Sharetea downtown at Yonge & Wellesley

Sharetea
576 Yonge St
Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z3

Downtown Toronto was never a popular site for bubble tea places.  Maybe it was the high rent or maybe franchisees never saw the potential.  When I was in university, 168 tea shop was really the only bubble tea to set up downtown.  I remember going to the one located at College and Bathurst, it was very ghetto but was one of the only ones downtown.

I hate to always be mentioning Chatime but, I have to say, Chatime made a big difference by opening their first Toronto location at Dundas and Bay.  Since they've opened, many other bubble tea places have opened in the downtown area.  I visited the Sharetea location at Yonge & Wellesley recently since it was close to work and I was craving a bubble tea.  Haven't been to Sharetea in a while so this is also an update of their tea (to some extent though, because different locations can definitely produce different quality results).

What I had...

Herb jelly milk tea.

As I've mentioned before, the grass jelly here is smooth with a slight herbal flavour to it and if you're looking to match the grass jelly at Chatime, this is it.  The jelly at Sharetea seems like it is on the sweeter side though.  The milk tea was okay but I felt it was a bit too milky at this location.  I'm aware that bubble tea places may use instant creamer in their drinks so I suspect this is one example.  I didn't ask the staff, this is only speculation. But I think it needs to be a little lighter on the creamer or using milk powder/fresh milk would be ideal.  Maybe it's just this location, the North York location if I recall has a better "milk taste" for my preference.

Anyway, still a good milk tea if you're looking for something creamy and sweet in the area and you don't want to wait in a huge line for a drink (this is such a plus!). For those, collecting points, this Sharetea also takes the Vicinity Card.  Like :) 

Conveniently near the subway, you don't have to go far. This location is only a take-out spot, there are no seats and is really for those "on-there-way" somewhere or area residents.

  

Glassware and Grass Jelly

Sometimes I'm influenced by the things I watch and read just a little too much...especially when it comes to food and food related items.  Several years ago, I'd watch HK soaps and inevitably start to crave what the characters were eating.  For example, if they were eating instant noodle, I'd want to eat one too.  If the show was based on a Chinese dessert shop selling "tang yuan" (glutinous rice balls), I'd get a craving to go to a Chinese dessert shop.  Don't get me started on food from Taiwan or bubble tea!

This is not only with food.  On one blog that I've started reading, one post highlighted the Duralex brand of glasses.  They looked nice and upon reading that they have been around since 1945 and are used in many cafes and other establishments in France, I wanted them too!  (I can be a such a sheep sometimes!)  It also helped that I was looking for some large glassware and that they are made of tempered glass, dishwasher & microwave safe, and resistant to thermal shock so hot and cold beverages can be served.

Off, I went searching for them on the internet.

And luck would have it that they were on sale for 50% at The Bay!  Of course I had to pick some up and it was just in time for me to make an iced milk tea with grass jelly.  Because the Roasted Milk Tea with Grass Jelly at ChaTime is one of my go-to bubbletea choices, I picked up this grass jelly product at the Kuo Hua store in Markham to eat at home.  Gua Hua Trading company imports products from Taiwan and they have a retail store in Markham. 

The availability of grass jelly in Toronto was limited to the canned variety, which has a firmer jelly texture and wasn't as compatible with adding it to a drink.  However, when Chatime first came on the scene, their grass jelly was soooo smooth and had a nice hint of herbal taste to it, instantly becoming a customer favorite.  But, you can't easily find the same grass jelly anywhere.  Chatime makes their own grass jelly and I believe it's from a powdered product from Taiwan.  So far, I have not found the powdered form as I think it currently is only sold to restaurants/food services.  But, Chatime is not the only tea shop that has a nice smooth grass jelly.  (Yes, you heard me.)  Other tea shops that produce the same consistency of grass jelly include ZenQ (2 locations I'm aware of) and Share Tea (I just found out that there are now 4 locations in the GTA including one downtown!). 

But, if you can't get to any of these locations and want to have some at home, bottle grass jelly might be an option.  So, how did this retail grass jelly measure up?

It's a step up from the canned version if you're looking for softer jelly and less of an herbal flavour.  But, falls short of being an exact substitute.  First, it comes in a bottle like container and thus breaks into little pieces as you try to pour it out; unlike the big chunks that you can get at Chatime.  The texture is smooth similar to the Chatime grass jelly though, so that was good. There's also quite a bit of liquid, would be nice if there was more jelly.

 

Taste was okay, slightly sweet and a little less herbal tasting than Chatime.  Overall, it was a good substitute but you won't be able to get the same large chunks.  I'd still buy it again because it'd be easy to stock at home and the taste and texture was okay.

 

Retail was $1 per 500ml bottle on sale and I'd use 100-200ml for my drink.

Book Review::Save the Deli

Schwartz's in Montreal (2013).

Save the Deli
Author: David Sax

After reading The Tastemakers, I was interested to read Sax's first book Save the Deli.

