Following the nerve-wrecking fiasco that was ticket sales for the upcoming Eyes On You World Tour, I can finally bring myself to discuss a few select other happenings throughout the week.
In case you were wondering, I utterly FAILED in securing a P1 ticket, and ultimately ended up purchasing backup P2 tickets - two tickets, in fact. Thankfully, not all hope was lost as a certain potato was subjected to ridiculous luck and managed to obtain P1 spots for every U.S. stop. (Let the NYC trip planning begin!)
In case you were wondering, I utterly FAILED in securing a P1 ticket, and ultimately ended up purchasing backup P2 tickets - two tickets, in fact. Thankfully, not all hope was lost as a certain potato was subjected to ridiculous luck and managed to obtain P1 spots for every U.S. stop. (Let the NYC trip planning begin!)
When I dropped by the Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo last weekend, my sole purpose was to obtain matcha powder from Momo Tea. A delayed shipment led me to her online shop, where my order was processed in the blink of an eye.
Matsu and Take pouches arrived on my doorstep less 24 hours after the package had been shipped out. In its accompaniment was an elegant bag of melt-in-your-mouth candies.
Thank you Momo Tea!!
Thank you Momo Tea!!
SU&BU, a fad eatery which I had taken the liberty of trying out upon Union Juice's closure, has made its way into Mississauga's largest shopping centre. Tucked away in a corner across from Dollarama instead of exposed to food court crowds, one would need to hunt for signs in order to spot the newcomer.
Their most popular item, the Sushi Burger, had been sold out during my downtown travels last year, so it seemed only reasonable to try it out. The OG Poké bowl was also requested. Both were intended as takeout dishes, in spite of the available seating in the vicinity.
Their most popular item, the Sushi Burger, had been sold out during my downtown travels last year, so it seemed only reasonable to try it out. The OG Poké bowl was also requested. Both were intended as takeout dishes, in spite of the available seating in the vicinity.
My order was delivered to me in less than ten minutes - an appropriate wait time given off-peak weekday traffic and the quick-service nature of the establishment. However, this aside, there is little else to commend the franchise for.
Three to four members of staff worked the prepare orders; the only female member, in particular, seemed to focus on delivering items to the customer at the end of the ingredient bar.
Three to four members of staff worked the prepare orders; the only female member, in particular, seemed to focus on delivering items to the customer at the end of the ingredient bar.
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Rarely did I observe her involvement in the handling of ingredients, yet the paper bag that was handed to me was absolutely revolting. Sauce stains, remnants of smushed avocado, and other questionable orange components stared me in the face. The bottom of the bag was greasy and sticky at the same time, posing a threat to the overall cleanliness of my vehicle.
Not a single plastic bag was provided for ease of handling, convenience, nor sake of sanity. Utensils, napkins, and the like were found at the end of the ingredient bar, without so much as a "It's right there. You can get it yourself." lazily uttered for guidance.
Not a single plastic bag was provided for ease of handling, convenience, nor sake of sanity. Utensils, napkins, and the like were found at the end of the ingredient bar, without so much as a "It's right there. You can get it yourself." lazily uttered for guidance.
I had made grand efforts to ensure safe transport of the two orders. Upon reaching home, though, the paper bag proved no longer resilient enough to withstand the weight of the two items. As depicted above, a nasty tear propagated from the side, endangering the munch-ability of its contents. For reference, lifting forces originated from the top of the bag only; another hand was used to support the base of the bag. This case clearly proves the unreliability of using flimsy paper bags as carrying devices, especially given the weightiness of the contained items.
As if this wasn't frustrating enough of an occurrence, I unveiled the contents of the paper bag to be equally disgusting, if not to an even greater extent. Neither the Sushi Burger box had escaped half-hearted handling, nor the plastic container filled with the OG Poké.
It was beyond all reasoning how such a tremendous amount of greasiness and smashed ingredients could find their way onto each and every time that had come in contact with the food preparation assembly line AND failed to be cleaned off prior to the final hand-off. Germaphobe or not, this is an immensely grotesque sight to witness.
