Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Out & About #143 | Kekou Gelato (Queen St. West)

10/2/2015

 
The new shop was first spotted on a Friday afternoon while roaming the stores in the area.

Of course, I wasn't the only one to spot it.
Photos soon began popping up on my various social feeds, introducing new products exclusive to this particular location while the Baldwin is closed for the season. It probably wasn't the wisest decision to set out on the windiest day of the week, but the journey ended up being executed purely out of curiosity.
Picture
As with other posts I've chanced upon on the World Wide Web, this new location is indeed much much​ more spacious than their first. 
Contrary to the claustrophobia-inducing size in Grange Park, the Queen St. W shop is definitely more serene, and also no longer void of chairs and bathrooms.
Picture
​The interior exudes a cafe-style aura, complete with sugar cone-like light fixtures (or is it just me?) and the same string of (Christmas) lights utilized outside their Baldwin shop. I didn't find the string lights to assume a particularly cohesive property with the other decorations, but I suppose store management had wanted to retain some of the elements.
A few large tables and benches are situated in the lobby area, likely serving as refuge for courageous gelato- and soft serve-goers during the upcoming Canadian winter.
Picture
​Lighting isn't exactly abundant; only the front half of the store is actually exposed to window light. The back of the shop mainly relies on incandescent bulbs to provide illumination, though this happens to result in a high degree of glare on the glass below that's meant to shield buckets of gelato.
Picture
Picture
She did provide me with samples of the new soft serve flavours, Jasmine Green Tea and Almond Tofu, but was incapable of explaining the difference between Jasmine Green Tea and regular Green Tea when asked. Information has also been supplied in regards to the popularity ranking of the flavours, but without specific reasoning behind them.
​Both soft serve flavours tasted of, well Jasmine Green Tea and Almond Tofu. Neither stood out to be as being exceptionally original, but this may have been due to the fact these are flavours that I've already become accustomed to.

​I was also tempted to try one of the items from their newly-developed drink menu, as a steaming latte would definitely hit the spot given the windy conditions of the outside world. On second thought, though, I probably wouldn't have enough hands to hold two things while taking photos. To avoid another melty soft serve and churro disaster, I opted to leave the drinks for another visit.
Picture
Picture
​A major difference that I noticed was that the gelato machines could be seen in full view from the ordering area. Amidst my photo-taking, it was observed that a member of the kitchen staff was in the process of using mixers for some unknown purpose, all while making a discreet attempt to check his phone.
Picture
​It took me quite a while to digest the menu, not because it was overwhelmingly vast, but because I was attempting to distinguish new additions from the existing choices.
Unlike the girl who had served me during my other visit, the girl who was tending to gelato sampling and the cashier wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about her job. It was quite a shame to see, as unauthenticity practicially oozed out of her every word and plastered smile.
Picture
The final result of my various reflections was a double sccop of Red Bean White Chocolate and Hong Kong Milk Tea Gelato in a Seaweed Waffle Cone.
Picture
Picture
The flavours had been distinct enough while I had sampled them, but they had lost this uniqueness once paired together and eaten in the cold. As previously mentioned, I absolutely despise when ice cream/soft serve/gelato melts quickly. This increased rate of melting forces me to rush in finishing off the dessert, instead of savouring each bite as I would prefer. The top scoop of Red Bean White Chocolate began to trickle down to the second almost as soon as it was placed onto the waffle rack. No signs of improvement were exhibited even after I had stepped back outside and into the cold; white droplets continued to drip off the cone and onto my gloves. It was not exactly what I had wanted after pulling clean gloves from the wash.
Picture
View the full album HERE !​

Once the top scoop had been munched away at, I was finally able to taste the stronger flavour of the two: the Hong Kong Milk Tea. This one was less melty, and was very much a joy to devour. Reaching the top of the cone, I had expected to still be able to savour a slight bit of HK Milk Tea within it. However, this was not the case. The bottom had simply been placed on top of the cone, and none had fallen through it. It was as if the cone was a completely separate component, and a soggy one at that. The standard crispiness was nowhere to be found, and the bits of dried seaweed had essentially created no impact whatsoever on the overall flavour. It wasn't a mix of sweet and salty, but instead a stale, bland Pizelle cookie.

​This honestly saddened me, as my first visit was such a delightful experience. It was true that the gelato was still as prone to rapid melting as ever, but I hadn't thought that it was that challenging to store waffle cones in such a way that they wouldn't transform into soggy gelato handles.

I was informed that, to date, the location has been open for a few weeks; I sure hope they settle into their new environment quickly as to produce better products.

I'll probably still return to try their drinks, but can't promise a third visit if the drinks fall below expectations.

Kekou Gelato Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Calgary 2023
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.