O&A #241 | Toronto Things: Bac Ky, Té, and Exploring Liberty Village

6/13/2016

Going downtown is rarely a dull experience. With new shops, pop-ups, and events surfacing in different neighbourhoods every so often, there's always something to explore!

Before meeting up with a friend of mine, I decided to venture to the core slightly earlier than the time we agreed upon meeting up for the sake of including a brief visit at my previous workplace. Eventually, the "brief visit" morphed into something along the lines of a half-day excursion, and I ended up picking up lunch during my stay.

A fraction of lunch hour was spent embarking on a brisk walk to Kekou Gelato. I made the belated discovery that their Jasmine Green Tea and Almond Tofu soft serves are now back in stock for the season; they've also added a Passionfruit flavour as well!

Hopping on the train almost immediately after waking up meant that I hadn't consumed a proper lunch yet, so I opted to swing by the McDonald's at Queen and Spadina for "The 12" Grilled Chicken before striding up to the counter.

Truthfully, I was in the mood for soft serve more than anything, even if the soft serve samples I had tasted last fall weren't to my ideal liking. But, as luck would have it, they had just engaged in a two- to three-hour long equipment cleaning process on the soft serve machines. I had initially requested a sample of their Passionfruit soft serve, only to be notified of this coincidental occurrence; the staff provided me with a sample of their Fresh Watermelon Slush though - it was extremely refreshing and likely to be a popular item in the midsummer months.

< Pictured above: Vietnamese Coffee Gelato and Hong Kong Milk Tea Gelato >

Spotting the interesting selection of popsicles beside the cashier, I opted to try the Spiced Black Tea popsicle after inquiring about its degree of resemblance to Chai tea and Thai iced tea. Quite frankly, its flavour profile was unlike either of the aforementioned varieties, and emerged as a smooth, icy dessert with surprisingly fragrant properties (and a potentially roasted aura).

When my friend later notified me of his arrival, I set out on foot to the specified destination. Iced coffee cravings struck me abruptly, prompting me to duck my head into Bac Ky on King West.
The self-proclaimed Vietnamese Canteen was much more glamourous than your standard pho joint; with turquoise wooden planks for the ceiling, contrasting walls of tan-hued brick and sleek white for the dining area, and bamboo-like decor elements for the bar, Bac Ky combined a medley of distinctive design elements of which none were uniform in shape, texture, nor colour, yet emitted a strong cohesive bond all the same.

The drink menu was listed on a chalkboard in colourful writing, ranging from classic Avocado Shakes to the trendier option of Mango Matcha Green Tea. I was merely looking for a way to satisfy my hankering for caffeine, and thus went for the $3.20 Iced Vietnamese Coffee.

The restaurant was rather empty at the time, so I was able to carefully observe the crafting process of my drink. I watched as Vietnamese coffee powder was spooned into a small, Stainless steel contraption and set atop a ribbed glass mug containing a tablespoon's worth of sweetened condensed milk. Hot water was then meticulously dispensed from a metal teapot, such that the brewed coffee would slowly mix with the contents of the mug below.

When asked about the defining characteristics of Vietnamese Coffee (ie. versus regular coffee), the very friendly staff member explained that, in addition to the use of condensed milk instead of sugar, Vietnamese coffee utilizes coffee grounds containing chicory as opposed to raw coffee beans. The process of allowing the coffee to slowly drip also creates a deeper flavour, or so I was informed.

Seeing as the steeping process was lengthier than your average brewing time, I was permitted to wander towards the back of the restaurant, gathering photos of the table setups in the meantime.

View the full album HERE !

Some several minutes later, a glorious cup of chilled, bold-tasting coffee was presented to me. I was asked to try a sip first, as more condensed milk could be added in the case where the beverage was lacking sweetness. She then patiently waited until I completed my short round of photos, and then proceeded to mix sweetened condensed milk with hot water to lighten up the drink for me.

An acquaintance later revealed to me that the Fresh Rolls with spicy dipping sauce was one of Bac Ky's best dishes. With the great customer service I received this time around, I made a mental note to revisit if I ever happened to be in the area, and now I have a proper reason to do so.

Iced Viet coffee in hand (and alertness regained), I quickly met up with my friend and embarked on an hour long journey along the west side of the waterfront.

Did you know that the ferry to Billy Bishop Airport is only 90 seconds long? One could essentially ride the ferry to and from the airport all day out of boredom if he or she wished to do so. (It's free for pedestrians after all.)

We chanced by Thor on our way back, and I suggested a quick pop-in before they closed.

Odin's coffee shop cousin was a quirky and cozy little place that relied heavily on natural wood components for decor. Thor distinguished itself from the majority with stunning wall art, a viking-ship-esque coffee machine, and a witty bathroom sign - not to mention the spacious outdoor patio for warm weather season.

View the full album HERE !

