Out & About #529 | Partial February Visuals - Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger

Out & About #529 | Partial February Visuals

2/16/2019

The first day of the month hit me with a wake-up call, in the most literal sense thinkable.
Whatever poor feasting decisions I've committed in the past cannot continue. I am no longer a young soul, thus my actions are tied to specific consequences. Taking note of others' unhealthy habits is something I do frequently and naturally. It's high time to commence the process of rectifying my own.

Let the journey to health begin!!
Or, as I'd like to rephrase it: The 豬年唔再做豬大作戦.

1) Congee to soothe an enervated digestive system
2) A Matcha Almond Milk Shake (made disppointing as a result of low-grade matcha)
3) Offsetting winter blues with a colourful lunch bowl

4) Honey Butter Chips - the "Winter Warmers" Edition
Sadly, the Caramel Almond flavour falls short of both the Original and Maple editions.

5) White Cake with Peaches
The consequence of utilizing all the yolks in the fridge for custard, and then overheating said custard to a runny disaster, is a White Cake. In other words, it is a cake constructed with egg whites and devoid of yolks.

A tad stiffer than a traditional cake, it is important to glaze the surface with sugar syrup and pair it with a fat-heavy counterpart to supplement moisture and flavour. (Mind you that I had combined the ingredients in the incorrect order, causing large, non-uniform air bubbles to appear in the batter.)

Seeing as this was not a successful cake execution, the recipe shall not be making its way over to What I Make until perfected and finalized.

6) Gifts from Korea from a fangirl that knows my inner desires all too well

Jinyoung and skincare goodies galore!

7) Sora Sushi
A tiny spot located in the same plaza as Foodie North, Sora Sushi isn't a spot one would normally stumble upon without prior knowledge of its existence.

According to Yelp, its takeout salmon orders were well received. Our to-go request included: PD-5. Sushi, Maki Roll, and Sashimi Party Tray and R-44. Black Dragon. The former was a 36-piece assortment of California rolls, salmon maki, salmon sashimi, and assorted nigiri. As reviewers had stated, the salmon sashimi was, indeed, amazing. Moreover, they had been presented in ridiculously thick cuts. The remainder of the party tray was less impressive, however. The tuna nigiri, in particular, featured the same dark ring observed at Inatei, much to my dismay.

The Black Dragon Roll was extremely compact given its $13.95 price tag. Though tasty overall, the tempura was on the soggy side while the unagi was limp.
It is also worth mentioning that the pickled pink ginger had been chopped so fine that they were akin to scraps.

I will likely return for Sora's salmon sashimi, but be steering clear of their more "innovative" productions.

8) Please Drink Thai Tea
This bagged loose leaf blend of the ever-coveted spiced black tea is owed to a very kind Thai ahgase. Obtained during her travels in Thailand, the brand is supposedly the nation's most popular.

And it isn't difficult to see why: even just snipping off a small corner from the top gave release to a wonderful, fantasy-like aroma. The hue is truly vibrant, while the boldness is striking.

While I'm still in the midst of perfecting my Thai Tea recipe, this brew has acted as my admission ticket to the world of authentic cha yen (ชาเย็น).

9) Revisiting Shuyi
The highlight of my second visit to the Mississauga location was, without a doubt, Royal No. 1. Creamy with just the right amount of sweetness, the milk tea was unique in that included Black Brick Jelly - a housemade specialty crafted from black sugar.

Also visited this time around was the bathroom: a dim, not-so-pristine single stall with a diaper-changing station but no door hooks.

10) The GTA was unable to escape Mother Nature's ice attack. Four days after the freezing rain blast, I was finally able to rid all the ice blocks from the driveway. (Did I mention they averaged four to five inches in thickness???)