Out & About #918 | Downtown Retail Therapy + Homemade Kalbi

By realigning my in-office days for the week, I was able to grasp a taste of a faux three-day weekend. Oh, what bliss!

I tended to chores, and even finally unveiled some mail! Sunday Baking and ANook3's collaboration sticker set had arrived; accompanying it was an illustrated version of Sunday's go-to scone recipe. A clear phone case had been ordered through ebay to facilitate the crafting of a customized sticker phone case. Alas, my hasty decision hadn't considered the bulky component surrounding the camera lens, which is now blocked after application of the case. The ambitious DIY project has now been set aside for the time being, its imitation date unknown.

​Sunday evening would see well-warranted decompression with Larry and Miniso's steaming eye masks - too steamy, should you ask me - after a much-needed massage.

The next morning, I rolled out of bed embracing the arrival of Monday. Having adopted the routine for the past few weeks, I had forgotten the tremendous amount of relief sustained by not having to scramble towards the GO train for my early morning commute into the city.​

​At home, I witnessed the creation of the coveted Chive & Egg Scramble, while munching away at a marvelously lush frosted Cinnamon Roll from COBS Bread. The location nearest to me was always consistent in production quality, and the complimentary birthday treat was significantly more enjoyable than last year's from the downtown Oakville outpost.

Meals of the week included: Homemade Cha Siu and Gai Lan/Chive & Egg Scramble over Steamed White Rice, and Ube Yema Toast.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Preparing for thirty-plus degree weather, I slipped into one of my breeziest tops and grudgingly made my way downtown, bidding farewell to my soft friends once again.

Major's soggy Oatmeal S'Mores Cookie was taken along for the ride. While it was a decent breakfast item, it hardly deserved the title of a "cookie", and even less the "S'Mores" classification.

The morning would comprise of a hurried ticket-buying session to Justin Park's first-ever appearance in Toronto, followed by a team meeting. Anxious at the rapidly disappearing aisle spots, a friend and I snapped up the first spots available, only to have Ticketmaster release more seats over the subsequent two hours.
​
Despite immense frustration, I recalled Eric Nam's House on a Hill:
"Yeah, the grass is green
But I wish it was greener";
"Yeah, the sky is blue
But I wish it was bluer"

I was determined to prevent the ticketing process from sabotaging the actual experience.

One week after the official launch event for Caribana came Fit Fête, dazzling in watermelon pink and organized (and likely sponsored, too) by Lululemon Toronto.

​As the name suggested, exercise-centric events would take place throughout the day, commencing with upbeat dance workouts to Soca and Reggae tracks. Later in the afternoon were listings of "SWEAT" class and Yoga in the evening.

A number of vendors were also present at the event, retailing anything from coconut water to sea moss products. Registration was mandated through the main entrance, and coloured wristbands were strapped on depending on the time of entry.

​Opting not to dwell under the blazing UV rays, I proceeded with my lunch walk through shaded sections of the core, venturing between heritage buildings, various mid- and high-rise access paths, and even a handful of green patios.

Third Wave Coffee would constitute my first stop. Tres Dragones had proved spectacular in cold brew, pourover, and espresso applications, though a bit fruity for lattes and the like. Upon depletion of my giveaway-earned pouch, I couldn't resist returning for more of their innovative blends.

New to the lineup was Esmeralda, which exuded a darker profile with chocolatey notes, yet nonetheless remained true to the generally lighter roasts utilized by the independent coffee shop. The member of staff behind the counter was incredibly patient with my inquiries, and even showed surprising enthusiasm about discussing the beans. I had relayed my preferences of 75% filter and 25% espresso, to which he had initially directed me towards the fruity Fazenda Sertão for its comparable qualities to Tres Dragones. He then graciously offered samples of both Fazenda Sertão and the cafe's newest blend of Esmeralda to ease the decision-making process.

Fazenda Sertão was presented in Nitro Cold Brew format, which lent a lavish, creamy mouthfeel to its innately sparkling properties. Esmeralda took the form of hot filter, which was, admittedly, too hot to be sampled comprehensively. That said, a single swig of the formula confirmed my preference. A zesty, "funky" formula had been fun for filter, however a brief switch-up was desired.
​
Before departing, I learned that the Cold Brew on tap was always on rotation, depending on when the bag is depleted. My special request of a Nitro Cold Brew Lemonade had been honoured by the barista, and I giddily took the scrumptious beverage to go. The concoction was refreshing, gratifying, and most deserving of its hefty price tag. While I had thought differently during my last visit, the perspective has altered given the rarity of cafes that execute coffee exceptionally.

The next order of business involved a Too Good To Go pickup from Pusateri's. I headed north, weaving through the Adelaide Courtyard, towards Yonge.

