These past few weeks have been sufficiently hectic for me; the never-ceasing amounts of assignments, projects, and midterms have definitely contributed to my current state of insomnia, though other factors such as a high-stress level-inducing part-time in customer service have played a significant role as well.
Reading Week flew by in just a blink of an eye, and I was once again confronted with massive amounts of academic responsibilities that I had not been prepared to face just yet. While I am not completely certain if this is a result of disorganization, it would seem as if our profs have only managed to teach one third of our course material in half of a semester. Consequently, they are compensating for the "lack" of workload in the form of numerous, time-consuming assignments, much to the distaste of their students.
That being said, I haven't been whipping out my camera(s) as often as I had originally anticipated, thus making a for a small photo-backlog this time around. Nonetheless, let's see the food pics!
I had developed a massive shawarma craving one day after running errands, instead of returning to Shahi Grill, I decided to try out someplace new: Pita & Grill.
Reading Week flew by in just a blink of an eye, and I was once again confronted with massive amounts of academic responsibilities that I had not been prepared to face just yet. While I am not completely certain if this is a result of disorganization, it would seem as if our profs have only managed to teach one third of our course material in half of a semester. Consequently, they are compensating for the "lack" of workload in the form of numerous, time-consuming assignments, much to the distaste of their students.
That being said, I haven't been whipping out my camera(s) as often as I had originally anticipated, thus making a for a small photo-backlog this time around. Nonetheless, let's see the food pics!
I had developed a massive shawarma craving one day after running errands, instead of returning to Shahi Grill, I decided to try out someplace new: Pita & Grill.
Adopting a cafeteria-style layout, the restaurant was much bigger than it appeared from the outside and approximated between five or six times the size of Shahi Grill.
I had first discovered this location from reading an insauga article some few days earlier, and users had praised this place highly in the comments section. To my disappointment though, it wasn't quite as great as I had hoped.
I had first discovered this location from reading an insauga article some few days earlier, and users had praised this place highly in the comments section. To my disappointment though, it wasn't quite as great as I had hoped.
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My last visit at Shahi Grill took approximately 10-15 minutes, but I had received a foot-long shawarma wrap composed of freshly-grilled meat wrapped in a pita that had just been taken out of the oven.Here, the lady simply grabbed a pita from a plastic bag containing several others and filled it with veggies and meat that had already been prepared and placed in Subway-topping style in stainless steel containers. In order to get the same crispiness though, she then proceeded to put the wrap under what appeared to be a panini press. The whole process (both ordering, paying, and wait time) took a total of 10 minutes.
While I can't say that Pita & Grill is "bad", it definitely does not measure up to Shahi. Pita & Grill is, without a doubt, more competitive in terms of prices and wait-time, but only Shahi is able to produce a frehs, foot-long chicken shawarma worthy of spending my bubble tea funds. (It also happens to be situated at a much more convenient location with parking spots in abundance.)
If I haven't complained about winter enough, well here's another mini-rant on its way.
Even with "Why do I live in a place where the air hurts my face?" memes having circulated for a good couple months now, the cold weather shows no signs of letting up.
We are still dealing with impromptu snowstorms.
We are still dealing with temperatures capable of freezing moist towelettes in a matter of milliseconds.
Worst of all, we are still dealing with deathly strong winds that possess the power to not only penetrate knitted scarves, but also through Roots fleece sweatpants, thus inducing leg numbness while walking through campus.
It has essentially reached the point where a vast amount of hatred for winter weather becomes bottled up the moment I step outside.
While I can't say that Pita & Grill is "bad", it definitely does not measure up to Shahi. Pita & Grill is, without a doubt, more competitive in terms of prices and wait-time, but only Shahi is able to produce a frehs, foot-long chicken shawarma worthy of spending my bubble tea funds. (It also happens to be situated at a much more convenient location with parking spots in abundance.)
If I haven't complained about winter enough, well here's another mini-rant on its way.
Even with "Why do I live in a place where the air hurts my face?" memes having circulated for a good couple months now, the cold weather shows no signs of letting up.
We are still dealing with impromptu snowstorms.
We are still dealing with temperatures capable of freezing moist towelettes in a matter of milliseconds.
