Toronto's own outpost of the popular South Korean soft-serve chain Milkcow is now officially open — and if all the free ice cream they gave out last weekend didn't charm you enough, just wait until Wednesday with that hype-hungry mouth of yours.
In less than a week, we will experience the second coming of watermelon ice cream sandwiches a là Dominique Ansel's 2017 hit "What-A-Melon" creation.
And they won't be disappearing after a few weeks this time.
Milkcow Canada confirmed today that watermelon ice cream sandwiches will be available at its new location near Yonge and Eglinton (2651 Yonge Street) starting sometime next week (likely Wednesday).
The menu item will be permanent, but seasonal, meaning that you can only purchase it in July and August.
The organic milk soft serve specialists recently started selling these ice cream-stuffed watermelon slices in Richmond, B.C., among other international locations, with great success, prompting Toronto customers to cry out for them here.
Our wish, it turns out, is Milkcow's command.
First unveiled in Tokyo, and then in Manhattan last July, the treat is brilliant in its simplicity: A juicy watermelon slice filled with watermelon-flavoured soft serve, topped with chocolate "seeds."
News that one booth at the CNE was serving up its own (less pretty) version of Ansel's trendy dessert last year sparked a mad rush, followed by an Instagram frenzy in Toronto.
So is the way things go around here.
Based on what customers have shared pictures of from other Milkcow locations, their watermelon sandwiches are both better looking and more versatile than those at the CNE in 2017.
In Australia, you can get your watermelon filled with piña colada soft serve and mango sorbet, if you so please.
It is not year clear if those flavours will carry over to Canada, but I can almost guarantee the finished product will be the most cohesive take on this trend Toronto has seen yet.
Already a bustling area just south of Leaside made even busier the last few years with the seemingly never-ending construction of the Eglinton LRT, Thorncliffe's buses (the heavily-used 81 and 25 routes) will soon get a lot more hectic with the impending arrival of 
Set to open directly across from the 
In the meantime local businesses, which are basically 100 per cent halal, are bracing themselves for the influx of traffic, leaving us to wonder whether or not Costco will be carrying halal-certified meat (they usually do) and if that will change things around these parts. 
But as you begin to explore the plazas lining Overlea, you'll quickly realize that Costco's big-brand appeal will fall short when it comes to ready-made food, especially since Thorncliffe's businesses offer halal menus too unique to be replaced. 
You'll be hard-pressed to find the same halal pizzas and Philly cheese steaks as the ones at 
Nor will you find the same South Asian treats like kaju rolls or samosas like the ones made in the kitchen at 
For fans of Afghan food, Thorncliffe is home to some of the 
And over at 25 Overlea Boulevard, an unexpected treasure. In the same plaza as 
Despite being greeted by a wall lined with DVDs of your fave Hindi and Pakistani dramas to your left, your eyes will immediately be drawn to the confectionary-type counter to your right where you'll find bites of paan. 
These rolls of betel leaves to South Asians are in theory sort of like what khat is to Somalis or chewing tobbacco is to American athletes. While tobacco can be incorporated into the paan, you can skip out on that stuff and just eat this handheld bite as a post-dinner mouth freshener. 
For $1.50, one leaf comes with your choice of any of the many jarred fillings available. I recommend not to go overboard and keep it simple: for those not adverse to a little tobacco there's the very traditional beechnut filling, otherwise there's also coconut and dried roses. 
Wrapped in a little piece of paper, this little heart-shaped leaf is a rare find, as are the bottles of Hajoori soda (a digestive drink) and cans of Pakistani soda. 
In reality, the businesses most at risk with Costco's arrival are grocery purveyors like 
But at the end of the day, Al-Mina doesn't require a membership to shop at, and neither does the massive 
While large families could possibly benefit from a $60 yearly membership at Costco, Iqbal doesn't seem to mind the challenge. In fact, they're already in the process of 
Meanwhile East York Town Centre will likely see more traffic than its ever seen (even if it's just Costco customers using their parking).
While it's not the hottest spot on the block, there's a couple things worth dropping by for, like 
Last but certainly not least: 
