Out & About #850 | Yonge-Eglinton Visuals Feat. Isaan Der

It is not uncommon for me to request an additional day of rest following a concert. This time around, it was particularly necessary.

​I spent the start of my short work week cozying up Larry, who is now capable of sporting Sulley gloves, should he desire.
Meals comprised of leftover KFC Popcorn Chicken - dipped in HP Sauce for a tangy-savoury kick - and homemade components contrasting in the nutrition department: Scrambled eggs with SPAM, steamed pork and tofu (satisfying both iron and protein needs!), and blanched broccoli over Rice.

​The last of my apple inventory was finally depleted via conventional consumption of their raw (and quickly oxidizing) form. Pecan White Chocolate Chip Cookies from the freezer were also baked on a whim to satisfy sweet-crunchy cravings.

One of three new Spooky Halloween concoctions from CoCo was obtained for sampling. The Vampire's Jello Slush was a modified take on the franchise's Real Fruit Grape Dream Slush, launched in late summer. Kept consistent were the macchiato cream (milk foam) topping and overall composition of the grape slush; the sole variant was the substitution of Passion Fruit Jelly for Crystal Pearls.
The sleepy polar bear managed to adjust the macchiato content to be as minimal as possible, nixing the despicable milkshake-like qualities found in the Real Strawberry Slush. However, even at 30% sugar, the icy beverage was too sweet for my liking. (A splash of Peach Soju rounded out its profile successfully.)

In discussions with the sleepy polar bear, we deemed the Chocolate Taro Magic Smoothie a peculiar combination, likely excessive in sugar content due to additions of chocolate syrup and pudding. The XXL 3 Monsters was a steal at $5.50 (or $5.00 for CoCo VIPs such as myself), but sold out at most GTA locations.

​The following day, I set out for downtown - Midtown, really. Skies were shrouded in grimness at my time of departure, but slowly illuminated over the course of my hour-long drive.

On a dreary, drizzly day, I waited patiently for the QEW staged ramp access to permit me through, then again on local streets amidst their consistent stop-go conditions. Unknown to Google Maps, the EB Gardiner on-ramp had been closed from its west access; I detoured through the vacant POLAR and CNE grounds before locating the east access.

At long last, I would reach my destination of Yonge-Eglinton.
​It was utter chaos, just as news articles had painted the intersection out to be. With steady rainfall throughout the day, the streets were unpleasant to walk. Pedestrian-friendly corridors had already been constrained due to construction fences, however surface discontinuities had begun to pool due to the precipitation, further limiting areas of walkability.

​Into Yonge-Eglinton Centre I dove. Within the building was a full-sized Sephora, Laura Secord (a rare sighting indeed!), compact LCBO, and even a Mumuso.

​A two-floor Urban Outfitters was also discovered at its northeast quadrant.

​While spacious, there were little stores of interest to me within the building. I trodded back outside, only to seek shelter once again inside Formocha. In a city bustling with traffic on all its pathways, pre-ordering platforms such as Ritual have readily been adopted throughout worker-dominated districts. An order for a single Matcha Wheel Cake was placed via the app.

​The wait was declared to approximate ten minutes, but was completed within six minutes of firing up the grill. My wheel cake was then slid into a paper bag with hole and sealed with a sticker.
Back at the office, I took to evaluating the dessert. Despite being uniformly browned at its edges, the pastry was more cakey than it was crisp. Its cross-section revealed dorayaki-like dough structure, but boasted significantly less chewiness and a generally bland profile. The matcha filling, while emitting subtly floral notes, lacked grassiness and depth. At $2.90 per piece, the Wheel Cake was rather affordable, but unable to be declared delicious.

As my work day concluded, I placed my second Ritual order: supper from Isaan Der. Having been delighted in the positively mild curry experience last time, I was excited to try the establishment again. Little had I known that a 7-minute walk would equate to a frustrating 15-20 minute drive. With "No left turn" signs affixed to nearly every single intersection, I was forced to continue travelling straight for several signalized and unsignalized intersections. There were even some streets that had been fenced off entirely for one-way travel, with a "Road Closed" sign positioned in the closed lane. It would appear that, in parallel to works for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, were municipal restoration and/or improvement projects taking place simultaneously.

​After some exasperation, I eventually arrived. My order awaited me on the shelf, receipt pinned on the outside of the paper bag. While it was easier to take the bag and continue on my commute back, I contemplated placing a second order of Lamb Shank Massaman Curry for the sleepy polar bear. The staff member shelling peas by the cashier informed me of a ten-minute wait - an acceptable period for food preparation and washroom usage. I proceeded with the order.

But the drive back was horrendous. After being trapped on local streets for upwards of forty minutes, subsequent delays ensued on the highway due to congestion and lane reductions on the 401/403 WB ramp. Riding through tornado-like grey clouds and vicious downpours, I didn't pull into familiar territory until two hours later. The mere forty-kilometre trip had proved to be the most brutal commute undertaken thus far.

