Out & About #216 | Uncle Tetsu's Angel Cafe Preview + Bare Burger

Earlier this week, Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Angel Cafe premiered its first dine-in cafe to eager cheesecake fans on Dundas near St. Patrick station.

The cafe consisted of two levels: the lower featured the standard glass window storefront and cake-making machinery, while a maid cafe was located upstairs. According to Toronto Life, the new outpost includes chocolate, strawberry, and matcha variations of their Angel Hat Cheesecake / Zuccotto, a no-bake, crusted "lunar" cheesecake, chocolate and maple puddings, and beverages such as teas and lattes.

As with all Uncle Tetsu locations, opening hours and product availability is always questionable. Though their official Facebook page had noted that the shop would be open at 3:00 PM, the in-store, or rather out-of-store, experience wasn't quite punctual.

I took the opportunity to stop by on a damp, somewhat chilly Wednesday, just since I happened to be in the area already. At first, I disregarded the lineup of 5 people hovering near the store window - it was now 3:03 PM anyways. Yanking on the ever-resistant door, however, informed me that they were queuing up for the exact same thing I had ventured out to accomplish.

I wanted to obtain a cake. But not just any cake, of course. What my heart desired were the chocolate and matcha Angel Hat Cakes.

About twenty minutes into the waiting game, a bespectacled man with blonde-brown hair appeared in the doorway. He apologized that the cafe hadn't opened at the time that was distinctly posted on the door, mentioning that there were "technical issues".
Some several minutes later, one of the waitresses - well, maids - came out to provide us with the same message. As she was about to turn back into the store, however, I caught her giving us a heads up that the cafe was "dine-in only" and "cash only".

Um, excuse me?

Immediately rushing over to confirm whether the cakes could be taken to-go or not, she denied this option in her semi-broken English apologetically. I had no choice to but to turn back and search for a group willing to make the commute eastward with me. 

So much for those twenty minutes of waiting...

Thankfully, the Bay/Dundas area has more to offer than just Uncle Tetsu.

For burger lovers looking to adapt a healthier lifestyle, Bare Burger offers meals comprised of organic, fair trade, pesticide-free, and GMO-free ingredients. It's a refreshing take on something that commonly assumes a slick, greasy form.

​And while it is simply a hunch, the name concept is interesting as well: removing the additives from your standard, popular fast food item renders it "bare".

I had been running a tad late, so my friend offered to grab us a table first. Thank goodness too, for the entire restaurant was at full capacity when I stepped in around ten minutes past noon.

Seated next to the window, we were able to obtain the optimal amount of natural light. The glass windows are lofty and large, though didn't quite provide the same degree of illumination to the remainder of the booths and tables.

Despite its non-uniform lighting arrangement though, the orange-tinted dimness paired remarkably well with Bare Burger's funky decor details. From the earthy tones of the wooden tables to the scalloped scales lining the walls, and from the quirky condiment bottle designs to the colourful bear pieces adorning the booths near the bar area, the interior dazzled with vivid aesthetic appeal.

View the full album HERE !

Our server was extremely friendly, and came around considerably frequently to check up on us, clearly undeterred by the lunch rush chaos. We took to ordering two burgers and a "half and half" fries dish to share, since neither of us were willing to yield to the other's choice of deep fried starchy legume.

​The French Fries and Sweet Fries arrived in a basket lined with parchment paper, accompanied by a quad of Jalapeno Ketchup, Curry Ginger Ketchup, Smokehouse Sauce, and Bare Burger's own Special Sauce of ketchup, mustard, and herbs. Properly seasoned and ever-so-crispy, the fries were delectable to munch on; the lack of grease was also greatly appreciated. The variety of sauces worked even further to bring the appetizer to new, stunning heights.

My friend had visited once prior, and chose the Be My Burger option, in which customers could create a customized meal. For this particular burger, a Black Bean Patty was sandwiched between two Brioche Buns before further being topped with Aged Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, wild mushrooms, chickpea onions, and guacamole. The extra-thin onion rings were a nice finishing touch as well.

Feeling a little less adventurous, I stuck with one of the Bare Burger signature - the Socal (which I had mistakenly read as "Social" and thus proceeded to order with that enunciation).
The combination was classic, yet included a modern twist. A turkey patty acted as the base for Aged Cheddar, red onions, guacamole, and a handful of sprouts, all of which were then encased in a wheat bun topped with oats. Between bites of smooth guacamole and chewy sprouts were tender pieces of turkey and crunchy bits of onion. The Socal was a guilt-free burger with the power to banish hunger without inducing feelings of overly full queasiness.

Rarely do I fail to find flaws in an establishment, but this was an exception. Bare Burger's only Canadian location had impressed me much more than I would have predicted: the environment was comfortable, the service friendly, and the food fantastic. It's also in close proximity to a plethora of public transit stops (and on Ritual!), making it a superb spot for a casual lunch meetup.

---