Out & About #1072 | Sinus Infection, Cros Crossanterie, Snowstorm + Cocoa Powder Crisis Continued

Is it the flu, or is it another sinus infection? What started as a sore throat on Friday evening quickly escalated to full face congestion the next day. On Sunday, I awoke to a blazing fever with temperatures soaring to the 100.5 and 101 F mark. Plenty of fluids and the introduction of Tylenol helped to suppress the fieriness, for sick discharge was exiting my body as rapidly as I was replenishing liquids.
Low fevers persisted at the start of the work week, causing me to be unable to meet office attendance requirements and call in sick instead. At my worst, I was barely able to move. Pain and pressure would envelop my temples and around the eyes, while dizziness would prevail when agitated.

These symptoms continued into the subsequent days, though my tolerance for daily routine was steadily returning. For starters, I could resist the outdoor temperatures even in the face of yet another car battery issue. This incident marked the third occurrence in the span of just three-and-a-half weeks! As revealed in the test results, I was due for a new battery - not one year later, as the other technicians had noted, but immediately.

Once the issue was resolved, I set out for a brief trip to Oakville. At the very least, I could drive, but not without pain forming near the eyes and a stuffy nose that produced bright yellow. Thanks to the tried-and-true household recipe of Sweet Almond and Date Tea (杏仁蜜棗茶), my throat was feeling noticeably less dry albeit somewhat itchy.

The drive had been prompted by an UberEats listing of Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa at Sobeys. Of course, the shelves were completely barren when I arrived. The sizable blocks of Callebaut nearby served to be of some interest, though I ultimately departed empty-handed.

​My subsequent trip to Iqbal Foods, a supposed "Halal superstore", for a Lebanese natural cocoa powder also resulted in vain. Besides Frys (and Caminos, if offered), it appeared that all cocoa powder had magically vanished from grocery shelves!

​I took note of the selection of Jaggery, a cane sugar that my Southeast Asian coworkers often rage about, then strode a few steps down towards COBS Bread.

The Valentine's Day-themed Cinnamon Roll was unquestionably cute. In place of a thick cream cheese icing was a looser, pastel pink icing that matched my tumbler and a sprinkle of miniature red, pink, and white hearts. While I thoroughly enjoyed the mild crunch of the edible hearts, the icing formula was incredibly cloying and far too sweet for my liking. Two bites in, I was met with a fitful round of coughs, then, later, regret.

​Well in advance of my plunge in health, a physio appointment in the northeast end of the GTA had been secured. The trip enabled a stroll through First Markham Place, where I'd replenish the household supply of Chinese Dates (蜜棗) - anything but the golden/金絲 variety.

A pack of Pai Bao from Markham Bakery would also be procured. The package of six rolls were labelled as "Plain Rolls" and were, oddly, subject to GST, bringing the total from $3.80 to $4.00.

A pack of Pai Bao/排包 from Markham Bakery would also be procured. The package of six rolls were labelled as "Plain Bread" and were, oddly, subject to GST, bringing the total from $3.80 to $4.00.
Most of the shop's items have been found to be a hit or miss, and the Pai Bao definitely fell within the latter category. Despite its promising appearance, plush, golden exterior, and fluffy, layered interior, the rolls were essentially flavourless - not even a touch of butter nor sugar could be detected! Needless to say, they were readily smothered with homemade strawberry jam prior to consumption.

The original plan involved lunch at Hoja, a new Taiwanese eatery within the FMP plaza. Judging from the horrendous lineups forming within the food court, we ought to have known that restaurants in the proximity wouldn't be exempt from crowds either. A queue could be spotted forming within the entry vestibule even from afar. Admittedly, these sights were appalling: How could a plaza be so terribly busy on a random Wednesday at 1 PM? The demographic included not only retirees, but young families, teens, and children as well.

Instead of testing my luck, I opted for a Mobile Order at Tim Hortons - an outlet that guaranteed sustenance in under ten minutes. Prior to heading over though, one last stop was proposed.

Cros Croissanterie had recently emerged on my feed. Situated in the ever-chaotic strip mall housing Cafe de Hong Kong and ALA Kitchen, I braved myself for the parking travesty that was to emerge.

Fortunately, there were at least two vacancies spotted within seconds of turning into the plaza. I swiftly reversed into the space and marched up to its Fairburn Drive-facing storefront.

​The café-bake shop hybrid was an extremely compact space, reminiscent of the retail outposts (796, 1039) in the Sky City plaza at Midland and Finch. Positioned perpendicular to the entrance was an order counter and display case, while a handful of bar seats could be found along the north perimeter for quick, on-site bites.
Pretentious was the aura within, from the Jellycat duo seated on top of the display case to the minimalst interior to the overpriced drink menu to even Jellycat keychains tacked onto the staff's aprons. That said, hastily rolled floor mats leaning against the wall and caution signs positioned near the door were consistent with typical uptown GTA characteristics.

