April crept up on me before I even knew it, hurling a 4-day week full of assignments, final projects, and quizzes directly in my face. To be honest, there really isn't much else to say regarding all the tasks that need to be completed before exam crunch can begin. I'd love to complain some more, but I'd also like to move on with life and introduce some of this month's (and a bit of last month's) visuals.
When one suddenly begins to desire an Oreo slush, but then is immediately conflicted with thoughts of an iced macchiato, concoctions such as the following may arise: Oreo-Coffee Chiller/Slush.
While I wanted to flavours to mix slightly for a caffeinated chocolate-y taste, I still wanted to be able to clearly distinguish between the elements within the drink. By utilizing the difference in the densities of the two drinks, two somewhat distinct layers were created: a bottom one consisting of slightly sweetened iced coffee, and the top an icy, creamy Oreo slush. (More photos can be found HERE under Miscellaneous Food Adventures.)
When one suddenly begins to desire an Oreo slush, but then is immediately conflicted with thoughts of an iced macchiato, concoctions such as the following may arise: Oreo-Coffee Chiller/Slush.
While I wanted to flavours to mix slightly for a caffeinated chocolate-y taste, I still wanted to be able to clearly distinguish between the elements within the drink. By utilizing the difference in the densities of the two drinks, two somewhat distinct layers were created: a bottom one consisting of slightly sweetened iced coffee, and the top an icy, creamy Oreo slush. (More photos can be found HERE under Miscellaneous Food Adventures.)
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On the rare occasion that I am not on campus nor at home, it's possible that I may be out exploring. What appeared to be a plain, dull commercial building lacking in personality from the outside actually housed some stunning interior design. Buildings with tall roofs somehow always find a way to amaze me, and I found this one to be particularly appealing.
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After a day of exploring, returning home to an empty fridge was the last thing I wanted to do. And since I was craving bubble tea as well looking for a place to scoop up takeout, a Green Grotto detour was made.
Remember the post on my last visit? Well, it was the same waitress. But things were much different this time: she seemed a lot less lost, and was even training a new girl.
Green Grotto has also recently updated their menu, now including combos and providing additional details on specific dishes. But unlike Bubble Republic, these updates are not posted on their Facebook page, meaning that customers can't actually view the menu until they arrive in-store.
I ordered their top-selling rice dish, the Minced Pork on Rice, and made it into a combo with a Taro Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Agar. (The updated menu had also listed Coffee Agar as one of their topping choices, but I was told that they did not have that in the store as yet.). Up-sizing to a large drink would have cost an additional dollar, which is pretty reasonable in my opinion. Though I wasn't too parched at the time and just decided to stick to a small-sized beverage.
Asking for less sugar, the taro milk tea was less taro than I had expected. Though then again, I don't think I've tried a taro-flavoured milk tea for a good four or five years, and really can't be one to judge. The Brown Sugar Agar was pretty unique: it had a "springy" feel to it and allowed for a good, subtly sweet chew.
Remember the post on my last visit? Well, it was the same waitress. But things were much different this time: she seemed a lot less lost, and was even training a new girl.
Green Grotto has also recently updated their menu, now including combos and providing additional details on specific dishes. But unlike Bubble Republic, these updates are not posted on their Facebook page, meaning that customers can't actually view the menu until they arrive in-store.
I ordered their top-selling rice dish, the Minced Pork on Rice, and made it into a combo with a Taro Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Agar. (The updated menu had also listed Coffee Agar as one of their topping choices, but I was told that they did not have that in the store as yet.). Up-sizing to a large drink would have cost an additional dollar, which is pretty reasonable in my opinion. Though I wasn't too parched at the time and just decided to stick to a small-sized beverage.
Asking for less sugar, the taro milk tea was less taro than I had expected. Though then again, I don't think I've tried a taro-flavoured milk tea for a good four or five years, and really can't be one to judge. The Brown Sugar Agar was pretty unique: it had a "springy" feel to it and allowed for a good, subtly sweet chew.
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The combo actually consisted of three things: a main dish, a snack, and a drink. In addition to the Minced Pork on Rice, I was also able to choose from snacks such as fried chicken bites, fried squidballs (or was it cuttlefish?), and a few other spicy dishes. I've never been a fan of fried foods as their cooking process usually involves the heavy use of oil. Seeing as many Instagram users have recommended trying Taiwanese-style friend chicken, I decided to order the Salt & Pepper Chicken.
To my pleasant surprise, the chicken wasn't as greasy as I had expected, but still maintained a good crunch. The flavours weren't too excessive either; only a light dusting of salt and pepper had been applied to the chicken.
The Minced Pork on Rice also proved to be a tasty meal.
The Minced Pork on Rice also proved to be a tasty meal.
Overall, I think Green Grotto implementing combos was a great idea, and I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes!
Other visuals from this week include a Lemon/Peach Chiller w/ Lemon Jelly and Green Apple Jelly and a package of Oreos. I must confess that I may have gotten a bit too excited when Shoppers had a $1.99 sale on Oreos last week. This sale included the Original Oreos, Golden Oreos, and the 30% Less Fat Oreos, and I ended up leaving the store with 2 packs of the Original, 1 pack of the 30% Less Fat (though I would've purchased more of this variation of there had been stock left), and 1 pack of the Golden Oreo. I am very sad to announce that this will be my last pack of Oreos for a while (/sigh).
