Out & About #140 | JOEY Markville + More Wooffles!

​There is never a shortage of new restaurants to delve into when in Markham. And while JOEY isn't a place that's particularly "new" in terms of duration of operation, the almost Cactus Club-esque dining space was an unexplored venture in my book.

​Manouevering through the Markville parking lot is no easy feat come Saturday mornings at 11 AM: majority of the spots are already occupied by drivers looking to snugly wedge in a few quick errands before the lunchtime rush rolls around. However, I found myself to be quite lucky, and managed to pull into a conveniently located spot just minutes after arriving.
A swift trip was made to The Face Shop, whose staff once again boasted great service given the consideration that it was a weekend morning, followed by a leisurely munching session at JOEY.

​I haven't had the opportunity to return to the shopping-centred franchise since my last visit to their Eaton Centre location, and, truthfully, I'm amazed at how quickly time has flown since that initial experience. As a foreword, the likeliness of making constant comparisons between the two locations shall be relatively high throughout this post, mainly because I believe in the importance of identifying the merits and shortcomings associated with a restaurant's market niche and management authorities.

​The weather was flawless that day, making the outdoor patio seats a very welcoming seating option. However, the sun's glare was rather strong, so a booth seat located just under the roof was selected instead. Our table, along with approximately eight other medium-sized ones, was situated directly underneath a garage door-like structure, which was noticed to be directly connected to a complex pulley and gear system. The general hypothesis was that the door would be cranked manually in order to connect the outdoor patio and somewhat exposed indoor arrangement for increased exposure to natural elements (sunshine and light breezes are always appreciated during the warmer months), improved air quality, and ease of access for servers to efficiently attend to all tables in the area.

​Spacious enough to allow for comfortable seating, but nowhere near immaculate enough so as to assure that my nerves didn't prickle, the roomy booth had the capability to contain a pile of light jackets and shopping bags without having them brush the uncleaned remnants of food on the table. Crumbs are not my thing, but maybe our server enjoyed the sight of them.

He was someone that I would describe as being typical of a customer service representative or commerce student: unauthenically pleasant. Few smiles accompanied his gestures and responses to our menu inquiries, but it was rather agonizing to catch glance of them when they did appear. There was no (evident) eye-rolling nor displays of restlessness, though perhaps it was the combination of an unchanging attitude and indifferent tone of voice that made me wish I had been served by the snail-like but cheerful waitress from the other location.

Our orders came out much quicker than anticipated, which is always a bonus for customers having just engaged in strenuous retail therapy.

​The BBQ Chicken Sandwich arrived first, accompanied by a bed of dark beige fries of uniform length. The bun had been lightly toasted, and the tender chicken slathered in mild barbecue sauce. Its flavour profile wasn't found to lack any significant elements, though it just didn't possess any vague hints of uniqueness. A small pinch of an unexpected seasoning would have presumptively landed this dish with a higher rating, but was now rendered ordinary due to a lack of innovation. I shall admit that the included onion rings added a nice texture contrast, but wasn't enough for the bun to claim a title of its own.

In the BBQ Chicken Sandwich's steps followed the Ahi Tuna Salad,  which I had expected to don the layered appearance of a  "sashimi"-/chirashi-style. The meager slices of Ahi Tuna had been just cooked to ensure that each piece paired a firm exterior with a soft, chewy centre. The complimentary colours present in the dish (magenta and green) were further highlighted with notes of mandarin and crunchy peanut halves. Unfortunately, its downfall resulted from being tossed in excessive amounts of ponzu-like salad dressing. 
Based on personal preference, the greens would have tasted exceptionally fresher without the overdose; alternatively, the dressing could have been placed on the side of the dish to provide customers with the freedom to adjust to their desired level.

Finally, the Baja Fish Tacos made their way to my spot. Buried deep within my unceasing list of to-try dishes, the tacos were an item I had been wanting to try ever since witnessing a duo of friends immerse themselves in laughter-filled conversation while sharing during rmy earlier JOEY experience.

​Requested to be extra crispy, the fries were discovered to be wholly disappointing upon tasting. From the palpable lack of seasoning to the disgusting starchy aftertaste, they were downright atrocious and failed to exhibit crispiness in any form whatsoever. Dare I say, McD's has done it better!

