Out & About #166 | Neo Coffee Bar + Exploring St. Lawrence

Neo, from my past high school-level art courses, was a term used heavily in a manner of describing architecture. (I'm also pretty sure "neo-gothic" was one style that we particularly focused on identifying the prominent elements of.)

But in the ways of Toronto coffee-drinkers, Neo bears no resemblance to the modern gothic structural depiction, and instead refers to a small coffee shop - might I add: with atrocious incandescent potlights blazing down from all angles - situated in close proximity to King and Jarvis, just minutes away from George Brown College.

Its exterior design is quite minimal, which perhaps is a good thing given that heavy amounts of construction were occurring as I passed onto the side street. With only two wooden plank-topped benches and a street-facing side completely composed of glass panels, one would think the cafe ought to enable endless opportunities for stunning shots.

​This, unfortunately, was not the case.

Neo was much deeper than originally perceived, boasting enough seating to sustain large groups at booths or long tables at the back, and smartphone-activity-immersed individuals with tiny, bar-facing spherical airplane-like tray tables at the front. These seats provided a clear view of the bar, and were also conveniently located near the condiment bar; the downsides: very poor Kinton-esque lighting, and not exactly enough space for resting a bulky backpack without invading the bubble of the customer adjacent. I suppose it remove the awkwardness associated with finding a spot directly across a stranger though.

I became immediately engrossed in capturing however many shots I possibly could in the short window permitted by my morning schedule, and didn't take to placing an order immediately like the other patrons that strolled in. Some unfriendly glances were imminently cast my way...

And while I've become accustomed to inquisitive expressions now and then, I've generally found the staff to become much more welcoming when I begin to ask menu- and product-specific questions. This was, also, not the case at Neo.

View the full album HERE !

Insta-searches had led me to believe that if I was to try any of the items on their horrendously overpriced menu, it would be the Kyoto Matcha Latte and the Matcha Chestnut Roll Cake.
Being the somewhat practical consumer that I am, I opted only for the latte option, and saved $2.95 by opting for a Neo Choux instead of the Swiss roll slice. (It still wasn't the most price-justified decision to execute, but hey, I did say "somewhat" after all.)

My first question was regarding the plastic stand that encased the list of Fall Special(s): "Are these items limited for fall?".
The barista responded with a blank stare. "No." he said before returning to his blank stance.

Microseconds of blinking occurred. Alright, then.

I ordered the Kyoto Matcha Latte, which the other barista punched into the machine, before following up with "What's that?", pointing to the "by order" sign of the Neo Choux.

Along came another crude response: "It's a cream puff." he spat, as if I hadn't been entitled to education in Canada's second official language.

For reference, items that are "made to order" generally require a bit more time to prepare as opposed to ready-made items. This is, to be expected, as the term is intended to describe goods that are freshly produced and as per demand. Seeing that the cream puff shells had already been neatly stacked in the foggy, refrigerated display case, I wondered which exact element would be prepared on the spot.

"Is the cream already inside?" I asked.
"No, it's made to order."

Ah, so it is sliced and filled to order. How misleading of a product description!

"How long does it take?"
An arrogant reply launched shortly: "Faster than it takes me to make a latte."

Despite this being true, I, as a customer, appreciated none of this curt attitude.

Yes, I see that you've won awards for latte art. And yes, I see that Neo is a concrete jungle fan-favourite.

However, I still cannot seem to find justification for unbelievably high prices associated with such déclassé customer service. (Oooohh, would you look at that usage of the French language?​)

Ultimately, the Neo experience was composed of one-third latte art, one quarter hand-whisked sencha, one quarter part a decently-priced mini cream puff filled with finger-licking (literally) vanilla bean cream, and one sixth snotty you-don't-belong-here attitude.
The Neo Choux was great and, unlike the other pastries, was an affordable little snack. In contrast though, the Kyoto Matcha Latte hadn't presented any of the shades of awesomeness other users had claimed; it also cooled down much more rapidly than I would have preferred. I'll officially be crossing Neo off the list now.

After rushing to attend my morning schedule, the rest of the afternoon proceeded in a much more leisurely fashion.

A brief visit to St. Lawrence Market was made; unlike the vintage flea market I had anticipated, I was slightly taken back that it was a farmer's market instead. Nonetheless, I can now proclaim that I've indeed been there.

As the day progressed, the amount of rainfall also proved to steadily increase.

The Works was nearby. And while they didn't offer hot beverages, any Wi-Fi-enabled shelter from the rain was much appreciated at that point.

I took to ordering a Hand Scooped Shake (with Oreo and Peppermint flavour shots) to prolong my stay.

The Kids' size was honestly much smaller than expected for four dollars though.

After consuming half of the condiment cup-sized drink, I was once again on my way.

The last stop of the day was the Eaton Centre, where Black Friday frenzy had swallowed up the shopping mall in its entirety.

Admittedly, the environment and lineups were a tad too chaotic for someone accustomed to the swift checkout processes of online shopping. I opted out of the in-store deals and selected the fuss-free web versions instead.

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