Out & About #297 | Pacific Mall + Snow Time - Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger

Out & About #297 | Pacific Mall + Snow Time

12/10/2016

I always set out with a plan in mind, no matter how small and vague. It's important to enter with a purpose in mind, as the results of thoughtless expeditions will be only be wasted time and effort, and financial loss.

Pacific Mall was the first stop on my to-do list following the fear-inducing hydrology exam. GOT7's Turbulence album had to be obtained, and it just so happened that a friend of mine happened to be liberated from her usual work schedule the next day.

We stopped to grab drinks first.
Evalion, a somewhat recent addition to the food court, now offered "light bulb" beverages in addition to Thai ice cream rolls. The concept wasn't particularly innovative, as bubble tea shops in New York (and, more locally, Royaltea) had already jumped on the bandwagon, but it was a good opportunity to attempt flavour syrup-enhanced fizziness with an atypical appearance without travelling further east.

Several of the available flavours were on display at the cashier: Strawberry, Mango, Lychee Mint, and Green Apple. Both consisted of a thin layer of jelly at the bottom, several sprigs of fragrance-less mint, and a slice of lime. Additionally, the Mango version included tiny chunks of real fruit; this didn't cause the drink to vary by any means though, since they merely floated at the surface, escaping the wide plastic straw in any way possible.

The agreement was that the drinks were overly sweet. Yelpers had been correct: they weren't worth it. Although the plastic light bulb-shaped container was amusing, a lack of quality ingredients makes justifying severely artificial-tasting drinks for $4.50 impossible.

Both staff members that served us were friendly and polite, though neither was particularly competent in ironing out the kinks of the cashier, despite the three-month period for which the stall had already been operating. Short-term memory was evidently lacking as well, since the same staff member later offered us info cards as we strolled by a second time...

On a more positive note, I managed to successfully locate Jackson's (and Bambam's) sheet masks for IT'sSKIN!

I had previously left my phone number so that the shop could contact me when their inventory was replenished, but had heard nothing back. Considering that I had already anticipated the masks to be sold out, a full stash in store left me madly overjoyed.
Of course, the Buy 5 Get 5 Free promotion was even better. (I still can't understand why they couldn't apply my membership discount though...)

An odd emptiness in our stomachs prompted a trip back to the food court. My friend was introduced to one of my Pmall faves: crispy battered Skewer Fish drizzled with wasabi sauce from Papa Chang's Express.

I also suggested trying some Pinoy waffles: they were priced at two dollars individually, or three for five dollars. A trio of Ham & Cheese, Hot Dog, and Ube were chosen.
Service was friendly and much quicker than the last visit, but it was unfortunate that the waffles were soggier this time around. Nonetheless, they kept us going until our mall trip was over.

En route back to the escalator, we paused at a stall that had caught our attention during the initial visit for drinks. Dak Lak was a name that neither of us were familiar with, thus arriving at the conclusion that the shop was indeed new.
Primarily comprised of woody elements and lumpy black walls, the stall was a newcomer to the second floor that specialized in Vietnamese coffee and Hong Kong Milk Tea. Listed in their laminated menu were other drink offerings ("Browned Milk" anyone?), along with the various toppings that could be added. It was claimed that their Hong Kong Milk Tea was brewed with authentic tea leaves as opposed to "commercial powders".

We opted for Iced Vietnamese Coffee, disregarding the cashier's warning that the beverage would be extremely strong for those with a low caffeine tolerance. My friend requested to omit ice from her order, which was associated with an induced charge of $1.00. It seemed a bit pricey to me, as with the other specialty drinks/desserts on the menu.

The staff member on site actually informed us that it was their first day of operation. I found this interesting as there were no signs in site informing customers of their grand opening, nor did he appear enthusiastic to recommend different items off the menu or explain their brand concept.

Our orders retained strongly caffeinated properties, just as we had been informed. The drinks were also quite aromatic but, oddly enough, didn't bear a trace of the familiar condensed milk flavour as the Vietnamese coffees that I've tried elsewhere. It was tasty nonetheless, so I'm tempted to try their HK Milk Tea next time around.

Another aspect to note is the fact that they sell coffee beans in addition to freshly-crafted beverages and jelly-filled desserts.

After a final round about the mall, we headed to our next (and final) destination of the day: Snow Time.

I've mentioned this before: if there's anything I miss about Vancouver, it's high-quality poke and proper Korean bingsoo.

Soul Cafe was a spot I had entered with high hopes, only to have them shattered with the first soybean flour-crusted cough. I hadn't thought it was possible to find Korean bingsoo anywhere else in the GTA until images of Snow Time and The Cups began popping up on my feed.

The Scarborough dessert spot is located in a medium-sized plaza on just north of Midland and Finch. CoCo and the renowned HK Cafe, Marathon, are found in the vicinity.

A brisk "Annyeonghasae-yo!" rings out as I open the door. The staff members, as I later learn, aren't Korean though; they speak fluent Mandarin laced with a mild Northern accent.

The interior is reminiscent of one of the many cafes featured in K-dramas; the vibe is serene, the seating cozy, and the overall environment casual and comfortable. LINE figurines, pop culture-inspired plushies, and a cartoon-decorated wall add a sheer bit of cuteness.

Customers could choose to sit in the lounge-like area near the front of the shop or occupy one of the uniformly distributed wooden tables along the opposite wall. Above the cushioned seats and black padded booth seating hung black lamps that, surprisingly, didn't give off hideous yellow-tinted glare.
One monitor played Descendants of the Sun, while another showed K-Pop music videos (mainly of Big Bang and member solo projects).

