Technically, this post should be called “Thornhill Things”, considering that the number of activities that took place north of the Steeles boundary prevails over the amount that occurred in North York. (But really, I’m just picky.)
The day started off with an early bus ride to World on Yonge, where I would be getting together for a well overdue catch-up session.
The day started off with an early bus ride to World on Yonge, where I would be getting together for a well overdue catch-up session.
We decided on Muncheez the afternoon prior, so I made my way over to snap a few shots as soon as my bus pulled into Finch Station.
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The storefront was easy to recognize, featuring bold orange, Copperplate-esque lettering on a simple pale grey frame of a background. Just outside of the glass-paneled shop, a dark brown bench was situated adjacent to a picnic table of the same hue, perhaps as to act as a makeshift patio during very warm temperatures. Personally, I found that vehicles had a tendency to pull in too close to the sidewalk area of the plaza, meaning that sitting outside made not be the best dining option in terms of personal safety.
The interior was more compact than I had imagined: a serving counter and cashier to the left, and a small dining area to the right. Muncheez housed five tables: three of which required stools due to their height, one of which was squished in between the entranceway and the crepe griddles (protected by a plastic case of course), and the last assuming the form of a bar area.
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Despite the size of the dining area, it wasn’t claustrophia-inducing by any means. Rather, the high ceilings, interesting design elements (hanging lights!), and well-varied use of colour throughout the décor made for a very comfortable space.
I was provided a brief introduction to the menu upon being joined by my friend: Muncheez was a creperie that offered healthy meals for any time of the day; their menu ranged from All-Day Breakfast to sweet dessert crepes, though their specialty lay with their Savoury Crepe selection. Along with non-greasy food items, I was informed that they also offered watermelon juice and sugar cane juice from which was freshly extracted upon receiving the seasonal ingredient from Costa Rica.
Options aplenty, it took us quite some time to narrow down our choices. Quite frankly, we both agreed that “You can’t really go wrong with anything here.”. We ultimately decided on the Monte Cristo and Mother Nature crepes, while I opted for an ever-pricey 16 oz. cup of their popular Sugar Cane Juice, adding fresh mint leaves for an additional fifty cents, after being provided a sample of their Strawberry Banana Sugar Cane Juice.
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We took to seating ourselves at a sufficiently well-lit area and engaged in casual conversation while waiting for the crepes to be delivered. It was observed that Muncheez operated in an assembly line: one member would process customer orders and craft drinks, another would assemble the filling ingredients for each crepe onto a wax paper-lined silver tray and slide it down the counter, while the third member would cook the crepes over the griddles and place the contents of the silver tray onto the thin pieces of batter when ready. It was an efficient system, with all the necessary ingredients and/or equipment pertaining to each role conveniently located within a 2-metre radius of that staff member.
The Sugar Cane Juice arrived first. The production process was actually incredibly intriguing to watch: raw stalks were fed into a machine that pressed the juices out at an alarmingly speedy rate. The remaining dried stalks would then emerge at the other end of the machine and swiftly be discarded.
My plastic cup had nearly been filled to the very top; they had also been fairly generous with the amount of mint leaves. As it turns out, the minty freshness wasn’t as prominent as I had expected; the beverage was exceptionally sweet and completely overwhelmed it. Without a doubt, it possessed a higher natural sugar content that I had anticipated. It’s unlikely that I would order it in place of bubble tea as a mid-day refresher, but the juice pairs unquestionably well with their savoury crepes.
Our crepes were delivered to us in cone-like wire holders shortly after. Inserted into triangular paper holders with tear-away capabilities, one of the staff members kindly explained the methodology before we began to munch away. The addition of a small paper cup at the bottom of the paper holder was much appreciated, seeing that any juices that had escaped the crepe would simply collect instead of spilling out onto customers’ hands.
Mother Nature was overloaded with good-for-you ingredients such as black bean, avocado, green peppers, mushroom, and - my all-time favourite green - baby spinach. Basil pesto was a rather unexpected addition to the vegetarian crepe, but added a nice contrast to the rawness of the peppers and mushrooms. I couldn’t quite perceive the Havarti Cheese, but then again, I tend to enjoy my cheese in senselessly sizeable amounts.
