Out & About #871 | Sapin Sapin, Matcha Chiffon + Victoria Sponge Cake

Mercury levels have begun to stoop this week, easing into a drizzly conditions hovering about the freezing mark. This climate conjures reluctance to head outside, and instead pairs well with indoor activities and cozy beverages. Nestled next to me, as I grudgingly undertake manual labour that ought be - and could easily be -automated, is Mr. Buttons.

The marshmallow-topped mocha in the last month has been swapped for a feel-good detox of yuzu, ginger, and lemon. Meal choices have similarly gravitated towards warm broths with subtler profiles. A bag of macaroni dating back to peak COVID grocery restocks was unveiled; the pasta was paired with kale and blanched pork shoulder strips in pleasantly tart tomato soup accented with sweet onions.

Resulting from an unfulfilled trip to Thornhill were persistent cravings and curiosity towards Filipino bakery and kakanin offerings. It was only a matter of time before this thirst for knowledge prompted my own rendition of Sapin Sapin. Without any familiarity with the authentic version, I relied heavily on YouTube sources to guide me through the process.

In the absence of ube extract, I utilized pandan. In order to minimize the number of dishes, I turned towards my toaster oven instead of setting up the steamer. In the face of a constant stream of emails, I skipped the step of sieving the mixture before steaming. Lastly, in an attempt to re-purpose the remaining quantity of coconut milk from my Pandan Honeycomb Cake experiment, I converted the measurements from US to metric and scaled the ingredient amounts accordingly, admittedly hastily while rushing through the tutorial at 2x playback speed.

​The batters were compiled after a rushed lunch, then allowed to rest for roughly forty minutes while I burst out to complete errands. Each layer was steamed in a greased 6-in pan in the toaster oven for 10 minutes, using the steam-bake function, and then cooled to room temperature before removing. With the exception of the centremost section of the bottom layer, the creation unmoulded with extreme ease.

While typically adopting a purple (ube), white (coconut milk/plain), and yellow (jackfruit) colour scheme, mine was more reminiscent of mahjong tiles, especially when flipped and sliced into rectangular pieces. Being constructed of rice flour and glutinous rice flour, the specimen was chewy with a mild bounce. Its taste was also quite mild, obtaining a uniform profile strictly from coconut milk, and the few drops of pandan extract in the top layer. I had warily reduced the condensed milk content by 15g and omitted granulated sugar altogether, but would advise against doing so for other experimenters.
My sapin sapin was satisfying, but led to a tremendous amount of bloating afterwards. The treat is not particularly heavy, which can cause one to repeat ingestion while on a hunt for fullness. I would advise against this, and instead recommend sources of protein or soluble fibre for a sense of heartiness.

As with every week as of late, I am obliged to make way to Midtown. When a friend asked for recommendations in the area, I was at a loss for words, for despite being present for work purposes, I nearly never ate out.
Lunch walks served the sole purpose of reinstating movement into my day, with the added bonuses of getting fresh air and acquiring data on any new happenings in the City.

​On a hunt for Valentine's Day stickers, I perused grocery stores in the vicinity. Within the 400 m radius of the intersection were: Loblaws to the east, Shoppers to the north, Farm Boy to the south, and metro to the west.
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My forage was fruitless, though I did confirm presence of readymade meals and seating at both Loblaws and Farm Boy. Another observation was the consistent installation of swinging monkeys above the bananas at Farm Boy. ​Some, mind you, appear notably friendlier than others.

Valentine's Day - and even Easter! - goods have arrived at most stores. On display at Rexall were cards themed after the Hallmark holidays. It was worth nothing, though, that in addition to the heart-splattered covers associated with February 14th, Lunar New Year red envelopes were also available for purchase.
I had previously expressed surprise at seeing the assortment of children's books for Lunar New Year, told from both Korean and Chinese backgrounds. Ten years ago, few knew of the existence of this cultural celebration. Yet, at present day now we are able to find related products in mainstream stores. A truly phenomenal revelation it was!

Last week, I had the pleasure of sampling fresh Pandesal from Alminz Kakanin, gifted to me from my coworker after a morning run. The toasty, plush properties of the bun were vividly recalled, causing me to yearn for more. In light of York Mills being closer to the Filipino neighbourhood of Wilson and Bathurst, I entertained the idea of UberEats, then eventually caved to the pricey purchase.

​Instead of sending the order to the TTC commuter lot, which could have been disastrous given the vast range in the app's arrival times, I directed it to my carpooling partner's office instead, then urgently enlisted assistance in receiving the package.

​Two sizable brown bags had been used to separate my icy Buko Pandan con Hielo from the 8-pack of asymmetric Pandesal. I was impressed to find the dessert still icy, in spite of residing in the backseat of a heated vehicle for fifteen minutes. The cup had been wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then positioned in a paper cup holder, and finally stapled within its own paper bag. The accompanying spoon and napkin set had also been tightly sealed in plastic wrap, likely to prevent sogginess in the cause of spillage. The Buko Pandan was a bit sweet at first, but absolutely delicious once the ice had melted slightly. Jelly constituents and coconut shreds were prominent as well, supplying superb texture and fragrance.

