Out & About #929 | Pistachio Ice Cream, Daan Go Impressions + More MyMy Chicken

"You need to reserve time for rest and repose." my fellow baking enthusiast of a coworker had urged. "I learned that you cannot take care of others when you are not in a good state yourself."
And she was right. It wasn't that I ever disagreed with the need for rest - Heck, I even spoke highly of the importance of recovery when discussing the qualms of others! While I try not to be hypocritical, it's difficult to exercise the same type of recovery-based discipline at a personal level.

Undertaking adventures throughout the GTA is an activity I enjoy immensely, but there are times when being a homebody is absolutely necessary. This is, of course, not to say that I'm merely lazing about at home. Rather, it is quite the opposite: I am, once and for all, catching up on much-needed maintenance/administrative activities I had pushed aside for too long and carrying out weekly chores in a (comparatively) more leisurely manner. Frankly, a weekend at home imparted a sense of relief in me.

Being left to stew with a mind full of food pairings with my entire collection of baking equipment within proximity made for another hazard, however. Naturally, I'd be eager to realize these conceptual ideas, and possessed the means - be it access to information or tangible tools - for their materialization.

Over the previous week, my social media feed had acquainted me with the Pistachio McFlurry, a McDonald's dessert item exclusive to Italy. Alas, its construction appeared straightforward enough. "I could probably just make it." I recalled telling the Thai ahgase.
"Let me know it goes!" she responded with anticipation.

A heaping handful of pistachios were shelled, toasted, then chopped. Originally intending to reserve the chopped nuts for later, I caught sight of the soon-to-expire carton of heavy cream in the fridge, which paved the way towards two-ingredient ice cream within milliseconds. The ratio of sweetened condensed milk to heavy cream was: 170 g condensed milk to 450 g heavy cream. Scaling the amount proportionally, I emerged with a ratio of 151 g condensed milk to 400 g heavy cream. Opting for a milder profile, I further lessened the amount by 37% , yielding a final ratio of: 95 grams sweetened condensed milk to 400 grams heavy cream.

Aerated, sweetened cream infused with the teensiest amount of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt were alternately layered into a plastic container with spoonfuls of pistachio paste (from Costco) and generous dustings of toasted, chopped pistachios. A delectable Pistachio Ice Cream would emerge several hours later.

​My DIY Pistachio McFlurry would also see success!

Given that the storebought pistachio paste was exceptionally sweet and thick like Nutella, it is advised to warm the paste in advance of drizzling on top. This would improve ease of consumption, for room temperature paste would harden upon coming into contact with the chilled Vanilla Cone.

Beyond an endless stream of chores and impromptu creations, a Too Good To Go pickup from Daan Go had wedged its way into my schedule. The remainder of my needs were arranged accordingly: a brief treadmill session at LA Fitness's Hurontario location (while watching BamBam on Monstop) and dinner delivery from thairoomgrand.

It suffices to say that Daan Go hadn't impressed me from the moment they landed in the GTA. Prior to their brick-and-mortar locations and expansion into Vancouver, the pastry chef himself had taken to pop-up events and festivals to introduce his products to the public. From the moment I sampled the eight-dollar matcha mille crêpe cake at Sweetery, my reservations towards the franchise and its various spin-off concoctions had skyrocketed. The price tag had been viewed as atrocious in the pre-pandemic, pre-inflation era and utterly unwarranted for the quality received.

Fast forward six years to today, the dessert shop has adopted a number of virtual platforms, including a spot on the Too Good To Go app. Seeing as a Small Surprise Bag would set me back just $5.99 plus tax, I willingly undertook the risk and hit the "Reserve" button.

Pulling open the doors around the 4:20 PM mark, I found the interior vacant. "Pick up?" piped the girl behind the cashier, knowingly.
Bestowed upon me was a paper box with three macarons, a cake reminiscent of a potted plant, and an individually packaged cookie. The box's constituents spanned more than I had hoped for! Frankly, I had been mentally preparing myself for a handful of character macarons, aka the equivalent of sheer sadness.
Before departing, inquired for details on the items in my package. Without labels, it was difficult to determine what I would be consuming, and which flavours I could expect. She noted the macaron varieties of mango, peach, and Ovaltine, a cake of matcha and taro mousse, and, lastly, a Japanese Granola cookie. At this point, I would glance over at the display to my left, noting down the cookie's ingredient list and intended appearance.​

The items were unveiled for sampling later that evening. Of greatest interest was the mini cake, which I learned to be named Terra from the shop's website. In a hasty attempt to detach the specimen from its shiny gold base, I learned that the "pot" in which all components resided was, in fact, edible! The side of the pot bore a lengthy crack, presumably the reason for its TGTG status.

