Out & About #255 | Bubble Soccer, MeNami, and Asian Legend

I've been wanting to try out archery tag and bubble soccer since day one, yet the most challenging part was finding enough people to meet the required number of participants.

Using the title of a belated birthday get-together as an excuse, I set out with the intention of realizing this goal.

The event took place after two strenuous weeks of planning, booking, RSVP-checking, calling/messaging, and logistics-arranging. Successfully gathering fourteen people hailing from different regions of the GTA to try out bubble soccer currently stands as my greatest feat yet. 

I made a booking at AT Bubble Soccer about several days prior, relaying payment information over the phone for the full deposit. Having reserved a court at 1 PM, and having been encouraged to arrive about 30 minutes prior to my booking time, I pulled into the parking lot at Steeles and Dufferin just after 12:25 PM - only to find that the doors were locked and the interior of the establishment dim and lifeless.

Thankfully, a member of staff soon arrived to open the doors for us. Inside the building were three soccer fields, each consisting of  one set of orange/blue plastic spheres and fully enclosed in netting for safety purposes. We were directed to clean our shoes using the provided brush apparatus, place our belongings in the cubbies, and utilize the row of tablets to sign in/sign the waiver before assembling on the field.

Besides three fields separated by one main pathway, the remainder of the space was comprised of the check-in counter, a supply closet, a staff room, three individual bathroom stalls (one of which was accessible), and benches. Contrary to the description I had been provided over the phone during my booking, there were no changerooms available at all. The washroom itself was also poorly maintained: patches of water and dust were found surrounding the sink and strands of hair were in abundance on the washroom floor. The accessible stall proved to a bit more roomy, but still similar in terms of cleanliness levels.

Once all members of our party had assembled and changed into their gear of choice, we were introduced to the bubble apparatuses and given instructions on how to wriggle into them. If my memory serves me correctly, we weren't given specific tips on how to avoid injury or how to regain composition after being knocked down; the single staff member acted as our referee, but nothing more than that.

Given that a maximum of twelve people were allowed on the field at one time, the remainder of the group would observe from the benches and switch in once the previous group became tired.

Contrary to popular belief, bubble soccer is not a sport to be taken lightly. The plastic bubbles, while light, tend to block one's view of the other players, making it difficult to spot the ball. Considering that players are essentially encased within the sphere also means that air circulation is reduced with the player's one-metre radius, making it increasingly more difficult to breathe as the game progresses.

While one's arms and face are protected by the bubble sphere, scraped knees and bruised hands were frequently found to be side effects of playing while wearing shorts and being bumped onto the artificial grass surface. At one point, I fell directly on my behind after being shoved by a member of the opposing team. Although I had specifically worn long pants on this occasion, the landing was still far from pleasant.

The sport itself was a refreshing take on a classic game of soccer. It left all of us in a state of sheer exhaustion and utter clamminess. Thank goodness many of us had brought a separate change of clothes!

After wiping down the interior of the balloon apparatuses with Lysol, our referee helped us snap several group shots. We were then on our way to late lunch at MeNami.

It's probably quite clear at this point that MeNami is one of my favourite spots in the GTA. And being the picky specimen that I am, this means a lot.

As a result of our prolonged period of changing and group-photo-taking, we arrived approximately fifteen minutes late for our reservation. No annoyed glances were cast in our direction though, likely due to the fact that few customers were in the restaurant during off-peak hours.

Along with several of the tapas that I tried on my previous visits (1, 2, 3), the table also took interest in the more satisfying portions of udon and tonkatsu rice dishes.

View the full album, along with the names of each individual dish, HERE !

Quality remained consistent with the Smoked Salmon with Parsnip Sauce; our end of the table enjoyed the Corn Kakiage and Tako Wasa as well. This time around, I ordered three new items off the tapas menu: Korokke, Convention Roasted Pork Belly, and Roasted Hamachi Gama.

The Korokke placed just above standard: each piece was approximately four inches in length and properly fried to a gleaming golden brown hue. Its crisp-crunchy breading was further enhanced by the herby Rosemary Mayo, though the mashed potato filling erred on the mushy side.

