Out & About #60 | Winter Hangouts #5: Pacific Mall + Green Grotto

Involving a thorough day of busing, eating and shopping, the trip to Pacific Mall was quite eventful to say in the least.

The first thing that caught my eye after debarking from the GO bus at Finch Station was this hot dog stand. The vivid hue of the mobile food service enabled it to stand out from its dull, grey surroundings. Word has it that it used to be Henry's go-to place before he left for SM, making it a serious must-see (aka 'tourist attraction') for K-Pop fans.

Pigeons also seemed to enjoy lurking the ticket area, especially the bike racks, which can evidently be seen encrusted in their feces.

In order to get to Pacific Mall, a ride via route 53 of the TTC was needed. Contradicting the statements on their website though, the service in fact did not issue transfers from the GO bus to the TTC, and so another $3.00 had to be paid to board. Strangely enough, there was no proof of payment required (ie. a receipt or ticket) whatsoever.

We arrived at Pacific Mall around noon and headed upstairs toward the food court. Majority of the stores in the mall had just begun to open, giving off the feeling that the entire building was just waking up.

Previously, I had requested a sandwich to be made using waffles instead of a regular bun at Nicola's Cafe. This time around, I decided to try the Croque Monsieur, but just with ordinary toasted slices of bread.

The cheese was perfectly stringy, and the sandwich had been left inside the sandwich press for a good few minutes to allow it to fully crisp up.
While waiting, I observed that a chef from the booth across was making noodles (- and might I add, making them rather loudly). Though I was unable to capture the process in its entirety, watching him form rope-like rolls of dough and then proceeding to slam them into the working surface was quite an entertaining way to pass time.

Like Markville, the bubble tea places were also having limited time BOGO deals.

I also discovered that Presotea had expanded its menu quite extensively.

Since my last trip down the Korean beauty lane, there seem to be two new additions: It's Skin and Myeongdong Beauty.

While I did spot a few locations while in Hong Kong in the summer, I don't believe I made any purchases at It's Skin. Already having checked other stores for hand masks, I was devastated that this store also happened to be sold out. What remained were foot peels and nail masks, thus I decided to invest in those for the time being.

Myeondong Beauty is hidden in one of the middle aisles, much like Tony Moly and Missha. The store mainly carries Etude House products and is considerably up-to-date in terms of new items. It also features brands such as Banila & co.

Although I did not purchase from them this time, this shall act as a reminder that The Face Shop and Multi Brand are other potential stops for your Korean Beauty needs (...and wants).

Other visuals from the trip included snack shops, phone accessory stores, and random sightings.

Here's another interesting thing about Pacific Mall: I always happen to bump into someone I know every single time I'm out with a friend! This time was no exception - I bumped into a group of my friends before we headed up for egg waffles and proceeded to leave for Green Grotto.

Taking route 53 back to Warden, we walked to Green Grotto as light flurries began to occur.

(Please note: the full album can be viewed HERE.)

There weren't many tables left when we arrived. Thankfully, we got the last table for four, enabling each of us to comfortably place the results of our retail therapy beside us. The lighting conditions weren't as optimal as I had hoped, but the warm-toned decor and large windows provided for a satisfactory background.

We were still too full to try any of the food, but the drinks were great. Our server was also extremely friendly, taking the pressure off our shoulders from being indecisive.

I decided that it would be wise to leave the cafe within 2 hours, as transfer tickets would expire after that. However, once we boarded the 53 back to Finch, we were told that we had to pay AGAIN in order to travel back, as our previous ticket only permitted transferring to three specific bus stops...in the same direction on the same bus route. This was news to me as the two hour grace period permits both eastbound and westbound travel and transfers on any bus when using the PRESTO system on Miway buses. The fact that a total of $10 (in CASH - ie. the MOST TIME-CONSUMING and INEFFICIENT of paying on public transit) had to be spent solely on busing was just extremely frustrating for me. Needless to say, I will NOT be taking the TTC buses ever again. I would rather opt to travel via YRT even if it would require more time; there are so many issues with the TTC that makes me wonder how locals use this without undergoing a daily dose of utmost annoyance.

That aside, we sprinted for the express bus when we finally reach Finch Station, only to watch it pull away as we arrived at the stop, heaving. Thankfully though, we were able to make the last bus of the hour and return home to the city of well-organized, efficient public transportation systems in one piece.

Purchases of the day include two boxes of peeling liquid, smartphone table props, a magenta tablet case, and various masks.

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