Out & About #227 | Revisting Soban Cafe + MeNami

It's official: the Toronto expedition has finally come to an end.

No longer will my mornings commence before the sun rises.
No longer will my day involve a lengthy commute.
No longer will I need to abide by a strict early evening curfew.

With a mix of relief and subtle yearning, I heave: It's all over now.

Taking into consideration that it was, in fact, my last day, I decided to purchase all of my meals; it started with a Greek Yogurt Parfait and Maple Latte from the McCafé at Union Station, and followed up with a Smoked Salmon Quiche and Baked French Flan from Brioche Dorée. I'm normally quite frugal when it comes to purchasing to-go food items, but splurging had just felt right for the occasion.

I later met up with a close friend of mine in North York, where I re-visited/introduced her to several spots that had left positive impressions on me.

Soban Cafe has undergone renovations since my visit approximately one year ago. The shiny granite tabletops, sleek grey booths, and minimalist wall decor were a much welcomed change from the peeling, spongy seats and brown, wood-and-brick-themed aesthetic of their previous design. The tables remained as glare-prone as ever, but the new seats were undeniably more comfortable; additionally, I also appreciated that the slimmer light bulbs gave off less of a yellow tint than the previous ones.

The café's menu has also changed, though it is debatable whether it has been modified for the better good. Having expanded in beverage and dessert options and more clearly laid out, the new menu featured better quality images as well as severe surges in price. The shaved ice desserts were no longer offered in two sizes, and were fixed at $8.99 each; I also didn't witness the availability of combos anymore, though I could have been more focused on the rest of their options.

We ordered a Cookies 'n' Cream Frappe and a Mint Chocolate Frappe, each a hefty $6.49. Sipping on the high-calorie, sugar-laden drinks, we chatted away, earning questioning looks from the two waitresses from time to time. (It was stated on the menu that the seating time limit was two hours. Quite frankly, it seemed odd to even impose a time limit in a café setting - were cafés not meant for casual loitering and conversation?)

Nonetheless, we made sure not to overstay our visit, specifically due to the two hour-limit on our parking ticket.  After reluctantly sipping away at the seemingly bottomless frappe-milkshake mixture and charging my phone at one of the nearby outlets, we gathered our belongings and made our way down to Yonge St.

We briefly stopped for the window shopping of makeup and skincare products before making our way back.

Passing by toronto a la cart, we were prompted by their economic array of savoury snacks to stop and grab an "o-sam" for the sake of neutralizing the sweet-savoury balance in our digestive systems.

Still relatively satiated, we took to picking up Coffee Cheesecakes from Love Me Sweet and taking a short tour of World On Yonge before returning to the Yonge/Finch area for a late dinner.

I had actually called in advance during our Soban stay to guarantee their availability of the coffee-flavoured version of their cheesecake. They had unfortunately already sold out of Chocolate, so I suppose that can only mean another visit at a later date.

As mentioned previously, Love Me Sweet's cheesecakes have a tendency to be on the crumbly side. Despite the higher moisture content, it retains cheesy and airy properties very well. The Coffee Cheesecake was equally as cheesy as it was aromatic, consisting of a cappuccino-like flavour profile that managed to satisfy the cravings of both caffeine addicts and dessert devotees.

And no, I don't have any photos of the cake. The reason for this is simple: it was devoured at a rate so speedy that photos weren't even a priority. (Oops!)

The walk through World On Yonge was short-lived, as many of the businesses in the three-floor plaza had already closed up shop for the day.  However, it was long enough in duration to remind us that the sun was setting and dinner should be eaten.

We weren't entirely hungry though, so it was agreed upon that tapas would be a good choice. I took advantage of our lack of stomach capacity by suggesting a trip to MeNami, a location I had been itching to return to.

Striding through the tall, armour-like doors at just after 7pm, we were informed that the wait would be approximately thirty minutes. We were put on a waitlist and had anticipated the worst of the wait, but were surprised to be called back within ten minutes.

