Out & About #817 | Weekly Roundup: Pre-Vacay Pressures Feat. Jeon Ju Hyang

Pre-vacation periods are never easy. In the working world ensues a mad rush to hand over one's duties - or provide a crash course for them to the unlucky delegate. Behind the scenes are last-minute situations that arise for attention, for they too must also be resolved a long hiatus.

​​"Nonstop chaos" is how I would depict the my post long-weekend, pre-Pearson phase. Worries were partially drowned in Chocolate Churro and Injeolmi Turtle Chips, which entailed a feeling of guilt so great that cardio became a no-brainer for calorie compensation.

With a newly activated UberEats pass, I proposed either Greek or Thai for our household's mid-day meal. Greek was the safer alternative, and Lazros was chosen. ​ The assortment comprised of: Mixed Beef and Lamb Gyro w/ Greek Fries and Lemon Potatoes, Chicken Souvlaki w/ Lemon Potatoes and Rice, Spanakopitta, and a tiny conainer of Hummus (to meet the promo requirement).

About 1.5 years since my last purchase. Since then, the pita quantity has diminished, the tzatziki blander, feta noticeably saltier, and the portion size less extravagant than I recalled. ​The Chicken Souvlaki bits were dry and tough, while the Beef and Lamb Gyro slices chalky and salty. Frankly speaking, the meal, on an overall note, was far more sodium-laden than our palates could handle. The yearning for garlicy, crunchy tzatziki also failed to be satisfied.

Other meals spanned a Tomato & Egg Soft Scramble (not pictured), Stewed Eggplant and Meat (not pictured either, but capable of being visualized as a soft, savoury pairing to steamed rice), and tidbits of Lazros, with frozen veggies mixed in to neutralize obscene saltiness.

Creations of the week included:

1) Apple Ginger Juice

Inspired by my local ahgase, I took to peeling and coring a weighty bag of golden delicious apples with the intent of preparing a juice concoction of sorts. Unlike her though, I had no juicing apparatus readily available. To the blender I went with roughly seven teensy apples, some unmeasured quantity of ginger root (peeled, for once!), a squeeze of lemon, water, and honey. The formula was too thick for homogenization at first, thus water was incorporated gradually to assist. Pulpy like oversaturated applesauce, I took to straining the mixture once to obtain a partially filtered juice (15% solids).

​The combination was revisited a second time in the latter parts of the week, with more water and lemon juice from concentrate, as seeds had accidentally made their way into the mix previously. Blending was made simpler with more water, yet the lowered viscosity made filtration of solids more difficult. Now finer, the solids streamed into the final product, escaping the sieve. The second batch was cloudier, at roughly 20% solids.

In hindsight, the Golden Delicious variety is likely best reserved for pie-making due to its relatively moisture content. The flavour is barely present in the juice, and the yield is quite minimal.

2) Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Having been made aware of this recent addition via the weekly smitten kitchen digest, I hesitated not at seeing the mention of "yogurt" and "chocolate". Really, the reasoning was simple: I had yogurt in need of using before my vacay and the sleepy polar bear's talks of chocolate had echoed in my subconscious.

"The chocolate chips, however, are not optional.", but as I only had the (off-)white variety, in they went. To achieve the same gooeyness factor though, a few Callebaut callets topped them off before baking. True to her words, the muffins were overflowing. Given the lighter cake-like consistency, the muffins were quite delicate, causing even the gentlest of lifts to dent its sides during removal. Consequently, I'd recommend portioning one third of the batter for mini muffin tins.

​3) Ultimate Banana Bread
​
At the end of a week-long wait were five spotty bananas residing in the warmest part of our dining room. I took to another iteration of banana bread, but this time The Ultimate. The decision may or may not have been made during the time of banana acquisition, after being reminded by orangecane of the most extravagant rendition of banana bread to grace SK territory.

With the knowledge that each of my bananas would weigh in at roughly 130 g each (less if bruised patches removed), I meticulously assembled the peeled specimens over my scale, watching anxiously as the number neared the specified 510 g. My first attempt at The Ultimate had not entailed such a weighing process, proving far too moist as a result. SK's bananas are likely at the smaller end of the spectrum, for 4.5 bananas had been sufficient in attaining the required weight. The last was stashed into the fridge for later use, probably consumption.

The batter was, nevertheless, still quite wet - reasonably so, give the banana count. I switched to a spatula to prevent gluten formation, though ultimately (no pun intended) ended up with stray traces of flour from my aversion to over-mixing (because, yes, it has happened before). Chunky, sizable, yet still as cronchy and spectacular as always, the monstrous loaf emerged 65 minutes later, a golden halo radiating from its gorgeously crackly surface. Needless to say, each slice was also far more gratifying than the likes of my go-to, the unmarbled marble.