It was beyond all reasoning how such a tremendous amount of greasiness and smashed ingredients could find their way onto each and every time that had come in contact with the food preparation assembly line AND failed to be cleaned off prior to the final hand-off. Germaphobe or not, this is an immensely grotesque sight to witness.
As neither disposable container could be handled without grimacing, both were placed into the sink in fear of random particles being shed.
The Sushi Burger comprised of two stale, deep-fried rice patties - a blend of soggy white rice and bland purple grains - a ridiculous portion of seaweed salad, shredded carrot and cabbage, and a tiny scoop of marinated salmon chunks. Not only was SU&BU's signature creation a hassle to remove from its box, its dryness and disappointing ingredient proportions had me questioning whether it was even worth half of its ten-dollar price tag.
The OG Poké was, sadly, even worse. The entire bowl was submerged in a tangy, synthetic mango-like drizzle with prominent punches of chili - one could describe the mess as sauce overload. The same seaweed salad made an appearance in the bowl, along with browning avocado, limp cubes of fish, kale, and unfitting shreds of coconut. The underlying base of purple and white rice was warm and mushy, but the worst part of all was the gag-worthy helping of sauce.
The Sushi Burger comprised of two stale, deep-fried rice patties - a blend of soggy white rice and bland purple grains - a ridiculous portion of seaweed salad, shredded carrot and cabbage, and a tiny scoop of marinated salmon chunks. Not only was SU&BU's signature creation a hassle to remove from its box, its dryness and disappointing ingredient proportions had me questioning whether it was even worth half of its ten-dollar price tag.
The OG Poké was, sadly, even worse. The entire bowl was submerged in a tangy, synthetic mango-like drizzle with prominent punches of chili - one could describe the mess as sauce overload. The same seaweed salad made an appearance in the bowl, along with browning avocado, limp cubes of fish, kale, and unfitting shreds of coconut. The underlying base of purple and white rice was warm and mushy, but the worst part of all was the gag-worthy helping of sauce.
The fish wasn't fresh, and neither was the avocado. SU&BU had taken no shortcuts to attempt to conceal these aspects. At $9.99 for a Sushi Burger and $12.99 for a bowl of fake freshness, the prices are atrociously steep without a shred of justification.
Do yourself a favour - take your poké business elsewhere, preferably to Mi'Hito.
Do yourself a favour - take your poké business elsewhere, preferably to Mi'Hito.
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As spring finally rounded the corner with open arms, my favourite fangirl and I took advantage of the warm (yet still breezy) weather to indulge in icy treats from Tsujiri.
I also proposed a brisk walk through Port Credit, where an impromptu decision was made to obtain garlic bread from Papa Giuseppe's. (They were scrumptious - I'll have you know!)
I also proposed a brisk walk through Port Credit, where an impromptu decision was made to obtain garlic bread from Papa Giuseppe's. (They were scrumptious - I'll have you know!)
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Recently, a number of fellow food enthusiasts took to Kensington to validate the fluffiness of Toronto's first soufflé pancake cafe, Hanabusa. I have yet to drag myself down to the core, and will certainly refrain from doing so until my financial situation improves (read: post-ticketing war wounds heal).
On the other hand, I remain interested by the approach taken to create these airy, cotton-like mounds. A recipe was sourced from the World Wide Web and followed with extreme precision.
On the other hand, I remain interested by the approach taken to create these airy, cotton-like mounds. A recipe was sourced from the World Wide Web and followed with extreme precision.
This guideline from Chopstick Chronicles was a neat introduction to the world of soufflé pancakes. At the same time, its yield contained an excessive amount of sugar, a heavy, flour-filled aftertaste, and an overall dullness. Modifications for the better should be made.
Garnishes of icing sugar, crushed Oreo O's, and fresh fruit actually proved more satisfying than expected. The lasting touches were labour-intensive (and a tad time-consuming), though a spectacle to witness. I can't quite commit to this recipe yet, however. Room for improvement remains.
Garnishes of icing sugar, crushed Oreo O's, and fresh fruit actually proved more satisfying than expected. The lasting touches were labour-intensive (and a tad time-consuming), though a spectacle to witness. I can't quite commit to this recipe yet, however. Room for improvement remains.
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