining errands before heading home.

Mastermind Toys had long shuttered in the central Mississauga area, prompting my visit to the Lakeshore location just south of Clarkson GO.

The reason for the detour was none other than the availability of Jellycat merchandise - products that could not be found at Indigo nor other physical toy boutiques.

​A few items in the store caught my attention. Amongst them were a Structural Engineering kit to encourage and foster interest in STEM subjects and a maple leaf plushie similar to the one spotted following my CN Tower Climb, but cuter and softer.

​I digress: My sole objective was to procure the Jellycat Peanut.
The textured plush had appeared much larger in images, but revealed itself no larger than a travel-sized tube of hand cream. Priced at a whopping $26 before tax (and just under $30 after tax!), the pretentiousness of Jellycat toys finally dawned on me. ​I had certainly paid a steep price for irony.

Also located within the Clarkson Crossing plaza was Pizzaville. In spite of sporadic network connectivity on the GO train, I succeeded in finalizing a hurried attempt for a 5 PM pick-up order.

​I arrived at the 5:02 PM mark and declared my reason for visit. The cashier turned to one of the uniform-donning men behind him, who retrieved a sealed paper box from above the oven. Within seconds, I was out the door.

​An 11" Xtra-Thin Spinach-Chicken-Goat Cheese set me back $13.99 plus tax. Although unlikely to appease the appetites of the general public, the pick was comprehensively enjoyed by my household of small eaters. Chicken breast, shriveled tomatoes, baby spinach, and ample cheese fused in perfect harmony over a wispy thin crust.

​Pizzaville does not disappoint.