Out & About #854 | Weekly Roundup: Commuting Chaos, Yonge-Eglinton Finds + Chocolate Chiffon Cake

The first day of the work week closed on a celebratory note with a shrimp cocktail ring and Rosé Cider from Chudleigh's. Admittedly, the finish was quite dry and evoked a palette more reminiscent of wine than cider.

Given the brutal drive home last week, I opted to undertake a multimodal commute to ease my stresses. The plan was to park by York Mills station, then board Line 1 for two stops. I had my initial qualms towards the dilapidated asphalt lot being an uncovered space, though the neighbourhood was relatively safe and attention was paid no further. Around 8 AM, there remained an ample number of spots. Proceeding to pull into the next available slot, I disembarked to pay my daily dues. The lot was operated by Canada Wide Parking instead of my preferred Green P.
The machine was finnicky and ultimately doubled my charges: the flat rate of $13 during business hours became $26 instead. I took these concerns to their customer service department, eventually reached them the following day, and  received promise of a refund - after their $1 administration fee, that is.

​The two-stop commute towards Eglinton station was smoother than pictured, and I arrived at the chaotic construction scene roughly ten minutes later.

​Over lunch, I began to explore the area once more. The following discoveries were made:

• Merrithew Studio's nearby presence
• A Dollarama assortment that spanned two floors (yet comprised of zero Halloween clearance items)
• Juicy Dumpling's midtown location

Also surprisingly was the name change of Punto Gelato to Gemma Gelateria. The Thai ahgase and I had chanced across the dessert parlour after a dinner of Isaan Der. My visit roughly one year later was met with an unfamiliar name, yet an interior relatively consistent with my recollection.

​Having escaped my memory, though, was the gelato shop's minimum purchase requirement for credit card payments. Transactions under ten dollars were restricted to cash or debit payments only, neither of which I had on hand. Glancing between the lady behind the counter and my small Cappuccino gelato, I offered to add other items to the bill to make up ten dollars.

A $3.50 pack of Nocciolcono cialde per gelato Ventagli In Cialda cookies was placed on the counter.
"Is that enough?" I warily asked.

"Nine (something)" She punched in the order and relayed the new total.
"Do you have anything for a dollar?"
"Hmmmm." We both looked around. Thankfully, there were no other patrons during this time, and I had the leisure of contemplating various options without hindering others in the queue. "How about a water?"
I shook my head lightly, then turned to face a shelve of cookies.
"They're vegan!" excitedly exclaimed the lady.
While I wasn't exactly keen on cookies made without butter and eggs, a single cookie seemed more reasonable than another pack of Nocciolcono cialde per gelato cookies. The scrunchie-looking creation set me back $2.75.

The Cappuccino gelato was creamy and delicious, just as the Pistachio had been. In spite of its compact size, the portion was nonetheless filling. My cookies were taken to go for munching later on in the day.

​The vegan round wasn't half bad, being exceptionally crunchy with minimal crumb fall. Residing on the sweeter, firmer end of the spectrum, I deemed it suitable for use as a biscotti, ideally paired with a steaming cup of Americano or Cappuccino. It was only later revealed on the receipt that it was, indeed, a biscotti - and not a cookie! - after all.

Meals at home comprised of porky dishes (for the replenishment of iron) and severely satiating Liangpi from Bingz. Sugary treats were not be exempt during the post-Halloween phase: Hotel Transylvania-style Kit Kat and Purdy's Franken Mallow were consumed over the duration of impossibly lengthy work-from-meetings.

​My first pale ale in a while did not fall within the category of IPAs; Lake of Bays Tropical Fruit Pale Ale boasted a low IBU and refreshing fruitiness.

​With the arrival of the weekend, the sleepy polar bear bestowed upon me the item that had prompted my acquisition of Cappuccino gelato earlier in the week: Brown Sugar Oolong Milk Tea w/ 2J, the most perfect marriage of milk tea and coffee goodness.

Weekend errands would fall upon me once more. After downing an Iced Americano and Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffin from the freezer, we sped off to North York.

Following a dental appointment and visit to MEC, I inched my way towards Yonge and Church, where I was hoping to find LUNA Bakery's new location. ​Alas, the specialty rice cake store hadn't even opened yet. Pasted on the evidently unfurnished storefront was an "Opening Soon" poster, inclusive of their moon-centric logo.
I had clearly been too enthusiastic about the move, and failed to confirm the details through their website and social media.

​Crawling southbound amidst Yonge Street's typical congestion, the continuous sighting of eateries prompted me to pull over. After evaluating existing hunger levels, I placed a Ritual order for Café Landwer. My atrociously costly Shawarma Sandwich would supposedly emerge some ten to fifteen minutes later.

In the meantime, I strode over to Bake Code. Their selection has undeniably diminished over the years, with one section of the interior, including their bathrooms, entirely closed off. Prices had peaked as well, as if their offerings hadn't been steeply tagged prior to COVID and inflation.
Steering clear of their refrigerated display cake, I took to two pastries beyond my skill level: a Roasted Coffee Bun à la Pappa Roti and a Vietnamese Coffee Croissant, complete with mini syringe of condensed milk.