Generally speaking, the cake was crumbly and very difficult to eat. The top portion comprised of a two-toned sponge, while the "potted" portion was sodden mess of mousse and chocolate cake - not taro at all. Green tea had taken the form of Chinese jasmine tea rather than matcha, contributing a floral astringency as opposed to bittersweet grassiness. This ingredient choice was not to my liking whatsoever. Similar remarks were extended to the chocolate elements. While the chocolate pot had been made well, the thin layer was severely lacking. Both the pot and chocolate sponge were essentially devoid of the toasty aromas of cocoa butter, falling short of my expectations. Finally, the cake had been exposed to freezer burn, and was still partially frozen hours after thawing in the fridge.

​The trio of macarons were surprisingly enjoyable, especially so in consideration of my aversion towards macarons of any type. Authentic French renditions tend to be too sweet, possessing too chewy a shell, and not particularly reflective of their intended flavouring. Korean macarons, while less sweet, tend to filled excessively with buttercream, leading to feelings of tremendous satiation. Daan Go's version was far less sugary than the others - thankfully so - yet retained their structure. A small package of bliss, the mango macaron was the unanimous winner, bearing stellar fragrance and comprehensive tropical qualities. Only later was it discovered that this treat was a decorative element of the bakery's 24K Mango cheesecake, as opposed to a standalone product.
Meanwhile, the White Peach Lucky Cat was evidently peachy, but lacked a certain freshness. The Ovaltine chick was cute, however gave off an odd, sandy texture. Frequent drinkers of Ovaltine will also notice its filling to be at least two shades darker than the malted beverage and four times as sweet. These latter two had probably made their way into the Surprise Bag selection due to their cracked shells.

​Finally, I took to the Japanese Granola Cookie. Kept chilled until time of consumption, I microwaved half the cookie for ten seconds prior to commencing the evaluation. The creation was akin to an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, but embodied crunchiness in each bite. Warming the product lent it an undeniable coziness, albeit persevered as being too sugary for my liking. That said, it assumed my top pick of the entire selection. Perhaps it had paled in popularity versus its gaudy neighbours of Unicorn and Ultimate Chocolate Chip, but, truthfully, it wasn't bad at all!

While I had my suspicions, Daan Go proved itself to prioritize the appearance of their products. Personally speaking, I merely enjoy the combination of varying flavours and textures in their purest, unaltered form. Decorations are labour-intensive, hence entail a steep price tag for the hours contributed.
Technically, the bake shop did not over-promise, for supplying "one-of-a-kind, beautifully designed edible art" was their motto. Nowhere within their business description had taste been mentioned. Of course, none of the items were warranting of disposal; they were all, indeed, "too good to go". Macarons, in particular, freeze exceptionally well and are great with comprehensive thawing. The cake, on the other hand, earned few favours from me. For those with a strong inclination towards visually pleasing sweet treats centred about familiar East Asian ingredients, Daan Go will likely fill the void with ease. Should appearance be a secondary consideration to taste, I'd propose perhaps one attempt at their macarons. In the case where macarons are not your cup of tea, then I'd suggest moving right along to avoid disappointment. The Japanese Granola Cookie was great, but simple enough to recreate with a reliable recipe and bag of Calbee granola in hand.

Meals of the week comprised of Homemade Hong Shao Rou, otherwise known as Braised Pork Belly, Steamed Egg and Minced Pork, takeout from Magic BBQ, and an interesting mishmash of items from thairoomgrand.

Six pieces of the supposedly Singha beer-battered tenders were priced at twelve dollars. Alas, the Crispy Fish was, regrettably, not the slightest bit crispy. The batter was thin, the fillet strips supple, and the sauce was tangy without unwarranted fieriness. But the thoroughly battered strips just weren't "crispy", thus entailed overwhelming disappointment.

The Royal Pineapple Fried Rice was noticeably spicy despite absence of a chili pepper icon next to its name. Amusingly, the grains were smaller than the average size, almost as small as Vietnamese "broken rice" dishes, which made for a softer consistency, yet one that maintained flavour and depth. A handful of sweet, juicy pineapple chunks has been incorporated into the generous portion, along with strips of chicken. Had the dish not been ember-inducing, we would have enjoyed it significantly.

​Presentation-wise, the household was impressed with the heart-shaped rice mound and ample quantity of fresh mango. The Mango Sticky Rice was best served warm, for it was rigid at room temp and required heat to unleash its pandan-infused aromas. Although the rice itself was passable after a burst of heat, the mango slices were unacceptably mushy. Furthermore, the accompanying condiments were uncalled for. The mango sauce was tacky, synthetic, and sugary, while the coconut milk-looking sauce was savoury and, in fact, not coconut-y at all! With the latter having failed to elevate the dessert in any regard, it was later discarded without a lick of hesitation. Thairoomgrand was seemingly an unfitting destination for the timeless Thai dessert.