The menu was relatively on par with other cafes though, with some beverages even pricier than Pearson standards. Ultimately, I couldn't justify spending over four dollars on a drink that day, and just sneaked a few sips from an Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte. To be honest, it was too milky for my liking anyway, and the addition of matcha was barely noticeable.

Our next stop was Liberty Village. Dinner was originally intended to take place at The Craft, as per my friend's recommendation.

Though, as a result of unnecessarily high volume on a Monday night, we ventured in the direction of the Ossington strip instead, eventually arriving at the footsteps of Té.

Asian fusion is a hit or miss. Having experienced more revolting meals than pleasurable ones, I should have been more aware of this fact than anyone else.

That being said, I'm not quite certain why I chose to ignore my instincts.

We ordered three tapas to share: Toasted Kimchi Ravioli, Bulgogi Sliders, and Dark-Spiced Taiwanese Fried Chicken.

The ravioli trio arrived first, and I'd be lying if I said that its appearance wasn't appalling in the slightest. Rebelling against the traditional presentation of the Italian pasta, this dish served three tiny, heavily fried squares adorned with a substance bearing a 98% resemblance to the excrement of Canadian geese. (Could you not have made the effort to use a piping attachment?)

Something had gone very wrong here: the Toasted Kimchi Ravioli wasn't toasted - it was deep fried; the "wasabi pesto" tasted barely of herby pesto and even less of wasabi. Potentially the anticlimax of the $10 platter was the filling itself. "Kimchi-spiked ricotta" was nonexistent. It was a mouthful of texture-less, pasty white crumbs that neither tasted like kimchi nor of proper cheese.
(At this point, I feel as if it's appropriate to insert a particular meme.) I've never witnessed, nor tasted, such a disastrous attempt at re-inventing ravioli.

Next up were the Bulgogi Sliders. Thankfully, these were nowhere near as disappointing as the first dish, but nonetheless extremely pricey for the portion size and quality. Each fist-sized slider cost a whopping $5, for reasons beyond me; it was standard in almost every aspect: the bulgogi beef could have easily been storebought (or perhaps they marinated without checking for tendons and coarse parts), the sesame brioche bun was crisp but by no means formidable, and the quail eggs were fried thoroughly instead of being runny as described.

I'm also wondering whether wasabi has been suffering from inflation in Toronto, as Té seems to be particular stingy about it. A restaurant has no right to refer to a dressing as "wasabi mayo" if the zing of the Japanese horseradish is barely discernible during consumption.

The Dark-Spiced Taiwanese Fried Chicken was the last of the three items to arrive. We had been warned of the fifteen-minute preparation time in advance, so this wasn't an issue of concern to us. (For a restaurant that was completely empty though, the other two dishes could have been prepared much swifter.)

The drumstick and thigh duo slapped us in the face with a vigorous, peppery aroma. The pieces possessed an impeccably crisp exterior paired with tender white meat. Oddly enough though, the well-received spicy fragrance was nowhere to be found minutes after the dish's arrival. It was as if the smell had solely been for show, and the spices hadn't been infused into the meat at all.

The Fried Chicken was undoubtedly the most satisfactory dish of the night, but, in my opinion, was still far from warranting a $9 price tag for two pieces. It also wasn't mindblowing enough to make up for the previous mediocre trio of sliders, nor the eyeroll-inducing monstrosity of a ravioli attempt.

As mentioned before, service wasn't particularly speedy nor attentive either, especially considering that we were the only customers in the restaurant. The bartender/waitress/hostess appeared a tad lost at times and lacked the efficient multi-tasking skills of a multi-role player. While she was decent at making and maintaining conversation, I noticed that she had exerted zero efforts in describing the restaurant's concept and specialty items until she was asked.

Té, as she later explained upon my request, meant "tea" in Spanish. The team had tried to centre their menu around tea-based items and non-contemporary flavours to bring forth the appeal of Asian fusion.
She also drew attention to the cocktail menu, where they had created several tea-based alcoholic beverages consisting of tea, even adding mini tapioca pearls to some for extra pizzazz. (Admittedly, I had glanced over the sheet when we were first seated, though the first tapas had left such a horrid impression that I immediately halted that decision.)

Might I also add that the Taiwanese fusion spot is far from being accessible, as one is required to descend down a steep flight of stairs to reach the bathroom, and climb two to three steps to access the entrance itself.

Thanks Té, but I'll definitely be skipping you next time. (Don't worry, I'll be sending warnings to my acquaintances as well, in hopes that they heed my advice and steer clear of undergoing their own overpriced disasters.)

If it so piques your interest, check out the full album HERE .

Following the disaster that was Té and discovering that Bang Bang was closed on Mondays, we set out to wander around the very few number of stores that remained open in Liberty Village.

We found our way to Tsujiri for dessert shortly after the sun made its way over the horizon, shrouding the core in absolute darkness.

< Pictured below: Houjicha Milk Float and Tsujiri Float >