Snow Time's menu is straightforward and rather expansive in my opinion. It spans Korean shaved ice in two sizes and six flavours, already exceeding the regular selection carried at Snowy Village in Richmond. Green Tea, Injeolmi, Oreo, Strawberry, Mango, and Blueberry were offered in both small and large sizes; for those extra keen on meeting their daily fruit intake, a hybrid option of Mixed Fruit (ie. equal portions of strawberry, mango, and blueberry) was also made available.

Injeolmi Toast and Croissant Taiyaki were two other items deserving fascination. Unfortunately, the latter was not being sold until the later weeks. Bingsoo prices ranged from $8.95 - fruit variations were less costly here than their non-fruity counterparts - to a maximum of $12.95. Toasts were reasonably marked at $4.75.

View the full album HERE !

We were handed a buzzer upon placing our order and then proceeded to slide into one of the booths. During times of high traffic, it is presumed that customers will maneouver towards the designated pick-up area when their buzzer vibrates/flashes. During the not-so-hectic early evening hours though, the staff was kind enough to deliver the desserts to our table.

A plate of mochi sandwiched between two slices of crisp, kinako flour-topped white bread arrived first. The Injeolmi toast was served with a tablespoon's worth of tsubu-an, a gentle sprinkle of toasted almond slivers, and two adorably tiny sets of cutlery. The small Green Tea Bingsoo was served in a Stainless steel bowl - a definite indicator of authenticity - and with sweetened condensed milk and, as per my request, a smaller container of sweetened red bean on the side. We were recommended to drizzle the slightly runny condensed milk on both the toast and shaved ice just prior to consumption.

The Green Tea Bingsoo was as equally fluffy, if not even finer, than the sweet milky flakes tasted at Snowy Village. The shavings were a tad sweeter than the West Coast favourite, but the generous amount of green tea powder on its surface balanced the intense flavours. A few injelomi bits were arranged on the surface, along with toasted almond slivers once again. Thin layers of green tea powder had indeed been spooned on top of the ice flakes at varying depths, though weren't nearly as distinct as I would have liked. The portions of injeolmi could have also been greater.

In contrast to the melty nature of Snowy Village's creations (at both locations), Snow Time's rendition proved to withstand the internal HVAC system and the force of time, resisting the melting process altogether. It was profound difference that easily set the dessert cafe apart from other spots I've had the opportunity to dine at.

Injeolmi Toast was, for lack of more fitting terminology, extremely yummy. The fact that such a sweet, crisp dessert could be crafted from a basic loaf of white bread was astounding. I especially appreciated the nutty aftertaste lent by the kinako flour - it was neither overpowered the carby-ness of the bread nor encouraged the coughing up of dusty, beige-toned clouds.

It wasn't immediately clear to us that we could simply walk over to the shelf of plushies and snatch one to accompany us during our stay. Upon noticing a departing table return several crowd favourites, the idea dawned upon us and I sprinted for the LINE characters.
Brown and Cony were kidnapped and brought over for Green Tea Bingsoo and Injeolmi Toast. A separate table strided over to grab the rabbit and fox set from Descendants of the Sun proceeding my giddy, plushie-adorned gallop. Kakao characters Ryan and Apeach as well as Kumamon remained on the shelf to spread joy to other diners.

In the case where you happen to be wondering whether I'm making an attempt to feed them, the answer is yes. All beings require sustenance for survival, including the cotton-stuffed likes of Brown and Cony.

Cute decor, easy-listening music, friendly service, and unique (and authentic!) menu items make Snow Time a great spot for casual hangouts or close catch-up events. Bonus features include a private, password-secured Wi-Fi network and the presence of outlets. Their washroom is designed in an equally tasteful manner: cartoon wall art was found covering one segment while the standard toilet paper coil apparatus was swapped for a sleeker Ionic column-like design. The two hooks on the back of the door also proved bag- and shopper-friendly.

I had a few inquiries about the Korean lettering on the walls: the phrase near the entrance is a romanization of "Korean dessert cafe" while the placemats are adorned with colourful translations of "Snow Time". Considering that I'm not completely fluent in the language as yet, I decided to merely observe and tack these wall prints to the back of my mind for future studies.

We planned for our departure to take place just after 5:00 pm. Despite the chilly weather and dimmed evening sky, I felt no urge whatsoever to surrender the comfort of Brown and cozy atmosphere of the Korean cafe for dinner.
To be completely honest, I was relishing in the experience during the entire journey back. Candidly speaking, I still am.

Below is a display of the items acquired on this Pacific Mall excursion. (Notice the obvious absence of GOT7's Turbulence album.)

Broadcast had tagged a hefty $36.99 tag onto the silver boxes, meaning that purchasing more than one copy would automatically propel the bill into the eighty-dollar range. Swallowing hard, I reluctantly placed the album back into its original location and made a vow to visit Sarah and Tom's for the sake of multiplied savings.

I didn't leave without first purchasing ASTRO's "Autumn story" though.

Rookie groups are difficult to immerse oneself into when an established group (such as GOT7) is the immediate contender for love and support. However, ASTRO has caught my attention numerous times throughout the year, leading to progressively stronger interest in their productions and activities.

Their appearance in We Got Married and Jinjin's feature in Eric Nam's summer single garnered undeniable interest.