A yearning for MyMy Chicken's scrumptious Rose Toppoki led us to a pre-long weekend trip to the mall.

Since its opening in late spring, MyMy Chicken has captivated us with consistent output of tender flesh encased within a crisp, lightly saucy coating. Their assortment of flavours appear to be spinoffs of their Original flavour, with sweet and savoury variations being added after the satisfactory breading has been achieved.

Our trip to The Food District entailed orders of Seasoned Spicy Chicken, Garlic & Soy Sauce Chicken, and, of course, Rosé Toppoki. Yangnyum (양념) is a popular pick in Korea, namely for its unique honey-like, gochujang-laced profile. However, too often have North American renditions of this option gone horribly wrong, either lending itself a soggy blandness or irrefutable fieriness. Thankfully, MyMy's was quite enjoyable: it adopted sufficient embers to establish a noticeable kick, yet remained mild enough for to be appreciated by the generally spice-intolerant portion of the population.

Absolutely noteworthy was the Garlic & Soy Sauce version. While we enjoyed the Seasoned Spicy Chicken, the savoury, umami-filled complexity of our second choice was simply addicting. The dark, burnt caramel-hued sauce had penetrated just millimetres into the coating, preserving the signature comprehensive crunch of Korean fried chicken. It was conclusively our reigning pick of the two.

Rosé Toppoki is, well, Rosé Toppoki. This creamy, starchy side is one that's earned a unexpectedly extravagant amount of affection from me. The sauce is rich yet spicy; the rice cakes are starchy yet satisfying. Achieving the ideal proportions for continued consumption is no easy feat, but the contrasting elements of the Rosé Toppoki succeed in accomplishing just that. Should one be curious, cabbage strips and sausage slices, indicated by the label of "Contains beef", comprise of the dish's other constituents.

For the most well-rounded experience, our meal was devoured in the presence of sweet pickles and blanched broccoli from home. (Mind you, I also hesitated not in obtaining my baby blanket from the trunk upon learning of Square One's btually chilly interior.)
Afterwards, a Ginseng Bulgogi Beef Cup Bap was taken to go. The combination of tender - and slightly smoky this time around - beef strips, chewy japchae, fluffy short-grain rice, kimchi, and crunchy cabbage is always a solid, hearty pick. 

​Before returning to my home office, I led the way to The Rec Room to review their Trophy Case offerings. Mini Jenga, Nintendo Switch controllers, and a ginormous owl plushie were amongst the prizes available for redemption.

Along the way, we detoured towards Meet Fresh.

The Lemon Winter Melon Tea had been a beverage of interest for some weeks now. In addition to this invigorating pick was a Boba Ube Milk Tea, wherein tapioca pearls were swapped for grass jelly at no extra cost. Worth noting was the provision of drink duo-dedicated plastic bags - complimentary, unlike CoCo.

Also appealing to us was the dessert chain's Black Sticky Rice Series and Jumbo Ube Milk Shaved Ice. The latter had creeped onto my radar since the start of high-humidity, sweltering summer conditions, but was too extravagant a venture to undertake in parties of under four. The former was deemed to be straightforward enough to recreate at home. Beyond taro balls crafted in-house, most of the ingredients were common and already stocked in our (faux) pantry.

The Ube Milk Tea was better than expected, though leaned more towards taro than ube in terms of texture. Generally speaking, the dose of milkiness paired well with the slick consistency of grass jelly. Swapping out pearls had been the appropriate choice to prevent veering into needlessly thick milkshake territory.

​An unforeseen drop in mercury levels caught me by surprise on my downtown commute. Clad in merely a cotton t-shirt and light cardigan, shivers were felt to an extreme degree while trekking to the office.

For most of the morning, my shoulders had gradually travelled up towards my ears and I could barely bring my trembling fingers to type or shift the mouse.

Instead of my usual outdoor saunter, I squirmed into the Eaton Centre instead. The retail building had been set to a comfortable temperature, encouraging extended perusal of the shops within.

Observations within included:

• More scaffolding raised at the north end of the main corridor for the mall's Revitalization project
• Old-school arcade machines placed on the third floor, near the Trinity Square Park entrance
• Autumn hues adorning many mannequins
  
• A widened and brightened interior connection through the former Nordstrom space
• Winter gear already stocked at Uniqlo

My office space had proven to be frigid and, being underdressed, the shelves of fuzzy zip-ups from Uniqlo were tempting of impulse investment. Thinking rationally though, I had already survived 80% of the day in the absence of warmth. What was the another two hours? Besides, having to lug an additional piece of clothing back would cumbersome - a self-made nuisance to the already exhaustive walk to Union. 

