Out & About #732 | Kyoto Gyukatsu + Downtown Shenanigans

It is not uncustomary of me to establish relationships (or acquaintance-ships) in atypical places of gathering. Frequent are friendships formed in GA crowds, less often while awaiting the arrival of K-Pop idols, and rarest of all on the morning commute by GO Train.

One of this space's untold stories, an unexpected bond was formed under the alignment of fated conditions.  I like to say that it was BamBam who brought us together, for the conversation would have never commenced without his existence.
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"My friends can't believe we've only met once!" But we were about to change that.

Scheduled approximately two weeks in advance, I made the drive downtown, pulling up at the rear of HOEM on Jarvis, where we would be stationed for the day. A tour was provided of the lobby and general use areas. Leaving the greatest impression were the security gates, which required no more than the swipe of a hand for access, and communal laundry room, which seemed to materialize straight from a university webdrama.
​Which was not far from the truth, as the complex offered accommodations for students on Ryerson grounds and beyond.

After settling in, we strode over to Kyoto Gyukatsu for a late lunch. The remainder of the afternoon was to comprise of crepe-making and choreography-learning, so there was contemplation over securing ingredients first, then picking up takeout along the way, or dining first to curb hunger levels. We agreed on the latter, and began perusal of the menu around 2 PM. Distinctly fragrant barley tea was served in plastic disposable cups; utensils were individually packaged and also of disposable nature.

The restaurant's assortment of offerings could be accessed via their website, with options for placing takeout or dine-in orders on a "Mrs. Digi" platform. Behind each table was a QR code, and underneath the table number. Complimentary Wi-Fi was provided to access these services, making for a functional, menu-less experience.

​Entrées were divided into two main categories: Katsugyu Original Zen ("Zen") and Katsugyu Umami Juu ("Juu"). When inquiring about the primary differences, we learned that Juu enabled selection of portion size - either 3 oz. or 6 oz. -  with one choice of sauce, while Zen offered the entire trio of condiments for dipping with a fixed portion size. To share, we took to the New York Gyukatsu Zen (6 oz.) and AAA Sirloin Gyukatsu Juu (3 oz.) w/ Deep Aromatic Sansho), both cooked to medium rare with onsen eggs and red miso soup on the side.

​The sets arrived swiftly, adopting near identical formats. I paid little attention to the cabbage slaw and dove straight for the rice of the AAA Sirloin Gyukatsu Juu. Pearl barley contributed to a coarse, chewier bite, while the savoury drizzle an instant boost of umami. Less fond were we of the capers (?) decorating the top. Their profile was slightly sour with an odd, bitter aftertaste.

​Eggs, I soon learned, were an ingredient capable of instilling grief in my ahga-partner-in-crime, depending on their method of preparation. Soft scramble was an abomination, fully hard-boiled was gag-worthy (though I cannot deny their repulsive chalkiness), and poached à la Eggs Benedict were acceptable. Thankfully, the barely-set Onsen eggs before us were also granted a passing grade.

The strips of meat themselves were quite interesting: The AAA Sirloin had been cooked to perfection, boasting tenderness lined with impeccably thin breading. On the other hand was the larger portion of New York Zen, which bore red on the edges, ultimately seeping through the breading to reveal splatters of saturated red. While the Sirloin was sufficiently flavourful on its own, the New York was on the milder side of the spectrum. The strips readily accepted additional seasoning through soy sauce (one dark, one light), coarse salt, and a grated onion pulp with pungent mustard-like properties. We were also recommended to try dipping into the Onsen egg as well - my personal preference, really.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Red Miso Soup, a complex upgrade from the standard powdered mix packets. Free refills were available for the side, though the sets had left us adequately satiated.

Bathrooms were situated at the foot of a steep, chilly stairwell - a vast contrast to the scorching external conditions.

​We then set out for eggs and fruit. Along the way, afternoon pick-me-ups were deemed necessary.

​My local tour guide plucked a pricey Lavender Latte was plucked from White Rabbit's menu. An absence of items of interest led me to Neo's Bay and College location instead. There, the Featured Cold Brew and a Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookie were purchased through the café's website.​

​Ethiopia Sakicha was as fruity and refreshing as promised. The cookie was also superior to Butter Baker's overly floral grease bomb and my  ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶c̶e̶n̶t̶  one-and-only memory of Manic Coffee.

Back at HOEM, we revisited our fateful first meeting in addition to BamBam's cloying encounter with international fans. 

Slowly but surely, our room booking time crept up on us. The appointment had been postponed twice already, due to residual delays throughout the day, but it was finally time to dance. 

​A dedicated environment for video play and physical activity are near impossible to find, however the fitness room presented the best of both worlds. Equipped with mirrors, an HDMI-enabled monitor, and enough capacity to facilitate small group classes, it emerged as the ideal destination to realize my proposal. Yoga equipment and ballet (barre) bars were included as well.

​In order to master the choreography, we ended up extending the booking a short while longer. Two and a half hours after, we were fatigued, yet not particularly ravenous. Baking would be postponed to a later date, as the skies had already dimmed, signalling dinner time and the looming presence of Monday morning.

​A Mango Chicken & Halloumi Salad from Nando's was requested via UberEats. We concluded our evening with a light supper, Cherry Yogurt Crumble Cake for dessert (her), and the heavenly sight of Jinyoung in Devil Judge.