Out & About #402 | The Cups (First Markham Place) + Roll N Bowl

​Visiting dessert cafés on weekday afternoons are almost guaranteed to be quiet, pleasant experiences. The Cups' recent expansion into First Markham and its chaotic parking lot was no exception.

The tall stools and multicolour strips of vividness that had once occupied the old Sharetea spot had been replaced with wooden tables at ground level. Adorning each of these tables was a small plastic plant. 
Additional seating had been incorporated into the space by making minor adjustments to the pick-up area: more artificial pots of shrubbery lined the marble table top immediately adjacent to the food preparation area.

​Resonating throughout the cafe were melodious Christmas songs, in addition to a nice mix of soothing ballads and popular K-Pop tunes, such as "Really Really", "Energetic", and "Breathe". All picks made for easy listening at an audible level, yet remained peaceful enough to carry on a conversation with the person(s) sitting across without issues of mishearing.​

Also offered was a stable, password-secured Wi-Fi network and a few outlet duos along the wall, making it an ideal destination to catch up on work during off-peak hours. Users should note that the same scenario cannot be vouched for during peak evening hours, as the neighbouring family restaurants are bound to attract eager dessert-goers, as well as their desire to commence a round of cards.

​There is a chance that orders may be processed more efficiently during evening hours as the number of staff increase. Additionally, tables may be less sticky since the afternoon staff was not witnessed to engage in cleaning activities during the duration of my visit.

​The menu remained unchanged between both Thornhill and Markham locations. Perhaps this stop carried a larger quantity of cakes and cookies, but the fixed offerings remained the same. The fact that debit and cash were the only accepted  methods of payment also remained constant. (In other words, prepare your change purse!)

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​Having had concluded the Green Tea Latte to be lacklustre at the Thornhill location, I steered clear of the item and inquired whether an Injeolmi Latte existed.  The girl behind the cashier shook her head.
Taro, Sweet Potato, and Red Bean were bound to emit an atrociously synthetic flavour, just as Black Sesame would. I'm unsure why I believed it would fare better than the other variations, but I decided to take my chances instead of going for a second cup of joe.

​Black Sesame Latte tasted like a less viscous rendition of boxed 芝麻糊 (black sesame soup), but with greater doses of grey grittiness. It is uncertain whether I would be willing to attempt the powder-based beverage again it was honestly very average, though thankfully not too sugary. 

​Seasonal offerings such as a red-green Strawberry/Green Grape bingsoo and Oreo-dusted Rudolf bowl had inched their way to the front of the cashier, though we opted to stick with their most classic Injeolmi.
Although customers were few, quite some time passed before it made its long-awaited appearance on the countertop.

​Presentation varied slightly in that it was served atop a rectangular wooden tray instead of the rubber-lined versions at the original location. This modification complimented the festive bulb lights and green highlights found throughout the establishment, creating a sense of cohesion. In terms of ease of portability and durability though, I have concerns about the strength of the base and whether it will suffice in satisfying repeated usage and moisture exposure.

The small Injeolmi bingsoo was crafted with a distinctly pointed tip, rendering the impression of a delicate snow-covered mountain. 
A generous dusting of soybean flour covered its surface, masking the sticky rim and camouflaging the underlying layers of fluffiness. While substantial, the amount was just enough to provide a comforting nutty flavour without inducing gag reflexes.
Injeolmi powder and airy shreds of snow ice were layered alternately in the bowl, just as I had hoped.

​The only negative side effect of debuting such a soft, feathery product was the inevitable formation of air voids within the layers. As such, any sweetened condensed milk that had been drizzled on top had sank directly towards the bottom of the bowl, resulting into a sticky pool of slickness. Interestingly enough, this more velutinous version was found to melt at a slower rate in spite of the increased surface area, and consequently increased exposure to air.

​Moreover, the shaved ice was served in a ceramic bowl, which would normally retain heat of its surroundings more effectively than Stainless steel. The slow dissolution process was astonishing compared to the likes of Snow Time and their supposedly more effective serving equipment.

​Similar to the original location,  a water station equipped with extra napkins, cups, and sweetner bottles was made available such that customers could easily access common consumption necessities without the help of service staff.
The washroom, in sheer contrast,  was much larger and cleaner. With the heavy amount of traffic flow in the plaza, one can only hope that such conditions persist as time passes.

​Departing from the cozy café/dessert parlour hybrid, I headed in the direction of Scarborough to satisfy my unfulfilled Roll N Bowl desires. I mean, it was en route to pick up my DAY6 tour sweater from ochungg anyway.

​The Korean-Japanese restaurant was notably smaller than I had imagined. Its storefront gave the illusion of depth, though the interior was capable of seating, at most, 35 patrons.

This is not to say that dinner was consumed in a cramped, uncomfortable manner. Rather, it was the precise opposite. Tables were sufficiently spaced out, with those along the perimeter separated by barriers for added privacy.
The tables in the middle of the floor had been set aside for wrapping up takeout orders, which, surprisingly, continued until after 9pm.

