Maritimes Madness | DAY 7: (Pt. 1) Exploring Downtown Halifax Cont.

​Our final day on the East Coast was not marked by a roadtrip, but an on-foot adventure about the downtown area.

​With a return flight slated for early evening, there was just enough time to prance about like a local before making our way to Stanfield once again.

​Being a weekday, the food court in Scotia Square was in full operation. Nearby coffee shops were also open for business.

I took to a solo expedition in search of a caffeinated pick-me-up, eventually arriving at one of Dalhousie's campus buildings. Along the way, souvenir shops were visited and horse-pulled carriages were spotted.

​The intention was to find coffee at Chimneys Cafe, but, when it came to the exchange of funds for goods and services, it was discovered that I had not a single cent on me. Oh, the crisis associated with switching bags!

Apologizing and then bidding farewell, I trekked back to retrieve my wallet. At the same time, I did a quick search for potential lunch destinations. Dora-Q looked promising, and so the suggestion was thrown out for voting. The response was positive.

​In the name of time, I opted to hop on local transit for my second outing. Buses along Barrington and Spring Garden from Scotia Square were very frequent (on weekdays anyway), so it wasn't long before I found a suitable route.
To a certain extent, the Halifax buses did not differ too greatly from Miway or TTC. The layout was similar, but the degree of cleanliness was far beyond my anticipation. There was no griminess to be spotted here, nor dust-incrusted seats. Moreover, the floor was spotless.
I later learned this to be a result of strictly enforcing unsealed beverages. Commuters were not spotted feasting mid-transit either.

View the full album HERE !

​Route 7 Robie travelled parallel to the waterfront for some time, then turned sharply onto South Street. This area was unique in that it as equal parts residential and commerical; its proximity to the Halifax rail terminal also suggested convenience for post-secondary students studying away from home.

​I sourced a Matcha Latte from Narrows, a quaint little spot just west of Queen and South. Service was friendly and speedy. (Adding to that was the low customer traffic at the time of my visit.
The menu was extensive, albeit pricey for its worth. I had uncovered my Matcha Latte to find not a silky microfoam artpiece, but yellow-tinged foam assuming a depth of 1-2 cm. There were no lumps in the beverage, but in its place was an overall lack in intensity.

​Leading myself back to university grounds for lunch, I wove through Spring Garden Place. It was here that familiar franchise names were found: Chatime and Miniso were two mainstream spots I hadn't expected to find all the way out on the East Coast.

​The same building housed a Starbucks, an independent Chinese clothing store (with mooncakes in stock), and a depressing little food court. Behind this food court was a quiet pathway that led to Dora-Q, a casual Japanese eatery flourishing amidst the lunch rush. Customers varied from business workers in the vicinity to students looking for a quick bite.

​Operating in a cafeteria-like manner, orders were placed and paid for at the counter, then retrieved when numbers were called out. A small lineup had formed at our time of entry, but customer requests were processed fairly quickly. Within ten to fifteen minutes, we had informed the cashier of our selections and proceeded to seat ourselves at one of the countless tables in the establishment.

​The dining hall was gigantic, varying between communal tables, cozy booths, and small party accomodations. Plastic chairs and smaller tables were found near the indoor entrance, then mid-sized tables towards the centre, and lastly boxy booths towards the back. There was even a lounge area, complete with TV, an L-shaped sofa, and Wii system.
Netted decorations hung from the ceiling alongside light fixtures in the form of string-encased bulbs.

Bordering the seating area were shelves upon shelves of Japanese books. Spanning from language guides to children's novels to authentic manga, there was a little something for everyone. One patron, as we observed, took a small corner table and leisurely flipped through a Japanese comic while happily munching away.

​Shared between the three of us were assorted maki rolls, a platter of assorted sashimi, Tempura Udon, Age Saba, and a starter set of salad and miso soup. Should my memory serve me correctly, not a single aspect of the meal failed to impress. The sashimi slices, while small, were of superb quality, especially the shrimp and scallop. As one known to donate the shrimp in chirashi bowls to other diners, I shall admit that I hesitated slightly in letting this one go. Even after our Digby trip, the hotate specimens were incredible: glossy and succulent, as proper scallops ought to be. 

​Cooked items such as the Age Saba (deep fried mackerel), Tempura Udon, and avo-containing maki rolls provided further satisfaction by means of carb and (additional) protein supply.

View the full album HERE !

​Dining utensils were of the disposable variety. Packaged chopsticks, Styofoam cups, soy sauce containers, and more were located in the middle of the seating area, adjacent to a water dispenser.
There was also a street-level access from Brenton Street; at the foot of this staircase was a station where guests would return trays and separate trash. Dora-Q primarily operated on a self-serve basis, yet the tables remained clean and free of stickiness, unlike that of shopping centre food courts.

Bathrooms were located outside the restaurant in the mall.

​Dora-Q was also home to an interesting array of Japanese snacks. A box of caramels and a chilled Melonpan were acquired for afternoon snacking.

​With time dwindling away before our scheduled departure, I quickly made a trip to The Dairy Bar.
The grab-and-go ice cream store had piqued my interest with its rotaing selection of flavours long before I had boarded the plane.

​Two members of staff tended to the counter - one looking a lot less eager to assist than the other. I made a few inquiries, then covered the cost of my requisition with credit.

​A small cone didn't come cheap though: Pumpkin Spice Soft Serve topped with Rice Krispie and Malted Cornflake Crust rang in at a total of $4.75 before tax. The cinnamon-containing ice cream was rather subdued; its dissolution rate was also high given the windy fall conditions. That said, the concoction was far tastier than the Toronto standard: the $1.50 crunch was a true game-changer.

Read Part 2 HERE !

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