Out & About #1155 | Year of the Fire Horse + Barburu First Look

The first day of Lunar New Year is often a jolly one. I arrived to smiling faces in the office and several members fittingly dressed in red attire.

Alas, it would be an understatement to say that my day was negatively impacted at the onset of our despicable team meeting. If there is anything that never ceases to amaze me, it is the brazen audacity of the incompetent. Being confident about one's nonexistent abilities deserves contempt to start, but leveraging one's ability to obstruct the growth of others is another pitiful act altogether. Suffice to say, my response to confidential performance review results being exposed to the small team comprised of shock, surprise, and confusion.
I received plenty of outraged responses from my support network, yet found the mild reactions of my workplace to be unnerving. They had downright downplayed the severity of the act on the account that it failed to align with their personal perception of the individual. Moreover, the altercation led many to believe that I was, in fact, underperforming. Without comprehensive knowledge of the situation, these bystanders are not entirely at fault. That said, the sheer absence of observation and dismissal of obvious intents are quite mind-blowing.

​I collected feedback from my peers, then proceeded with the rest of the hectic day with stormy thoughts, akin to a witch's brew simmering up to a chemical unstable response. While I could have overlooked the inaccuracies in my performance review (for I know my capacities very well), the blatant disrespect and breach of confidentiality were sufficient grounds to instigate a counter attack. Someone decided to wake up and choose violence. To that, I respond with an expressionless war cry.
My job is likely on the line. But if I go down, you're coming with me. One year of suppression later, the animosity is anticipated to be piercing.

​Leading up to lunch, I reminded a colleague of Nani's Gelato's Buy 2 Pints for $19.99 Tuesday promotion. The Matcha Strawberry flavour would soon be concluding its rotation, accelerating the need to visit. Unfortunately, we arrived to find the establishment dimmed and empty: Nani's had changed their opening hours to be 2 PM. Dismayed - and me without my phone - we retraced our steps.
Along the way, I recalled Japadog's Wagyu Fest promotion. Off to Square One we went!

While a Japamiso BLT and Matcha Milkshake was requested beside me, I inquired of the Soft Serve varieties. Initially, the cashier had informed that only Vanilla Soft Serve was available, but then returned to confirm availability of Matcha as well.

There were seemingly further misunderstandings, for I was handed a single scoop of soft serve instead of the depicted swirl. Although the scoop was a smaller portion than expected for its $4.99 price tag, I was minimally bothered, already being full from lunch. The concoction was creamy, lightly grassy, and positively delicious. But after the first spoonful, the staff member requested to recall the cup.

A brief moment later, a plastic cup with a heaping swirl of Matcha Soft Serve was bestowed upon me. Mouth agape, both arms were extended to receive the lofty serving. Its profile was identical to the scoop I had received earlier: creamy, flavourful, and grassy without being overpowering.

Equally enjoyable was the Matcha Milkshake, or so I was told. We collectively agreed that the matcha creations offered impressive value: even at regular price, the Milkshake was just $3.99 while the Soft Serve $4.99. They were incredibly filling as well; I made a mental note to share the specimen next time around.

​The Japamiso BLT entailed generally positive remarks, noting that the bun was "good" but the combination wasn't particularly unique and could easily be assembled without challenge.

Later happenings involved laying eyes on To Go Coffee's New Year Scratch Card promotion, indulgence in an Orange Madeleine with Tempered Chocolate Coating, and comprehensive review of corporate policies in preparation of launching a response in combat.

​Days in and out of the office have felt endless. With each minute comes another meeting, another email, another assignment, or another unwarranted, trivial incident. Beyond tiring of the work itself, my spirit has been dampened with the constant influx of duties that neither bring about fulfillment nor sense of accomplishment. Learning has been stagnant, and progress of tasks exceedingly so.

Between meetings, I only managed to muster forty minutes for lunch. As opposed to a mall walk, I retrieved my skates from the car and conducted a few laps on the Celebration Square rink. With temperatures hovering about the freezing mark, the external environment was exceptionally mild - aka did not warrant handwarmers.

Heart heavy and mind overloaded, a detour was incorporated into my commute home. Having never stepped foot into Yuan Ming Supermarket, the shared parking lot entrance with the adjacent courthouse was declared a tragically non-intuitive configuration. I found my way in the end, but not without some anxiety.

​The destination of interest was none other than Barburu. I had heard plenty of positive reviews over the past year, thus was finally persuaded to make the stop in hopes of countering my otherwise grim day.

​A small selection of pastries resided within the display case. Above the counter were two monitors listing coffee and matcha beverages, crafted using products from Pirates of Coffee and CHU Matcha respectively. Matcha drink prices started at a jaw-dropping $7.50, with the Kunafa Pistachio Matcha Latte being the costliest at $8.30. Essentially on par with Starbucks, espresso-based drinks ranged from a $3.00 Espresso to $6.80 Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oat Latte.
Albeit pricey, I concluded that I ought try Barburu's signature offerings while present. An Earl Grey Matcha Latte was procured, along with a Double Chocolate Almond Flan and Fig & Custard Danish. The trio set me back a total of twenty-five dollars.

​Within seconds, my Matcha had been prepared. There were a total of three young girls behind the counter. The cashier/barista who had served me was extremely pleasant, responding to inquiries in a contemplative, helpful manner and rectifying the product labels as she recognized the errors. The second girl harboured a different demeanour: unsmiling and silent, cancelling my email receipt request before I had completed input and ripping off the physical receipt instead.

The Earl Grey Matcha boasted a splendidly harmonious proportion of matcha and milk, but did not exude prominent notes of Earl Grey. The frothed tea was also unmistakably less potent than its degree of saturation. All factors considered, the drink paled in comparison to Project Seoul and was forgettable. Perhaps I should have tried a fruit puree-containing alternative.

​Pastries were unveiled upon returning home.

​Brimming with fragrant, vivid slices of the flowering fruit, the Fig & Custard Danish featured a gleaming, golden surface, beautifully flaky layers, and a delectable pastry cream dotted with specks of vanilla bean. Save the hint of dampness in the pastry portion, the Danish was superb, embracing wondrous textures and highlighting the freshness of fig with a balanced vanilla custard. Admittedly, it was the custard that had captured my attention first and foremost.

Giddiness had resulted from sampling of the Fig & Custard Danish, but slicing into the Double Chocolate Almond Flan incited silence. Wispy shards descended from its perimeter. Resting within an unfathomably thin casing was a velvety chocolate flan with a lightly scorched film of a surface. Its visuals alone had summoned awe, but its gustatory profile would render us speechless.

​Heavenly was the chocolate flan - and in a generous portion too! We marvelled at the crispiness of the laminated pastry, especially the base which had not yet succumbed to excess moisture from osmosis. In order to appreciate the creation, I closed my eyes and revelled in utter stillness. The Double Chocolate Almond Flan was purely phenomenal!

Both items had justified their associated price tags, however it was the second contender of flan pastry that had left an undeniably mighty impression.