I settled for a Hot Taro Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Pearls from CoCo. The pickup location was the furthest from ideal, being the same shared space that I been subject to ruthless saliva ejection four years back. Cautiousness would be required when navigating through Yonge-Dundas Square. Since the pandemic, the area has gotten rowdier with questionable citizens of the street yelling, smoking, and being aggressive towards passerbys.

Thankfully, CoCo was secured without issues. I dropped their flimsy paper straw into my eco bag and weaved through Chelsea Hotel grounds back to Elm Street. The route assumed a shortcut as well as escape from a disturbing hunched being at the southwest corner of Yonge and Walton. (Oh, Toronto!)

​The next morning, I awoke to a distant sight of the Blue Moon phenomenon circulating the World Wide Web. Hardly blue it was to the naked eye, but beaming it had surely been.

Entering into the second day of mandatory in-office presence, I had fitted myself with a thicker cardigan, jacket, and even hand warmers. The office was, as expected, as frigid as ever.

Gazing into the deceptively sunny skies outside, we were bestowed an unobstructed view of Canadian International Air Show test flights.

Lunchtime was met with warmer temperatures than I had expected. My twenty-ish minute trip to T&T eventually resulted in shedding of both outer layers.

By the time I had begun routing back along Spadina, the surging heat levels were no longer deniable. An inclination towards ice cream had me pondering three potential options:

• Matcha Yuzu Soft Serve from Uncle Tetsu
• Matcha Soft Serve from Bloom Cafe
• Super Serve at Dundas and Spadina

The first two would involve a lengthy detour, wherefore my allocated sixty-minute break would be exceeded. Super Serve was declared feasible, given that it was somewhat on the way back.

​Its storefront informed of its previous occupant: a hair salon that had moved into the air-conditioned walls of Dragon City Centre after countless years of operation. Most of the exterior had been maintained as is, with business operations proceeding without the update. The interior featured new square tiling, juxtaposed with round light fixtures. The space gave off New York vibes - think Cha Cha Matcha melded with Canal Street/Chinatown with narrower, filthier sidewalks.

​The dessert parlour was rather empty at my time of visit: just one customer and the cashier were present. The menu board was placed along the back wall of the preparation counter, then again near the checkout counter and toppings bar. I relayed my order of Super Serve 2, which, based on its description, was a Piña Colada-esque creation with a base of vanilla soft serve paired with pineapple compote and toasted coconut.

Once payment had been relinquished, the cashier began to prepare my order. Bewildered was I to have the whopping $8.48 purchase materialize as a mammoth-sized swirl with overflowing coconut shreds.
"This is much larger than I expected." I gasped in awe, thinking about how the hindrance it would pose to my speedwalk back to the office.
"That's a good problem to have right?" came the cashier's meek attempt at a joke.

​Prior to departing, the pointed wooden spoon was dragged along the edges of the swirl, such that the cup's contents could be contained within its serving vessel when I scurried back under direct sunlight.
In the meantime, I inquired of the establishment's vegan soft serve offerings, for only the vegan flavours extended beyond basic vanilla and chocolate. She first responded with an absent-minded non-answer, that the shop had "vegan flavours that were great and tasted like gelato".
"But what's it made of?" My curiosity would lead me to press for details.
The second response was brimming with awkwardness, an even greater degree than her initial correspondence had radiated. With hesitation and sluggishness, she fumbled to conjure up ingredient names of rice milk and almond milk, then ceased to elaborate further.

Her utterance was regarded critically in silence. Rice milk and almond milk would be incapable of recreating the consistency of gelato due to not being rich enough and possibly too starchy. Notwithstanding this information, I halted my burning queries, for continued interactions were assumed to lead to more awkwardness than answers.
After a few moments of silence, the cashier disappeared into the back room, yet peered from behind the curtain until my departure was confirmed.

Even from the first few bites, it was concluded that the only thing "super" about the costly soft serve was its size. The vanilla base proved subpar; it was hardly memorable, disintegrated quickly, and formed a sickening pool of sweetness at the bottom of the cup once melted with the salted caramel syrup. Pineapple chunks were a refreshing addition, though easily recreate-able at a fraction of the price using frozen pineapple chunks. On a more positive note, the toasted coconut shreds were an ideal mix of toasted and chewy, and surprisingly did not become sodden after coming into contact with moisture.

Had the trip not been constrained by time, I would have rather relished in Bloom Cafe's astounding matcha soft serve, or undertaken a trial of Uncle Tetsu's Matcha Yuzu. Super Serve was not at all super in my books, definitely at their given price.

My return to the suburbia brought out a series of chores, as well as a sense of relief. Weather conditions reverted to a moderate breeziness, driving conditions were smooth, and homeless residents were absent from view.

​Halloween decorations, treadmill walks, and a heavily anticipated (and much warranted) massage eased me into the long weekend.

Blissful tension release is always appreciated. Cheers!