Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Out & About #400 | Part 1: Gyugyuya + Tandem Coffee

12/13/2017

 
​Mid-exam meet-ups mean eating to one's heart's content and exploring from day to night. Or they do in my case.

On the rare half-day that ochungg managed to allocate towards freedom, the obvious route to take was one filled with food and intense discussions over DAY6.
Picture
Picture
Gyugyuya was my suggestion, for I had entered the premises at an earlier date in time, though never properly experienced it.
Picture
Picture
​Despite my modest breakfast of cheesecake and banana, feeings of famine hadn't yet revived when early afternoon rolled around.
For the minimal appetite that I retained, I suggested for the Gyu Curry be split - along the lines of a 7:3 ratio with ochungg - in fear of being unable to finish a single dish in its entirety.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​At $11.99, the Gyu Curry was well worth the cost. There was actually a larger proportion of beef strips than rice; in the words that are not mine: we "had to hunt for rice".
​Tasty morsels of Japanese short-grain rice were coated in a luscious, moderately spicy dark roux, and further wrapped between thin strips of succulent beef.
The curry came with a large hard-boiled egg, though I did not try as the tacky aftertaste of a crumbly cooked yolk is highly unpleasant for me. Instead, a soft-boiled "spring" egg was requested as a side, along with a bowl of gritty miso soup economically priced at seventy-nine cents.
Picture
​Sufficient salience seemed to be conveyed when an extra plate and side of miso soup was requested by myself, while my dining partner-in-crime was the only one to order a main. However, this was seemingly not the case as the waitress interpreted my request of a Hot Spring Egg to be incorporated into the platter of Gyu Curry. The onsen tamago, in all its delicate jiggliness was delivered atop its throne of tender beef strips and fine cabbage shreds, aggravating its susceptibility to breakage during transport attempts.
Perhaps it should have been further clarified that the sides were to be consumed separately, but at least none of the yolk and its runny goodness had been lost when it drained into the plump rice grains underneath.
Picture
Picture
​The price tag was quite fair, and the portion size quite substantial. In addition, service staff were prompt to welcome customers into the tumeric-toned abyss of spice-laced wonder from the cold and supply colourful, battered menus.
Fast-paced was the atmosphere of the establishment: efficient with no-frills hearty Japanese curry dishes concocted to suit the tastebuds of tourists and sleep-deprived commuter students alike.
Picture
​Bathrooms were not quite as accessible as they could have been; being located at the foot of a steep, creaky staircase meant difficult for older customers (or those with joint pain/muscle strain).

Stalls were separated by gender and kept to minimum levels of cleanliness, as well as illumination.
Soap dispensers were ancient and struggled with functional failure. Locks were broken, expxosing protruding edges sharp enough to cause painful removal of epidermal tissue. Should one not take care (like me), cuts could easily result from a simple attempt at sliding a lock.
Picture
​From a personal standpoint, the curry was still a little fiery to be considered mild. However, the effects of consumption were calming - soothing even -, dissimilar to the likes of Korean dakgalbi, whose embers lingered long after extinguishing.
​We later moved onto errands at Eaton, followed by my sudden desire to acquire a Christmas Tree Frappuccino, simply for the sake of trying matcha-flavoured whip. Sadly, First Canadian Place did not carry such glorious add-ons. The result was a sweet, frothy milk-based beverage with only faint notes of peppermint syrup.
Picture
​Next stop was the Christmas Market, which was as frigid as could be. The Holiday Fair in Nathan Phillips Square had closed due to low temperatures, making it immediately apparent that we had chosen the wrong day to visit.

Frankly speaking, the journey towards Distillery is more tradition than adventure. Despite that only a handful of distinctions can be made between recurring instances of the event, the purpose of dropping by resides with the setting's wondrous light display and overall photograph-ability.
Picture
Sustenance is ridiculously overpriced, and lineups are just too much to handle in such treacherous weather conditions. Campbell's soup samples and lengthy waiting periods at Cacao 70 were not our cup of tea, so a stopover was first made at Tandem for warmth and washroom breaks.
Picture
Picture
​< Pictured above and below: Matcha Sesame Ring, Peanutty Hot Chocolate, and Sesame-Sea Salt-Milk Chocolate Cookie >

To keep my hands free, I did not purchase a beverage in preparation for the chilly trek. Instead, two cookies of varying sizes were utilized as energy sources.
Picture
Picture
​Declared to have been constructed from the finest matcha, the vivid green shortbread was aromatic and bold. Combining a grassy sweetness with crunchy bits of sesame, it was tape ring-sized portion of heaven.
When I inquired about the description of the cookie, specifically "What makes good quality matcha 'good'?", I received a puzzled look in return. It wasn't a big deal though - the cookie was delicious and customer service was exceptionally friendly.
Picture
Picture
​I didn't have high expectations for the Sesame-Sea Salt-Milk Chocolate cookie that I later took to go. It appeared an odd, yet intriguing combination that could transverse either way on the taste spectrum.
The first bite proved me wrong for ever contemplating doubting the mix. A soft specimen oozing with indulgent flavours materialized in my mouth. Once again, crunchy bits of fragrant sesame made a subtle, but discernible appearance. Interwined between chunks of sweet milk chocolate were hints of sea salt, which succeeded in providing the ultimate sweet-savoury product.

Needless to say, I will glady be re-purchasing both of these when the occasion arises.
Picture
​ochungg's Peanutty Hot Chocolate was relayed to be intensely peanut buttery, but with minimal emphasis on its ration of "hot chocolate".
Picture
​Price-wise, all items were very reasonable given the quality presented. Keep in mind though: Tandem is a quaint, cash-only coffee spot.
​Read Part 2 HERE !

Gyugyuya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Calgary 2023
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.