Other visuals from this week include a Lemon/Peach Chiller w/ Lemon Jelly and Green Apple Jelly and a package of Oreos. I must confess that I may have gotten a bit too excited when Shoppers had a $1.99 sale on Oreos last week. This sale included the Original Oreos, Golden Oreos, and the 30% Less Fat Oreos, and I ended up leaving the store with 2 packs of the Original, 1 pack of the 30% Less Fat (though I would've purchased more of this variation of there had been stock left), and 1 pack of the Golden Oreo. I am very sad to announce that this will be my last pack of Oreos for a while (/sigh).
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Now what's this abnormally green, slimy-looking thing I see? An attempt at creating a unique flavour of (not-)thick toast, I decided to mix pandan pudding powder with sweetened condensed milk to see what type of result would be yielded. While the appearance could be better, the topping proved to be aromatic, sweet, and totally satisfying.
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To finish off the week and give a warm welcome to the Easter long weekend, it was decided that a treat would be necessary. The Maple Macchiato has now remained a favourite in my book for about two weeks now (see this post), and I've thoroughly enjoyed hot and cold. As there have usually been Frappuccino versions of Starbucks' popular lattes, I decided to ask whether a Maple Macchiato one could be created.
Though there was nothing like this on the menu, the cashier said that a similar-tasting beverage could be made using a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino as a base, and then adding espresso shots and a drizzle of the Maple syrup. I had actually forgot my wallet at home and didn't realize this until it was my turn to order. But instead of wasting the 5 minutes I had already spent waiting in line, I quickly pulled up the Starbucks app on my phone to pay. (Thank God, or rather the inventors of smartphones, for such convenient technology!)
Though there was nothing like this on the menu, the cashier said that a similar-tasting beverage could be made using a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino as a base, and then adding espresso shots and a drizzle of the Maple syrup. I had actually forgot my wallet at home and didn't realize this until it was my turn to order. But instead of wasting the 5 minutes I had already spent waiting in line, I quickly pulled up the Starbucks app on my phone to pay. (Thank God, or rather the inventors of smartphones, for such convenient technology!)
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At this point, I feel the need to give a shoutout to my cashier, Josh. (At least, I think his name is Josh. The last two letters on his name tag were rather fuzzy, but a very faint 'S' could still be picked up.) It's quite a common routine for students to visit the 24-hour Starbucks at Square One during their short stay, as it's located right in the centre of Mississauga's largest bus hub. As somewhat of a regular myself, I'm convinced this is not the first time I've seen the barista, and I'm always amazed how he manages to maintain such a pleasant demeanor despite the headache-inducing lineups.
Regular visitors of this blog may recall that I had previously ranted about a girl with an extremely sarcastic and condescending attitude working at cash one Monday afternoon. As someone that works in customer service myself, I understand that standing for extended periods of time (with no breaks in between) and having to deal with a long line of picky customers isn't fun. But it is the duty of customer service reps to ensure that customers are always treated with courtesy and respect, regardless of the rep's emotional state at the time.
The barista that made my considerably pricey Frappuccino was less smiley than Josh though. She was extremely speedy in making my drink, and expressionlessly slid her finished creation to me when she was done. I had noticed that she had put the Maple syrup drizzle on the inside of the cup instead of on top of the whipped cream, thus I asked her to drizzle some on top. Being the lazy person she was, though, she did not lift the lid up. Instead, she proceeded to squeeze the syrup bottle and dispense a quarter-sized pool on top of the whipped cream instead. As the syrups started to pile up, I realized that she had been holding the tube for approximately four seconds already. "Uhh, I think that's enough." I said, to which she responded by placing the syrup bottle down and shoving the drink my way without even cracking a smile before stepping aside to prepare the next customer's order.
And this is the reason why patient customer service reps deserve a shoutout.
Regular visitors of this blog may recall that I had previously ranted about a girl with an extremely sarcastic and condescending attitude working at cash one Monday afternoon. As someone that works in customer service myself, I understand that standing for extended periods of time (with no breaks in between) and having to deal with a long line of picky customers isn't fun. But it is the duty of customer service reps to ensure that customers are always treated with courtesy and respect, regardless of the rep's emotional state at the time.
The barista that made my considerably pricey Frappuccino was less smiley than Josh though. She was extremely speedy in making my drink, and expressionlessly slid her finished creation to me when she was done. I had noticed that she had put the Maple syrup drizzle on the inside of the cup instead of on top of the whipped cream, thus I asked her to drizzle some on top. Being the lazy person she was, though, she did not lift the lid up. Instead, she proceeded to squeeze the syrup bottle and dispense a quarter-sized pool on top of the whipped cream instead. As the syrups started to pile up, I realized that she had been holding the tube for approximately four seconds already. "Uhh, I think that's enough." I said, to which she responded by placing the syrup bottle down and shoving the drink my way without even cracking a smile before stepping aside to prepare the next customer's order.
And this is the reason why patient customer service reps deserve a shoutout.
I do want to finish this entry on a positive note, though, so here is one my favourite shots of a pineapple bun that was purchased from Akko Cake House last week. (More photos from the album can be viewed HERE!)
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