Out & About #1172 | Studio Le Ciel, Brick & Butter Bakehouse + RH Stopover

On the first day of Victoria Day long weekend, I made my way towards North York for the second time this year. I had repeatedly checked the travel time before departing, and was admittedly frustrated when my original thirty minute-estimate surged by 1.5x. Unfortunately, not all vacationers had departed the GTA yet.
Shockingly unsafe conditions plagued the entire commute. From the typically calm 403 to commuter-filled 401, other drivers were recklessly switching lanes on very short notice, or none at all! The scene was particularly awful on the 401 nearing the 400 and 404, which respectively feature aggressive industrial movers and uneducated, once-in-a-blue-moon highway users on a regular day.

By the time I exited onto Yonge Street, I was not only frazzled but extremely riled up. "I am never leaving my house again on a long weekend!" was declared with fury. As I approached the location for my first scheduled activity, my fingers frantically navigated towards the Green P app as I drifted into the left turn lane at Yonge/Sheppard.

​At receiving an error on the app, I was taken back. Nearing the surface lot though, the reason soon dawned upon me: The Green P lot was closed for construction.

About five minutes remained until the activity start time, causing me to undertake a swift U-turn to find parking elsewhere. The first attempt landed me in the rear of 52 Sheppard Ave; all spots were signed. Attempting to loop swerve into the adjacent  unable to lot of 50 Sheppard Ave with oncoming traffic and a nearby median was deemed unsafe, so my next best option lay with street parking along Beecroft.

Adjacent curb cuts at Sheppard/Beecroft, looking east | Source: Google Maps, 2023

And so, I relinquished $7.20 for 75 mins of street parking and scurried towards the third floor, where Studio Le Ciel resided. The studio was still as sluggish as ever about checking messages and the online booking system was extremely finnicky with stringent cancellation and refund policies. I intended to make the most of my ̶g̶a̶s̶ consecutive trips to the northeast side of the GTA, thus booked a two-class pass at their Spring Sale promotion price of $40 plus tax. Class credits were set to expire after two weeks, so I made haste in securing a Saturday morning spot. It was learned that booking platform did not register package payments with booking eligibility until the following business day though, but I had already succeeded in troubleshooting my concern by the time the studio provided a response.

A cluster of shoes was present outside the studio, indicating the requirement of removing shoes before entering. Slippers were not provided for customer use, however, but staff were spotted donning chunky platform slides. After checking in with the receptionist, I was gestured towards the rear of the facility, past the semi-private and private training areas, for the bathroom and lockers. This space boasted two changing rooms, a coat rack with velvet-covered hangers (that attracted accumulation of hair and dust), and a single bathroom stall. Needless to say, I ran for the bathroom as the class was about to start imminently.
​Aside from the toilet seat, the facility was generally lacking in cleanliness: scuff marks and hair were present inside the toilet bowl, dust had collected on the surface of the sink and around the soap bottle, and there were plenty of dusty, yellow corners. Moreover, I had not laid eyes on a seemingly more ancient hand dryer in recent years.

Shoving my EATALY tote into one of the cubbies and turning the Canadiana-plush-charm-attached key, I ran towards the group class area by the window. Each group class consisted of a total of six participants, who could take their pick of Reformer (plus Tower) from 4 SPX Max and 2 V2 MAX machines. Being the last to join, my pick automatically defaulted to the V2 MAX against the side of the wall. This later emerged to be the best pick of the selection for it evaded harsh UV rays from the window that would prompt perspiration and skin damage and effectively encouraged core engagement for the cardio burst.
The instructor had just commenced a warm-up of hamstring and hip flexor stretches. Within seconds, I realized I had forgotten to change into grip socks, disappearing once more to initiate the change. Let it be known at least fifteen minutes of a buffer should be considered for a peaceful, punctual entry into class.

Following the dynamic stretches, the instructor demonstrated the next series of exercises. Commencing in a lunge position with one foot against the shoulder rest and the other foot planted on the floor, we were to gently lift the knee, extend the leg on the Carriage, and tuck the knee of the standing leg towards the chest. Lunge to knee tuck planks with a curved spine were executed for 10 reps, followed by lunge to straight leg raises with a flat back for 10 reps. These two exercises would then be alternated for a final 10 reps, consequently elevating one's heart rate. The quick series definitely challenged lat strength, but also caused slight discomfort to weak wrists.