Since eating sandwiches made from grocery store bought deli meats all throughout high school, I have not been a fan of deli meats...with one exception; smoked meat.  Schwartz's Deli in Montreal, a cult favourite, is where I had my first smoked meat sandwich and it was fantastic!  Like most people, I just enjoyed the taste and never knew the history.

So needless to say, there was tons of interesting tidbits of information I picked up as I read through the book.  Sax travels around the United States of America in search of great Jewish delis and asks the questions: What is happening to all the delis?  Why are they disappearing?  And what makes a deli survive?  Surprisingly, his visit to L.A. was very fruitful in answering the survival question.

Beside the States, he also goes abroad to Europe and of course being Canadian, has a section on Toronto and Montreal.

What I soaked up with great enthusiasm...

- I really enjoyed the passion he expressed for the food.
- History of the Jewish deli was enjoyable...as I've mentioned before, I'm not that enthusiastic when it comes to learning about the history of something, but the information summarized by Sax was not too heavy and interesting.
- What made one sandwich better than another is also discussed which sometimes can be difficult to explain but Sax does this well.
- Description of the foods served other than deli meats. E.g. He notes that in some delis, the traditional items like blintzes were outstanding. 
- The actual conversations he had with people he has met while researching the deli.  I really like the people aspect he brings into his writing.

What I could do without...

- Can't really say there was anything that felt too dragged out or didn't fit.

Overall, a great book for the foodie!

David's Tea Travel Mug Review

a. David's Tea Carry Travel Mug, b. Lid with dry tea storage, c. Mesh strainer (removable)

I was looking for a new tea travel thermos/mug and remembered I had a David'd Tea gift card from a couple years back that I still haven't used.  Some might say, what?!  Why haven't you used it?!  Although I'm a tea fanatic, I'm not a fan of David's Tea but I'm also not a hater.  Most of the teas are flavoured teas which are not my thing, but I can see the appeal and I'm sure every once and a while, they are great to have.  I prefer drinking tea brewed from just pure tea leaves (which David's does offer) or if flavoured, flavoured with fresh fruits/juices.

Anyway, back to the travel mug, so off I went to David's Tea to check out their teawares.

I didn't do much research but I've looked at them before and they seemed to meet my needs.  Keeps tea hot, fairly light, the mesh tea strainer can be removed, and leak proof.  SOLD.

After a couple weeks of use, I thought a quick review would be good.

Pros

- Keeps your tea hot! And for the 6 hours it states!
- Lightweight (compared to glass)
- Leak proof
- The plastic parts have not stained but I'll have to update in 3 months
- Handle at the top for ease of carrying

Cons

- You'll need 2 hands when you want to drink from the thermos, one to hold the lid and the other, the body.  Not a deal breaker by any means but you can't just flip it open with a finger and drink with the same hand.
- Maybe keeps things too hot that you can't drink the tea without burning your tongue, lol!
Not really a con since it's purpose IS to maintain the temperature of the liquid but a little bothersome when you want to drink and can't.  I'll usually leave the lid off for ten minutes to cool it down.  Other options include brewing the tea separately (but defeats the purpose of the attached basket) or drinking green tea which requires a much lower brewing temperature.

Additional notes:
- There is a space in the lid to store addition dry tea leaves but I don't think I'd use.  One, because after I brew tea, I take the basket out to prevent over brewing.  If I was going to brew again, I'd have to clean out the basket and reattach and would have to do again later for the second brew which would be a little more work than I'd like.  And, I tested carrying around dry tea leaves in the compartment and for half the day it was fine.  But, when I tried to screw on the lid after drinking some tea, I knocked the compartment open and out came the tea.
- The size may be a bit large for some people.  I carry a large tote so it's fine for me.

I'm pretty amazed at how well David's Tea is branded and how quickly it has expanded.  David's Tea started in Toronto in 2008 and if you check out their website, you'll see how far they've come from one store on Queen St. West.

Final Verdict:  Recommend

April: I'm Dreaming of...

At the beginning of April I wasn't sure if we'd have any spring weather this month, but last week it was beautiful!

When it was still somewhat cold, I was dreaming about donburi and Japanese curries.  One bowl meals that are simple yet tasty.  Tokyo Kitchen in downtown toronto is not too bad, but I hear Kaiju is very good too.  Will have to make a stop there some day.  Or, to make at home, I like recipes from Cooking With Dog, a youtube channel which is great for home-style Japanese recipes.

But, since the weather has warmed I've been dreaming about quiche with a side salad...a somewhat light meal (depending on how much cheese and cream goes into the quiche, haha).  I recently made one and it didn't turn out that great.  So now, I'm hoping to do better!

This week, the rain has made me want to make cookies...actually thinking much about them lately but I've yet to settle on one to make.

