Out & About #576 | Partial August Visuals Feat. Ice Q (Round 4)

​Indoor rock climbing was observed to be a trend since the first quarter of this year - "Suddenly everyone was scaling a wall", as artist Dami Lee calls it. Another observation was the general shift to a healthier lifestyle amongst my immediate circle. Gym memberships, yoga studios, and sore muscles were key words that rapidly infiltrated daily conversation.

I'm rarely one to enjoy perspiring in the presence of others, with the exception of badminton, so it took quite a while before my favourite fangirl could convince me to take advantage of her gym's one-time day pass. Truthfully, it sparked due to over-indulgence the day prior by means of boozy brunch at Pray Tell and devilishly decadent stuffed cookies from The Night Baker.

​We stayed for a solid four hours, then hunger hit. When the nearby Freshco denied me of a readymade salad, I turned to foodora. A limited-time voucher prompted a late lunch at Basil Box; featured on the side is a refreshing, albeit slightly sugary, Pomegranate Mojito, which is retailing for two dollars till the end of summer.

One dollar Iced Coffees from McD's are a godsend. Even more so are the customization options; my go-to is: no liquid sugar and substituting milk for cream.

​Outtakes from the aforementioned downtown excursion can be found below as well.

Resuming our routine format:
1) Homemade Cold Brew from my favourite fangirl (and her gifted pack of Albuquerque beans)
2) Blueberry and Lavender Honey Butter Chips proved underwhelming in profile, despite their fantastically floral fragrance.

​3) Touring the Hwy 407 Terminal for the first time
4) Danforth GO during the quiet evening hours
5) Turmeric Espresso from Hestia - obtained efficiently with Ritual (Oh, the wonders of technology!!)​

​6) Percy Pig was joined by her friends, Cola Cow and Orange/Raspberry Sheep (unofficial names, by the way), to form Percy & Pals.

7) E.T. was a monumental film in my childhood, and absolutely moving at that.
​8) Chancing by a hobbies store in Vaughan also enabled me to come face-to-face with the rare, gold-plated Pokemon collectibles I had concealed in the depths of my own drawers.

9) Chipotle with orangecane, who, really, didn't serve as much of a munching buddy on the ground that she was "too hungry" and ate first. The Front Street franchise forgot my guac, under-filled the container, and went a bit nutty on the shredded cheese.  However, slack ought to be given where due: the meal was deemed complimentary due to a mishap in their online ordering system.
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10) Progress at the Eglinton Crosstown project, captured at a pedestrian level.

​11) Ice Q

It might seem like I've been visiting this new bingsoo contender quite frequently. Because, well, that's exactly the case.

​As it's nearing mid-August, I desperately wanted to re-visit before their Soft Opening discount diminishes. Initially craving Injeolmi, I hadn't the foggiest idea why I opted for Black Sesame in its place. The decision had been executed on a whim, simply due to the item's positioning on the menu. Mixing two flavours wasn't permitted, so I was prepared to depart the establishment without filling the void.

​But, of course, Ice Q has a way of reinventing themselves every time, consequently reinforcing their status in my heart with each subsequent bowl of bingsoo. Toasted black sesame seeds yielded the finest aroma and most delicate crunch. They had succeeded in elevating the flavour to an altitude I hadn't thought conceivable.
It was a similar feeling to when I first tasted their Strawberry Bingsu, and again when I ordered the Mango on my own sheer will.

Also, the absence of whipped cream was glorifying.