Out & About #479 | ​ Korean Harvest Festival + North York Things

To be frank, the thought of venturing to Mel Lastman Square on a weekend hadn't ever crossed my mind until orangecane brought it up. North York's Korean Harvest Festival and Mississauga's highly anticipated Japanfest happened to be taking place over the same weekend.
We had eagerly agreed to take part in the event on the west end shortly after it was announced, but the festival outside NYCC was another story.

​Two days prior, I had passed by Yonge and Finch and rushed towards CoCo for a Bubble Gaga fix. Sadly, they were still undergoing renovations. I dragged my feet back to the vehicle from which I had hopped out.

At a later point in time on the next day (ie. the day prior), I jumped out in search of Oreo-decked Korean churros from Mr. Chu. A mere two minutes remained until opening time, but the cart's serving window remained shut. The convenience store staff informed me of a delayed opening of 3 PM, due to Korean Harvest Festival preparations.

He suggested we head over to the venue to try our luck. We did, but was told that setup would be ongoing until 5 PM.
Ultimately, I never got my Mr. Chu fix.

​The next day, I arrived bright and early. Festivities were in full swing, with Torontonians gradually filing in.
Galleria's booth had hodo kwaja and kimchi samples on display, along with a wheel of fortune on display, where I succeeded in earning a bag of Honey Butter chips. Free kimbap-making classes were also scheduled for later on in the day.

I didn't sign up though, since a showing of Crazy Rich Asians was awaiting me. Grabbing an Oden Sausage to go, I made one more quick round.
Mr. Chu wasn't open yet. So I filled up my water bottle and sped across the street to Empress Walk.

It's been well over a year since my last visit to the theatre, and my Fabricated City commentary.

Nothing has changed too drastically. I guess my sole regret is that I didn't get to play DDR on this trip

​Personal opinions on the heavily hyped Hollywood production can be found HERE.

By the time the movie had concluded, external conditions had turned unfavourable: It was downpour of despair.

​​Many of the vendors had taken to the insides of their stalls for shelter - and who could blame them? The amount of precipitation was downright dreary. Even the colourful umbrellas fixated on the plastic white tables lost their shine amidst the endless dampness.

​What took place afterwards was a series of unfortunate events, in the most literal way imagineable.

Umbrella-less - and sporting the least rainproof ensemble of all time (ie. a denim jacket) - trekking up to Finch was no longer an option. Picking up a reserved cake from Love Me Sweet's Sheppard location was also on the checklist, so it would be have been unwise to venture far.

​I quickly opted to knock off some previously unexplored spots in the area. First was Pujukan, which had replaced Joons with just one week of speedy renos.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the restaurant had been converted to a Korean BBQ spot that had no intentions of opening their doors until 5:30 PM.

Dazzling Cafe was next. As much as I disliked gimmicky food items, it was close and was sure to offer protection from the rain. Reaching its doors, a grim feeling of frustration hit. The name had been taken down, and a man in workmen attire was scratching away at the storefront decor. The cafe had closed.

​Racking my brain for alternatives, I recalled TTC's new two-hour transfer policy for PRESTO users.
"I could subway to Finch and come back!" It was naive to believe such a plan would succeed. As soon as I passed through the fare gates, the northbound train made its departure. And the next one would be another ten minutes later. Geez.

​My return bus was due to take off in just over an hour. 
I picked up the cake, and promptly gave into the most convenient munching option possible. A Chicken Nuggets Happy Meal at the nearby McDonald's it had to be. And, in case you were wondering, they were the stalest bits of non-chicken I had ever tasted since Burger King. The overly salty fries weren't welcome either.​

​On the plus side, Love Me Sweet's Coffee Cheesecake was delicious. Even after its hiatus, the ever-aromatic blend of coffee and cheesiness remained.

​​Perhaps they had swapped out their old roast for a new one, for this one retained a sour aftertaste - an indication of greater acidity. The formula also proved more moist, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Keep in mind that the Coffee Cheesecake is sold on only on Saturdays, at the two Toronto locations, and by reservation only. The store attendants don't know of their immediate availability either, so phone call confirmations are distributed on the morning of.