Out & About #735 | Weeks #72 + 73 Quarantine Update

With each email, each call, and each meeting, I loathe the cycle a little bit more.
For "work is not life, and life is not work.", as I have countlessly re-iterated. Alas, it all seems endless. The words leave a seething scar in my mind: "You're a professional. You're expected to work more, and do as the project requires."

But what remains is the shell of the human that I have become - soul, emotion, and health depleted and repurposed into productivity for greater project gains.
While there is pride in career accomplishments, I crave the balance of daily tidbits of joy, seemingly robbed by the work-from-home reality that is to persist with the oncoming fourth wave.

In recap of my weekly activities, I realize diversion is minimal. Songs and podcasts cannot be enjoyed in parallel with work in consideration of meeting counts. Kitchen experiments have also diminished drastically, the cause being unpredictability in work. Even during times of solitude, the tables quickly turn, leading to haste decisions amidst the process and, consequentially, subpar results.

Creations of the week(s) included:

1) Roasted Peppers, squeezed into the oven between meetings and mandatory catch-up calls

2) Brown Butter & Vanilla Pound Cake

With the aim of elevating the profile of Sunday Baking's famed pound cake, I sought to exaggerate the prominence of butter by introducing nutty, caramel-like notes. SK's browning process for cookies was incorporated, then compensated with water for evaporated moisture. Adding 15g of water per 113 g of butter proved insufficient, as the cakes emerged far too dry. The solidified brown butter was tricky to blend into a homogenous butter-flour batter, though the result was nonetheless delicious. My only gripe would be the lack of flavour presence, as neither vanilla extract, vanilla paste, nor brown butter could be perceived.

Generally speaking though, feedback was quite positive, and microwaving was enough to return moisture to the cakes.

3) Thai Tea Roll Cake w/ Coffee Cream

An impromptu conceptualization combining two caffeine-charged ingredients, the roll cake had been more visually appealing in my imagination. My desire to use up the remaining carton of heavy cream led to an upward scaling of ingredients. Rather than increasing the amount of cake flour - now stale-smelling, by the way - I opted for an additional egg. The choice in swap had been a poor one, for it introduced dampness despite improving cohesion.

My trusty Nespresso Gold was whipped into the cream filling, preceded only by sweetened condensed milk. Bloomed gelatin was drizzled in, just enough for structure and longevity without rendering the cream tacky.

I realized my fatal flaw in the rolling process afterwards: transferring the partially-cooled cake to a cool pan would have ceased dissolution of the filling, reducing the squidgy mess that followed. All aspects considered, the cake was more pleasant than expected. The vibrancy of Thai tea was captured in both appearance and flavour, while the moderately bitter properties of coffee cream contrasted splendidly. Unlike the Mother's Day mission, there was cake to munch upon too.

Takeout meals are frequent, as cooking happens less than regularly these days. The notion extends past standard meals, inching into snacking territory.

Obtained from Aromaz were a delectable Raisin Whole Wheat Bun and questionably sweet Chicken Pot Pie (雞批). I dare declare the former to be even tastier than Lucullus, as its cross-section was chewy without excess moisture. The latter, although nearly reheated to the point of being burnt, was crisp and satisfying. Filling components were minimal, however, and comprised of more onions than diced chicken.

Following the tragic travel on local roads, pick-me-ups were procured at Meet Fresh and COBS Bread.

The Herbal Tea with Fresh Milk was discovered to be even tastier than the non-dairy variation, possibly due to milkiness balancing the pre-existing sugar levels. As always, the Signature Icy Grass Jelly never disappoints.

Redemption of a Cape Seed Loaf was the original intention of the COBS Bread detour. Laying eyes on the rest of the selection, I couldn't resist requesting a Ham & Cheese Croissant and two Lemon & Blueberry Scones - piping hot and freshly iced - as accompaniment.

The trip also entailed Magic BBQ's Roasted Spare Ribs (燒排骨) and Beef Tenderloin in Sweet & Sour Sauce (中式牛柳). The latter was a foray into new territory, yet proved positively scrumptious and worthy of its twenty-six-dollar price tag.

From Gong Cha's rotating selection of soft serves, we chanced upon Matcha and Mango.

 Again, I requested samples to better assess our choices. Matcha comprised of a mild grassiness, while Mango was sweet and fruity, tasting minimally synthetic. Opposed I was not to sharing a twist of the two flavours, however firmly rejected cones or waffles of any sort due to residual fullness from lunch. We were compensated with an additional stick of Pocky.