< Pictured above and below: Tako-Wasa, Albacore Tuna Tataki, Corn Kaki-age, and Chicken Karaage >

​As always, view the full album HERE !

We hadn't anticipated for the appetizers to arrive as quickly as they did; the Tako-Wasa emerged within minutes of ordering, followed by the Albacore Tuna Tataki and infamous Corn Kaki-age.

Tako-Wasa, a common starter at Japanese izakayas (is there even a plural form?), was essentially a small plate of chopped octopus pieces marinated in wasabi. Served with rectangular nori sheets for wrapping, the dish allowed both olfactory and gustatory senses to be engaged in unison. Boasting the sharp flavour of the well-loved, nasal-clearing Japanese horseradish and the crunchy texture of octopus, tt instantly became one of my favourite dishes of the night.

The Albacore Tuna Tataki was the second dish to arrive. Six slices of extremely supple and well-seasoned seared tuna were arranged on either side of a generic seaweed salad; the dish was garnished with a piece of what seemed to resemble a fried wonton wrapper, though the identity of the tortilla-like item shall remain a mystery as neither of us ended up tasting it.

A widespread Instagram phenomenon, the Corn Kaki-age was an interesting dish to bite into. Between the indulgent Honey Butter Mayonnaise dipping sauce and chewy bits of corn, one could perceive pockets of air in between each kernel. The several bunches of battered corn niblets provided an intriguing texture, though the flavour of the dish was centred heavily on the accompanying pale yellow sauce.

Chicken Karaage was the last of the four items to make an appearance. Our waiter cautioned us: "It's hot, so let it sit for a while first."
Of course, I didn't exactly heed his advice. Once the photos (of repulsively mediocre quality, I must add) had been taken, I proceeded to dip the top-most piece into the Shiso Mayonnaise sauce and attempt to sample it. Immediately overwhelmed by a mouthful of crispy skin and piping hot thigh meat, the waiter's words echoes in my mind. The dish wasn't particularly spectacular though, in my opinion, but perhaps I'm just partial to the size and texture of Taiwanese popcorn chicken.

Looking to end the somewhat chilly evening on a sweet note, I reached for the cocktail menu. While the Genmaicha and Matcha-based drinks were appealing, my heart lusted for the Thai Iced Tea the waitress had brought to my attention on my previous visit.
Thankfully, I confirmed that the off-the-menu item was still available.

There were two versions of the drink: one with alcohol, and one without (termed the "Virgin"). Not knowing the strength of the drink, I opted for half of the alcohol content. The bartender carefully concocted my desired drink without questions, sprinkling a pinch of fantastically fragrant coconut flakes on top.

Thai Iced Tea is one of my favourites, and admittedly, one of the most difficult beverages to re-create at home due to its unique blend of spices and brewing time. MeNami's Thai Iced Tea was not only flavourful, but also unbelievably smooth; it was sweet and milky in all the right ratios. The addition of whiskey took the drink to completely new, unexplored heights, making it a heavenly finish to the already-satifying selection of tapas.

MeNami's score is gradually increasing in my books, so I suppose it's just a matter of time before the longing to return creeps up on me again.

It was slightly chilly when we exited the restaurant, but not so windy that we opted out of exploring shops in the vicinity. Many of the small retail shops were in the midst of closing, but we passed by several newcomers to the North York restaurant scene as well. Among were Chinese noodle houses and eateries, as well as a dessert shop called Miss Durian.

The shop was rather small, with a large chalkboard menu lining the corridor and a refrigerated case displaying their various mille crepe and cake options.
I recalled their appearance at last year's Night It Up, to which one of the members of staff nodded in excitement.

Ultimately, we emerged from the dessert shop with empty hands, primarily since we were overly stuffed at this point.
​With unfamiliar dining spots popping up every so often though, I'm fairly convinced that we won't be able to stay away for too long.