Out & About #244 | Yogoberri, Pinoy Waffles, and Cha Me. Cha

6/22/2016

Warm weather and ice cream is a no-fail duo.
But even better than this classic combination is smooth, creamy frozen yogurt on top of crisp, eggy waffles, with a generous portion of freshly-sliced fruit on the side.

And when there's A/C, Wi-Fi, a free private parking lot, and a clean bathroom to boot? You can bet I'm staying here for a while.

I had vowed to return to Yogoberri on a mission to try out their infamous waffle and frozen yogurt combo since my initial visit earlier this month. Entering the premises with a vaguely empty stomach and an equally curious friend, I knew this day had finally arrived.

We pointed in unison to the fifteen dollar special scrawled in pink on the small chalkboard: the Yogoberri Waffle w/ two hot drinks.

Between hot Americanos and an expansive selection of "premium" teas, we opted for Raspberry Pomegranate and The Earl Grey (with a side of milk), both arriving in clean, white mugs and adorable tulip tea infusers.

Shortly after, the space filled with an ever-fragrant, vanilla-esque aroma, indicating the arrival of our waffle and froyo plate.

Each extremely crisp waffle halve was topped with a different type of frozen yogurt - Vanilla or Green Tea, though swirling the two flavours had also been an option - along with spoonfuls of chopped strawberries, kiwi fruit, and sliced bananas before finally being dusted with cocoa powder and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Its presentation was stunning to say in the least, especially considering the size of the cafe and the single staff member operating the cashier and kitchen.

My previous conclusion still held: Yogoberri's froyo was a superb blend of tart creaminess and semi-firm sweetness. Served with seasonal fruit and meticulously swirled atop a slightly warm, well-made waffle only proved to further enhance its flavour profile, engaging not only the sense of taste, but the sense of sight as well. Vanilla was a smidgen sweeter than its Green Tea counterpart, but both were enjoyable nonetheless!

Our dessert, which was consumed in conjunction with steamy cups of refreshing herbal and satisfying milk teas, was a fantastic mid-afternoon. In addition, the environment allowed for endless casual conversation and a consistently stable connection to the world of social media. The sole staff member of the establishment, who happened to be the same striped top-donning girl from my last visit, was also exceptionally friendly, attending to all of our needs in a timely manner.

I think it's proper to declare that I'll be trying their bingsoo next time.

View the full album HERE !

Our next destination was Pacific Mall, where we were hoping to walk off the fullness until dinnertime. As we began our descent from the upper level Korean cafe and proceeded across Steeles, we were hit with the sudden realization that rush hour traffic had imminently dominated the streets. Patiently inching forwards every few minutes, we found ourselves gradually developing a hankering for bubble tea - Hokkaido Milk Tea from Green Grotto it was!

Eventually, we arrived at the Asian shopping centre just after 6 pm, securing a parking spot with a great deal of ease as the regular mall-goers had already embarked on their weekday home-bound commute.

Leisurely strolling through P-Mall's K-Beauty aisle led us to Missha's annual clearance sale, then to Tony Moly and The Face Shop.

Before whizzing off to our next activity, I suggested picking up a snack near the food court as a substitute for the dinner that our schedule seemingly was not going to permit. The Pinoy Waffles stand has recently been making waves on my Instagram feed as the sole uptown spot to obtain Filipino summer time snacks such as Halo Halo and, of course, Pinoy Waffles.

I ordered a Hot Dog Pinoy Waffle from the friendly, middle-aged couple standing in the stall. Though they set about pouring the waffle batter into the pan immediately after I had placed my request, the finished product wasn't delivered to me until some five to six minutes later.

For $2, I suppose I shouldn't complain though. The exterior was a tad burnt, and the batter a tad flour-heavy, but the Pogo-like creation was undeniably satisfying, and, intriguingly enough, equal parts sweet and savoury. (My inner Curious George has me questioning whether the cheese- or ube-filled waffles would be just as compelling...)

Admittedly, many of the places I set my eyes on were sourced from Instagram. VYbE, a dance studio in Markham that features weeknight drop-in dance classes, was another one of these discoveries.

Popping in at 7:45 pm for the all-level K-Pop Dance Class was originally my idea, though my friend had been kind enough to accompany me for the sake of being good company. With a class of approximately twenty other participants, we followed Instructor Steven Chau through a series of stretches and warm-up exercises before learning his original choreography to SISTAR's newly-released song, "I Like That".

The class was fun and extremely engaging, though perhaps a bit fast-paced for inexperienced dancers such as ourselves. Despite the class' late start, our instructor remained patient and friendly to all participants, even staying back to clarify particular moves that anyone was experiencing difficulty with.
Considering that drop-in fees were $15 per class (or $70 for 6 classes, etc.), VYbE dance classes would probably earn the spot as my cardio workout of choice should their studio be located closer to home. Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience and I would love to join again!

To make up for our lack of dinner, we took to Cha Me. Cha for late night munching, sharing a Purple Crystal Snow Ice (taro bites galore!).