Mid-week cravings for curry katsu led me to Katsuya, which was the closest I could get without a pack of Glico and two hours of prep time. My disappointment towards the Vaughan location had led me to visit our local outpost with a penchant for redeeming the katsu name. Unfortunately, a similar decline in quality was witnessed. No longer were the portions generous and crispy, but instead soggy and miniscule. The Pork Loin Katsu was beyond underseasoned, revealing blandness in the absence of Honeycomb sauce. Fairing slightly better, the Fish Katsu offered crunch, albeit in non-uniform fragments. Its accompanying curry sauce bore a looser consistency and noticeable kick compared to the sweet-savoury image of Glico.

A boorish ordering process also made the experience less than exemplary. Responses over the phone had been brusque and impatient, though farewell greetings were uttered proudly as I exited the premises.

Invoicing is a daunting, near-hell pilgrimage, to say in the least. Six hours of nonstop spreadsheet review had my heading spinning and eyes tearing up. The next day would see a full day's worth of activities, commencing with a mediocre massage (that could easily be confused with physio feat. an interview).

I proceeded to drown my frustrations in a lunch of McDonald's. The McWrap and Smoothie duo have been my go-to as of late: this meal was marked with a Caesar McWrap with Grilled Chicken and Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie.

Some time later, I met ochungg to fulfill our indoor plans of pilates (or K-Pop Barre) and Super Smash Bros. We learned to unlock new challengers, resting only to my admittance of tender digits.

​An early evening trip to Langham Place saw the perusal of new establishments in the plaza. Millie Cafe was no longer, and neither was T-Swirl. Zen Q and Cha Me Cha, on the other hand, remain resilient. Intending to relive my Cuppa memories from their Annex location, I relayed an order of Red Date Tea, iced with the inclusion of ginger. The girl behind the casher appeared troubled, unsure of the system entry. An older lady with bleached tresses and dark roots appeared next to her, mask hovering beneath her nose. As she spoke, her tone grew progressively aggressive; whether it was in response to my request or the delivery orders through the various Chinese delivery apps was uncertain. That said, it was confirmed that the mask would slide further and further down her face, till it was entirely below her chin and protecting no one from her raging rapidfire of spit.

The Red Date Tea with Ginger had rigid sugar and ice settings, thus welcomed minimal customization. Even with ice, sweetness levels were overbearing. The Signature Milk Tea was decent, or so I was informed, despite lacking the depth of Hong Kong Milk Tea.

We returned to her humble abode for more Super Smash Bros., until the skies had dimmed entirely. Jin Myungdong was eliminated from our plan given their time of closure, yet nearby was Donburi - the alternative for hearty sustenance by the 404 ramp.

The parking lot was nearing 85% capacity as we pulled into the plaza, both of us delayed by consistently slow left-turners at the intersection. Despite nearing 9 o'clock, crowds poured into the diner, some dining in small groups and other picking up takeout orders.

Given the swell experience on UberEats, my original intention had been a reiteration of the signature Donburi Gyuu Don. I settled on the Unagi Don instead, spotted adjacent to the Tuna Tataki bowl that ochungg was eyeing. A skewer each of Beef Tongue and Scallop were tacked on for sharing.
Our orders were fulfilled based on a dim sum-style selection sheet, and we were left to ponder our fates on the sticky table. For reference, the menus had been equally grimy, if not even more so. Donning of a disposable glove spared me a trip to the bathroom past their repulsive cloth covering, while ochungg distributed a generous dollop of sanitizer between her palms.

The Unagi Don arrived in a matter of minutes. I gulped it down eagerly, for hunger had caught up with me at the late hour. The sauciness of each component was admittedly overwhelming, prompting repeated reaches for water. Marinated eel was of a teensy portion, revealing the foundation to be rice seasoned heavily with furikake and mayonnaise.
Tuna Tataki arrived approximately ten minutes later, for reasons beyond our comprehension, and the skewers even later.

The plate consisted of four dime-sized miniature scallops, size justified against my thumb for comparison. I proceeded to separate two for myself. A single Scallop escaped my de-skewering procedure, landing a few inches from the edge of the table; the remainder was separated with the skewer positioned perpendicular to the plate, resulting in safe removal.
Quite frankly, we would have been better off avoiding the izakaya-inspired dishes altogether, for the Beef Tongue was dry and the Scallops puny and reeking of fishy odours.

Beyond the delivery of extra napkins and one instance of attempted water refill, the staff were largely glued to the kitchen preparation area, backs turned away from their clientele of the evening.
I was less bothered by this lack of attentiveness than overall lack of hygiene. Our seats gripped with stickiness and filth bordered each bathroom stall in the form of hair and dust. Factoring in a deafening door (increase the tension!), finicky flush handle, and debit and cash being the only forms of acceptable payment, it suffices to say that another visit shall never be undertaken.

We trekked about the plaza afterwards, spotting the closure of Sweet Note, resilience of Chatime and The Alley, and abominable amount of soot on the plaza walkway. Whatever remaining affection I had retained for Commerce Gate evaporated that night.