Upon unveiling the Pandesal, my carpooling partner expressed surprise and disapproval, "You ordered BREAD?! Of all things?!".
Naturally, I responded that cravings were prevalent and needed to be satisfied. "Do you want some? I ordered with you in mind." I responded, readying my empty plastic container for portioning.
"No. I'm good."
"Are you sure??"
"It's just bread!" The box on my lap received a dirty stare. "It's literally just bread!"
I didn't bother to stifle my laughter, for the statement was true. It was, indeed, "just bread", but bread that I had been looking to revisit for a whole week. And curiosity does not go unanswered on my accord.

​None of the rolls were of uniform size. Each was about 1.7 times the size of Alminz, all unapologetically squished into the box. I plucked one from the pack: it definitely was not warm and fluffy like the fresh ones; neither did it possess the lightly sweet, cheesy undertones. Nonetheless, they were quite buttery on their own and somewhat brioche-like, evoking a palette that suggested a decent amount of butter being kneaded into the dough.

Retoasted the next day using the Bake-Steam setting on the toaster oven, the buns were enjoyed with a liberal smear of diner-style butter (included with the box). On the following day, I tried a whopping spoonful of homemade strawberry and mixed berry jam, but found the flavours to clash rather than complement. As the "breadiness" of white flour induced bloating, the rest were frozen and reserved for later consumption.

The accessibility of retail services within the GTA is great: beyond Amazon prime deliveries within a 48-hour windows, I relished in the swift delivery of skincare, footwear, and bakeware within 5 business days - a drastic difference from the constant delays of Vancouver.

​Still immersed in the supple, indulgent properties of my Pistachio Strawberry Cake, I set out to extend that enjoyment. Two 6-inch aluminum pans were procured: one standard and one loose bottom with an interchangeable chiffon insert.

I proceeded first with Sunday Baking's Victoria Sponge recipe.

​Just as she had shown in the video tutorial, I filled two 6-inch pans with equal amounts of batter (scaled for accuracy!), as to quicken the process. The portion in the aluminum pan revealed doneness in the specified 18- to 20-minute range, emerging with a flat surface that needed no trimming. On the other hand, a toothpick inserted at the centre of my 6-in non-stick came back sticky and coated in crumbs. The domed cake went back into the oven for an additional three minutes; upon removal from the pan, it was noticed to have darker, golden edges and a smaller diameter. The latter was likely due to my lack of awareness that it was a tapered pan.

Height and baking time variances aside, the most shocking revelation lay in the cake's cross-sections: In the top layer of the non-stick edition were repulsive, gargantuan holes rivalling that of Swiss Cheese. The bottom layer had also succumbed to similar fate, yet the holes were noticeably smaller. Bracing myself, I cut into the portion baked in the aluminum pan, but found relatively uniform, fine air pockets. It was unthinkable that the same cake batter would emerge so vastly different, despite being compiled in the same method and baked side by side, at the same temperature and for the same duration of time.

Even Sunday Baking was unable to extend any insight on this observation. While the cake layers were nonetheless delicious - albeit a tad eggy - it spurred a desire to investigate the impact of pan materials on the baking process.

I dashed out of the house to secure whipping cream to complete the cake's assembly. Between the two layers of sponge would be: whipped cream (whipped to soft peaks) and berry jam. In place of Sunday's raspberry, I took to a homemade strawberry-mixed berry blend. As this version did not contain as much gelatin as previous iterations, any looseness served to saturate the sponge layers, thus they remained moist without syrup. The cream, which I had opted to stabilize with gelatin, never formed soft peaks. Perhaps the gelatin was too warm to be added, for the jam bled into the cream while it remained in liquid state.

​Visuals aside, the overall flavour profile of the cake was unaffected. A gentle dusting of icing sugar nixed the need for fresh berries as garnish, simultaneously camouflaging any imperfections in the topmost cream layer. Victoria Sponge proved yet another successful creation, though the material-induced texture differences persist as an item for further investigation.

Naturally, with a chiffon pan in hand, I couldn't resist formulating a recipe for testing.

In consideration of my successful Chocolate Chiffon, I referenced Sheldo's Kitchen once more, this time swapping in expired matcha from O-Sulloc instead of cocoa powder. The total quantity of flour was not altered.

​The result was an exceptionally fragrant cake, likely radiating a stronger vanilla-y essence than grassy matcha. In my haste to return to unanswered emails, I was certain that my meringue had been inadequately stabilized. This lack of scrupulousness revealed itself in occasionally large air pockets in the final product. Taste-wise, the cake was moist and airy, but I have reservations as to whether it had reached its maximum potential volume.

​With the arrival of a sunny Saturday, I departed the house for errand-running. My speedy footsteps enabled quick completion of all tasks, and soon I was Square One-bound for mall walks and skating.

