My former Scarborough suburbanite of an Uber driver had been correct: the city gets a bit grouchier during rainy climate.
I awoke to grey, overcast skies, demonstrating not even so much as a streak of sunlight. There was little incentive to go out, unlike the previous day, where the climate had essentially beckoned me from the other side of the glass.
I awoke to grey, overcast skies, demonstrating not even so much as a streak of sunlight. There was little incentive to go out, unlike the previous day, where the climate had essentially beckoned me from the other side of the glass.
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I took to my partially planned baking endeavours instead. After all, eggs and heavy cream were now in possession (at long last).
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First was Sunday Baking's Basque Cheesecake. The concept of the cake was ridiculously straightforward, as are most cheesecakes; obtaining the signature charred surface was the trickiest aspect. Between the "Convection Bake", "Gentle Bake", and "Surround (Bake)" options, I made do with a mixture of the latter settings, then let the cake cool overnight as directed.
Re-attempting smitten kitchen's sugar cookies were another tale altogether. Summarized by an excess of baking powder, insufficient matcha, and a too-tiny oven (that resulted in baking tray burns), the cookies fell short of the brilliant green profile and satisfying bite that I had achieved the last time around. A softer shortbread finish emerged instead.
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Alas, remaining inside for extended periods of time prove a never-ending challenge while on vacation. Once the burn wound had been bandaged and cookies cooled, I set out for Metrotown.
New to the TransLink system were a series of rapid bus routes, appropriately named R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5. Connecting the Oakridge/41st Station to the Vancouver edge of Burnaby was the R4, with its east and west limits at Joyce-Collingwood and UBC respectively. Spotting the bus was a simple, for an alternative colour scheme had been adopted to indicate its rapid transit status; the true mission was to endure upright status amidst the super sardine-style trip. Volumes were on par with delayed express GO trains.
New to the TransLink system were a series of rapid bus routes, appropriately named R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5. Connecting the Oakridge/41st Station to the Vancouver edge of Burnaby was the R4, with its east and west limits at Joyce-Collingwood and UBC respectively. Spotting the bus was a simple, for an alternative colour scheme had been adopted to indicate its rapid transit status; the true mission was to endure upright status amidst the super sardine-style trip. Volumes were on par with delayed express GO trains.
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Observed at the Metrotown was the dissolution of the pedestrian bridge which once connected the bus loop to the SkyTrain platform.
Metropolis at Metrotown was a bustling shopping centre: crowds of eager consumers within and an abundance of foul-spelling zombies outside.
Dally I did not, for I had ventured east to check out Vancouver's variation of UNIQLO and set forth to do just that...
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...after acquiring my first (and only) Iced Coffee of the trip.
Massive markdowns were perused at Uniqlo, then justly taken advantage of. Converted from the two-floor Forever 21 into the Japanese essentials store, the backbone of the space remained in terms of product layout and lighting. Residing on the upper level were new arrivals, while exclusive collections, sale products, and fitting rooms were found on the lower level. An interesting point to note: In addition to t-shirts, the limited time collections also included crewnecks and hoodies in a variety of styles and sizes - something not to witnessed at any of the Toronto locations.
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This excursion also saw brisk strides throughout the Disney store, a purchase-less stopover at Uncle Tetsu's flagship in the Greater Vancouver Area, as well as aisle gliding at one of ̶m̶a̶n̶y̶ three West Coast Muji outposts.
As it turned out, Manzano Bakery is still standing strong.
As it turned out, Manzano Bakery is still standing strong.
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Dusk neared and I soon found myself boarding the bus back to Bridgeport, then hopping on the Canada Line to the Richmond-Brighouse terminus.
Nearby on Saba Road was Matcha Cafe Maiko, whereforth I set to acquaint myself with. Along the sodden path was yet another Miniso, and across it Mauve Hair.
With roots in Honolulu, Hawaii, a synthetic Yellow hibiscus was poised by the plastic food displays at the cashier. The menu was spotted on the wall behind, spanning houjicha and matcha lattes as well as some obnoxiously priced parfaits.
It was quite a tiny cafe; only a handful of spaces along the outward-facing perimeter had been allocated for seating. Decor was minimal though still quite cozy, albeit the gloominess that had befallen outside. I couldn't bring myself to relinquish more than five dollars for one of their specialty beverages, however settled on the single item that appealed to me: the Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookie.
At $3.75 before tax, it was a extortionate article to obtain strictly for research purposes. The specimen was quite tasty overall, with sizable chunks of white chocolate. It was crisper than Put A Cone On It's edition, though nonetheless boasted a crumbly consistency - thank goodness for the plastic wrap. Notable was its rich, fragrant grassiness and less favourable bite of sugar.
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The most prominent divergence between my ultimate fave - that sadly no longer graces us with its presence - and Maiko's seemed to lie with its greater proportion of granulated sugar and reduced amount of butter, which, in turn, yielded a sturdier product with minimal residue. Without nuts though, the composition lacked crunch. Morsels of hazelnut or macadamia would have done wonders as a breather between heavy doses of sweetened cocoa butter.
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Aching from the shoulder-borne backpack load and toes damp from the rain, I hailed an a Uber for the evening and headed home.
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