Out & About #797 | Financiers, Karaoke + Revisiting Kinka (Koreatown)

Residual bleakness had carried over from the previous day, lingering about until the early afternoon. My drive to York Mills was swift, and free from distractions. Snowbanks that had once persisted along the curb lane of Lesmill Road had disappeared for the most part, restoring usability of both southbound lanes.

We reverted back to the Bosu ball for the warmup series, much to my delight. After 20 counts of marching and 20 counts of running, we proceeded with activation of the gluteus medius:

• Side leg lifts with one foot on the Bosu
• Side lunge lifts with one food on the Bosu and feet in turnout position

Flipping over the Bosu, slow, wide squats were commenced. The instructor demonstrated the movement, noting a slow downward movement spanning five seconds, holding for a brief moment, then slowly returning to standing after another five counts, trying to minimize shakiness in the ball by bracing the core. She also attempted to do a one leg standing squat, but even moving both feet close to the centre of the Bosu proved shaky enough for all class participants to be deem the variation unsafe. Thus, we returned the Bosu back underneath the Reformer.

Reminders were extended to verify correct positioning of the gear bar and stopper. For this session, all four attendees were to have the gear bar in the second position and stopper in the third. Rarely was this setting altered for participants within the same height range, though adjustments have been witnessed for stronger and taller students, such as body-building types or the male companion of girlfriends/wives.

​​Core work ensued with one blue spring for my neighbours and one blue plus one white spring for me. The addition had been made likely to render the exercises fitting of my strength (core endurance) level, as an alternative to increasing the range of motion.
With the pelvis in imprint position and hands woven through tension straps, the following exercises were performed:

• With the head rested on the Carriage, hands were pressed down to beside the hips without touching the Carriage and returned to the starting position pointing towards the ceiling
• With the head rested on the Carriage, hands were extended out to the sides of the body with elbows locked, then drawn towards the trunk (adduction)
• Tabletop crunches while gazing at the ceiling at a 45-degree angle (The descriptiveness of pilates is truly wonderful, I must say)
• Tabletop crunches with leg extensions (5 reps) while gazing at the ceiling at a 45-degree angle
• Leg extension hold in pilates stance with hundreds - likely the most challenging of them all

​Returning the footbar to the highest position, the focus transitioned to the lower body, in particular the inner thighs. Performed were lying hamstring curls via leg extensions; the balls of the feet were placed on the footbar and a slightly deflated ball was placed between the inner thighs as to continuously engage the legs by squeezing. The move involved pushing the Carriage out with an imprint pelvis and returning to neutral. Despite using two red and one blue spring, the process felt lighter than an arm routine with only one blue. We then proceeded to shift the ankles to a flexed position, placing the heels on the footbar in preparation for bridges. The Carriage was kept as still as possible to test core stability. It was observed that, while others had one red + one blue, I had only one blue, which demanded a greater degree of core control. Attaching the feet on the footbar increased the level of difficulty and emphasis on inner thighs.

The upper body routine never strays too far from posture rectification and upper back exercises. We sat on the Long Box facing away from footbar and with legs crossed over the head rest and hands threaded through crossed tension straps - think an "X" formation. From there, we would engage in:

1. Upper back pulls ("Use your wings!")
2. Seated chest presses with elbows raised to shoulder height, isolating the upper back once more while maintaining a straight back
3. Holding the hand straps to form a circle with softened elbows slightly lower than the chest, then slowly conducting a rollback and returning to the starting position while maintaining a C-curve. A variation of this move involved rotating to left (inhale), centre (exhale), and right (inhale), and back to centre (exhale), then finally coming back to starting position via C-curve.

I received reminders to stabilize the body and prevent the trunk/hips from leaning towards one side.

We returned to inner thighs afterwards, facing perpendicularly away from the Reformer with one foot on the ground and the other calve resting on the Carriage against the shoulder rests. One was to bend and extend the standing leg while resisting lateral movement of the knee. The knee was to remain over the ankle while isolating the inner thigh. This move was performed again in a hinge position with the knee of the standing leg bent for the entire duration.

The cooldown adopted a child's pose/rolldown hybrid on the Reformer, where we pushed out against the footbar in a kneeling position to stretch the chest/pec muscles and release the mid/lower back when rolling up.

Class concluded at 11:54 AM, earlier than expected, as even after sanitization, it was only 11:58 AM.

The remainder of the day assumed a more social format, involving a long awaited meetup with orangecane and a comrade of the sleepy polar bear.

We would first assemble at Ninetails Coffee Shop, from where I had requested a hold of three Hazelnut Financiers, a Pecan White Chocolate Cookie, and Almond Croissant earlier in the morning. Our slated arrival would not be sooner than 4 PM, so it seemed only reasonable to make prior arrangements for Hadrien's coveted creations to prevent disappointment.

​​The cafe had since introduced a merchandise area and added more small tables for seating. Though, a persistently high number of patrons ultimately led us to take ourselves elsewhere.

Financiers were analyzed and savoured at home instead. The chocolate dip seemed sweeter than my recollection, and the soft intermediate layer now seemed to evoke an unset caramel rather than partially tempered chocolate. Nonetheless, the edges were crisp and crumb absolutely delightful. Exceptionally buttery though, they were, regrettably, not.