​In anticipation of Lunar New Year, the mall had once again raised the red scrolls with Chinese calligraphy before the Holt Renfrew entrance. An art installation evoking traditional new year patterns was positioned beneath it, while cartoon-like graphics made their way in and about the luxury department store itself.

I proposed a brief Rec Room run to warm up before any skating endeavours.

There, I confirmed minimal loss of Pump It Up! aptitudes and the arrival of Pokémon-themed redemption prizes - items that the Burnaby location had obtained over half a year sooner.

The next agenda item was navigating downstairs towards The Food District in search of mochi donuts. The specific dessert was nowhere to be found, prompting me to re-align snacking needs with items in the immediate vicinity.

As I observed the aluminum pans (!!!) used by Uncle Tetsu staff and their light fingertips when transferring the cakes from pan to box, a letter-sized sheet caught my eye: Limited Time Only! Coffee Cheesecake, it read.

Its acquisition was essentially a no-brainer by that point. Braving the greasy fumes of Farzi Cafe located diagonally across, I joined the queue for the exclusive product. As moist and delectable as it was, there was overall inadequacy, for it seemingly failed to reach its maximum potential in both coffee notes and cheesiness. The Original reigns strong, persevering as the singular specimen of unanimously well-rounded flavour.
A $2.90 Honey Madeleine was also requested, as to fuel the skating session that would take place.

​By the time we eventually made it to Celebration Square, the sun had begun its gradual descent. From the rink, we observed the breathtaking transition from blue to lilac to pink. As the sky dimmed completely, the rink would be illuminated with coloured lights instead. Speakers were a tad scratchy during our visit, but we enjoyed the session nonetheless.

Contrasting against the older crowds witnessed on New Year's Eve, the Saturday afternoon demographic comprised primarily of young families and children.

​Post-skating rituals often lend itself to toasty beverages. This led me to recall a Tim Hortons outpost with matcha-based drinks, previously observed on my NYE hunt for bathrooms that were not portables. Naturally, I slotted it on my radar.

394 City Centre Drive was not a location supporting free parking. By the nearby Rabba, I managed to find street parking marked as "30 Mins Free". Working quickly, I dove into the Timmies before continuing with my next stop.

From their exclusive selection of pastries and beverages, I pointed towards the following:

• White Hot Chocolate Matcha Latte: Vibrant and steaming, this tea-infused hot chocolate resided on the sweet side spectrum, but proved astoundingly cozy, ideal in a post-skating context. Mild grassiness could be perceived. Conclusively speaking, the latte was superior to that of Starbucks.

• Honey Cruller: A traditional pick that was not sampled by yours truly.​

• Vanilla Matcha Croissant: Its mildly flaky texture was slightly better than that of Walmart croissants in bulk, though its filling was ridiculously sugary. The pastry was much too sweet for my liking.​

• Chocolate Hazelnut Muffin: Despite not nearly as moist as the traditional Chocolate Chip Muffin (863), the dual profile was visually and gustatorily intriguing. The tender, oil-based crumb in Timmie's standard assortment is replaced with a denser, more gratifying texture. Given its excessively tacky interior, the muffin is great for Nutella lovers, but likely to be enjoyed less by those with bakery-style preferences.

• Chocolate Croissant: Although shaped like a pain au chocolat, the pastry was damp and possibly identical to that of Walmart - or even Costco - croissants in bulk. The interior bore a synthetic taste of chocolate reminiscent of Hershey's chocolate syrup instead of dark chocolate callets. A sugary sheen glazed its surface, while a sticky, shiny, and unmalleable chocolate drizzle provided additional sweetness. Much like the Vanilla Matcha Croissant, this pastry does not warrant repurchasing.

​Finally, before departing the City Centre area, I picked up supper from Monga. The narrow strip on Curran Place was easily navigable by foot, but hardly uncomplicated to reach by car.

​My order of LAAZY Original Chicken (Okinawa Seaweed) and 4 Pcs Crispy Chicken set me back $11.99 and $12.99 respectively.

​The LAAZY Original Chicken reeked of furikake, despite being tender and positively crunchy. We had debated between Okinawa Seaweed and Plum Pickle Salt, eventually settling on seaweed in fear of the unpredictability of the latter.

​The 4 Pcs Crispy Chicken consisted of two drumsticks and two thigh pieces, battered evenly and fried until golden brown. Hints of pepper could be perceived in this selection, along with lingering notes of alkalinity (baking powder, not soda) from the batter. That said, the meat was well-seasoned: residing underneath the thoroughly crunchy skin was tender flesh bearing evidence of brine prepwork.

Accompanying the Taiwanese chicken dinner was an intrepid swig of Yuzu Choya, obtained from a lover of stars and pigs at long last. Citrusy was its presence, yet aggressive was its profile - the shot burned my throat upon coming into contact, reminding me that dilution was not optional.

That evening, I suffered intense stomach pains, followed by two rounds of diarrhea. The reaction would confirm, once more, the lack of tolerance for greasy, fryer foods.