And after not baking for a few weeks due to illness...I "baked" a banana cake in my rice cooker...lol!  It was like having an easy bake oven that I actually never got to use as a kid.  My partner said....you have an oven and you use the rice cooker?!

Anyway, it was for fun....gotta have fun in life!  Find recipe here.  The banana cake was yummy but as you can see, you're not going to get browning at the top which doesn't matter much. 

Elite Congee & Noodle - What an Unexpected Surprise

Baked Fish on Rice with White Cream Sauce

Elite Congee & Noodle
5651 Steeles Avenue East
Toronto, ON M1V 5P6
T: 416-321-6868

Yes, this is another congee and noodle place.
We're always eating lunch late or having HK afternoon tea on the weekends.  So, congee and noodle places often meet our needs.  We'll often shop at T&T supermarket before or after lunch depending on our midday meal and sometimes we go to the Middlefield and Steeles location. In the same plaza, we noticed a congee and noodle place and decided to give it a try.  Didn't expect much since it's located in a not so busy plaza and there weren't many people there when we walked in, but it was actually pretty decent!

Our meals tasted quite good and portion size for the price was about the same or better than other HK style cafes.  My baked fish on rice with cream sauce was good.  Taste was as expected but I liked the fact that they added a few pieces of peppers to the top.  Most places don't give you any veggies.  The fried rice underneath was also done well. 

  

Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

The pork dish was also quite good, seasoned and fried very well.  But, it wasn't actually something my partner was thinking of getting, they ran out of beef brisket already so it was a bit disappointing and this was the next best thing.  How could they run out so early in the day we wondered?!  Anyway, maybe the beef brisket is so good, the lunch crowd had ordered it all out!  We'll have to get there earlier next time I guess.



Cold HK Milk Tea

I think the one thing that was so-so was their HK milk tea. Not sure if it was an off day but it wasn't cold enough and the flavour seemed a bit off... almost seemed like cocoa was added to it??

If you arrive at 3pm you'll have your choice of afternoon tea specials, lunch specials (they run until 5:30pm), and all day specials.  Lots of options!  Of course, you can also order from the regular menu but the specials usually come with a drink of some sort.  Interestingly, a red bean drink is offered with the afternoon tea specials, something different than the usually coffee or milk tea (which is also available).

Exterior

Interior

Service was okay and polite. The interior was clean and seating was fairly spacious.

Now, for the price.  Both dishes were under $7!!  Deal!  And comes with a drink, even better! If you want to change your drink to something that is not part of the special, it's an additional $0.75. 

I'm sure we'll definitely be back as the prices are great, good variety of options, it's convenient for us, and to try the beef brisket!

Duo Patisserie & Cafe - Citrus Brioche

A while back I went to Duo Patisserie in Markham.  I don't get too many chances to go to patisseries on a weekday so when I had the chance, I went (cause I've heard weekends are quite busy!).  People have been raving about it and on a weekday it still had a steady stream of customers, dine-in and take out.

Duo Patisserie & Cafe
230 Commerce Valley Dr. E. Unit 4
Markham, ON L3T 7Y3
Tel: 905-763-2232

1st Impression:  Modern and Sleek
2nd Impression:  Light and tasty, the word "precision" comes to mind

In Markham and Richmond Hill, there aren't many options for really good french pastries.  Ruelo at Times Square was the one of the few French patisseries in the area so Duo is a welcome addition for those craving french pastries and viennoiseries like croissants. 

Citrus Brioche

Even though the desserts looked very well made and pretty, I opted for the citrus brioche as I was looking for something light and I love brioche bread.  Buttery goodness!  This one was very light, lighter than any I've had and had a crispy crust to it like a croissant.  The lightness made me feel like a light wool sweater was draped around me - warming and delicate.  But I think what surprisingly wowed me was the citrus glaze on top.  It had a very nice, light yet pronounced citrus flavour with just the right sweetness.  The glaze didn't look like much but it definitely made a difference.

I really must say that although I only had one item, I felt like the pastry chef's precision showed through. 

I ordered a chai latte to go with the brioche and it was not bad. I know I should have ordered some sort of coffee/espresso drink since they are supposed to specialize in coffee but at the last minute I stuck with something tea based.  It didn't really stand out, but it was creamy.  Maybe next time I'll try a latte.  I don't recall any iced drinks though. 

They don't have too large of a selection but it is a varied enough menu that people should find something they would like. Most desserts offerred are individual serving sizes, they currently don't have that many large cakes available.  Heard there was an oolong macaron which I'd love to try but they were sold out of this flavour that day. 

One of the larger sized cakes available, it's very pretty!

Atmosphere
Quiet and modern.  Along the opposite wall to the display area there are small tables.  Service was also very nice and curteous. 

In terms of cafe "feel", this is where I didn't get much of that feeling.  It doesn't feel like a place you linger at with your drink but it could just be me and my personal preference for cafe ambience.  A definite return date is in order though!

Display counter

A view into the kitchen

My little corner