Out & About #609 | Unagi Dolsot Bibimbap, Skating + Dave & Buster's

There are those that rarely leave their hibernation zone even at the allure of their favourite restaurant. In my case, it isn't food but rather the promise of a visit to Playdium or The Rec Room. Because games and friendly competition never fail to make for an enjoyable time.

"You busy today?"
"One is never 'too busy' for Rec Room" I cocked an eyebrow while submitting my response.

Prior to arcade games was dinner at Onnuri, complete with my chauffeur of the evening urging makgeolli intake.
It was apparent that few diners ordered the rice wine, for it separated several times over the course of the meal. Moreoever, neither the traditional Stainless steel tea pot nor drinking bowls were provided to us. Ceramic tea cups were utilized instead.

​We took to Ttedokmandu-guk and Unagi Dolsot Bibimbap, otherwise known as Man Doo Hyang and Hub's respective specialties. The latter was oddly delightful, even in the face of the uptown contender's more superior rendition. Despite being egg-less, sesame oil-less, and tobiko-less, it fared far better than expected of the Korean comfort food joint.​

​My chauffeur had been more than generous in bringing along a pair of old skates for me to use, while also lacing me up and steadying the numerous rounds along civic centre grounds. 

Amusing was the very fact that I, as a local resident, hadn't ever completed a lap here in my two-point-five decades of existence, whereas the out-of-towner had glided across on more occasions than able to be recalled. I was thankful for the experience, for my last time donning skates was likely five years prior at Nathan Philips.

The same soul was also one to advocate The Alley, and, in particular, the chain's Brown Sugar Ginger Roasted Milk Tea. In retrospect, the specific beverage was quite comforting on a chilly day. Though, the same cannot be said for other members of the drink roster.​

​A handful of tweaks later, here is batch 2 (or is it batch 3?) of my edition of Thai Milk Tea!

The formula is more concentrated than that of orangecane's, but nonetheless delicious when injected with the appropriate dosage of sweetened condensed milk.

Other munchies of the week included the arduous Houjicha Crêpe Cake, which sadly showed signs of swelling and pastry cream absorption over time, and a few cans of seasonal craft beer. 
Waterloo Brewing never disappoints, and their Raspberry Radler was a solid example of such. On the other hand, Granville Island Brewing's Lions Winter Ale succumbed to poor execution in spite of being depicted as a divine, chocolatey delicacy.

​A cheesy frozen pizza was deployed to solve cooking woes; a kale-ginger-soy smoothie acted a fast detoxing agent.

​Wonderland's Winterfest had long made my list of to-gos for the holiday season, and I had initially been determined to venture out over opening weekend. Schedule conflicts arose and the group activity was pushed to early December - the very same day that coincided with a GTA-wide freezing rain storm. Plans were postponed yet again, this time to the end of the month. It was closing weekend.

Of course, the group decided to move it once more - to the final day of operation - out of fear for another freezing rain shower. Out of concern for previously scheduled plans, however, I opted to ride solo to meet one quarter of our group instead.
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Alas, the park was CLOSED. I was convinced that Mother Nature had deemed it not be.​

The Woodbridge local offered to take me around the neighbourhood as redemption. We unanimously agreed on refunding our tickets, then proceeded to explore the area. LEGOLAND at Vaughan Mills was first.

The shopping centre had undergone quite a number of changes since my last visit in elementary school. That said, it very much remained an indoor outlet mall, even more so than Toronto Premium Outlets. Heavy traffic volumes and tardy customer service made for a lethargic visit, so we bid our farewells to the crowded corridors just as the doors were closing.

​Next was Dave & Buster's - my suggestion, obviously.

​The restaurant-arcade complex was unmistakably pricier than Playdium and The Rec Room, and furthermore was not associated with any loyalty system (such as SCENE).
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Housing the entirety of the spread from the aforementioned entertainment establishments, D&B was also in possession of never-before-seen attractions such as Guitar Hero, Spiderman Homecoming, Sonic the Hedgehog Olympics, the original four-way Dance Dance Revolution, as well as festival classics such as ring tosses. Most of the these games were grouped by twos and fours for ease of battling. Several also featured stools such that players could rest their feet (or their winter jackets).

​Menu items didn't seem to diverge from typical overpriced pub fare, so we opted for McDonald's instead. Although a splendid choice for large family gatherings with restless children, Dave & Buster's did not offer a selection economic enough for my needs.

​We ended evening with a Big Mac, McChicken, fries (complimentary of the Raptors), a Skor McFlurry, and a duo of cookies. Little did I know this assortment, in conjunction with the less-than-healthy meals consumed prior, was gradually contributing to the collapse of my immune system.

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