Shocking to me was the blandness of the Pecan White Chocolate Cookie. Absent were all the qualities I associated with the supposedly standout cookie: crunchy edges, an indulgently dense centre, toothsome chunks of chocolate, and wafts of aromatic nuttiness. Needless to say, the three-dollar specimen had left me incredibly disappointed and fueled with a desire to craft my own rendition (soon to come!).

I was also later informed of the Almond Croissant being strictly "mediocre", and inferior to an almond jam-containing variation from The Food District's Danish Pastry House. These combined reviews nixed the need for further exploration of the non-financier menu.​

​The group took to a brief stop at Kevin's Taiyaki within P.A.T. first. Then, off we went to Rustle & Still.

I opted against the Matcha Pandan Latte, or matcha anything really, as recent consumption of green tea and its distant (and not-so-distant) relatives have led to repeated instances of lightheadedness and weakened appetite. Both orangecane and I opted for the Pandan Latte, while an uncaffeinated Sweet Potato (Ube) Latte and highly concentrated Mocha made their ways into the hands of the non-coffee drinkers of our party.

​The inclusion of pandan contributed a tropical air to the latte, though did not succeed in boosting overall depth. "It's not complementary." declared orangecane. ​ I nodded and agreed after a moment's evaluation: the latte had appealed to the senses of sight and smell, yet not particularly to tastebuds tuned to scrutinizing coffee-based creations.

​Meanwhile, the addition could have likely elevated the profile of the adjacent faint violet concoction. Beyond flavours of mashed purple sweet potato and milk, there was little else to be excited about in the Ube Latte.

​With unanticipated delays in the plan, we began to contemplate next steps. A dinner reservation at 6 PM was pushed to 6:30 PM without issues, and we were free to spend upwards of sixty minutes belting our hearts out at Echo.

Around 6:35 PM, we arrived at Kinka on Bloor - now renamed to "Kinka Annex". Our entry marked the first visit in three years, where our party had been split at the edge of the bar due to lack of available tables. This time, we arrived to see a relatively empty dining floor. Placing our runners on the tray-lined cubbies, we navigated towards a roomy slot in the izakaya's inconspicuous, shoe-less dining area - complete with navy floor cushions bearing the name of the establishment and their primary alcohol supplier.

​Our second observation was the distinct reduction in menu assortment. While we flipped back and forth through the laminated booklet in the last trip, a double-sided sheet - all in English - greeted us this time. It wasn't difficult to narrow down items of interest, though we were slightly taken back at drop in selection.

A second sheet identified alcohol options, and a third the Specialty Drinks. The Junmai Ginjo Strawberry Yeast Sake caught our attention, prompting a proposal for the 150 ml. Split four ways, the twenty-nine dollar price tag was deemed reasonable, initially.
The sake came floated in a tub of ice, shot glasses nestled beside it. As the clear, viscous fluid was brought closer, mixed responses were heard across the table. In contrast to the sweet, strawberry-like essence I perceived, orangecane took one whiff and exclaimed of an unpleasant, yeast-y stench. ​Our group was in consensus about the profile though: an overall letdown.

< Pictured above and below:

• Black Sesame Spinach
  
• Wasabi Octopus
  
• Salmon Tataki
  
• BBQ Eel Bibimbap
  
• Mentai Kimchi Udon
  
• Junmai Ginjo Strawberry Yeast Sake (150 ml)
  
• JFC aka Karaage - Garlic Soy
  
• Scallop Oshizushi
  
• Sapporo Pitcher (1.8 L) >

View the full album HERE !

I penciled down the Black Sesame Spinach and Wasabi Octopus without a moment's hesitation. Both of these revealed themselves extremely high in sodium and neither quite as flavourful as my memory had made them out to be.

The Salmon Tataki was, personally, found to be the best item of evening. The platter comprised of five substantial slices of salmon edged with smokiness. Contrasting flavours and textures accentuated each bite: a generous ladle of tangy ponzu, wispy thin shards of fried garlic, and thin rings of fresh scallion. 

Lining our stomachs in preparation for more drinks were the BBQ Eel Bibimbap and Mentai Kimchi Udon. The former was scrumptious though quite stingy on the quantity of eel, while the latter revealed itself obnoxiously fishy with nonexistent fragments of kimchi. We recoiled at its pungent properties and one-dimensional nature, then relished in recollection of Menami's creamy spectacles.

​Garlic Soy Karaage, otherwise referred to as "JFC"/Japanese Fried Chicken, was ordered towards the second half of our meal, along with a Scallop Oshizushi. The karaage was presented in five, fist-sized pieces rather than the skewer-able sections we were accustomed to. The mountain appeared promising: a shimmering, golden batter with minimal sauce. Yet, the first bite was soggy and sickeningly salty. The subsequent bites were, unfortunately, no better.

The Scallop Oshizushi had been the last to arrive, even after our 1.8 L Sapporo pitcher. The pairing had been a splendid choice, though our appetites had reached capacity and we could not longer thrive in the presence of sustenance.

​A flushed orangecane proposed a walk to Christie Pits Park when I mentioned the need to sober up before heading back. Guided by the dim street lights, we maneuvered to a lower point of elevation, where the swing sets resided, and proceeded to amuse ourselves with playground infrastructure.

"Look, you can see the stars!" She remarked, lying on the adjacent swing set after a reckless fit of swinging and spinning.

​I craned my neck upwards to see a handful of twinkly celestial bodies - a rare sighting in the presence of light pollution and even rarer in urban areas.