Out & About #263 | Back to School, Taiyaki at Galleria + Soul Café

It's that time of year again: the torturous, ever-so-loathed back-to-school season.
After one year of income-earning freedom, it's returned to haunt my soul with copious amounts of assignments, pop quizzes, and examinations. Sigh​.

On the bright side, I only had one morning class for the day (seeings as certain sections weren't active until a few weeks into the semester), and thus was free to roam around Thornhill with a dear friend of mine who was overloaded with work activities while I was on my much-deserved break.

The original plan was delayed by approximately two hours due to the fact that I had been held up by incredulous lineups on campus for various registration activities. Hopping on the viva also proved to be a poor decision on my part, since we flew by Katsuya - the intended destination for lunch - and weren't willing to trek back under the sweltering glare of the sun.

We settled for Galleria, which was located just north of Centerpoint Mall and relatively close to the bus stop we had disembarked at. I had succumbed to pre-lunch famine shortly after wrapping up my first class and proceeded to rapidly deplete two granola bars that I had stuffed into my backpack during my morning haste.

I picked at the banchan dishes of a Spicy Soybean Soup, then proceeded to purchase three pieces of taiyaki off the grill. A trio sold for $3.75 - a crazy bargain given its freshness, crisp properties, and heaping portions of red bean filling. The only downside: Galleria didn't offer other fillings such as custard for the bean-unkeen.

​Making a desperate attempt to resume the initial plan, I led the way to Soul Café. Side streets along Yonge can be confusing, but the process of locating the shop was easy once we saw its logo on the directory.

In comparison to its neighbouring buildings, the plaza was rather dilapidated. Evident signs of age were perceived from the faded storefronts, cracked concrete parking lot, and rickety-looking windows above. The location seemed to be completely random, since the only other occupants were a small travel agency, all-day breakfast restaurant, and convenience store.
While walking underneath, both of us felt water droplets fall onto our scalp. It was of a mist-like variety that I'd rather not contemplate the source of; we moved on.

​Soul Café assumed a quiet corner of the plaza, featuring two small rustic tables immediately outside the entrance and a visible, outward-facing bar area overflowing with natural light. Majority of the interio was constructed of dark-toned wood that retained an similar vibe: comfortable with a slight sophistication.
Put simply, it was a homey dessert shop that catered to young groups of friends as well as families. Along with a small child happily prouncing around the floor, an few elderly members were also spotted enjoying their stay. Many of the customers that waltzed in were of Korean descent (understandably so) that performed their ordering actions in habitual manners. We seemed to be the only ones that were new - not that it made a difference though, as service was consistent regardless.

The aim of the trip was to re-discover bingsoo closer to home such that I wouldn't be lusting for Snowy Village's yummy creations. The Korean cafe's shaved ice selection was similar to that of the West Coast dessert parlour: Mango, Strawberry, Blueberry, Green Tea, Red Bean, Injeolmi, and Oreo; Coffee was the only varying flavour.
My friend had declared indifferency to whichever bowl I was to pick. A close match arose between Injeolmi (their best seller) and Coffee (a much-needed pick me up). The conclusion was a large Injeolmi bingsoo and two Iced Green Grape Juices.

Small and large bowls varied quite a bit in terms of volume, though the price difference was just a measly three dollars. That being said though, their "large" was more similar to Snowy Village's "regular".
Neither size was served in a stainless steel bowl, but rather a semi-shallow ceramic dish. While its ribbed exterior made it much easier for transporting from counter to tray, the material properties of the container itself did not provide cooling insulation for the ice contained within it. The bottom-most section of the dessert melted a bit quick for my liking

​I had anticipated Injeolmi bingsoo to be refreshing, milky, and chewy. The top pick checked off two of these boxes, but left the last one blank. Very few pieces of injeolmi were to be found in the alternating layers of ice and kinako flour; the roasted soybean flour hadn't been dusted uniformly throughout either, considering that one scoop caused dry beige clouds to disperse from my mouth. It was as if I had consumed a spoonful of barren dessert along with my snow ice.
​
Excessive and ineffective use of kinako flour aside, the milky bits of ice were undeniably authentic. Admittedly, it was richer and creamer than Snow Village, but the meiculously decorated item was nonetheless tasty and pleasing to the eye. I probably wouldn't re-purchase this specific dessert though, as I felt the injeolmi to kinako flour ratio to be insufficient. Although, Coffee, Oreo, and Green Tea are flavours I would definitely like to try.

​Having earned the title of one of their most popular drinks, the Iced Green Grape Drink was anything but bland. From the cashier, I had observed the making of this beverage: frozen grapes and ice. It was an intuitive combination that resulted in a slush-ice concoction that was equal parts refreshing and fruity.

Available outlets, a stable, password-secured Wi-Fi network, buzzers, and a generally clean environment made for a pretty enjoyable dining experience. Their washroom was a bit dim (not to mention dusty), but wasn't a major issue for me; they should be restocking toilet paper on a regular basis though.
Side: Cash is the only acceptable form of payment when bill totals are under twenty dollars.

​Onto Day 2 of school!

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