Out & About #435 | Hub Sushi (Round 6)

​In all the times I've visited Hub Sushi, I had never once taken to calling ahead to make a reservation. But this time was different.
When the Van fam is in town and the proposed meal is take place during peak hours on a weekend evening, booking in advance is highly recommended.

​We had set out a tad earlier than necessary, so a brief stopover at Hillcrest - ahem, Miniso, - was made. I also took the opportunity to try the recently-launched Crystal Ball Frappuccino.
No, it did not taste like peaches. It was heavily sugared milk with turquoise food colouring.

​Packed was the restaurant at our time of entry - our table was the only one to remain unoccupied amidst the turmoil. Two waitresses scurried about the space throughout the evening, as opposed to the one server gasping for breath on weekday afternoons and mid-week evenings. There seemed to be one more member of managerial staff - a particularly smiley one, if I may add - that oversaw takeout orders being whisked away and observing the floor for any raised hands.

​We revisited favourites such as Hub Tower - a wonderfully refreshing appetizer that combined cubed salmon and tuna sashimi with avocado and fresh mango chunks - and the Unagi Kimchi Donburi. The latter was a recommendation from foodieelove that I have taken tremendously to heart: the sizzling stone pot is an amazing touch that yields fantastically crispy rice grains. The result provides a bold kick, yet is also mild enough for those unaccustomed to spice.

​Hub has recently revamped their menu to include new varieties of Pressed Aburi Sushi and Specialty Rolls. Consequently, I suggested attempting their Rainbow Pressed Aburi Sushi and Legend Dynamite. Their ever-popular Salmon Pressed Aburi Sushi was also added to the list.

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​Comprising of an assortment of shrimp, tuna, and another breed that I cannot seem to recall, the Rainbow Pressed Aburi Sushi enabled first-timers to sample several textures of torched sushi without committing to a specific species. The Salmon version was, needless to say, as delicious as ever.

​Legend Dynamite, which I had requested swapping nori for soybean paper for an additional dollar, was a generous portion of shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, and crab meat sporting a salsa-like topping. (A dual swap of soybean paper and purple rice would have been an extra toonie.) Presentation was stellar, as always, and fillings were scrumptious. The only regret would be that the initially crunchy toppings gained sogginess over time due to the moist properties of the salsa.
The waitress had also recommended Kick and Leak, another new addition to the menu, though the very notion of deep fried leek had me wary. With the diverse spread of specialty rolls though, I'm confident that there's bound to something to suit every customer's palate - cooked or raw.

​Miso soup was also provided on the house. The warmth of the broth was comforting, while the fine shreds of enoki lent a satisfying chewiness.

​To wrap up the evening on a sweet note, we headed over to The Cups.
Korean shaved ice isn't foreign to the West Coast - heck, Snowy Village is the pioneer of them all! - though the trendy treat isn't always readily accessible to the busy working tier.

​I had my doubts about securing a seat, as the tiny venue tends to fill up quickly due to local demand. Thankfully, we managed to grab the last table before a short lineup began to form.

​A Cup-sized Black Sesame Shaved Ice was plucked from the double-sided laminated menu. (For reasons why The Cups' original location still operates solely on cash or debit remains a mystery to me, especially when the First Markham Place outpost accepts payment in all shapes and forms.)

​The layered concoction comprised of a melty scoop of black sesame ice cream, a spoonful of red bean paste, several bites of injeolmi, and alternating sections of fluffy snow ice and black sesame powder. My party was extremely fond of the dessert's fragrant, gritty properties, and even admitted to finding it tastier as one progressed to deeper depths.

Personally, the sesame powder revealed itself to be too artificial for my liking. Nonetheless, I would select Black Sesame over synthetic mango or strawberry concentrate on any given day.