Traffic was smooth.
The PATH was quiet.
The office was peaceful.
Without external interferences, I entered focus mode immediately. Exploring the vast array of resources made known to us, I came across the availability of Microsoft 365, currently restricted to the web version only.
Reaching out to IT in a frenzy, I stated my dilemma with urgency, then began evaluating my options for tomorrow's review deadline. The moral of story: Always make copies to be conservative, rather than using the "cut" function at every available opportunity. My attempt to be efficient and prevent unnecessary duplication actually hindered productivity instead of enhancing it.
Despite its awkward, non-looping layout and homeless-heavy population, Eaton remains a top spot for tourists visiting the City, though the association may have resulted from its proximity to City Hall and the photo-ready "Toronto" sign.
The most obvious change was the commencement of Ontario Line construction, which had taken over the centremost section of the mall, where the gargantuan Christmas Tree had once stood for past Tree Lighting ceremonies.
I had prepared myself to exit onto street level, but Google Maps advised that Gong Cha had opened up within the retail centre itself. Surely enough, the familiar logo was found in the basement-level Urban Eatery, next to McDonald's.
Ultimately, I decided on Starbucks instead, settling on a Chocolate Cream Cold Brew. The drink was requested at half-sugar, though deemed ideal with two pumps of vanilla syrup, for the reduced sugar option did not offer the full extent of sweet, chocolatey creaminess. Needless to say, the Cold Brew undeniably less potent than independent cafés or at-home creations, but nevertheless a satisfactory, mid-day pick-me-up.
Nearing Church and Gerrard, tree cover began to diminish, exposing pedestrians to blazing UV rays.
Customer volumes were at an all-time low, yet the staff seemed unbothered to near the cashier and take my order. When one of the ponytail-donning staff eventually approached the counter, she seemed annoyed to respond to requests for further clarification of the baked goods within the display case.
Could you blame me though? The labels failed to line up with the products, some of which weren't even available to start.
Absolutely horrendous was the Black Sesame Mochi. The glutinous rice casing was thick and bland, offering rigidity instead of the wonderfully elastic qualities associated with mochi. Wrapped within was a milky, separated filling - it was grey, as black sesame products ought to be, but retained no nuttiness whatsoever.
Let it be known: I shall not be going back for their baked goods.
1) Black Sesame Dessert (黑芝麻糕)
Originating from an inventory restock of black sesame paste, I decided to try my hand at a steamed black sesame dessert. Impatience paved the way for a failed, coal-coloured chunk of rubberiness. A few reluctant chews later, the "cake' was deemed a disheartening fiasco, only revealing itself stiffer with each passing minute.
The past summer, I dipped my toes into butter mochi for the first time in my baking odyssey. Trader Joe's Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix had proved itself effortlessly delicious in applications of mini butter mochi bites as well as pancakes. Crafting the formula from scratch was an entirely new beast, as I had learned from the earlier Black Sesame Brick and two counts of sapin sapin-making.
The remainder of the coconut milk from my failed experiment measured about 268 ml, approximately 67% (or two-thirds) of the 14 oz. can called for in the recipe. Reluctant to open a second can of AROY-D, I scaled down the quantities proportionally and converted to metric measurements for ease of scaling (with the exception of the glutinous rice flour, for the scale had suddenly powered off).
Around the sixty-minute mark, I unveiled a golden square with a crackly top. A skewer came back slightly damp at the centre, but otherwise clean at the edges. Rather than baking for longer, I simply allowed the slab to cool, hoping that the centre would solidify just as cookies would.
Of course, the wispy surface would fade with time, especially after transferring to a plastic container. However, its thin crust and delightfully chewy qualities would remain, even exuding the same degree of decadence the following day. Unthinkable it was that such a tremendously scanty amount (48 g) of melted butter could result in such a silky, sublime mouthfeel.
Almost as if constructed on a weekly basis, SK's Marbled Banana Bread reared itself in the form of two, coarse sugar-specked loaves once again. Half would be portioned out for Monday's office potluck, while the rest would be subject to standard treatment: individual plastic wrap casing and freezing.
For the latter, I was asked if an optional granulated sugar coating was desired. Why not? I thought and responded, "With sugar." The trendy Korean snack would then proceed to be topped with every single sauce available at the station. Besides Ketchup, there were two squeeze bottles each of Honey Mustard, Teriyaki, and Spicy Mayo. It is worth noting that the bottles, as well as the station itself, was quite clean at this early afternoon hour. Grimy plastic bottles à la Costco had been expected, after all.
Since our last visit, it was also observed that the path from the seating area to the kitchen had been blocked with a rope barrier to prevent customers from directly grabbing utensils/napkins from the order table themselves.
It didn't require much effort to remove the sausage from the skewer. Moreover, there were no unnecessary bits of potato included in an attempt to render an otherwise stiff corn dog crispy. The battered treat was considerably more delicious than the displeasing rigid, overpriced stalks from ChungChun and would definitely assume my top choice should I ever be in the mood for Korean-style corn dogs again.
In place of the typical gochukaru-speckled sesame-soy sauce, MyMy's variation utilized a loose dressing reminiscent of Teriyaki in hue, yet tangy with prominent notes of mustard (without mustard seed) in composition. The shredded scallions seemed to have been soaked to remove pungency and dried thoroughly to retain its aromatic properties. Being shredded thinly assisted in preserving a toothsome texture.
Square One was as hectic as ever, but boasted more walkability than most weekends - likely owed to Father's Day celebrations and Celebration Square events.
Gong Cha's latest GTA outpost was found near the southeast corner of the lot, within minutes from Gotcha Tea and plentiful shawarma outlets.
I confirmed it to be unmistakably sweet, yet enjoyable with an energizing boost of caffeine. The Large size was served in a smooth, opaque paper cup, seemingly intended for hot drinks due to the affixed warning signals. Paper straws were provided for our use, resulting in a grimace and hardly stifled, exasperated sigh. However, it is with much glee that I report back with good news: The straws not only resisted dissolution in hot temperatures, but also maintained structural integrity after being submerged overnight! What a grand departure from the bendy monstrosity of CoCo and their crumbling paper cups!
Majority of the space catered towards Halal dining. Mount Sinai did not, but filled the void for Mexican street food by way of soft tacos, specialty bread, and signature churros.
I turned my head to find "Apna Farm" in a Serif font typically associated with insurance companies.
Nearby was a sweets shelf, where anything from baklava to nut-topped cookies to Bread & Salt (607) specialties could be found.
Evaporated milk, instant Karak Tea, and Taza-branded Palmier cookies were procured during this visit. Although the assortment was found to be steeply priced, it was with a sense of bewilderment and wonder that we gazed upon the aisles of unfamiliar names. Mississauga, as a city, was generally diverse in the spread of specialty grocers available. In this sense, Apna Farm was similar to the now-shuttered European market occupied by royaltea beside Chicken Plus.
Beyond emanating the vanilla-tinged warmth of waffle cones from every corner, the store was bright, colourful, and stocked amply with an expansive assortment of scoops and pre-packs.