Out & About #910 | T&T on College + More Eaton Updates

Summer in the downtown core is as exhilirating as it is miserable. This isn't my first rodeo, as past experiences along the Waterfront, the Fashion District, and Yonge-Dundas have shaped my perception of sweltering temperatures in the city.

The sunny season introduces a breadth of street festivals and pop-up activities. However, it also makes outdoor treks dreadful and public transit reek of perspiration and despair.

​Thunderstorms and poor air quality have hovered about for at least a few weeks now. Rainfall provides some sort of relief from the muggy atmosphere, though possesses a drastic threat to the paper-bagged purchases and biodegradable food containers preferred by downtown eateries as of late.

On one of many solo walks over lunch, I perused the storefronts along Dundas.
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Tsujiri, Gyugyuya, Zen Q, Butter Baker, and, surprisingly, You Don Ya have remained resilient throughout the pandemic. Past destinations of interest including Uncle Tetsu's Angel Cafe, Fugo, and Yang Tea Shop have vanished from the premises. Yutaka was observed having transformed into Gyubee, and Starbucks at Dundas and Elizabeth had been vacated entirely to serve Toronto's growing cannabis market.

​Then, braving repulsive sewer stenches, I strolled up University Avenue - umbrella in hand, of course.

Before I had realized, I had nearly reached U of T campus grounds. College Street offered a quaint neighbourhood for continued roaming, thus I began exploring westward.

My path crossed with that of Yubu, a quick-service outpost for a Korean take on inarizushi, as well as Myungrang Hot Dog, which was first spotted in North York two months ago.

When I reached the intersection of College and Spadina, I had merely maintained a leisurely pace for roughly twenty minutes. Opting out of Dak Lak's Vietnamese Coffee on the condition that I couldn't wield both a drink and sheltering device, I dove into the next retailer of interest: T&T.

The supermarket's only downtown location spanned two floors. Beaming and spacious was the facility, inviting potential shoppers to take a gander at merchandise at the upper level, relax in the dining area on the ground floor, or procure OneZo before continuing with their day. This T&T location was exceptionally foot traffic-friendly, supporting access by walking, cycling, or transit. Moreover, the convenient positions of escalators and elevators would make for an inclusive shopping experience.

​For those willing to intrepidly undertake downtown driving conditions, up to two hours of complimentary parking could be validated with a minimum purchase of twenty dollars.

Weaving between the aisles, my gaze fell upon maple-flavoured SPAM, discounted Dried Mango slices from H&H, and "non-alcoholic" bottled beverages. The latter was labelled to contain between 0.0-0.5% alcohol by volume.

Sufficient points had been accumulated for a 700-point prize, thus I redeemed an insulating cooler bag to facilitate the walk back to the office.

Once back, I proceeded to pair black coffee with Strawberry Shortcake from home. Admittedly, Wonda was better than Good Grief.

​Weather deviated minimally the following day. Again, I was faced with more rain, more humidity, and more dreariness.
But, at the very least, homemade cake was present as a pick-me-up.

​As opposed to aimless exploration, my lunch break was utilized towards running errands.

I took to Miniso first in search of a reasonably-priced backup umbrella. Finding none at the Queen and University location, I picked up Sanrio-themed eye masks instead, then headed over to Eaton.

Unfortunately, inventory across both locations was largely similar. The standalone shop had been larger than that of Eaton's, and was therefore stocked more adequately. That said, I was unable to find an umbrella devoid of cute cartoons and sizable enough to cover two people. There were no sports bras either, though resistance bands and foam yoga blocks were stocked in abundance.

With Nordstrom now shuttered, access to Samsung Store and UNIQLO required routing outside, into the heat and homelessness, then back inside the mall - an utmost hassle, I must declare. Contributing to the frustrations were the countless tourists and slow walkers unapologetically taking up space in the centre of the corridors and main access paths.

​From UNIQLO, shoppers had the the alternative of descending a steep stairwell to connect to the lower level of the shopping centre. Due to Ontario Line construction, the width of the staircase was quite constrained and the escalators were closed off.