Practically glistening in grease, the Convention Roasted Pork Belly arrived atop a bed of baby greens and, to our surprise, pickled white onion slices. A tad too rich for my liking, I took to munching on the small pile of salad directly beneath to try a taste of MeNami's dry rub seasoning - it did not disappoint! The tart pieces of onion were also great for cutting through the fattiness of the pork belly slices.

Roasted Hamachi Gama adopted a more traditional presentation, complete with grated daikon radish and a splash of ponzu (aka citrus soy) sauce. While aromatic with tender bits of meat, the dish was extremely difficult to share due to the underlying bone structure of the yellowtail collar. That aside, it was quite enjoyable as an accompanying side dish.

Towards the beginning of our meal, I engaged in deep discussion with one of the waitresses regarding cocktail choices. I was torn between Geisha and Sailor Moon Gone Wild - the former was allegedly stronger and more sour. In the end, I chose the sweeter Sailor Moon; lemon and lime contributed to the refreshing factor of the beverage while gently masking the alcohol content in the process. (Rest assured: it was much​ better than Aloha.)

Taking into consideration the length of our table, it was only reasonable that tapas were only shared amongst every five to six people. Spicy Salmon Tartare with sesame chips (or were they wonton skins?) were delivered to the other end of the table; it was only a matter of time before I peeked my head over in anticipation. Milder than most fusion dishes, MeNami's rendition was as intriguing as it was diverse in texture, leading me to wonder how it was possible to produce two salmon dishes that were entirely different in flavour yet yummy nonetheless.

Among the table's orders were Tsuke Udons, Spicy Pork Udon, and Curry Udon with Tempura, but the most interesting of the selection was definitely the ever-popular Oven Baked Udon. Seemingly equal parts udon and melted Tex Mex, the dish was creamy, rich, and incredibly cheesy. I snuck two bites from my friend's dark grey stone pot, embracing stringiness and satiation in merely two bites.

Half of the group departed following our leisurely meal as a result of other commitments, leaving the remainder to karaoke at ten23 before a late dinner at asian legend in Commerce Gate.

The restaurant mainly served Northern Chinese cuisine with several Cantonese exceptions. Possibly only two members of the party possessed a solid enough spice tolerance to order the chili-based dishes, so we stuck to milder dishes for the most part.

​Green-tinted xiao long baos were my first pick. The soup dumplings were executed properly in all aspects: size, flavour, quantity of filling, soup to filling ratio, etc. The small, golf-ball sized dumplings were undeniably one of my favourite dishes of the evening - a runner-up to the delectable Fish Fillet in Sweet & Sour Sauce. (Authentic sweet and sour fish is difficult to locate back home, so I was more than ecstatic to find a flavourful, crisp variation of the dish, even if the presentation was slightly lacking.)

< Pictured above and below: Steamed Soup Filled Dumplings w/ Dried Scallops, Pork & Luffa, Sesame Biscuit Stuffed with Sliced Beef, Shrimp & Pork Wonton in Spicy Peanut Sauce, Double-Boiled Chicken & Wonton Soup Stew, Fish Fillet w/ Sweet & Sour Sauce, Minced Pork w/ Noodles in Peking Sauce, Spicy Clear Bean Noodle >

 Minced Pork with Noodles in Peking Sauce (aka the Chinese version of jjajangmyeon) was decent, as was the Double-Boiled Chicken & Wonton Soup Stew. In contrast to the addictive Egg & Chive Pancake from Foodie North, the Sesame Biscuit Stuffed with Beef Slices didn't fare quite as well in my books. The wrapper was much flaky for my liking and left an overly heavy aftertaste after consumption; the beef slices could have also been more tender.

Last to arrive was the Spicy Clear Bean Noodle, which had been specifically ordered by the sole individual at the table capable of eating incredulous amounts of spice. The noodles largely resembled shirataki, but the chili sauce it was submerged in ignited an extremely fiery flame within my mouth upon the first bite. It was safe to say that few others could manage to consume much of the order.

The meal concluded just before 10 pm with Red Bean Soup with Sago, which was honestly quite average. I then, with the assistance of my peers, swiftly bolted to Richmond Hill Centre to catch my return bus home.

---