​We then proceeded through ab work, which comprised of curl-ups, hundreds, scissors, etc. The format was likely not STOTT given that an imprint pelvis was instructed for curl-ups and crunches. As part of a Short Box series, we were instructed to sit perpendicular to Carriage with one hand in the tension strap (blue spring) and the other holding a 3 lb dumbbell. The tension strap was used to challenge range of motion for shoulder rotator cuff pulls, while the dumbbell for arm presses. These movements occurred in parallel, with pulses of the shoulder rotator cuff pull to finish. Also included in the Short Box series were arm extensions with the hand in the tension strap and weighted rotations (one hand in strap + one hand with 3 lb dumbbell) for the obliques. Although the instructor reminded us of posture checks (shoulders down, sitting up straight), she did not comment on the turnout position for the lower body or distribution of weight between hips. Upper body exercises continued with a brief Long Box series, wherein we sat facing the Tower and hinged forward for tricep pull-backs.

Lying down once more, thigh work (pull-downs, froggers, single leg circles) proceeded with one foot in straps, which was notably more challenging as the other leg would be used to stabilize. The class concluded with mermaid stretches and side Child's Pose(s).

I had initially wondered whether an "All Levels - Flow" class would provide sufficient challenge for my conditioning needs. As with any group class, the session would not be customized to target my areas of weakness. That said, I was pleased that the class proceeded at a good pace and offered sufficient challenge. The instructor's English was a bit hard to understand at times, however it would not constitute a concern if listening carefully. Vocabulary-wise, only "level" and "ribcage" were difficult to distinguish.

The rest of the class participants swiftly exited after equipment cleanup, but I lingered about to leisurely change in the spacious facilities. During this time, I also observed availability of customer parking at the rear of the studio! I would just need to arrive early enough to secure one of those two spots.

​Also noticed in this section was a water dispenser and InBody machine setup. A nearby sign inform clients that the fitness apparatus was for consultation usage only, but that one could obtain a complimentary InBody scan by posting a Google Review.

​Descending back to ground level, the outside world had become inexplicably sunny. Walking back to the car, it was concluded that the class had me ravenous. However, I strived to delay consumption, as the next scheduled event was a late lunch with ochungg.

Curiosity having been piqued by Brick & Butter though, I stopped by the bakehouse on the way. It was a compact space with a handful of small tables along the perimeter; majority of the unit had been allocated towards an enclosed commercial kitchen. 

Hovering by the counter snapping photos, I probably appeared strange to the staff. In my defense, I have encountered far too many instances where itemized receipts are not provided and countless scenarios where I sent images to others in sought of opinions. Following some deliberation, I plucked five picks from the assortment, then appended one more after the cashier noted that a six-piece purchase would incite waiving of HST.

​The final take home selection spanned:

• Cream Cheese Pain Suisse; $4.90
• Dark Chocolate Tigre; $4.75
• Canelé; $5.00
• Original Financier; $3.80
• Lemon Yuzu Financier; $4.20
• Fig & Cream Cheese Financier; $4.20

plus an Iced Americano with The Library's Seasonal Blend for $4.75.

​I couldn't resist biting into the Fig & Cream Cheese Financier before departing. A single bite would succeed in tying me over until arrival at ochungg's humble abode some thirty minutes later. A wondrous pairing was the sweet, sticky toothsomeness of fig and indulgent swirl of baked cream cheese; the financier base on which they resided was a tad dense for my liking though.

The remainder of the items were sampled on the following day.

​Pain Suisse with Cream Cheese was undeniably heavy when served for breakfast. I opted to halve the sizable specimen and revive it by reheating in the toaster oven. Its wispy surface crackled and shattered satisfyingly, though felt oddly flour-heavy with an absence of buttery aromas. There was a substantial slab of cream cheese within for filling.

​Similar to Fig & Cream Cheese Financier, the pastry leaned heavy and the cream cheese was structurally stable but devoid of a prominent profile. I am not as fond of cream cheese as regular cheese, however options for standard shredded cheese were limited.

​Hands down my top pick of the spread, the Canelé wholly exceeded expectations.

Perfumed by rum and evoking the unmistakable presence of vanilla, the pastry showcased a subtle crunch on the exterior with faint notes of bitterness and a sublime, custardy interior - the very qualities of a textbook-perfect canelé! All in all, the experienced terminated too rapidly.