​Since the two recent wellness-undoing pilates sessions, I reached out to my former instructors personally in hopes of obtaining details on their next steps. As it turned out, they had departed Studio Bon to continue their pilates teaching at a studio in Markham. This compact establishment would open within the month of May just minutes from VyBE near 14th and Warden.

​The Sj Pilates Studio, named after the owner herself, was fully operational at my time of visit. Fully furnished with Reformers, various pilates equipment, and even grippy socks for sale by the cashier, I was astounded that such a venture had emerged while both instructors had been keeping busy teaching nearly seven days a week at a location twelve kilometres south.

Fees were identical to that of Studio Bon, making the transition simple for existing pilates customers. Grand Opening promotions were also included: one bonus class with purchase of a 10-class package and two bonus classes with purchase of a 20-class package.

I relayed my concerns over the current class processes, with my worries echoed by the instructors and, apparently, other clients as well. I was not the only one suffering from the poorly executed classes and, shockingly, not the only one requesting physiotherapy services as a result of the owner's negligence towards injuries.

​Truthfully, I was more than ready to sign up for The Sj Studio. Owned and operated by instructors that have guided me along my pilates journey since the start of 2021, I have utmost faith in their practice and teachings. Heck, I would have signed up to resume weekly pilates sessions after my Studio Bon pass expiration had the studio been closer. Alas, I despise driving in Markham. No amount of dedication to pilates could alter my hatred for inefficiency and anxiety towards terrible drivers and the road network on which they steer.

​Further contemplation is needed in terms of logistics and time-stress tradeoff.

With my last pre-vacay (half-)day of work behind me, I embarked on some errands: LCBO for perusal for exclusive, limited edition flavours and OOMOMO for silica gel packets (that were never found).

My rare, early afternoon trip to the northeast end of the GTA had obviously involved a proposal to orangecane. I was not about to threaten my sanity with yet another despicable 1.5h drive back home amidst rush hour volumes. Offering to screen a prospective dinner location in the Hwy 7 and Warden plaza, I found a newly opened CoCo and Markham's favourite Félix & Norton.

​I was quick - too quick, really - to forego my original pick of Grapefruit Green Tea for the more budget-friendly selection of 2 Ladies. Elimination of tapioca was not possible; I made attempts to have the total quantity of pearls lessened to one, saw no luck, and reluctantly accepted my fate. It was a mediocre beverage that I didn't end up finishing.
The cookies, on the hand, were small but mighty. Fresh varieties were priced at $1.25 each, with day olds at a measly eighty cents. Oatmeal Chocolate was devoured within seconds. Honey Pistachio, Salted Caramel, and Double Chocolate were reserved for later consumption.

Our dinner destination prompted me to travel just beyond the tragic intersection of Hwy 7 and McCowan, past a school zone, and into a bleak-looking plaza oozing of disappointment. I had arrived ten minutes late, much to the disapproval of orangecane.

Jeon Ju Hyang was spotted with a bright orange background, an outlier amongst the grim, muted storefronts of its neighbours. Within, we were immediately welcomed by a BTS banner, then BTS tunes playing from above.

It occurred to us that the restaurant wasn't as legitimate as we had hoped. Chinese was overheard at a few tables and in the kitchen. Hangul and English errors emerged on the menu. Soondae was nowhere to be seen.

​​It occurred to us that the restaurant wasn't as legitimate as we had hoped. Chinese was overheard at a few tables and in the kitchen. Hangul and English errors emerged on the menu. Soondae was nowhere to be seen. A closer glance at the prices had me recoiling in disgust. Majority of the dishes were assembled with similar ingredients, causing a lack of diversity across the menu. Fried Chicken Rice was an interesting combo, though not quite interesting enough to derail me from Cold Noodles.
My decision had been made in poor judgement, for the broth was savoury instead of tart, runny with blocks of ice instead of slushy. Furthermore, the egg was fully cooked to greyness and the noodles as tough as week-old stale bread. Orangecane's Beef Jab Chae Rice was comparatively more balanced with veggies, meat, and carbs. At the very least, the egg was runny and hot sauce could be used to compensate for lack of depth.

Nonetheless, we concluded the diner's offerings to be strictly subpar. Neither of us, I can confidently presume, shall be returning.

​A downpour accompanied my fifty-minute return trip, reducing visibility significantly. Wipers in dire need of replacement did not help my case either. Stomping through the doors around 8:50 pm, I flung down my belongings and dashed upstairs. Cleanliness awaited.