Monte Cristo was a creamier, cheesier crepe, and consisted of your standard eggs-and-ham breakfast combination but included garlic aioli for a slight twist.
Monte Cristo was a creamier, cheesier crepe, and consisted of your standard eggs-and-ham breakfast combination but included garlic aioli for a slight twist.
It’s worth to note that neither crepe exhibited the crisp texture and uniform beige-ness of the conventional French variety. Instead, it presented a chewy, eggy texture in a spotted, pale yellow form. This is not to say that the result was soggy, but rather soft with a slight crispy edge. The Dalmatian-like appearance definitely created unique visual appeal.
Muncheez prides itself in being a “Deli Creperie”, and I realize that I haven’t drawn attention to the “Deli” portion as yet. Personally, I’m not extremely keen on salami (or any meats in general), but I did notice the abundance of sliced meat options available. Customers were permitted to substitute meat options as they desired, though we had adhered to the original recipes.
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Service was very friendly, despite the lunch rush that eagerly occupied the remainder of tables after 12:30 pm. Bonuses included an open Wi-Fi network, Breakfast Television playing in the corner, and bag hooks on the bottom side of tables, though outlets were nowhere to be found (Did I just not look hard enough?)
Muncheez provides a casual, comfortable environment for munching with ease (pun very much intended). Though the prices are on the steep side, product quality is not compromised. My only remaining concerns: terribly disorganized parking lot, lack of a password-locked network, and absence of an in-store bathroom.
Following our leisurely lunch was a quick stopover at Love Me Sweet – my suggestion obviously – for the sake of obtaining a Coffee Cheesecake.
Stopping by World on Yonge truly is a challenge for me, but I’ve found that I’ve been making efforts to gradually familiarize myself with the plaza after discovering Love Me Sweet. Though their Original Cheesecake was equal parts creamy, airy, cheesy, it was a tad too crumbly for my liking. (Yes, there is such a thing as “too fluffy”.)
Stopping by World on Yonge truly is a challenge for me, but I’ve found that I’ve been making efforts to gradually familiarize myself with the plaza after discovering Love Me Sweet. Though their Original Cheesecake was equal parts creamy, airy, cheesy, it was a tad too crumbly for my liking. (Yes, there is such a thing as “too fluffy”.)
But I refused to settle with this conclusion, and later purchased the Chocolate and Coffee Cheesecakes in hopes that the bakery would redeem itself in my books. This turned out to be a wonderful decision, as their Coffee Cheesecake harnessed the very taste of bittery sweetness found in brewed coffee. To this day, it has become a family favourite and someone always exclaims in delight upon witnessing the boxy red bag pass through our doors.
As for the Chocolate Cheesecake, it was still yummy in its own regards, though incapable to warrant a trip to Thornhill on its own. In terms of airiness, Uncle Tetsu’s Chocolate Angel Hat still takes the cake. (Sorry, guess that wasn’t punny.) My previous posts on Love Me Sweet can be found here (1, 2).
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The weather was absolutely gorgeous, thus we began our brisk walk to Yogoberri Café instead of boarding the bus.
Like Café Bene, Yogoberri is situated on the second floor of an unassuming complex. The choice of location is slightly odd, but the mere distance from Yonge and Finch makes for a quieter, more enjoyable experience.
The café is entirely empty upon our arrival, with a young, red-lipped soul emerging from the kitchen to our aid when we walk up to the cashier. All orders are placed at the counter; cash and debit are the only payment options here.
I’ve been eyeing the bingsoo here for some time now, but neither of us could come to a conclusion regarding flavours and topping choices. We eventually chose separately: a Strawberry Banana Smoothie and a medium Green Tea Frozen Yogurt with red bean, mochi, and blackberries.
Yogoberri had several options for frozen yogurt: a waffle and Americano combo for $15, plain froyo cups in three different sizes (S, M, L) starting at $3.99, and frozen yogurt parfaits in two sizes (M,L) starting at $4.99. Still satiated from Muncheez but hankering for an icy dessert, the frozen yogurt parfait was ruled to be the best choice. Each parfait included three toppings; among the available assortment were strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, mango, kiwi, red bean, almond slices, mochi, and many more.
