Out & About #472 | North York Things Feat. Naniwa Taro

​It's been a crazy week. Like the driving-through-rush-hour-whilst-running-on-four-hours-of-sleep kind of crazy.

Quite a period of time has passed since the last time I held a position that involved insanely early mornings. Take heed to refrain from misinterpreting my statements though: however strongly I dislike rising before the sky is fully illuminated, there is great enjoyment to be found in contributing back to the community, even to the tiniest degree.

​Working through backlog was essentially impossible amidst a period of personal clock adjustments, but the shifted days grew easier with time.
To celebrate the end of a successful first week, orangecane and I took to another one of our eating excursions - this time spanning from North York to Markham.

Parking near Yonge and Finch on weekdays is never as straightforward as it should be. Instead of trying my luck at the Finch commuter lot, I figured that the asphalt grounds behind Shoppers would be more fitting for our purposes with consideration to time and desired activities.

​First up on the itinerary was One Zo Tapioca - no surprise there.

A refreshing Nature Melon Lemon with Cactus Tapioca was chosen by my fellow food fiend, while I fluctuated between trying the Dirty Tea Series or another signature beverage from the fixed menu.
The bubble tea spot was exceptionally serene at this time, so the girl behind the cashier actively attempted to assist me in arriving at a decision.

​At hand were the following dilemmas: the Dirty Tea Series was exclusive to medium-sized drinks and Brown Sugar Tapioca was not available for addition into any beverage from the fixed menu. It took approximately five whole minutes of persuasion to convince the staff to craft a Large rendition of the specialty item, after which they warned that the taste wasn't guaranteed to match their regular standards due to the absence of a Large-size recipe. This was entirely fine by me; they could have filled the remainder of the cup with milk or more tea for all that I cared.

​I was charged for a $6.39 Assam Latte instead, leading the total cost of the visit to emerge a whopping $7.22. Without a doubt, the Brown Sugar highlights were as enjoyable as predicted. Given that the flavours were on the sweet side though, the Medium may have been the proper choice after all.

​A hankering for something savoury prompted a detour to the eateries along Byng. I had a rare case of takoyaki yearning.

Naniwa Taro is a name not unfamiliar to me, for it's been known to be a popular casual diner amongst locals. The interior is small: two tables and a narrow strip of bar seating would accommodate a maximum capacity of ten. As such, it wasn't surprising to see customers take their orders to go.

​Images of takoyaki successfully awakened my appetite, while Katsu Curry tugged at orangecane's heartstrings (sorry, stomach-strings).
We chose the C1 combo and K4 Katsu Curry respectively, and relayed our picks to the friendly lady behind the cashier. The restaurant was empty at this time, so the decision was made to dine in before our next leg of activities.

The Katsu Curry emerged from the kitchen first. It was a substantial portion consisting of crispy strips of pork katsu, rice, and a questionably Glico-like pool of curry.
My own selection of the C1 combo comprised of a "half portion" of Okonomiyaki and four pieces of Takoyaki. When the choice of adding mayonnaise had been presented before me, I did a double-take before quickly responding in the affirmative. Are there mortals that wholeheartedly omit kewpie mayo?!

​Topped with a generous portion of bonito flakes, aonori, and uniform squiggles of Japanese mayonnaise, my plate appeared puny at first. Alas, appearances can be deceiving; I almost couldn't finish.
Each bite of okonomiyaki and takoyaki burst with chunks of chewy goodness - cabbage, onion, or octopus. Moreover, these elements were enveloped in a satisfying batter radiating warmth and crispiness, all without unnecessary grease. (MeNami (415), please take note.)

​We somehow managed to polish off the entirety of our plates before embarking on a brisk walk back to the car.

​I stopped for sugar-laden snacks at H-Mart along the way, but shortly after, we were on our way to VYbE for our first joint Hip Hop class.

​Post-dance munchies hit soon after. Wooffles had been our pre-determined place of visit due to their recent launch of Pandan Soft Serve. I had wanted to check out Tendou's shop after renovations, so we made a quick detour into the dessert kitchen plaza.

Neither of us had expected them to move from their original location on the inside of the plaza. We turned onto Hwy 7 before catching a glimpse of the storefront next to Gal's Sushi, which prompted me to grudgingly retrace my path.

The interior was welcoming and sophisticated - somewhat similar to duo. Staff members were also more than eager to provide further details on their menu. Unique items were few, but the Omakase pastry platter was deemed intriguing.
Given that delicately-crafted cakes were not the items we were yearning for, a quiet departure was made. Patisserie Kirin would be set aside for another day.

Before climbing back into the vehicle, I spotted a new cafe that had taken over the very-old-school Serissa Cate. Miss Lin happened to be holding a BOGO Free promotion on one of their best-sellers, Mr. Coffee. $6.99 earned me a duo of milk teas with red bean and coffee jelly.

The establishment also carried some meal items and cream cheese buns from Guschlbauer​ - which I shall not be returning to after discovering their severe health and safety infractions. English tends to trouble the staff, so bear in mind to use simple vocabulary should you intend on dropping by.

Just as Hard Carry began to resonate throughout the vehicle, we pulled into New Kennedy Square. It was Wooffles' time.

Pandan Soft Serve was concluded to be as delicious as anticipated and even more aromatic than imagined. Its towering height and resistance against dissolution were added perks.

​The Shiomachi Wooffle was on the slick side for me, but the Cocktail Bun Wooffle was absolutely scrumptious. Bearing the precise ingredients of a proper Cocktail Bun with just the right amount of sweetness, this was an instant winner for me!

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