Massaman Beef Curry, Gaeng Phed Gai (Red Curry with Chicken), and Tom Yum Soup with Tofu were unveiled upon reaching home. by this point, the clock read 7 PM. Pilates was no longer possible, and I opted towards ingestion of sustenance as to prevent delays in showering. After all, another grueling commute would await me the next morning.

​The Massaman was as aromatic and creamy as I recalled, and even offered a greater quantity of beef chunks. That said, I was less than keen regarding its $18.50 price tag. The Gaeng Phed, constructed of a tomato base, was lighter than the Massaman and comparatively easier to digest. Tom Yum Soup was the undeniable winner: hearty, appetizing, and delectable - well worthy of its eight dollar-price tag.

​On the following day, I would suffer the same commute once more.

This time, my arrival estimate was gradually postponed each step of the way. Instead of 70 minutes, I didn't manage to pull into the carpark lot until well after 90 minutes.

​Over lunch, I relayed the pains of driving through the city to the Thai ahgase.

​My lunch break was sliced in half to make up for lost time incurred by the morning commute. Within the remaining period, I explored the basement level food court of Yonge-Eglinton centre, a nearby condo duo, and a few shops at the north end of the intersection. CoCo was spotted in a shared space with two other food vendors, similar to the corner slot at Yonge and Walton (where I suffered a traumatizing spit attack).

​Eliminating all stops on my return trip, I succeeded in completing the commute in 92 minutes. ​Exercise was made possible under the conditions that I would not be required to wake early again the next morning.

​Furthermore, I could enjoy seasonal specialties of Pumpkin Ale and Halloween-shaped KitKat without fear of driving until the point of sustaining back pain.

​With temperatures descending into the single digits, autumnal weather is gradually coming to an end. Fall foliage has persevered this year, with many trees retaining much of their warm hues despite the decline in mercury levels. Faded oranges and withered beiges can still be observed on deciduous trees throughout the city.

​On the final work day of the week, I admired these shades from the comfort of my second-floor station. I was, at long last, relieved from the downtown drive - until next week, anyway.

In the early afternoon, the sleepy polar bear swung by with treats from Clarkson's heavily promoted Mango Sticky Rice. The store's BOGO offer had unfortunately expired just one day prior, but the purchase was made nevertheless.

​A duo of Mango Sticky Rice, the shop's signature dish, and Pandan Buns were shared amongst us, along with a Thai Iced Tea.
While I held onto my reservations regarding the Pandan Buns, they were surprisingly good. Buttery were the brioche buns and fragrant was its gloopy but fragrant dipping sauce. Supposedly a "coconut pandan custard", the texture beckoned imagery of starch-thickened sauces (slurries) instead. A stickier, more viscous formula would have served the item better, clinging to the bun instead of merely hanging on its edge.

The Mango Sticky Rice didn't live up to either of our expectations. Beyond the precise, grid-like cuts in the mango halve, there were few elements worthy of commendation. The fruit itself was bland and actually starting to show dark threads in some parts. The sticky rice was good, being neither mushy nor firm, and topped with a tacky white sauce with distinctly savoury notes. In fact, the rice was better than the mango. Having said that, the dessert was passable overall - better than some Thai restaurants, but incapable of warranting a second trial.

​Admittedly sweet was the Thai Iced Tea, though its flavour profile was superb. Comparatively less milky and containing less ice than the standard marketplace concoction, I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up if in the area again. Of course, I won't be going out of my way for the establishment.

​My attire was perfected for a Friday afternoon outing, and originally a Friday evening outing as well. But given that my birthday buddy had succumbed to the virus just two days prior, dress-up and rollerblading plans have been eradicated entirely.

The weekend commenced with efforts to compile a mixed berry jam and a modified take on Sunday Baking's Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.

Instead of steaming a whole kabocha pumpkin, hacking it open with weak wrists, and peeling away the skin, I opted for an easier route in forming the purée: frozen cubes of butternut squash. 300g of the 750g packet was thawed, microwaved, and subject to the forces of a potato masher until few chunks remained. The root vegetable was a close relative of the kabocha and, seeing as I had neglected my initial idea of butternut squash soup, the opportunity was maximized immediately.

Besides the butternut squash-kabocha swap, I also undertook the following adjustments:

• In addition to cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and a dash of black pepper were included for added complexity.
• Pumpkin seeds were substituted with coarse sugar and sesame seeds. These toppings contributed to a subtle crunch factor, though didn't yield the toasted nuttiness of sesame that I had been hoping for.
• Sunday's recipe would result in 9 servings of bakery-style muffins. I took to dividing the batter across 12 muffin liners instead, and avoided spillage and consequential cleanup.
• The twelve muffins were baked at 360 F for 25 minutes instead of Sunday's suggested 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

Surprisingly easy and absolutely delicious, the muffins boasted a wonderful "taste of fall" in a lightly spiced package. Each bite was moist, adequately creamy, and in perfect harmony.

My rendition may not have been an exact copycat of the franchise's seasonal item, but rarely do I ever intend such creations to be. Similar to the Cranberry Bliss Bar and Oat Fudge Bar, my aim is to refine and elevate, not copy and paste.