Majority of the items within the display case had already been marked as "Sold Out", in spite of our arguably early 1:50 PM visit. From the remaining assortment, I requested the Raspberry Ribbon and Chili Crab Luxe, for the sweet-savoury duo seemed the most unique - and potentially labour-intensive - of the spread. An order number was provided to me after payment via Square, and the order was packaged in the back. This method enabled items in the display case to be used for reference only, further ensuring an organized display wherein pastries could lay flat would overlapping one another due to crowding.
On the flip side, customers would not be able to confirm safe handling procedures firsthand, though the fact that my purchases remained upright and intact upon arriving home nearly two hours later was telltale of the team's attention to packaging.

Raspberry Ribbon encased a mixture of cream and raspberry jam within each of its bow loops. I regarded the readily shattering exterior with fondness, for underneath the wispy, crispy bits was a beautiful two-toned dough. Regrettably, the filling was less to my liking: the cream was thin and somewhat unsubstantial, while the raspberry portion of the filling sweet and devoid of dimension. Moreover, it did not exude any discernible berry-like features. Both visually and gustatorily, the profile leaned strawberry.

Filling aside, the croissant was flaky and scrumptious, justifying its price tag with a refined presentation and impressive quality. The concoction was certainly superior to Le Génie downtown, though the commute to Cros is similarly far from stress-free.

​Chili Crab Luxe adopted an adorable onigiri shape, with a peak of pork floss and loop of crisp nori. The rice ball-shaped specimen was affixed to its serving disc with a crystallized sugar syrup, which lent the devouring process of a distinctly savoury item an off-putting start. Ingredients were hardly "luxe" as the constituents were mainly shredded artificial crabmeat mixed with a sprinkle of chili powder (no prominent red specks), and a few sweet corn kernels. That said, I enjoyed that the mixture wasn't overly saucy and that the crab meat strands were uniformly shredded, as opposed to unexpected chunks surfacing here and there. Much to my relief, the presence of "chili" was minimal. There was, perhaps, a faint, wasabi-like tingle that faded within minutes, if at all. This mild dosage led me to believe that the creators likely catered to the local demographic and the customarily low spice tolerance of the target audience.

Overall, I found the concoction tasty and components harmonious. Most importantly, the croissant exterior did not become soggy in spite of the high-moisture fillings.

​The café portion of the establishment offered beverages such as Ube Drop, HK Style Latte, and Matchamisu, respectively priced at $7.00, $7.50, and $8.00 before tax. Unattractive were the associated costs alone; despite not boasting entirely individualist qualities, the drinks, depicted in illustrations above the counter, sounded glorified and overpriced. Naturally, I'd opt to craft these in the comfort of my own home at a sheer fraction of the asking fee.

A Sausage and Egg BELT and Wild Blueberry Muffin combo awaited me at the nearest Circle K.

The late lunch combo confirmed three things:

1. The sausage patty contained an alarming amount of pepper
2. The BELT was better with cheese omitted and bacon added
3. Not all Circle K have filthy lavatories, though my standards are quite low after witnessing the horrors of Cafe Landwer on Adelaide

​Just before parting ways with my chauffeur and Costco assistant, I requested one last detour towards an Indian supermarket. Bombay Grocers was yet another one of the UberEats destinations that showed an availability of Hershey's. Alas, the visit confirmed my suspicions once more.

Heading back home shortly after 3 PM had been a poorly planned decision on my part. The onset of snowstorm was looming. Meanwhile, tremendous congestion ensued as a consequence of a busy school dismissal period. Vehicles idling back to back was hardly uncommon in a suburban context, however foot traffic resulting from nearby condos heightened the delay at all corners of the education facility.

The next morning, the GTA awoke to a startling 30 cm snowfall. I'd spend the morning indoors, but eventually required venturing into the external world for an early afternoon doctor's appointment. Shovelling half of the driveway was a tolerable task, given that the snow persisted light and fluffy. Within fifteen minutes, I had dug myself out to the apron, however all efforts from that point onwards were in vain. The snow had compacted to a hefty mass, persisting as utterly unmovable by someone of my caliber and strength.

With ten minutes left to my appointment, I had to think quickly. Running inside, I hurriedly grabbed my PRESTO and eco bag, intending to hop on the next bus. As I set foot on the driveway though, the bus of interest zipped by on the opposite side of the street. The next one would come thirty minutes later. Uber emerged as my sole option.

Somehow, I'd manage the trek to Loblaws without being a victim to curb water splashes.

​And somehow, braving the spillage along each and every sidewalk corner, I'd succeed in bringing myself back home - just to shovel some more. It was by luck that climate conditions had hovered about melting mark, making the impromptu journey more of a snowy stroll than excruciating expedition.