Out & About #1107 | Square One Lunch Walks, MOCA + Musoshin Ramen

7/25/2025

While I wasn't ready to go back to the office - let's be real, will I ever be? - it was time to show my face after 1.5 weeks of absence.

I took the opportunity to don one of two new floral bracelets from Em & Thread. Floral arrangements from Latin Festival of the weekend past had also been moved into the lobby of the Civic Centre, permitting preservation of the artwork.

On the same floor as me was a group that celebrated a birthday with a layered cake from La Rocca. My expectations were probably unreasonably high, for the specimen was disgusting sweet and tacky in all the ways a typical commercial product would be.

Lunchtime was spent strolling along the west perimeter of the mall. The variety of blooming shrubs is always a pleasant sight to behold, even amidst the steamiest of external temperatures.

Stepping outside enabled momentary escape from depressing office life - a well-deserved sixty-period period away from endless toil and labour.

Air-conditioned corridors prompted me to pick up the pace. Once inside the mall, I could continue sauntering at my usual speed without fear of overheating.

I explored the interior of Linen Chest, engaging in tactile experiences where observed, then headed to UNIQLO to lay eyes on fall-ready finds of pine green knits and academia-inspired pleated skirts in beige, grey, and black.

Back in the office, I divided the remaining Black Sesame Soufflé Cheesecake between present members of my team. In the face of a dismal office kitchen, disposable plates, forks, and napkins were sponsored by yours truly - along with cake, of course.

At home, I'd gleefully enjoy the final slices of Biscoff Basque Cheesecake with an Iced Mint Latte to pair.

Having been unwillingly entwined in weekly Friday meetings, I made my lonesome appearance once more. Naturally, the office environment was quiet, as reflected consistently in highway traffic volumes during the morning commute.

Some grueling emails and back-to-back meetings later, I finally departed my desk for fresh air. Setup for the BollywoodMonster Mashup was ongoing within Celebration Square. I caught brief glimpses of an OLG booth, Tim Hortons beverage truck, a gargantuan wooden bench bearing the event's name.

With mercury levels on the rise, it was only appropriate that I take my walking needs elsewhere. As such, to the mall I would head once again.

Thankfully, Square One is never a destination embracing tedium. New sightings included:

Bao Mama replacing Danish Pastry House in The Food District
Shake Shack (!) separated from Cinnabon by a mere maintenance corridor
Koryo open in the food court

I strived to use a $5 off coupon at Lindt, but was unfortunately told at checkout that the discount could not be combined with sale items.

The ultimate decision lay with a Chocolate Mix Soft Serve. Having found the concoction a melty, sickening abomination at the time of its initial release, I was pleasantly surprised to learn of its noticeably more palatable profile during this visit. Service had been prompt and overwhelmingly friendly, while the soft serve flavourful and gratifying. Admittedly, the cone was a tad large for the portion of soft serve. I also wouldn't have minded exclusion of the chocolate syrup at the bottom of the cone, for it led to an inevitably messy consumption process, especially in the heat. Generally speaking, the cone was delicious, but leaned satiating at a not-so-budget-friendly price.

MOCA's scheduled renovation closure had demanded quick thinking. Considering that I may not be able to renew my TPL card this year, it was concluded that the time to visit was now or never. There was simply no way of knowing whether my card would expire before their slated October re-opening, or whether their re-opening date may even be postponed!

And so, I engaged a new coworker - and friend - for the Friday afternoon venture. She was an interesting passenger - one that distracted from navigation and attempted to recenter my map for personal satisfaction. Needless to say, neither of these gestures were received fondly.

Traffic approximated one hour, inclusive of detours stemming from missed turns and countless one-way streets. While the surrounding area was somewhat dated and industrial, the museum grounds had seemingly been recently redeveloped.

Fresh concrete, seamless interlock walkways, plenty of streetscaping and public art, and a pleasant pedestrian realm offered a stark contrast to the exposed asphalt lots on the east side of Sterling. An interesting observation was the supposedly random tapering of concrete curbs. A closer look informed of potential grading issues with the planters; the curb cuts were to promote draining onto the gutters on the edge of the municipal road.

There were a handful of low-rise residential units in the proximity, as well as three coffee shops that closed within one hour of each other.

After looping about the museum, I found the entrance to the underground garage just west of its rear access. Rates were consistent with other areas of the city: pricey during typical weekday working hours and discounted at a flat rate after 6 PM. Having arrived at 5:35 PM, I accepted the pay split of $4 before 6 PM and $6 after, making for a total of $10. Although my coworker suggested looping elsewhere until 6 PM, there was no other parking in the vicinity. I refused the suggestion, for the anticipated total of $10 wasn't tremendous.

