Out & About #837 | Mississauga Munching Feat. Xe Kem, Hachigo + Yum's Kitchen

The sleepy polar bear was, essentially, on standby for my announcement, and the minute I declared my availability, off we sped.

I desired coffee, and further investigations of the cute, compact space in the Mississauga Chinese Centre. Little had I known that the grab-and-go spot, while very Vietnamese in every vein of offering, did not offer Ca Phe Sua Da.

​We took to a palm-sized cup of Coffee Jelly cup and an even smaller Caramel Flan, both priced at $2.50. Within the Coffee Jelly were alternating layers of agar agar-stabilized solution. Its consistency was uniformly thin and slippery, as opposed to the contrasting gelatin-mousse mix I had been expecting.

​The Caramel Flan, on the other hand, was a much more enjoyable portion, despite its reduction in size. Creamy, silky, and with a fitting quantity of toasty caramel to offset its sweet, custard-like qualities, I proceeded to demolish majority of the cup, pausing only once such that the sleepy polar bear could sample.

​The unquenched urgency for coffee (and bathroom facilities) had us contemplating nearby establishments. Not quite inclined to visit Tokyo Cheesecake Cafe, nor adventurous enough to try royaltea's coffee-based drinks (though they were closed anyway), I proposed Dixie Outlet Mall for indoor plumbing services.

Frankly, I could not recall a time I had stepped foot on the premises. Decidedly less extravagant than Toronto Premium Outlets, the plaza appeared grim, dingy, and nearly warehouse-like.

We strode through the Nike Factory Store for mall access, finding Kin-Kin and Hachigo nearly instantly. Washrooms were used and stores browsed briefly. Then, we returned to the colourful stall for a closer look at their products.

Uncharacteristically vibrant, the stall stood out against its otherwise muted neighbours. A middle-aged lady proceeded to hand out samples of cheesecake slices and even individual portions of their faux-taiyaki Gogo Bits.
I had been keen on trying out the city's latest Japanese cheesecake contender - now six months old - for a while now. The sleepy polar bear was more intrigued in the animal-shaped pastries filled with tacky, starch-thickened custard, insisting that "No one could beat Tetsu" anyway.

The Gogo Bits bore too great a resemblance to Stuffies, towards which I had been equally unfond. The Original Cheesecake, on the other hand, succeeded my expectations. Achieving greater height than the likes of Uncle Tetsu, the cake was fluffier and lighter, even after overnight refrigeration. It was crumbly, yet not as extreme as Love Me Sweet. The cheesiness factor paled in comparison to Tetsu, which is robust in its eggy, creamy, and slightly savoury finish. Two days after chilling, the $12.99 cake emerged a bit dry; it wasn't an uncommon symptom of Japanese Cheesecakes, though my memory concludes Tetsu to remain moist for up to four days. The shiba inu and its heart-shaped nose is an adorable touch, though I'll most likely be taking my cravings back to more convenient grounds, in spite of inflation.

Back home, we finally (at long last!!!) succeeded in watching Minions: The Rise of Gru. After a failed attempt at securing last-minute tickets and several post-download struggles at adjusting the aspect ratio, the 87-minute long family-friendly film was completed.

Dinner adopted the form of Yum's Kitchen takeout: a Grilled Pork & Spring Roll Vermicelli (No. 20) for me and a Grilled Chicken Banh Mi (No. 07) for the sleepy polar bear. Indecisive had my mind been, as I debated constantly between getting re-dressed for dine-in or remaining at home for the completion of chores. The dilemma was resolved by an offer to undertake the run on my behalf, such that laundry and cleanup duties could be completed in parallel.

​The Grilled Chicken Banh Mi was informed to be phenomenal, achieving a perfect score in spite of its longer preparation time. My own Grilled Pork & Spring Roll Vermicelli, wherein the addition of a single spring roll entailed a one-dollar surcharge, was as fabulous as could be. An intoxicating aroma could be wafted upon unveiling the box's contents. Crispy were the spring roll segments and tangy was the pickled slaw, which included bits of mint for freshness. Supple yet crispy was the pork: adequately seasoned, tender, sprinkled with peanuts, and delectable. The underlying vermicelli layer was soft yet capable of retaining its length throughout the consumption process. A sweet and slightly acidic condiment was included inside the box; bits of finely chopped garlic floated within. Drizzling a tablespoon's worth would heighten the flavours further while cutting greasiness from the grilled and deep fried components.

​I actually returned to Yum's Kitchen a day later - this time, personally. Completion of an initial consultation with an utterly undesirable, condescending, and inadequate family doctor had prompted me to seek out a pick-me-up.

​A Regular-sized Jackfruit Smoothie set me back $5.25 plus tax. Creamy, tropical, and just icy enough to appease the embers that had formed within, I routed back home feeling less aggravated but nonetheless wronged for the disrespectful treatment.

Reverting to the work-from-home format for as long as I can manage, baking ventures were reinstated for weekday experimentation.

The third edition of the Oat Fudge Bar was commenced.

Drawing from observations in the first and second versions, the objective for this batch was to attain a slice-able cohesiveness without excessive rise. I took to one egg white in the oat base instead of a whole egg, hoping for the structural integrity witnessed in my granola products.

​Impatient, as I am known to be, the first slices were pried away from the loaf without sufficient cool time. The tongue was scalded, fingers burnt, and premature evaluations conducted. Sampled warm, the brownie layers was gooey, while the underlying oat layer reeking of baking soda. Allowing the slab to cool, the alkalinic odours dissipated, leaving a crunchy specimen with moderate crumbliness.

Though tasty, I am convinced that the journey has not yet concluded. When the next craving surfaces, I shall be:

• Reducing the flour content
• Swapping out all-purpose for whole wheat entirely
• Potentially increasing the amount of egg white

​Leftover egg yolk was combined with an additional egg and unmeasured quantities of milk, sugar, and cornstarch. The sleepy polar bear's constant reminder that homemade caramel flan had been tasted on an earlier occasion in my absence had stuck with me. Crème caramel has been a favourite since childhood, though its construction process is often too tedious for my liking. For, as "easy" as it may be, it is time-consuming, and rarely do time-consuming acts align with my daily schedule.

I wasn't patient enough, nor diligent enough to conjure up one of the Internet's countless recipes for caramel egg pudding. The caramel, in which warmed half-and-half cream had been added too late, did not solidify. It retained the typically nutty, bittersweet properties of caramel, though took the form of a sticky sludge, complete with surface-layer film. The "flan" was far too rigid: a sturdy, SPAM-shaped slab indicating an excess of stabilizer and inadequacy of milk. Needless to say, jiggly and gratifying it was not.

​As I ready myself for my first concert since the onset of COVID, I munch away on homemade meals of choy sum, pickled daikon, and Cantonese-Style Ground Pork in Portuguese Sauce over steamed white rice.

​Decathlon's KIPRUN socks are tested for durability, proving themselves cozy, grippy, and impeccably white (for now). ​So far, they are superior to the cheaper Artengo selection.