​Ranging from complete bento sets to noodle bowls to Korean stone pot dishes, the assortment of options for such a compact establishment was impressive. Also deserving of awe was the extensive list of specialty rolls - "Legend Dynamite", "Crazy Boy", "S.O.S", and "Wowwow" were just some of the names spotted.

< Pictured above and below: Sashimi Dinner, Chicken Karaage, Fantastic Roll, and Pressed Salmon Aburi Sushi >

The entire crew consisted of five elderly males (that were either manning phone calls or working in the back kitchen) and one waiter in his twenties/thirties. Having past peak dinner hours, the rush had passed. In spite of this, a lot remained to be done by the single front-line staff. It was clear that he was desperately trying to maintain composure while tending to the various requests of guests, but the older members of staff merely gazed at him struggling to balance order-taking, order delivery, and table cleanup duties with absolutely no intention to assist him whatsoever.
I genuinely sympathized with him, for I had too been in his position. In spite of the situation he had been thrown into, he maintained a smile towards every single one of our requests and reminders, even making second and third rounds to refill tea cups and ensure that we were content with our orders.

​He had advised against the namesake Roll & Bowl Roll, and suggested the Fantastic Roll as an alternative. On the other hand, he hadn't spoken up about the Chicken Karaage.

The appetizer arrived shortly after the miso soup and side salad accompanying the Sashimi Dinner made their appearance. As opposed to the golden brown nuggets of fleshiness I had anticipated, the plate was piled high with lanky dark brown pieces resembling deep-fried scraps. I was aghast.
While they did contain meat of sorts on the interior, it is certain that I won't ordering these greasy, odd-looking little things ever again. The accompanying pale yellow dipping sauce - garlic (mustard?) mayo - was tangy and quite fitting of the battered side. Frankly, it was more deserving of praise than the so-called karaage itself.

​Constituents included a decent selection of assorted slices, a bowl of warm sushi rice, and the aforementioned sides, the Sashimi Dinner would have been the ideal choice for famished customers. Quality-wise, the slices were fresh and free of unwanted fishy odours; it should be noted, though, that tough stringy bits had found their way between the fleshy layers.
The yin-yang soy sauce dish was a nice touch.

​Fantastic Roll was nine pieces of flavour overload: each palm-sized roll was filled to the brim with tenkasu, avocado, shrimp tempura, and cucumber, then coated with heaping portion of a grape tomato-cubed masago-garlic mayo mixture. The surface was then torched for added depth.
​
In concept, the creation was amazing in that it combined traditional tempura and masago with fusion condiments such as smoked garlic mayo. However, the portion of food on the narrow platter was difficult to consume due to the constant toppling of the tomato-tuna medley. The diverse range of ingredients could also be seen as overpowering for some, as it caused the individual flavours to lose distinctness when devoured altogether.
Personally, I rather enjoyed this platter, though would have appreciated it immensely had the tempura bits remained crisp instead of soggy from sauce-soaking.

feedthebear had mentioned her fondness for Roll N Bowl's Pressed Aburi Sushi to me on one occasion, so I made it my personal mission to try out the shop's most popular pick: torched Salmon.
It was the last item to be delivered, thus stimulating feelings of anticipation with each growing second. When it finally made its way over, I was overcome with both joy and shock.
The sight of the vivid orange spicy mayo caught me off guard first, and next the enormous block of rice utilized to form each rectangular piece.

​Salmon was very minimal. Scraping aside the striking sauce and jalapeno half-slice, one could only find a fine ration pressed on top of the two-layer rice block. There was no doubt that it had been torched uniformly, but the overall lack of fat yielded a sense of disunion from remaining components. Furthermore, a delicate dusting of flying fish egg had replaced the standard chunk at mid-depth; not a single shred more of salmon was to be found.

​A single stall accessible washroom was found towards the back of the restaurant, hidden behind a grimy canvas curtain. Acceptable levels of hygeine were maintained; I shall excuse the obvious patch of dust in the corner and clogged soap dispenser in appreciation of the spacious, well-lit quarters and omission of moisture-stripping pink detergent.

Roll N Bowl, in summary, is a good neighbourhood staple when indecisiveness prevails. As both Korean and Japanese dishes are offered, there is bound to be something for everyone, even the pickiest eater in the party. Customer interactions and service were also exceptional, even if fellow crew members weren't treated quite so equally.

​Beware: Quality varies across different dishes, so it is wise to inquire beforehand.
A great deal of innovation was exerted in the creation of such an expansive menu, though the items are largely hit-or-miss. My personal recommendation is to stick with donburis (the rice was seasoned adequately), attempt one of the Special Rolls if feeling adventurous, and steer clear of the Chicken Karaage at all costs.

​Should errands or friend meetups bring me to the lower end of Scarborough again, I'd be open to trying a Legend Kalbi Roll - minus the banana peppers, of course.

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