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

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.

​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.

​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.

View the full album HERE !

​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.

​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.

​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.

​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.

​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.

​Street parking suffers a 178% markup from Holmes, so I would highly suggest travelling by public transit if weather-permitting.

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.

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.

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.

​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.

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.

​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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

​I accumulated quite a number of items from my hour-long stop - some on par with Daiso prices, all confirming better quality.

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.

And yes, the Red Bean Walnut Bun I acquired was still very much tasty.