​I've learned that the preparation of taco utilizing shapeless tortilla wraps is apparently quite popular nowadays, which also explains the need for V-/U-shaped taco "holders" to guarantee proper presentation. The lack of sturdiness commonly makes them challenging to consume without smearing the contents over one's face and/or dropping various elements back onto the plate after harmony is disturbed by biting in. A thoughtful approach was employed in the delivery of the tacos: individual sheets of wax paper had been placed on the rack just prior to placing the gently toasted taco shells, meaning that each could be devoured without having to worry about the potential of making a mess.

The insides were composed of thin strips of battered Baja fish, which bore a strong resemblance to skinny pieces of haddock used to create fish 'n' chips, pieces of small battered shrimp, shredded lettuce (that looked a few days old), minute chunks of diced tomato, and a few teaspoons worth of guacamole.

Proceeding to drizzle lime juice over the trio, I took my first bite. Subltly crunchy fishiness mixed with creamy avocado, followed by a refreshing jolt of lime; a healthy dose of veggies could be sensed, with all the flavours ultimately found to be enveloped within a chewy tortilla wrap.
They were executed pretty well for tacos, though I'm not exactly the biggest seafood fanatic out there, and could have easily done without the shrimp. The Baja Fish Tacos were great in terms of taste, but was once again deficient of that certain pizzazz separating it from similar creations at other restaurants. This particular trio was definitely worthy of being re-ordered, but if given the choice, I would probably go forThe Wilcox's inventive version instead.

​The great thing about the JOEY chain being located at major malls is that customers have the option of exploring stores both before and after a meal. Markville provided a great location for the franchise - it was completely flawless in comparison to the dimly-lit interior of the Eaton Centre location. Although I couldn't have wished for a more ideal lighting situation, I must mention that the reason behind the disappointment associated with this visit is largely due to issues within management. Smooth and swift food delivery had not been associated with customer service and taste profiles hailing from identical origin. That is, of course, not to say that JOEY Markville is not guaranteed a second visit.
Frankly, I'm curious to observe the improvements they might develop over the course of time, if any.

​We decided to skip trying to dessert as to indulge in Wooffles & Cream (once again).

View the full album HERE !

​A new, limited edition item on their menu had surfaced: the Kinakozuki parfait utilized both Green Tea and Vanilla Soft Serve flavours, sans-swirl, and included toppings of peacan pieces, azuki beans, kinako (soybean) flour, and matcha sauce that was produced in-house. For those that are familiar with my gustatory tendencies, I'm someone who happens to have a weakness for all things matcha. Needless to say, I enjoyed this thoroughly and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to veer away from standard soft serve cups. 

​Feeling adventurous, we picked two items from an underrated section of their menu: Blackcurrant Jelly and Mango Jelly Italian Sodas.
At this point, I would like to bring to light that Wooffles & Cream takes (food court) customer service to the next level. During the less chaotic periods of the day, customers' orders will actually be delivered to their spot in the food court! As someone who is more familiar with written names than faces, I find matching customers' names with orders to be a difficult task in itself - but they were able to remember both of these things in addition to the table at which each party sat.

Once again, feel free to view the full album HERE !

Our sodas were delivered to us in less than five minutes, and we were cheerfully informed to stir the drinks thoroughly before consumption. Centimeter-thick layers of soft, flavoured jelly had somehow been placed at the very bottom of the cups; stirring allowed for the layers to be broken up and enjoyed along with the rest of the carbonated fluid. What a unique concoction!
Mango proved to be a tad sweet, while Blackcurrant retained the traditional flavour of Ribena but was heightened with the addition of fizzy bubbles; both boasted refreshing characteristics and were great to pair with their egg waffles and parfaits.

Additionally, we ordered a Black 'n' White Sesame Wooffle paired with Green Tea-Vanilla Swirl Soft Serve. Never before had I experienced such a fragrant aroma! It didn't recede whatsoever while being devoured either; gone was the scarceness of the last visit, and back in place were the generous portions of toppings. (You da best, Wooffles!)

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