Out & About #588 | Weekly Roundup Feat. Thank U Coffee + Tokyo Kitchen

As far as personalities go, orangecane and I couldn't be further apart, and this very observation was validated through our habitual tendencies. She makes no appearances in this entry, however I was constantly reminded of our conversation - with You Are playing as BGM - every time I cocked my head upwards to gaze upon the cloudless skies above me.

​The first order of business for the week was consolidating my Rec Room credits. The Roundhouse Park location re-invited one of my old favourites, Kung Fu Panda, where I spent a solid twenty minutes trying to grab all the golden dumplings (to no avail, of course).​
​A shocked stool plush keychain was redeemed as consolation.

​Nearby was Chipotle, where I had specified an order of Carne Asada Salad (with guac!!!) in advance. In sheer contrast to my first encounter with the system, my bowl had been assembled perfectly to my liking. The pickup process was smooth, the online order staff member was swift, and utensils/napkins had already been placed into the bag. Adding to my day was the adorable message adorning the aluminium cover.

​Midway through the week was my two-time-postponed meetup with feedthebear. And naturally, we had slotted in a few new dining destinations surrounding our point of congregation.

With a bit of time on my hands, I opted to swing by Thank U Coffee first. The understated café had ranked high on my list of to-gos, and I must say that it did not disappoint.

The walls bore a variety of finishes: lacquered in a lush forest green, faux brick appliqués, and even a vivid mural owed to the artisty of a local creator. Light fixtures were sophisticated orbs resembling a tumble of roughly wound steel wire; they cast a cozy glow throughout the space, further accentuating the luminosity of the colours found within. 

​An extensive menu was found to the right of the entranceway, its prices unmistakably at the higher end of the spectrum. Piquing my interest was the Canadian Latte, which I was informed to be shaken by hand to yield a thin layer of surface foam. When I took to asking "What makes it Canadian?", it was noted that the name had been determined by a Canadian, and the inclusion of maple syrup had been tested in its initial stages but was ultimately deemed unsuitable for the final formula.
​
I later chose a regular-sized Thank U Coffee - essentially a latte with Earl Grey syrup (and no leaves in sight). The result was fragrant, delicious, and hit all the notes for a great iced latte. Needless to say, though, it was priced steeper than one would prefer.

​I stayed a while, long enough to learn that the café owned by a young Korean husband-and-wife duo. They were entrepreneurs with a vision: the wife extremely friendly and made attempts to acquaint herself with every patron that waltzed through the door, including the Ritual frequenters.

Bakery items were outsourced and "delivered", while pastries and cakes were, in fact, crafted by the wife herself. They had sold out of roll cakes for the day, with only a few Walnut Tarts remaining in the refrigerated display. Upon hearing my inquiry, she stated that her husband may be delivering more cakes later, though I didn't stay long enough to verify this claim.

​Highlights of the visit were the password-secured Wi-Fi network, clean environment, ample seating - be it backless stools or small group tables, and, of course, the café's very own Not Beer cans. For cold drinks (marked with a blue checkmark on the menu), customers had the option of having their drink of choice served in pressurized silver cans - an ingenious introduction to the coffee scene, should you ask me. Rather than superfood lattes or ridiculously decked out milkshakes, the can concept provided a solution to environmental woes (ahem plastic straws), enhanced portability, and resisted rapid changes in temperature.

​Withstanding its spot on the Yonge and Bloor grounds for eight months now, I was surprised that I hadn't heard of the spot until recently. With roll cakes untried and bathrooms not visited, it was a short-lived yet very pleasant excursion. I'd return in a heartbeat, temporarily placing budget concerns aside.

​Our original plan was to meet at the doors of Tokyo Kitchen at 5 PM, then continue the adventure with dessert stops. It wasn't until I made my way over, passing the horrors of Tika, that I realized only half of the eatery was open for business. Doors to the east end of the establishment were open, but mainly operated as a grab-and-go counter for pre-packaged donburi, katsu boxes, and assorted dessert. The gate to the west entrance were locked and, upon closer inspection, were to remain locked until 5:30 PM.

A brief run of errands ensued, then we returned for sustenance.

Placed before us were laminated menus featuring a spread of Japanese diner dishes. Amongst them were rice bowls, sushi options, and, their supposed signature of katsu, otherwise known as deep fried cutlet.
​The diversity in assortment was greatly appreciated, as we found ourselves craving different aspects of the cuisine.

< Pictured above and below: Omelet Curry Rice, Salmon & Scallop Don >

​​My heart - or rather, my gut - hankered for a hearty, warm serving of omurice, preferably the classic style with diced chicken and ketchup fried rice. Unfortunately, I was informed that omurice was not served without curry, and that the glaze had been prepared beforehand. Spice adjustments would not be possible, but the waitress also assured me that its profile wasn't "that spicy".

The curry sauce bore great similarity to the packaged Glico variety, perhaps differing only with the addition of sliced onions. Neither too runny nor too thick (usually a result of excessive cornstarch), it was suitable for pairing with rice, consistency-wise. Not surprisingly, it was also spicier than my body could handle. Each successive bite grew hotter, until I relayed my concerns to the waitress, who proposed Kewpie mayo to neutralize the mix. The attempt proved successful, and she gladly brought more of the infamous Japanese condiment to cool my taste buds.

