Out & About #560 | Something About Simcoe DAY 2 (Pt. 1): The Shack Eatery + Café Seoulista Preview

6/21/2019

The first day had terminated with a restless night of overheating, terribly soft pillows, and maximum stuffiness. I awoke to a different issue every two hours or so, then eventually to the buzzing tune of Morning Flower.

There was no time to lose. Glancing outside at the sunny skies - with tufts of fluffy clouds like outstretched arms - I prepared a relatively familiar breakfast, in a relatively unfamiliar residence.

My participation in an AquaFit session spanned forty-five minutes. Water aerobics was an activity I hadn't tried before, especially not the morning classes with my sordid sleeping patterns. It was fun and engaging: a low-impact, resistance routine that felt like play time at the pool.

Feasting locations had been researched the night before, thus there was no hesitation towards our lunch destination. Such plans entailed a drive to Orillia, where we would reside for the remainder of sunlight hours.

The Shack Eatery had surfaced on my radar; depicted as a wonderful spot offering comfort food in the form of ribs and pulled pork sandwiches, we inputted the address and off we went!

It was a shack, in the most literal sense. Even with the assistance of navigation technology, I had managed to zip by without batting an eyelash. There was a drastic difference between expectation and reality. Having said that, to dismiss the restaurant as a result of its gritty gravel parking lot or unassuming storefront would have been a loss on our parts.

Being located at the corner of a busy intersection (West Street S and Hwy 12) meant a solid scene capable of appealing to both travellers and workers of the nearby industrial businesses, and we were about to discover just exactly what the restaurant was capable of delivering.

The menu was straightforward - just as advertised on its website. Fuss-free "Shackwiches" and "Shack Plates" were the only two options available, and, frankly speaking, the only ones necessary in leaving an impact. Smoked Sausage, Pulled Pork/Beef/Chicken, and Smoked Ribs were the primary focus of these orders. Sandwiches could be ordered solo or in combo format to include a side and (soft) drink, while Plates included up to three sides.

< Pictured above and below: Pulled Beef Bun and Pulled Chicken Plate >

Generously portioned between two halves of a soft kaiser bun were tender sections of slow-cooked, seasoned beef. The roll was lightly dressed with a mild sauce (though one could have opted for medium or hot), horseradish (optional), and the most mindblowing moiety of sweet caramelized onions. The Pulled Beef Bun hit all the right notes, leaving us feeling utterly satisfied.

The Pulled Chicken Plate consisted of several components: a lightly-spiced combination of chicken and softened green pepper, roasted potatoes with a variation of aioli, coleslaw, and soft, saffron-toned grains otherwise known as The Shack Rice.
Delicious nonetheless, my preference lay with the Pulled Beef Bun, for the higher fat content worked in favour of enhancing meat texture.

With the exception of American Express, The Shack was open to both physical and digital forms of payment.

We were served by the owner himself, who had undertaken the assembly and checkout processes upon himself for the weekday afternoon. A few words were exchanged, and it was unveiled that The Shack had been situated at its current coordinates for about three years.

Despite being advertised as a takeout restaurant, the interior also housed several tables for dining within. A few picnic tables were also spotted outside, but many took shelter within with the arrival of raindrops. Ginormous paper towel rolls adorned two of the tables; plastic forks were made available at another section of the establishment.

Washrooms were found behind the cashier area, separated by gender and inclusive of red Cintas fixtures. Truthfully, the stalls were a lot cleaner than expected, even with the handful of dust bunnies and dead fly. Decorative elements such as tiny circular mirrors and wooden trims were other unexpected additions.

Disposing of our Styrofoam containers, we headed back to the car in preparation of our next stop of the day in Downtown Orillia. Amidst a southbound turn out onto West Street S, a tiny sign caught my eye: it was none other than Cafe Seoulista. Slotted into the itinerary under the "if there's time" category, it was quite the surprise to catch the name without so much as exerting a shred of effort.

My image-capturing device and I garnered a bit of attention as we poked our heads into each of their individual spaces. Initially wary of our unannounced intentions, one of the two staff members behind the counter spoke up, questioning our motives. She had every reason to be defensive, as we had trumped onto her territory without the aim of dining.

However, when told that I had stumbled upon the café's page while restaurant-researching, she was more than willing to tell the tale of the establishment's founding. A couple hailing from Toronto (and with origins in Korea), the husband-wife duo had moved to Orillia with beaming entrepreneurial aspirations. The two proved to be very kind people, and extremely enthusiastic about explaining their business prospect and product selection. The expansive assortment of desserts ranged from Korean shaved ice (bingsoo) to brick toast to cheesecake slices to a Coffee Bean Bread specially crafted in-house. Specialty drinks such as Matcha Lattes, espresso-based spin-offs, sparkling Refreshers (made available with the same SodaStream model occupying my own kitchen counter), and Korean Fermented Tea - a homemade exclusive - were also on offer. A limited supply of croissants, savoury sandwiches, and cookies were also spotted.

Seating was dispersed along the perimeter of the interior, with a few bar stools in a small room that faced out to the parking lot. Within this small room were also two 2-person tables and a dispenser of lemon-infused water. Cozy, lovely furnishings and a password-secured Wi-Fi connection made for the ideal hangout/workplace destination.

Considering our pulled meat consumption from less than ten minutes ago, we hadn't anticipated purchasing any dessert to try. But the introductions of the Premium Korean Tea and Coffee Bean Bun had us quite intrigued. The Homemade Korean Fermented Tea, in particular, was an interesting, health-centric alternative employing a concentrated blend of fermented fruit. Besides the option of ordering single cups in store, the cafe also offered the concoction in glass to-go jar. The fifteen-dollar jar also came with a sheet of brewing/mixing instructions.

I took to purchasing a jar of the Grapefruit rendition, but instead of waiting until I was back home, I requested for a sparkling version to be made for immediate sampling. While informed that this wasn't the norm, my request was granted.
Refreshing without being excessively sugary, the beverage soothed and revitalized. It contained a touch of bitterness from the peels, and a zing from the citrus fruit. Most compelling to me was the texture of the rinds: neither soft like marmalade nor entirely rigid, they could be masticated with minimal effort, yet somehow retained a distinctive crunch. A bubbly aftertaste - similar to the one felt after beer consumption - was also apparent.

Shaped like a coffee bean, the Coffee Bean Bun was sweeter and softer than anticipated. Its profile was similar to that of Hodo Kwaja's infamous walnut cakes, except free of fillings and extremely aromatic. A tad touch of toastiness wouldn't have been bad, to be honest; one can rarely ever go wrong with a crisp, nutty exterior.

Next was a brief tour of Downtown Orillia.

Frankly speaking, the stretch wasn't very long - about half the length of Port Credit, but with arguably more amusing shops.

Traversing southbound on Mississaga Street, we chanced across two comic-centric boutiques, bicycle-themed street art, and even a Rexall retailing the limited edition Canada Day Cheetos. Parking, like the waterfront segments back home, induced meter charges.

Conveniently situated near the termination of the path was Mariposa Market & Café. The decorated local establishment was gargantuan, totalling three shop spaces and one basement level. The main store was a bakery/cafe hybrid that carried everything from colossal Texas Donuts to freshly-baked quiches to coffee and The Great Canadian Frappuccino; towards the back was a dining area that even extended up to a second floor.

To the left and right of the bakery/market were touristy knickknacks and gift-able kitchenware; underneath was a fudge vendor that also carried a small selection of (more) steeply-priced touristy goods and a few boxes of Chelsea Chocolates. It supposedly operated as an independent entity.