The T3 Sterling lot comprised of two levels of parking. On the first floor were accessible, small car, and EV charging spaces; on the second floor was an abundance of standard spaces. Both floors provided access to the office buildings on the east and west (150 Sterling) sides of garage, though only the east office (152 Sterling) offered functioning elevator service. Otherwise, stairwells served to provide connections. It is noted that some corridors were air-conditioned while others were not. Regardless, the stairwells were maintained well with adequate signage and metal barriers to delineate the path of travel.

Ethica Coffee Roasters, a recommendation from my coffee-loving former coworker, had closed by the time we arrived. Consequently, I approached Coffee by Joy, a café set to imminently close at 6 PM.

The interior featured a rustic appeal, characterized by wooden elements and a minimal design. Seating was limited to a narrow strip along the south perimeter, in the direct path of UV rays cast the setting sun.

Half of the customer-facing café space had been allocated to the brewing bar and a counter for merchandise. A kitchen area was located behind the bar, separated by a curtain.

Although the fig danish and cans of sparkling matcha on display had piqued my interest, their price points were steeper than justified for an end-of-day pastry and warm aluminum can.

We departed without a purchase, heading over to LUNA's newest location instead.

Termed "Davang Luna", the Junction outpost boasted a beautiful patio with communal seating and a cozy interior with mismatched chairs of varying elevations. Along the wall were vintage-style serving ware, ranging from textured glasses to ceramic measuring spoons to floral cup and saucer sets. Decorative works lined the walls, while one of the seating nooks was filled with hardcover readings and cookbooks. Spotted near the drink pickup area was a shelf featuring pieces by local (Korean) artists. Maximizing the wired fence surrounding the exposed pipes by hanging the café's own branded jute tote bag was another design quirk.

The new space was kitschy and cozy. Intrigue was sparked by the colourful bags of coffee along the wall, as well as the China that would have struck a chord with Sunday Baking.

From the tabletop display, a dove chopstick holder caught my eye. The label underneath informed me of its ten-dollar price tag. I'd debate the purchase for the rest of my stay, for I wasn't sure whether to conserve funds for potential gift shop finds at MOCA.

I had neared the counter several times, but failed to decide upon a beverage. The barista was extremely pleasant, providing the necessary details for drink selection without implying rushing. I ultimately settled on a Mint Chocolate Smoothie with a shot of espresso. The drink on its own was a steep $7.50 to start, but an additional shot set me back another $1.25. I had already relinquished an excruciating $9.89 by the time she turned around to ask, "Is regular milk okay?"
I hesitated, then responded with "Can I have oat milk?" Flashing quick glances between the posted menu (oat milk was a $1 add-on) and the terminal, I followed up with a blank "But I already paid..."
The barista assured me with a smile. "It's fine! Oat milk right?"
"Yes please!"

The café was empty besides two girls with brimming backpacks and a young man perched on one of the tables near the entrance. They all appeared to be students, with the latter hunched on his laptop, working away with an iced Americano in accompaniment.

My drink was slid over to me within a matter of minutes.
As I marvelled at the chocolate drizzle-lined cup, the barista commented on my "secret menu" item, "Let me know how it is. This was really fun to make!"

And it looked fun to drink too. The first few sips gave me instant brain freeze. Subsequent sips conjured the refreshing qualities of mint. The overall profile was refreshing, and nothing like the artificial toothpaste-esque concoctions customarily associated with mint chocolate.

Before departing Davang Luna, I resolved to procure the dove chopstick holders. They were brought over to the cashier, where I gleefully reported back to the barista: "The drink is really good!"
Mint Chocolate and coffee was a truly energizing pairing for a sticky, summer evening.

We crossed back over to the west side of Sterling for the Museum of Contemporary Art, commonly abbreviated to MOCA.

With my caffeinated Mint Chocolate Smoothie in hand, we were limited to exploration of the main floor until the beverage was depleted. Downing the drink wasn't possible due to its icy composition and anticipated brain freeze, so we merely strolled the areas permitting exploration without paid admission.

There were a number of exhibits on the first floor, plus a small reception counter and makeshift gift shop in the form of a bookshelf. Behind the counter was a beautifully designed Forno Cultura. Tall glass windows devoid of curtains allowed for plenty of natural illumination to permeate the seating area, which overlooked a quaint POPS space intended for rest and respite in a manmade green space.

Neither of us would partake in early evening purchases of pastries, though my fellow explorer eagerly reached for the self-serve water jug and stack of Stainless steel cups. She also revealed some degree of investment in the ricotta cheesecake slice, but ultimately did not commit.

A handful of benches were arranged throughout the POPS space, prompting me to stride towards each one for a different view of the museum's rear façade. Bugs and treacherous levels of UV rays aside, the exterior was somewhat reminiscent of Seoul's outpost.

Upon depleting my smoothie, I immediately retreated towards the bathroom. The space was impressively pristine and also featured interesting design elements of wooden doors with metal latches.

