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 #415 | MeNami (Round 6), Soul Café + MINISO

1/28/2018

 
The last time I saw Miss Rushka was a sweltering day in September.
We had patiently waited for lunch at Cho Sun Ok amidst the hoards of elderly Koreans that had just finished Sunday service before making our way over to One Ten. Warily in wait to snatch DAY6 tickets, it wasn't exactly a time of relaxed conversation.

Fast forward to one semester later, where our schedules have finally vacated and catch-up time could be arranged.
Picture
​Despite being an avid lover of the North York noodle house, I came to the realization that I hadn't actually stepped through the doors of MeNami for almost nine months. Maybe it was the issue of parking, or maybe the timing wasn't appropriate. Regardless of the reason, I was glad to be back and catch a glimpse of their patio and updated decor elements.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Last year's seasonal items of Dondeki and Potato Cream Curry Udon had been officially added to menu; tacked on top was a sheet featuring a new trio, presumably trial batches of up-and-coming introductions. Okonomiyaki, Ricotta Fries (a nouveau take on poutine?), and Ika Sashimi Noodles were the three dishes in question.
Picture
View the full album HERE !
Picture
Picture
​Okonomiyaki intrigued me, as did the cold Kake Udon for my dining partner. 
​As expected, the Kake Udon with Chicken Thigh Tempura arrived first. Accompanying it was a pitcher of cold soup - a delicate blend of soy and perhaps mirin for subtle sweetness. The udon was firmer than my regular tastes, though seemingly bouncy enough for Miss Rushka's preferences.
The Chicken Thigh Tempura, as relayed to me, was on the bland side. "It's just fried chicken." was the sole comment.
Picture
​Some few minutes after the Kake Udon came the Okonomiyaki. A thick pancake topped with bonito flakes, okonomiyaki sauce, and Kewpie mayo, it was a stunning specimen to behold both in terms of presentation and aroma. It combined the excitement of night market-esque takoyaki with the sleek sophistication of a sit-down eatery.
The batter boasted strong similarities to the ones used in Korean seafood pancakes, although its contents were onions, cabbage, and bacon instead of scallions and shrimp morsels. The bottom had browned to a satisfying crunch, likely a result of slow-cooking in a shallow skillet.
Picture
​Its profile was thicker than the standard Korean seafood pancake, yielding a more filling outcome. Unlike the the exposed slickness of the traditional pick, the amount of greasiness camouflaged within the Okonomiyaki was excessive and unmistakable. While the savoury bits of bacon were delicious and the pancake was crispy all around, my stomach began churning from the sudden hit of oil overload.

I couldn't finish more than one third of the pancake, and even had to request hot water to soothe my aggravated insides.
Picture
​Two waitresses took turns in serving guests during our stay, but the one that arrived shortly after 12 PM was more prompt in recognizing customer needs and tending to them in a timely fashion.
She noticed that my hand had shot up within seconds, and proceeded to deliver a steaming cup of hot water shortly afterwards. En route to the table, the contents of the brimming ceramic cup had teetered onto her hands, completely taking us aback. I gasped in shock for her overall wellbeing, but she somehow managed to stride away calmly - and professionally, if I may add - without any impressions of scalding pain.

The water had been too hot to consume safely to begin with.
Picture
​Skies had darkened and UV rays had vanished by the time our midday meal had concluded. We made brief treks to M Brand and Gong Cha (me) before continuing towards our next destination.

Replacing N9 Café on Spring Garden Avenue is Soul Café's newest expansion. Deemed the Sheppard location, this spot is easier to access by foot and occupies the same stretch as MyMy Chicken's original location and Tsujiri's spacious North York shop.
Picture
​Street parking suffers a 178% markup from Holmes, so I would highly suggest travelling by public transit if weather-permitting.
Picture
Having arrived before their opening time of 2 PM, we browsed Tsujiri briefly before returning to the cafe. It wasn't until about seven minutes later that a towering male with AirPods rushed by us to unlock the door. One can only assume that he was late to work.
Picture
Picture
Picture
He welcomed us inside, before running towards the back of the cafe to fulfill his shop opening duties. As other patrons started filing in, we secured ourselves a spot at one of the plastic white tables. In absence were the patent leather seats and shiny black tabletops with gold specks from the space's N9 days; instead, plastic white chairs and taped-over broken corners had taken over.

Similarly, the less-than-fabulous washroom had taken a toll: all apparatus were either lacquered in dust or covered with questionable smears, or BOTH.
Picture
Picture
Picture
We gazed at their profound selection of toasts (Miss Rushka) and cakes for while. Admittedly, the non-La Rocca ones looked appealing. At the same time, though, their freshness was not guaranteed as they had already resided in the display case before the barista/cashier announced his arrival.
Picture
​A Small Injeolmi Bingsoo was chosen, and then presented with utmost swiftness.

This speediness was evident in the manner in which soybean powder and condensed milk had toppled onto the tray, with no shred of apology whatsoever.
Picture
Picture
Picture
In terms of quality, the dessert proved to maintain consistency between its other two locations. Injeolmi powder was sufficient (I almost choked, again) and dissolution was not a protruding issue. On the other hand, I do believe the Pacific Mall location's portion was larger and featured a greater amount of mochi bits.

Regardless, it was annihilated with minimal effort from the two of us.
Picture
​From a personal perspective, the Drewry and Pmall locations are more preferable in terms of parking availability and cleanliness. Though, maybe N9's new occupant will prove better over time.
Picture
Picture
As twilight peaked along the horizon, we set off northbound in the direction of Richmond Hill. Our final stop was Hillcrest Mall, in which Miniso had recently opened.

It's sad to think that not a single outlet of the Daiso alternative exists within the GTA. Destinations such as Guelph, Brampton, and Pickering had been chosen first for the expansion, which puzzles me as empty store spaces do exist near the two largest transit hubs in the province.
Picture
Hillcrest Mall bore great similarity to Richmond Centre by layout, albeit the extravagant renovations to Hudson Bay's exterior. It didn't take us long to locate Miniso, as eager crowds were spotted hovering within the store while onlookers peered from the windows.
Picture
Picture
Approximately one sixteenth the size of Daiso's Richmond location, the space seemed an odd choice for a Japanese retailer stocked with such a diversity of household and beauty items.
Merchandise lined every shelf and every bit of wall space, leaving only slivers of tiny aisles for customers to manouever about.
Picture
Picture
Prices were definitely more economic than expected - a hazard for overzealous shoppers such as myself. Items add up quickly, and the unrelenting No Return No Exchange policy leaves zero room for error.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​I accumulated quite a number of items from my hour-long stop - some on par with Daiso prices, all confirming better quality.
Picture
Picture
Chancing by Bake Code and Chatime (shudder)'s stall outside The Bay, I stopped to take advantage of their 25% End of Day Sale before embarking on the lengthy journey home.
Picture
Picture
And yes, the Red Bean Walnut Bun I acquired was still very much tasty.

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.