​On a general note, Omelet Curry Rice was nothing too formidable. It was not the ketchup omurice I was craving, nor was it properly executed omurice at all. Plain, short-grain rice, bountiful ladles of potato-less curry sauce, a small side salad, and a crescent-shaped omelet were the four constituents of the meal. The rice hadn't been wrapped within the omelet, but merely placed on top. I will remark that the egg was extremely fluffy, which, in turn, delivered a decent dose of satisfaction. All in all though, it wasn't a dish that I'd have trouble re-creating at home.

As a lover of scallops and a lover of Ai Sushi, feedthebear hesitated not even a millisecond as her focus zoned in on the Salmon & Scallop Don. She found the plain rice a bit bland, which was to be expected as most restaurants would separate toppings and carby grains with a thin layer of furikake and/or pickled radish slices. ​The sashimi was warm - an irrefutable fault in my books - with the scallop pieces falling in mushy, marginally bitter territory.

​Despite being a plentiful portion, it was quite an underwhelming creation at its $22.90 price tag.

In its defense, Tokyo Kitchen offered great service - prompt and responsive, just as the customer service standard ought to be. The single stall washroom had also been maintained well, with the exception of a putrid smell that seemed to escape with each creak of the garbage bin lid. Fifty-percent off sales are common in the evening hours, which are great for students or 9-5ers eating on a budget.
That said, it's important to remember that the establishment doesn't intend to exceed the expectations of a local diner. The seating area is only partially enclosed with a cloth curtain, which means greasy fumes are allowed to escape and permeate one's entire being. (In other words, be prepared to step out smelling a tad greasy.

​Overdoing the faux omurice quota nixed any appetite for sweet finishes to the day. But we went to Project Glyph anyway. It had been slotted into the plans early on, with macarons - a fave of feedthebear - as the leading reason for our visit.

Conveniently one street north on Hayden, we ventured over following a preposterously satiating supper. It wasn't until we had reached Onnki Donburi that we raised suspicions towards its location. A quick Google search prompted us to take a closer look at our surroundings. On the "lower level" of 40 Hayden, the café turned out to be Onnki's basement-level neighbour.

​The interior was not very expansive, but seating was spacious. Towards the back of the late-night coffee shop was the cashier and a refrigerated display, and behind it an open kitchen, where macaron-constructing ingredients could clearly be seen on metal shelves.
The menu was limited to start, and our post-sundown visit saw only fewer options. While jars of preserved citrus fruit and freshly packaged cookies could be seen from the counter, neither were being served. There was little that posed great appeal to me, and the Earl Grey variety that my dining buddy had her eyes set on were also nowhere to be seen.
After much contemplation, we settled on a Matcha Browkie (me) and duo of Espresso and Raspberry macarons (her). Naturally, I saved the narrow slice for the next day. It was a risky move, with the bakery item only slipped into a white paper bag with no enclosure, but boxes rang in at an additional charge of fifteen cents.

​I'd like to think that the twelve-hour gap between its display case removal and sampling time yielded minimal to no changes in its profile. Dense and obnoxiously sweet from the inclusion of chocolate chips and shortbread cookie bits, it was a dehydrated take on the typical brownie. Notes of matcha were floral, rather than grassy, and wholly overwhelmed by the sugar content. The aroma was somewhat similar to that of Butter Baker's grease-doused Matcha White Chocolate Chip cookie, which was also nowhere near as bitter as I would have preferred.
The macarons also failed to stimulate much of a reaction.

​Situated at the other end of the space, adjacent to the stairwell enabling street-l level access, was a crevice of a single stall washroom. Poor maintenance was observed here: dust bunnies, a malfunctioning soap pump, and overall putridness(*) rendered the facilities worse than the high-traffic range at Union Station.
I did apologize after the fact for the puddle of Softsoap resulting from an unsuitable amount of applied pressure. That said, the soap dispenser hadn't performed within its serviceability limit either.

Drowsiness trailed on throughout the week, which prompted a visit to Bluestone Lane. The coffee shop was signficantly closer than I had presumed; it also featured two reasonably positioned (read: accessible) locations in the downtown core.

​The St. Lawrence outpost was positively bustling during lunchtime: majority of the seats lining the perimeter had been taken, leaving only a handful of spots at the communal tables. Minimal research had been executed prior to this journey, however the Australian influence left quite a strong impression. (Further analysis concluded its New York origins and mainland-inspired offerings.) Even the baristas spoke with the recognizable Aussie accent!

​A few inquiries later, I settled on the Cold Brew Float. The concoction consisted of two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream - one of which edged in caramel-toned ice shards - submerged in the coffee shop's very own Flagstaff roast. A tinge of acidity hit first, gradually receding to a sweet mellowness. It was a phenomenal pairing that almost led me to consider purchasing a 12-ounce bag for home-brewing. ​(The Espresso Cream Croissant looked mighty fancy too...)

​GO Train delays are no one's favourite way to start the morning. Multi-toned sunrises help to moderate those frustrations.

Monopoly at McD's is back for another year! So are these furrow-browed species at Hudson's Bay.

​Terminating the work week was a much-needed recharging session, followed by 7 Grain Toast with Strawberry Jam and a Matcha Latte to ease oneself into the weekend. Oh, and eggs.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

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