​But even after these had made their way back to the car, my Café Landwer order remained outstanding. Another five minutes ensued, then another ten. The brunch crowd was bustling. My single order would be delayed until 1:12 PM, roughly twenty-five minutes after placement.

​Unveiled from two gingham-patterned bags was a multigrain bun oozing with sauces and spices. Saffron-tinted condiments filled the cavities under my nails, while loose pieces of meat and curried chickpeas rolled down through my hair and onto my sleeve. Chaos.
The $18.95 sandwich was an absolute monstrosity to consume! Varied in profile it was not, though the multigrain bread offered a toothsome cragginess and resisted mushiness despite its spilling juices. Its accompanying salad was teensy, though tomatoes and baby spinach impressively fresh.

​I revealed the Vietnamese Coffee Croissant with the sleepy polar bear upon my return, disregarding the shocking 12-count of Krispy Kreme donuts residing on the table.

Poured atop the croissant was a roasted coffee coating, presumably a similar substance used to finish the Roasted Coffee Bun. Nestled within flaky, voluminous layers was a loose, coffee-flavoured custard. A runny condensed milk could be retrieved from the syringe and drizzled atop for intensification of flavour. 

With an appearance - and cross-section - nearly identical to that of the popular Malaysian treat, it was natural to assume a similar profile. The chocolate-coloured coating was bitter, though not necessarily as fragrant as the roasted coffee elements adorning the Vietnamese Coffee Croissant. Its insides were dense, with only a smidgen of salted butter encased at is core. Despite being of a larger portion than my recollection, the bun was underwhelming overall.

My Saturday evening had been spent indulging in several of the foundational pastry-making and baking videos from Sugar Lane's founder, Hanbit Cho. YouTube immediately followed with relevant recommendations, prompting me to revisit a Chiffon Cake recipe from Vancouver-based Sheldo's Kitchen. I had viewed it before, but expressed minimal interest at the time.

​Stemming from newly acquired information was the sudden urge to construct a chocolate rendition of the fluffy Chiffon Cake. With the heavy cream remaining from the previous weekend's creations, I entertained the thought of pairing the chiffon with a whipped ganache - a white ganache, for colour contrast.

​My eyes darted to the recipe scaled for a 6-inch diameter yield, then proceeded with the first step: coating the dry ingredients with canola oil. Of the 50g of cake flour, 20g was swapped out for cocoa powder; both were then sifted into the oil for mixing.

I was meticulous in adhering to the process by which ingredients were incorporated, given it being my first attempt at the recipe. As per the recipe directions, circular motions transitioned into the side-to-side zig-zag once egg yolks and vanilla were added.

​The cake resided in the oven for 55 minutes, but an inserted toothpick emerged slightly damp with crumbs clinging to its edge. I presumed this un-doneness to be owed to my choice of a compact pan (less heat circulation?) and the oven temperature dropping to 275 F over the course of baking. I raised the temperature to 300 F again and baked for another 4 minutes, then another 3 minutes, until the toothpick finally emerged somewhat clean. Over this period, the cake was observed to lose volume steadily.

​For about 75 minutes, the cake would cool upside down, its handles supported by two wire racks. Extra care was used to ensure that the cake parts were not sandwiched in between. Gently separating from the inside of the pan using a plastic knife, I removed the cake and was shocked to find a sunken bottom.
"I failed." was the immediate internal response. There was undeniable dampness at its centre. I allowed the cake to continue to cool, and later trimmed underside to match the slightly darker (moister) inner diameter.

​Exhibiting extremely delicate properties, I cautiously proceeded to level the top and bottom. Scraps were placed in a container for later consumption, while one of the uniform discs was transferred directly to a turntable, for I was hesitant to shift their placement more than twice in fear of disintegration.

For the filling, I had paired my remaining 66g of heavy cream with 23g of Piccoli White couverture. The plan had been to employ a white chocolate whipped ganache, but I was not too fond of the 12-hour chill time. Instead, I opted to place bowl into the freezer for about 2 hours, then loosen the formula by whipping.
Its consistency was akin to ice cream at first, but quickly transitioned to a loose (yet stabilized) whipped cream after the incorporation of air. It did not hold the stiff peaks depicted in the tutorial, but served to contribute an adequately sweet creaminess. Future attempts shall be undertaken using the proper format (refrigerated rest time between 12-24h) though.

​Formulated on the spot to keep cake crumbs at bay was a sugar syrup comprising of: 1 tsp Nescafé Gold, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp hot water, and 2 tsp granulated sugar. The syrup was not very tasty on its own, but contributed a subtle sophistication to the cake. The crumb was exceptionally tender, meaning that a tremendous mess could not be escaped even with the addition of sugar syrup.

The moistened chiffon layers and loose whipped white ganache were allowed to rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Cocoa powder was dusted on its surface in an attempt to camouflage the uneven surface.

​Quite frankly, I had expected the worst: a dense cake with runny filling and mediocre profile. However, this Chocolate Chiffon was anything but. Astoundingly moist, impressively chocolatey, and boasting a remarkably uniform texture, I must admit to initial surprise. The cake was absolutely delectable, with no shortage of complexity whatsoever.
​
​Similar commentary were received from samplers in the proximity. And, as a result of its airy properties and compact size, the cake nearly failed to last beyond 12 hours.