Out & About #412 | Light Café + Little Pebbles (Round 6)

​To be frank, I'm not convinced I had embraced the charcoal trend as strongly as other Torontonians had. It appeared nothing more than a fad ingredient, and I forsaw it as a trend that would fade as quickly as diet trends.

Light Café was amongst the very first establishments to embrace the supposedly popular "goth theme" by debuting heart-shaped charcoal/sesame waffles. Neither a fan of long lines nor ridiculously overpriced desserts, there was no sense of urgency in trying out this concealed spot on Baldwin. Not until it was brought up in conversation as one of the spots I hadn't tried, anyway.

The storefront of the Taiwanese import was composed entirely of glass, which allowed for improved illumination for tables situated near the front. It also provided a clear view of the outside world and its changeful climate conditions. 
A region of artificial shrubbery lined one wall, while dimly-lit booth seats were found along the opposite wall. Exposed light bulbs in geometric fixtures hung from above, casting orange glare spots on the marble (faux marble?) tables underneath and further highlighting areas of griminess.

Menus adopted the form of a clipboard - similar to Menami's but in a slightly more pristine state. The presentation was colourful, and its prices were in line with the document directly linked from their website. On the downside, it quickly grew tiring to flip through the pages - options were vast, and the individual listings made it difficult to compare dishes without scanning back and forth.

​Eventually, we settled on the Pulled Pork Croissant, Philly Steak Croissant, and a pot of White Peach Oolong Tea for sharing.
Stout water glasses had been provided initially, and a basket of utensils and napkins followed upon ordering.

​Two staff members were served us during the visit: a lean girl clad in black, and a male in a training jacket. The girl was prompt in her actions but otherwise undeserving of praise. No attempts were made to conceal her attitude, nor had any shred of effort been exerted in maintaining a friendly, approachable demeanour.
The male, in contrast, showed genuine willingness to assist in requests and upheld a friendly appearance. Actually, I found him to appear familiar at times. It was only later than I realized his resemblance to Crush.

​Both croissants were presented on a small, rectangular wooden serving board; adorned on one of their corners was the café's logo.
Two containers of fruit salad and spring mix accompanied the croissants. Consisting of diced green apples, pineapple chunks, several pieces of bruised red apple, and a few orange segments drizzled in lemon juice, I hesitate to term it "fruit salad" at all, for it was neither impressive in presentation nor taste. Minimal effort was required to prepare this side, making it ridiculously easy to replicate at home (or even prepare a version comprised of more complex flavours).

​​The spring mix was bitter; the additions of radish and canned baby corn failed to add any depth of flavour. On the side was a pitcher of Yuzu salad dressing, for I had requested it to be included separately. At its surface were suspicious-looking oil bubbles - an atypical characteristic of citrus-based dressings. The profile was more reminiscent of a greasy ponzu than refreshing yuzu. Nonetheless, it helped to curb the bitterness of the greens.

​Spiced pulled pork, a trail of mayonnaise, a dark leaf of lettuce, and sour cabbage filled the Pulled Pork Croissant. The pulled pork did not exhibit extreme toughness, but was average at best; in its defense, the gentle kick was a nice, unexpected touch. Sour cabbage was an odd alternative to pickles, and I can't say I preferred the traditional Taiwanese element more in this context.
The croissant was flaky though devoid of the comforting, buttery aroma witnessed at other establishments. Similarities can be drawn to duo's creations, except that Light Café's were more vulnerable to small movements, exhibited greater rigidity, and did not have the capability to envelop its constituents.

​All other factors aside, the most frustrating aspect of the meal lay with the actual consumption process. Given the compactness of the serving board, the delicacy of the croissants, and the unproportioned filling to croissant ratio, it was impossible to slice the specimen without yielding an abnoxious crumb-filled scene, thus spurring a reflex in my germaphobic ways. The entire ordeal honestly took away from the enjoyment of the dish.

The Philly Cheesesteak Croissant was similar in all categories with the exception of fillings. A shockingly yellow viscous cheese sauce had been ladelled atop a pile of beef slices, with little grace if I must add. Admittedly, the item was a few notches tastier than the Pulled Pork, but nonetheless a pain to secure a slice from.

Amusingly enough, the White Peach Oolong Tea was probably the highlight of the meal.
The leaves exuded a soothing, sweet fragrance whilst mid-brew, though any hints of Oolong could not be distinguished during consumption. Contrary to its name, the base notes leaned more towards floral than fruity. Nonetheless, it was a refreshing blend that aided in clearing one's palate between bites of crumbly croissant.

