​Out & About #315 | Katsuya (Round 2) + Pacific Mall

​Few of those that accompany me on my eating adventures go to the same extent as I do for the sake of capturing decent- to good-quality shots. The general smartphone pinhole camera is the usual weapon of choice; I'm often told (and sometimes commended) for making the effort of obtaining a "proper" camera and purposely investing in a larger, sturdier bag simply for its safe transport.

Majority of my dining company have gained tremendous patience over the meetups, fully accepting and embracing the fact that consumption of food items after their immediate arrival is not permitted on my watch. (With the hangry folk, I tend to quicken the process by a few notches to keep everyone pleasant.) While they don't necessarily share my intentions nor passion, I am grateful for their ongoing respect.
That being said, it's especially pleasant when your partner-in-crime engages in the same photo-taking activities as you and possesses a similar palate.

​Orangeccane and I took to Katsuya on the afternoon of sunny but breezy Family Day. Our options had been limited to the establishments that remained open during the statutory holiday, and my initial suggestion of Le Cafe Michi had unfortunately fallen within the category of closed businesses for that day. We turned to Katsuya, for she had been meaning to try and I had provided positive feedback.

A girl with a copper-toned bob and a fitted black sweater dress greeted us with an enormous smile as we walked in. The restaurant was less busy than I expected; we were allowed to choose between two booth spots with decent natural and artificial illumination.

​Seeing as I had tried both Fish and Pork Katsu on my first visit, I had a strong desire to test whether the restaurant's udon met the same, full-flavoured qualifications.
Cream Curry Udon was the first item that caught my eye; it took me a few seconds to register the "Not Available" label, sigh in disappointment, and continue flipping through the menu.

​Eventually, we settled on the Katsuya Original Cheese Katsu, Carbo Udon, and Cheese Crabmeat Croquette to share. It was a reservedly cheesy meal indeed.

Similar to the previous visit, miso soup was delivered within minutes of ordering. Shortly following were a Stainless steel water jug and two stout handleless mugs. Cool, lime-infused water was a welcome alternative to steaming cups of hot water given the now warmer outside temperatures.​

The appetizer arrived while we were in the midst of a matchamisu-related coversation, freshly deep-fried in all its glory. Slathered on top of the pyramid was a Hollandaise-like sauce combining the tanginess of vinegar, creaminess of mayo, and crunch of finely-diced onion. Each sphere featured a chunk of stringly mozzarella evenly enveloped in a casing of mashed potato and shreds of crab meat.
They were definitely substantial, both in terms of size and level of satiation. While definitely not for the faint of heart (quite literally in this case), the potentially artery-clogging bar bite offered a welcome cheesiness to our meal.
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The crisp exterior contrasted well with the rather mushy potato mash - something that I wasn't quite fond of. Admittedly, it would have nice to find a bit more texture in the crabmeat itself, or even a greater cheese to potato mash ratio for added ooze factor. The croquette (or コロッケ) remained a great item for sharing, albeit not the most ideal thing to devour on an empty stomach.

 View the full album HERE !

​The same bob-donning member of staff later delivered our entrees, at which point suggested us to combine the two empty tables next to us. We weren't exactly sure if this was to provide more image-capturing space, but appreciated the extra roominess nonetheless.

​At some point during the meal, a petite waitress began to serve us as well. Her textured Jeon Soyeon ponytail and impressive eye makeup were the two factors I took notice of first, however it was the amicable nature and prompt responses to my request radish she displayed later that kept a lingering impression.

​Carbo Udon was a dish I hadn't expected in the slightest: the udon was springy! The carbonara sauce was absolutely velvety and seasoned adequately with a slightly briny aftertaste reflective of the seafood bits stealthily camouflaged within it. Perhaps an entire portion accumulated to too much richness for my liking, but I can definitely envision the dish pairing well with a side green salad (for nutrition balance sake).
Due to the udon dish's heaviness, the small side dish of yellow pickled radish that accompanied it was rapidly depleted. My request for a radish refill resulted in a slightly larger dish of thinly-shaved pink radish, which boasted a sweeter finish than the former.

​Mellow tunes and a rare DAY6 song played above us as we chatted away. After revelling in luscious cheesiness (and orangeccane finally admitting defeat to her Cheese Katsu), we packed up the remaining elements of our meal and set off on a brief walk.

​Gong Cha was picked up along the way. We requested a Brown Sugar Oolong Milk Tea with 2J and a Wintermelon Tea, but were appalled at the excess dosage of sugar. Still, the decision to purchase bubble tea before leaving North York was well justified, for Pacific Mall lineups were just ridiculous.

The Korean beauty aisle was visited once again: instead of the GOT7 collab, It's SKIN is now promoting their Special Edition Sesame Street collection.

Just how adorable is this packaging?!? I couldn't help to pick up a cute (but pricey) Cookie And Hand Cream for myself while there. (And yes, the official product name is "Cookie And" instead of "Cookies & Cream". Go figure.)

It smells exactly like Tony Moly's Choco Mushroom Cream Pack! The dense, chocolate chip-resembling bits are an interesting addition as well.

​The search for Jinyoung's magazine continued to Broadcast, though the staffs' response caused my already weak heart to shatter once more. Only Japanese magazines were stocked at their store.
These woes were later drowned in a box of discount Skinny Pepero on the return trip.

P.S. How cool is it that orangeccane and I were able to finish each other's sentences?! Food bloggers unite!