Out & About #476 | Partial August Visuals - Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger

Out & About #476 | Partial August Visuals

8/12/2018

Has the city appeared more attractive since my return from the States? Not exactly.
But one thing is certain: The environment is nowhere near as repulsive (in comparison). The stifling sensation has been swapped for a liberating ambience.

Returning to the daunting reality of a newly-emptied wallet (as well as pending GOT7 comeback and looming deadline for DAY6 world tour tickets), regularly social outings have been promptly severed until economic replenishment has been obtained. (Civic long weekend was my only exception.)

In the meantime, I've been keeping busy with occasional North York runs over lunch break and all-too-frequent bubble tea excursions.

1) CoCo has revamped the Bubble Gaga formula by adding crunchy, tangy passionfruit seeds. While I grimaced at all of One Zo's concoctions that contained this element, CoCo's sweeter, less obnoxious version was readily digested.
2) Sidewalk train sighting at Shops at Don Mills
3) Early mornings equate to pre-packed breakfasts and lunches. This can refer to the classic Costco granola bar or caramel/strawberry jam sandwiches.

4) I've officially persuaded orangecane into the Nature Melon Lemon clan! One Zo's Spring Tea series, though, is less worthy of a mention.

5) Bake Code's newest release of a Crème Caramel Japanese Cheesecake has proven itself an interesting hybrid.

The cake is comprised of two layers: a delicate vanilla flan with a bittersweet surface and a fluffy Japanese cheesecake.

I opted for two slices instead of the 50-dollar whole cake, and was quite dismayed to see that the layers had detached almost nearly by the time I had reached home. Storage wasn't the issue here - mind you - since the carrying case has been sandwiched between two sturdy objects and further placed in a rigid, plastic bin.

With sufficient time inside a cooling device - aka refrigerator - the layers somehow managed to re-solidify, though the components demanded fragile handling nonetheless.

The top layer was soothing and sweet with discernible notes of vanilla, while the bottom was cheesy, slightly savoury, and ever-so-porous. Together, the creation was an intriguing amalgamation of gentle textures and complementing flavours. Consuming the portions separately enabled customers to embrace the cheesiness of the soufflé cheesake layer, while adjusting the portion of crème caramel consumed along with it.

It was a decently-priced specimen for its size and degree of crafting expertise. That said, I do not believe that I will be purchasing this product as the price tag for an individual slice is quite high ($4.50 before tax); the return on gustatory satisfaction would also be greater.

6) EAT BKK
Seemingly a part of a series of Thai street eateries, Eat BKK adopts a similar menu to Jatujak on Victoria Park.

For a particularly long day out, I decided to replicate my order at Jatujak for takeout: Tom Kha with Chicken and a Thai Iced Tea. The pickup was scheduled for 12:40 PM, but my order had yet to prepared even when I pulled into the immensely narrow parking lot. Entering and exiting plaza is a nightmare, and the limit of one parking spot per business only worked to complicate this matter further.

The thought of ordering a side of coconut Rice had completely went over my head, so I ended up departing with a cup of too-sweet Thai Tea and small plastic container of mild coconut milk-based soup. Eat BKK's Thai Tea was, without a doubt, authentic; however, while the unique spice blend was evident, the beverage was excessively watery instead of milky and smooth. The Tom Kha exhibited similar problems with consistency, in spite of being loaded with the wonderful flavours of lemongrass, coconut milk, and gently simmered onion.

The establishment is microscopic and parking is meager, so be sure to reserve in advance and carpool if intending on dining in. For takeout orders, a 10% discount is offered to those paying with cash. I, unfortunately, was unable to take advantage of this promotion as plastic cards are my preferred method of payment.

7) Palgong Tea

The aforementioned payment situation occurred with One Zo one day, so I had no choice but to depart with empty hands (even while my heart ached for a Brown Sugar Dirty Matcha Latte). I crossed the street to Palgong instead, where I knew their $2.99 Original Milk Tea would not fail me.
Interesting it was how the strength of their brew matched the tackiness of their selected milk powder. This is neither a positive nor negative remark, mind you. Tapioca pearls here were softer than that of One Zo, but bore a distinct, sweet chewiness.

Noteworthy was Palgong's efficient service - an aspect I greatly appreciated while on a time crunch.

8) Friday things along York Mills

9) Unsurprisingly, I snatched two of Laneige's limited edition Lip Sleeping Mask flavours within hours of the online drop.

10) An eyelash studio in Langham Place was found to be stashed with fake LINE decals and real Brown plushies.

11) Window shopping randoms at Markville (Where was my Salted Caramel Cold Brew though?!)

12) Lab Sense is ostensibly the most ladylike nitrogen ice cream establishment ever.

13) More food visuals: $1.99 Honey Butter chips at Miniso, ridiculously overpriced Oreo O's, and a Black Dragon Roll from Tokyo Sushi in the H Mart food court

14) Mom's Kitchen

Quite possibly the worst Korean food we've tasted to date, Mom's Kitchen in Langham Place won't be an eatery we're willing to return to.

The restaurant was essentially empty during weekend peak lunch hours, which should have been our first clue that Google Maps had failed to locate a qualifying jjajngmyeon dish. Prompt service and password-secured Wi-Fi network were the only two positive features of the establishment.

We could have easily done without America's Got Talent blaring on the screen near the kitchen, or the dimness/questionable cleanliness of the bathrooms. Above all, we could have done without the lurching stomach pains we received after a solid portion of our meals had been ingested.

The jjangmyeon was a messy dish that did not incorporate the ingredients (nor flavours) of the original Korean recipe. Egg noodles replaced the standard wheat noodles adopted by most eateries, while a dark blend of clammy, bland sauce rested on top, gradually sinking to the bottom of the noodle pile due to slickness. Yellow radish had not been provided either.

Galbitang was far more revolting, if imaginable. A single spoonful of the broth confirmed the identical profile used in instant noodle packages. Gross.

Side dishes were average at best, and while the bathroom stalls were equipped with sufficient toiletries, they weren't the cleanest. Mom's Kitchen proved economic, but no amount justified the horrendous after-effects of consuming their frightful fare.

15) A hybrid hair salon/beauty parlour/skincare retailer by the name of MOSS Beauty has now opened in the First Markham Place plaza. The boutique's range of products spanned Korean sheet masks, Japanese fragrances, and several high-end skincare lines.