I sauntered over to the reception desk to check-in. My TPL map pass was verified and admission confirmed with a blue dot sticker. We hadn't been provided any instructions beyond taking one to serve as admission, though others had affixed the circle to their shirts for ease of reference by staff.

The first exhibit was located on the second floor, in a dim room featuring warm tones and projected sequences.

In order to maintain the vivid hue of the mustard yellow carpet, all visitors were instructed to put on shoes covers while roaming the grounds. After doing so, we were free to weave between the boxes housing projections and the snake-like central seating area for art admiration.

I wasn't quite sure of the intents or deeper meaning of the sequences, nor did I possess enough curiosity to remain seated for the entirety of footage to play.

The glowy atmosphere was pleasant, though inadequate to conjure feelings of awe and surprise. With the second floor exclusively dedicated to the singular exhibit, there was little else of interest after we had seen some of the sequences.

Discarding the shoe covers in a separate bin, I led the way to the third floor. In the elevator, it was observed only the "2" and "3" buttons were distinguished by a MOCA sticker. All others did not bear labels.

On the third floor was a gallery space showcasing oil on canvas works from a singular artist.

The pieces looked amateurish and flat up close, but somewhat retained dimension when moving away.

There were few pieces that stood out to me. Perhaps the only notable one was an Inception-style perspective including the exposed concrete-style pillars used throughout MOCA.

We learned that access to other floors wad restricted. The 4th floor, the only one we could access besides the museum levels, had been allocated towards small office spaces. The configuration was similar to 401 Richmond, but with a cleaner visual (no rickety floors but also less character and quirks) and some units still under construction.

It is worth noting that washrooms are present on every floor and shockingly clean to boot! In contrast to the ground floor counterpart, the 4th floor bathroom was astoundingly warm - almost to the point of perspiring if present for extended periods of time.

MOCA was deemed less interesting than expected. Open to the public was no more than two floors of compact exhibits, two at-grade installations that served as art previews, and museum merchandise limited to a measly shelf.
Although my browsing partner had declared MOCA to be unworthy of a visit, my curiosity would never be appeased until it was experienced firsthand.

For dinner, I was wholly against shifting the car and finding parking elsewhere. I proposed a short trek towards our supper destination of Musoshin.

Humidity lingered in the air, yet not to the extent where one would be uncomfortable with the seventeen-minute walk.
Along the stretch was plenty of lawn signage reminded pet owners to be responsible.

I was aware that the West Toronto Railpath had closed to make way for the city's ambitious SmartTrack projects, but was glad to see that Bloor GO provided access to the elevated pedestrian underpass on either side of the tracks.

Musoshin came into view within an acceptable time range, and my coworker expressed an excited response at seeing the storefront.

Since my visit two years ago, the patio now features the addition of a sealed entryway, likely to prevent loss of A/C and invasion of bugs.
Stepping inside, the former was confirmed to be a reasonable hypothesis, for the interior was far breezier than I recalled.

View the full album HERE !

My coworker took to my recommendation of the Kyoto White Miso Vegan Ramen with the addition of a seasoned egg. Although I debated an identical order, the eventual decision lay with the Ajitama Musoshin Ramen. After all, it was important to determine whether the ramen shop's other varieties lived up to expectations.

Unfortunately, the namesake selection was not as spectacular as recalled. Albeit a somewhat scanty portion, the toppings were flawless: the egg was golden and indulgent, the negi finely sliced and embracing aromatic qualities without unwarranted pungency, and chashu neatly charred along its edges. The issue lay in the broth and noodles; neither were particularly memorable. Moreover, some chashu pieces replaced smokiness with toughness instead.

"It tastes healthy." was my coworker's response to my coveted Kyoto White Miso soup base. She reached for the togarashi to improve the bowl's "blandness", then shifted the okra away from her ladle, claiming its original form to be "very healthy" compared to her own mother's sliced, greasy pan-fried edition. I couldn't concur with this commentary, similarly like how I couldn't understand the constant fear of bees, flies, and crawling creatures on our somewhat concave dining surface.

Neither of us depleted our bowls.

I made a point to visit one of two unisex washroom stalls at the bottom of Musoshin's steep, narrow stairwell. Of course, I couldn't resist checking for Momo Tea's Matsu as well. Alas, only Take was in stock.

Our return trek aligned with sunset, enabling a peaceful view of the city as rush hour traffic volumes gradually lessened.

By the time we returned to the underground garage, we were the last car in the vicinity.

Parking was, interestingly, less than expected. Both of us had expected the daytime and evening splits to be calculated separately: $4 for every half an hour or part thereof before 6 PM plus an evening maximum of $6 for a total of $10. Despite clear entry and exit times, I was only charged four dollars for the entire stay - quite the pleasant turnout!