Having a difficult time deciding, I asked the girl at the cashier for recommendations. I had already chosen red bean as one of the included toppings, thus she proposed adding mochi as well as some sort of fruit to the mixture.
The result was not only aesthetically appealing, but fantastically flavourful. The frozen yogurt itself was an item deserving much applause.
The result was not only aesthetically appealing, but fantastically flavourful. The frozen yogurt itself was an item deserving much applause.
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For the scarce amount of extra-loyal readers of this space, my affection for tart, milk frozen yogurts has been consistent since my initial encounter with Pinkberry at Metrotown. While the LA-native dessert joint has ventured into Ontario, the Square One and Sherway locations simply don’t offer the same blend of Green Tea.
That being said, Yogoberri’s Green Tea froyo was a very pleasant surprise in that it was the ideal combination of milky and tart. Moreover, it endured an extensive photographic process while resisting the thawing process.
That being said, Yogoberri’s Green Tea froyo was a very pleasant surprise in that it was the ideal combination of milky and tart. Moreover, it endured an extensive photographic process while resisting the thawing process.
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We seated ourselves at one of the tables by the window, as the screens offered a great source of diffused natural lighting. The chairs were padded and comfortable to reside in for long durations of excited and, admittedly, somewhat nonsensical banter. My main concerns pertained to the cleanliness of the establishment, as it was evident that the off-white screens had several stains and dust bunnies were seen lining the window frame, and the headache-inducing cigarette smell that seemed to have been absorbed into a nearby piece of furniture.
In contrast, the washrooms were astonishingly clean and seemingly newly renovated; I could barely spot a speck of dust on the countertop!
In contrast, the washrooms were astonishingly clean and seemingly newly renovated; I could barely spot a speck of dust on the countertop!
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All in all, Yogoberri is definitely a spot I would love to revisit. Their menu is simple, yet extensive. Albeit on the pricey side, the prices are still more reasonable than their Yonge/Finch competitors. The café also offers a more serene environment and very stable password-secured Wi-Fi.
My friend had evening plans later on, so I took advantage of the weather to trek to Bake Code and pick up the Matcha Crème Croissant that has been making waves on my Instagram feed lately. It was as costly as croissants could ever get: $4.50 for one. Holy moly.
Alas, I permitted myself the splurge, as I happened to be in the area anyway and was unlikely to travel to North York again for the sake of one single baked good. A Coffee Cream Bun caught my eye along the way to the cashier, and my tongs clamped around the twisted sweet roll before I even came to realize its $2.90 price tag.
Service was much quicker than my initial visit – a complete relief as I was rushing to catch an express bus afterwards – but curiously enough, they had placed both items into unsealed plastic bags instead of providing me with a box. I unveiled the Coffee Cream Bun for consumption on the ride home. Unnecessarily firm and consisting of less than a tablespoon’s worth of coffee cream filling, the nut-crusted roll was a major letdown.
Saving the Matcha Crème Croissant for post-dinner hours, I couldn’t believe my eyes and nose when I slipped off the plastic sleeve it had carelessly been chucked in. The surface had been dusted with a generous layer of icing sugar mixed with fine green tea powder, emitting an irresistible sweet, grassy smell.
My next order of business was to reveal its underlying texture and expose its custard cream contents for further examination. I proceeded to meticulously slicing the flaky croissant to obtain an accurate cross-section, and was rewarded by a delightful sight: well-formed “honeycomb” holes and a decent portion of oozing cream.
Candidly speaking, I did find the interior to have an unnaturally dark green tone. This could have either been from the addition of food colouring, or an intense amount of green tea powder in the batter. The custard cream, on the other hand, was a nice, vibrant hue.
Candidly speaking, I did find the interior to have an unnaturally dark green tone. This could have either been from the addition of food colouring, or an intense amount of green tea powder in the batter. The custard cream, on the other hand, was a nice, vibrant hue.
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Both components of the croissant (body and filling) exhibited a stronger green tea flavour than expected. While I am uncertain if the origin is Taiwanese green tea powder or the higher grade Uji matcha, I am confident in concluding that the Matcha Crème Croissant was indeed worth my efforts. The price tag is shockingly steep in my opinion, but deserving of a purchase every now and then as pure indulgence.
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