Pusateri's was found on the lower level of Saks Food Hall, but the specific pickup location was not specified on the app, as it had for Metro.

A kind member of staff advised me to round the corner towards the Café kiosk, where I was presented with a knotted biodegradable bag sourced from the fridge. 

$11.29 earned me a Harvest Salad, Black Forest Ham & Cheddar Croissant, and unnamed Daily Special. The portion and variety of sustenance seemed reasonable for the price, though quality quickly became a primary concern. Two of three items had "Best Before" dates of the previous day, while the Daily Special was dated for the current day of pickup. This came as a surprise to me, for even the items included in the Metro bag had same-day "Best Before" labels. The cookies had been rock solid, while the Multigrain Baguette, as the sleepy polar bear noted, began to sport mould the following day. The experience led me to question the overall freshness of the prepared items, and whether they'd pose any unforeseen health risks.​

​In the late afternoon hours, I took to the Ham & Cheddar Croissant as a pre-gym snack. The office was without a toaster oven - and a kettle, for that matter - leading me to consume the creation in its existing somewhat dampened state. Butter had been spready between the croissant halves, then lettuce, ham, and cheddar fitted within. With the exception of the all-too-synthetic cheddar slice, it was, admittedly, quite tasty - and not stale at all.

Having received incessant nagging from the display of my hauled goods, the Harvest Salad was bestowed upon my vegetarian coworker. The listed components of Brussel sprouts, baby kale, butternut squash, and cranberries had appealed to me immensely, but she relayed that she found it largely average, though passable. The unnamed Daily Special emerged as a platter of sauce-covered Basmati rice and a single roasted chicken thigh. Clumpy was the bright orange sauce; laced with spices and herbiness, I deduced it a mild variation of Biryani. The chicken, in contrast to its anticipated tenderness, was unthinkably dry and tough.

As many Reddit users have pointed out, Too Good To Go bags are a hit or miss. Having experimented with five orders (and one cancelled), the ventures are proving more laborious than fruitful at this point. That said, a handful of vendors remain on my list, specifically those residing in the downtown core. Further observations shall be relayed once data has been retrieved.

The remainder of my lunch walk was spent browsing the Yonge-Dundas area: Miniso for the potential return of sports bras and Levi's for their new frayed Denim Bucket Hat (with neck strap!).

Made known to me by a fellow Insta user was the soft opening of Octo

​Located across from the signalized mid-block crossing on Yonge between Dundas and Shuter, the colourful facility introduced claw machine culture to the heart of downtown.

​Operation was near identical to OHYO, with maybe a minor token discount due to neighbourhood newness.

The skies had darkened to an ominous grey at this point, prompting me to hurry back to the office in the absence of both an umbrella and/or weatherproof jacket.

​Once back in suburbia, the hustling continued: I would dive into the house for my gym gear then dash back outside for two back-to-back classes at LA Fitness. As a result of being unable to find dumbbells lighter than 5 lbs in the last Body Works Plus Abs session, matters were taken into my own hands: 1 lb wrist weights were brought along to prevent injury and promote an effective workout.

​A flyer discount on short ribs gave rise to an attempt at homemade kalbi. Naturally, I wouldn't think to commence without first consulting the godmother of simplified Korean recipes for the English-speaking masses.

​​Maangchi has been my go-to for a handful of previous forays into traditional Korean fare, including Bossam, Pajeon (shrimp and bacon variations!), and Hoddeok - and Kalbi would be no exception!

The short ribs were procured in the same quantity specified in her recipe (3.5 lbs) and the marinade was prepared accordingly. Quantities were specified for the less adventurous home cooks, though I had merely assembled the portions that seemed reasonable for the amount of meat. Dark soy sauce and honey were mixed with blended Fuji apple - used as a substitute for Asian pear - then mixed with freshly chopped onions, scallions, and, of course, garlic. Twenty-four hours would pass before my grill - er, shallow stir-frying pan - would be retrieved from our makeshift pantry for searing operations.

​A part of me was aware of the issues that resulted from the initial stages of pan usage, and even considered preparing a "test product" for the sole purpose of uniform heat distribution within the pan. The only issue was: there was nothing else to pan-fry!
Needless to say, this led to charring and overcooking of the first batch and a half of short ribs, but a spectacular finish of onion-scallion-garlic chutney, which paired fantastically with steamed white rice.

Latter batches were undeniably more tender in comparison, yet still a tad tough for munching. The marinade, on the other hand, was absolutely phenomenal! It is important to note that, in the absence of mirin, I had swapped in rose cooking wine. However, a plainer profile would be preferred for any future iterations, as the prominent perennial properties slightly distracted from the otherwise distinctly savoury sesame- and soy-laced attributes.

The meaty sections were topped with toasted seseame seeds and enjoyed alongside an iced Yuzu Passionfruit Ade.