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 #482 | Part 2: Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge + Gonoe Sushi

9/1/2018

 
Read Part 1 HERE !
​The drive was long and, unmistakably, tedious. A collision on the Highway of Heroes encourage us to roam local roads instead. This was fun for a brief while, but ultimately led to prolonged travel times and ceaseless sightings of corn fields.
Picture
Picture
​Most memorable were the cross-highway corridor of the Whitby GO station and short-lived detour of the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Clarington. Otherwise, the ride there primarily consisted of grassy hills, blue skies, and grazing cows. Thank goodness for an upbeat road trip playlist.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Along the way, we stopped at a nearby Tim Hortons for icy beverages and glazed Timbits. I had forgotten why I steered clear of Timmy's until stricken by the heavy dose of sucrose.
Picture
Picture
​Not far away was the Toonie Monument. At long last, we had arrived in Campbellford!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Sources reveal that the monument clocks in at an extravagant 5.5 metre-diameter - roughly 3000 times larger than the typical $2 coin.
Picture
Picture
​We did our tourist loop, then continued onwards. The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge awaited us!
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Nestled behind a series of OPG machinery was a dusty gravel lot, and behind it the suspension bridge.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​The structure was a sturdy compilation of trusses and metal grating, unlike most suspension bridges, which are constructed from a complex combination of cables in tension and a thick deck slab. As such, the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge resisted quivers and side-to-side motion exceptionally well. This made for greater resistance against live loads, as well as sharper sightseeing images
Picture
Picture
Picture
View the full album HERE !
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​We spent close to an hour trying to obtain the most optimal images. Final snapshots were captured as trail-walkers began to dissolve into the forested areas and families retreated back to their vehicles.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Two hours later, as dusk began to creep in, we reached the (beyond-) halfway point in Ward 34.

​Sushi was our choice of supper. Not wanting to veer too far from the 401, we agreed upon Gonoe, a small Korean-operated eatery within close proximity to Don Mills at York Mills.
Their Thornhill location had surfaced on my feed some few years back, namely for small platters of live, squirming octopus legs. Unfortunately, this option didn't exist in the smaller, less remarkable North York outpost.
Picture
We had attempted to call in advance to reserve a table for the late munching time of 8:15 PM. Brusquely, and rather rudely may I add, were we told that reservations were not accepted. OpenTable was not an option either.
Yet, when we arrived, a party of four were readily seated before us, merely on the basis that they had reserved a table - a day in advance.
Picture
Picture
Allow me to rewind to the moment we pulled into the small, poorly designed parking lot.
Gonoe is not a large restaurant; it merely assumes a narrow corner spot in the plaza in which it is located. The storefront was easy enough to spot even admist the dimming tones of the sky, but the simplicity of dining ended there.

Traversing through the double doors, we landed in the cramped quarters of the casual eatery. A minute passed, then five, then a few more. We hadn't been acknowledged at all.
The two members of waitstaff moved swiftly about the dining area, yet didn't bother casting a single glance in our direction. As I passed by the sashimi bar and slipped into the washroom, distinctively Korean phrases were heard. Even after I re-emerged from the stall, the ladies hadn't bothered with us.

​​One even had the audacity to seat the party behind us, claiming that they had reserved "in advance". The same ponytail-sporting waitress then dared to gesture towards a tiny two-person table, noting that it was "the only available table". Her take-it-or-leave-it tone was inadmissible. I proudly declined her offer, and responded that we would much rather wait for the next appropriately-sized table.

Ten minutes passed before we were finally seated.
Picture
< Pictured above and below: Sashimi Moriwase, Chirashi, Sashimi & Tempura >

I cannot overlook the fact that it took another fifteen minutes to place our orders (with a different server), and then another twenty or so minutes, before food could be tasted. The table behind us, who appeared frequent customers of the establishment, were seated in a reduced time frame and had their hot plate orders delivered eons earlier than us. One ought to have thought sashimi dishes to be the quicker picks.

The appetizers of miso soup and ponzu-dressed salad were mediocre at best; crummy bits of chopped laver floated within the starter soup instead of the standard inch-long strips.
Our mains fared not much better.​
Picture
​Chirashi was the most disappointing of the three: the fish lacked freshness, the tamago tasted repulsive and synthetic, and wasabi had been entirely omitted. Moreoever, the sashimi strips were far thinner than any of the pieces present in the Sashimi Moriwase and Sashimi & Tempura platter. Vibrancy seemed to be absent table-wide, but quality proved better with the standalone sashimi boat. A heavy dose of furikake yielded the illusion of enhanced umami. The sticky grains of cooked Japanese short-grain turned out to be the most enjoyable element of the grease-covered container, humorously enough.

Famished and fatigued, I was primarily focused on the container before my eyes. It wasn't until I was made aware of the restaurant's concerning use of katsu coating on the shrimp tempura that my attention strayed. The batter wasn't airy like your typical tempura, but rather stiff in comparison and reeking heavily of day-old grease.
Few complaints were overheard in regards to the Sashimi Moriwase. Compliments weren't expressed either, though
Picture
​Two gender-separated bathroom stalls were found towards the back of the restaurant. Facilities were old, and apparently so was the toilet paper holder. It was fixed to the side of the sink, whose cupboard stored a dusty collection of brown sandals instead of toilet paper.  (But why? It had me pondering.) Exposed rolls had been left atop the paper towel dispenser to collect dust over the course of the day.
Picture
The bill came to a grand total of seventy five dollars - atrocious given our collective experience. We could have easily dined at McDonald's thrice for the same amount, and been treated with better service to boot.
Gonoe's Thornhill location may be a popular choice amongst locals, but I can wholeheartedly assure you that the North York outpost is worth skipping. I'll remember to take my sashimi cravings - and dignity as a paying customer - elsewhere from now on

Gonoe Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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.