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.
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.
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?)
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!)
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.
As always, view the full album HERE !
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.
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.
Thankfully, I confirmed that the off-the-menu item was still available.
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.
I recalled their appearance at last year's Night It Up, to which one of the members of staff nodded in excitement.
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.