Worst of all, we are still dealing with deathly strong winds that possess the power to not only penetrate knitted scarves, but also through Roots fleece sweatpants, thus inducing leg numbness while walking through campus.
It has essentially reached the point where a vast amount of hatred for winter weather becomes bottled up the moment I step outside.
In other news I also visited Chatime for another QQ Milk Tea, adding pudding this time around.
Sadly, the product I received failed to meet the bar I had previously set. The tea wasn't as fragrant as when I experienced it last, nor was the tapioca as soft and chewy. While their teas are unique in nature, it can be observed that the quality isn't always consistent, especially when it becomes busy. I find this to be quite a fatal flaw - the store only had a few more customers than it normally did that day. In contrast, Bubble Republic is able to maintain it standards even when both take-out and dine-in sections are packed.
Sadly, the product I received failed to meet the bar I had previously set. The tea wasn't as fragrant as when I experienced it last, nor was the tapioca as soft and chewy. While their teas are unique in nature, it can be observed that the quality isn't always consistent, especially when it becomes busy. I find this to be quite a fatal flaw - the store only had a few more customers than it normally did that day. In contrast, Bubble Republic is able to maintain it standards even when both take-out and dine-in sections are packed.
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To end this post on the positive note though, I can say that I am become a rather avid "Frequent Steeper". David's Tea has recently released three new flavours of matcha: Mocha Matcha, Mint Matcha, and Vanilla Matcha.
Being the matcha enthusiast that I am, I was immediately intrigued by these hybrid flavours, but was reluctant to invest in them as I was accustomed to the classic taste and wasn't sure how these would fare. The sales assistant, seeing my hesitation, recommended to try the Matcha Single Serves package to try them out.
Being the matcha enthusiast that I am, I was immediately intrigued by these hybrid flavours, but was reluctant to invest in them as I was accustomed to the classic taste and wasn't sure how these would fare. The sales assistant, seeing my hesitation, recommended to try the Matcha Single Serves package to try them out.
To be honest, I was filled with doubts when I initially smelled the blends, but have revised opinions on the three flavours since trying them out. The Mocha Matcha is an astounding mix of coffee and matcha, with just the right amount of added coconut sugar to nix the bitterness, while still maintaining a fresh matcha taste. For early mornings, I used to reach for a steaming cup of Jumpy Monkey. Since running out, though, I now brew myself a cup of Mocha Matcha, and add a few ice cubes in for an extra kick.
Mint Matcha is a very interesting blend of peppermint and matcha. It isn't overly minty, but the mint flavour does slightly overpower the matcha. Instead of drinking all four packs, I actually used half of them in a baking project: Mini Mint Matcha Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chips! (talk about an alliteration!). They performed exceeding well in it, so well to the point where I think the mint flavour is more suited to be consumed as opposed to ingested.
Vanilla Matcha is the ideal flavour for making afternoon iced lattes: the subtly sweet vanilla scent brings out the matcha just that much more, making for the perfect low-sugar treat!
I've also invested in Assam Banaspaty, which I can honestly say has become my new favourite black tea. Using this variety allows for the perfect milk tea to be created. (I've tried numerous black teas before, but this has become the one in my book!)
It's no surprise that I enjoy producing my own tea concoctions in the comfort of my own home, but upon the investment of a cocktail shaker and discovering the diverse selection of blends at David's Tea, I can assure that you can expect more innovative creations coming up!
Mint Matcha is a very interesting blend of peppermint and matcha. It isn't overly minty, but the mint flavour does slightly overpower the matcha. Instead of drinking all four packs, I actually used half of them in a baking project: Mini Mint Matcha Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chips! (talk about an alliteration!). They performed exceeding well in it, so well to the point where I think the mint flavour is more suited to be consumed as opposed to ingested.
Vanilla Matcha is the ideal flavour for making afternoon iced lattes: the subtly sweet vanilla scent brings out the matcha just that much more, making for the perfect low-sugar treat!
I've also invested in Assam Banaspaty, which I can honestly say has become my new favourite black tea. Using this variety allows for the perfect milk tea to be created. (I've tried numerous black teas before, but this has become the one in my book!)
It's no surprise that I enjoy producing my own tea concoctions in the comfort of my own home, but upon the investment of a cocktail shaker and discovering the diverse selection of blends at David's Tea, I can assure that you can expect more innovative creations coming up!
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