Two individual washroom stalls were located at the back of the eatery. Endorsing a black-and-white theme, the walls had been painted a cool white and black Cintas apparatus had been chosen. (Even the toilet itself was black!) A single hook could be found on the back of the door, just above tarnishing in the form of scrapes and grey markings. Cleanliness was kept at a bare minimum.

​All in all, Light Café seemed to focus heavily on the aesthetics of dining and food presentation, but less on the quality of items and convenience of diners. The meals were far from economic - the Philly Steak Croissant and Pulled Pork Croissant rang in at $13.50 and $12.95 respectively - yet the execution was downright disappointing. Needless to say, I was prompted to take my dessert cravings elsewhere.

Elsewhere in Kensington, specifically at a tried-and-true location.

​Newest to Little Pebbles' incredible range of pastries is the Matcha Strawberry Mille Feuille. The dessert had not been available at our time of arrival, so it had initially occurred to me that the item had sold out early.
Fortunately, this was not the case; it was relayed that assembly preparations were currently in process, and that the wait time averaged a mere five minutes.

​A seasonal special of Black Lavender Tea Latte was chosen as the beverage pick of the day. Depicted as a "heanvenly combination of black tea and lavender", I retained high expectations for a floral-laced tea latte that simultaneously boasted the bold depth of black tea.
I requested for the beverage to be unsweetened, as the Mille Feuille would likely reside on the sugary side. The resulting product featured a substantial layer of silky, frothed milk, while its body was aromatic and toasty. Regrettably though, I was unable to taste - or smell - any hints of the delicate purple flower.

​Within a few minutes, the Matcha Strawberry Mille Feuille was delivered personally to us with a beaming smile. Apparently, we were the first customers to request the new menu item - an exclusive honour if I do say so myself.

The layered creation was a masterpiece to behold: meticulously arranged between three layers of golden puff pastry were finely chopped strawberry segments, dollops of matcha custard, and fine mounds of vanilla crème pâtissière. A light dusting of matcha powder and powdered sugar topped its surface.

​Quite the spectacle to lay eyes on, I was utterly captivated by its beauty and intricate assembly to the point where it felt a shame to pry apart the flaky ends. In all honesty, the dessert was a nightmare to consume, for embedded within the extreme flakiness was a soft rigidity, which deformed under axial pressure though without snapping. This consequently caused the viscous custard cream to squeeze out laterally, ultimately creating a mess too large for the serving plate to withhold.

​Consumption struggles aside, the flavours of the dessert were innovative and well deserving of mention. The velvety vanilla crème pâtissière was as fragrant as could be without excessive sweetness, while the matcha custard was smooth and delicious. Personally speaking, increased bitterness would have provided a greater distinction between the layers, though it was enjoyable nonetheless.
The puff pastry layers were on the drier side, however the addition of fresh strawberries supplemented moisture while contributing to a refreshing twist.
​
Had I had not consumed the rigid monstrosity of a croissant during lunchtime, I would have likely found greater joy in enjoying the remainder of the golden pastry layers. Consuming a similar specimen almost instantly afterwards, though, was admittedly overwhelming; a greater ratio of custard to puff pastry may have been the more ideal approach.

The remainder of the day was allocated towards fulfilling errands around Eaton, for which a short trek through Chinatown was needed.

​Whichever way I was headed, advertisements for Kusama's Infinity Mirrors glared me in the face, almost as if they were taunting me for failing to nab online tickets despite the ticketing experience I've accumulated over the years for various K-Pop concerts.

Ong, is that YOU?!

​New to Toronto's largest shopping centre was a two-floor Samsung shop that not only featured the latest gadgets from the Korean brand, but also included a repair shop and seating area on the upper level.

Here, I was able to check out an assortment of accessories as well as ask for recommendations on my ancient smartphone. Its convenient location across from UNIQLO was a huge bonus!

My final stop of the day was Pilot Coffee, which had moved from its pop-up style counter in the Great Hall to a physical shop in the lower level of Union Station.

Consistently meeting my standards for high-quality, grab-and-go treats, I opted for a unique-sounding Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie this time around. Chocolatey, crunchy, and absolutely scrumptious, it was a surefire way to wrap up the brief excursion on a positive note.

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