​The Original and Lemon Yuzu Financier shared the same base formula, as did the Fig & Cream Cheese. 

​Original embraces tenacious presence of butter, boasting a luxurious aftertaste.

​Lemon Yuzu is citrusy, yet not overly so. The butteriness of the Original is overtaken by dehydrated yuzu zest and a lemon juice-icing glaze that contributes textural contrast in addition to a mild hint of acidity. Personally, a tart lemon curd filling or glaze with a higher proportion of lemon juice would have been preferrable.

​In both cases, the base financier is too dense for my liking and fails to capitalize on the nuttiness of brown butter.

​An up-and-coming offering gradually permeating the Toronto café scene, the Tigre was chosen as a means of redemption for Cafe La On's unjustifiably stiff rendition. Slicing into the specimen confirmed a silky chocolate ganache; that said, flavour payoff was disappointing and essentially nonexistent.

I did not enjoy the coarse sugar-crusted circumference: The additional sweetness was unwarranted and distracted from the overall concoction.
The pastry was tacky overall, akin to when the consistency achieved by combining a substantial amount of icing sugar with egg white, but not baking it through completely. So, while I was grateful for Brick & Butter's version to be relatively yielding under the pressure of a fork and knife, I did not enjoy it tremendously either. The conclusion remains that the Innisfree Green Café's set was superior.

In review of its name, Brick & Butter focused less on emphasizing the presence of butter in their pastries and instead approached pastries with heavy-handed inclusion of flour, consequently contributing to a satiating outcome. Their baked goods are envisioned to pair best with espresso-based beverages or a strong, astringent tea. My Iced Americano was delightful, albeit a few notches down from European quality.

Heading to Markham on local roads, I discovered bike lanes and in-boulevard, raised cycle tracks along Cummer Avenue. The sight was unexpected, and the observation only made when I began to question the presence of a crossride with sharrows at the intersection of Cummer Ave and Pinetree Blvd.

My third destination formed part of a new subdivision with a gnarly view of undeveloped land. The scene conjured development-related considerations in my head, none of which were the concern of ochungg, however.

​We caught up over Sourdough, Labneh, Chocolate Babka, and a Strawberry Cake from the nearby Baker House Bread Inc. The Strawberry Cake was tender - likely oil-based - with a pink lemonade icing, easily making it the most enjoyable item of the quad. I enjoyed the Labneh as well, but found a meat-less lunch not to align with my dietary needs. Despite their promising visuals, the Sourdough Loaf was average at best (tough to chew) while the Chocolate Babka somewhat stale with a meager quantity of sour-tasting chocolate spread rolled within.

Around 4 PM, I departed for the next appointment, an early supper at The Big Casserole in Richmond Hill.

Frankly, there was no appetite for sustenance yet at the early hour, so I took to sipping away at a Hawthorn Plum Juice (山楂酸梅湯) and nibbling away at Boiled Pig's Tongue. The hope was that the equally tart-sweet beverage would stimulate my appetite as time passed.

​The Big Casserole's signature dish was the House Chicken with Pork Stomach Meal for One (胡椒豬肚雞湯 一品湯粉面飯), which I also had the opportunity to sample. While I enjoyed components such as bean curd, round flour noodles, and strips of pig stomach, the broth contained an extraordinary amount of white pepper. It was with great relief that, unlike chilis, the pepper did not seep into the stew components, which would have otherwise rendered the entire dish intolerable.

To account for the approximate period by which I'd experience hunger, a Salted Egg With Minced Pork Clay Pot Rice (鹹蛋肉餅煲仔飯) was requested to go. The drive back approximated one hour, so it wasn't unexpected when I detected the need to eat.

Rerouting to the nearest green space with parking led me to Maple High School's asphalt lot, a location that felt strikingly familiar to me. Unveiling my supper, I was elated to find fresh choy sum topping the bowl in addition to neatly-wrapped utensils and an abundance of napkins nestled beside the rigid plastic container in the secured plastic bag.

I excitedly spooned away at the crispy rice and gratifying minced pork, eventually pouring in the entirety of the soy sauce for an umami boost. Cool spring evenings made the ideal (trunk) picnic conditions, and a scrumptious, hearty meal served to further level of enjoyment.

​Needless to say, I was unable to deplete the order in one sitting. For just $18.99, I had obtained a delicious and undeniably generous portion of sustenance. Any remaining soy-coated grains would find their way into subsequent meals over the long weekend.