Interestingly, UNIQLO, like Muji, also had the option of customizing one's own tote bag, but for a far steeper price.

In the basement-level Urban Eatery, I decided to experiment with the Gong Cha ordering kiosks. Only one of two kiosks were found to be functioning. Eventually, I headed over to the counter to inquire about points. The member of staff informed me that the app could be used for collecting points - a shocking contrast to the Platinum Drive location that told me the app had been discontinued. Perhaps app usage was location-specific, as Gong Cha locations are individually-operated franchises after all.

The system was filtered by phone number instead; I was informed to be the first patron to be successfully found by phone number - Go figure!

​Samples of Milk Tea w/ Golden Pearls were positioned by the counter, its toppings congealed at the bottom of the cup.

My order of Dolce Coffee Smoothie was misheard as Dolce Milk Tea Smoothie with Golden Pearls. At 0% sugar, it was of a pleasant degree of sweetness, but with barely discernible notes of coffee and condensed milk. The error hadn't been unveiled until I reviewed the receipt in hand.
The Eaton Centre location used the same straws as the Erin Mills location, which, thankfully, did not disintegrate over the course of consumption. That said, I would have appreciated elimination of the high-pitched squeakiness that emerged from swirling the straw around the plastic dome lid opening.

Meals of the week comprised of mediocre Lunch Special takeout from Bayview Garden and homemade Steamed Tofu and Lap Cheong over Choy Sum and Steamed Rice. A Pork Chop & Onion on Rice (洋蔥豬扒飯) was revealed to comprise of crunchy onions and questionable-looking pork cutlets. The porous texture was indicative of starch-stabilized patties that had been formed to adopt the appearance of meat, all while bearing the texture of Burger King Chicken Nuggets.

Baked Spaghetti with Sausage, Minced Pork & Cheese (芝士腸仔肉醬意粉) wasn't much better: Despite relatively sturdy strands of flour noodles, the sauce was laden with pepper and little to no minced meat.

​​I was thankful to have a can of Sangria-Style Beer from Mill St. nearby. Thoroughly enjoyed, the concoction was a splendid hybrid of rich, complex fruitiness of wine and the refreshing, fizziness of beer.

​The sleepy polar bear's wholly positive feedback towards Kaze was somewhat promising. Given that our tastes differ drastically, I approached the commentary with reservations. When the existing takeout spread failed to serve their purpose, however, I deemed it the perfect opportunity to maximize my UberEats promotions.

​Reviewing external conditions (and the all-too-predictable habits of Uber drivers of making multiple intermediate stops), only cooked items were ordered. Grilled Salmon Don, Bulgogi Bento, and Aburi Salmon set us back a whopping $61 before discounts were applied.

​While costlier than one would expect for a hole-in-the-wall establishment, Kaze delivered the same outsanding quality as their original ramen eatery of Kenzo (218) - now Kamen. The Grilled Salmon Don featured a flavourful, tender fillet with a lightly blackened surface over a bed of seasoned, short-grain rice and stir-fried cabbage. The Bulgogi Bento, portioned into a biodegradable container with a clear plastic lid, included a sizable portion of marinated beef strips, stir-fried cabbage (again), freshly steamed, short-grain rice, japchae, and a pickled cucumber side dish. In spite of lacking julienned carrots and spinach bits, the japchae was, hands down, one of the best variations I had ever tasted. The noodles were chewy without being overdone, while the aromas of soy and sesame oil was irrefutable.

​The 10-piece Aburi Salmon rolls were another fantastic surprise. Nearly double the diameter of a standard maki roll, each piece was brimming with fillings, barely held together with a thin layer of rice and nori. A blessing it was to have the opportunity to savour torched salmon, crispy shrimp tempura, and butter avocado within the same bite.​

Easing my way into the long weekend were Koala's March (chocolate, of course), alcohol-free beer, bubbly cans of Darling Mimosa, and Mr. Buttons' soft feet. I was also glad to finally remove the seal on my giveaway-granted bag of Tres Dragones from Third Wave!