Out & About #819 | Failed Chocolate Mousse Cake + Yuzuki

More unpacking ensued, reminding me yet again of the annoyances of travelling. Vacation is great. Travelling is not.

The sleepy polar bear emerged on my boulevard with a six-pack of mochi donuts - on his own accord, of course. Donuts have never been an item of fondness for me, and even those bearing limited knowledge of my preferences expressed surprise at the selection: "Not Gong Cha?" No, I would be served sugar instead of coffee jelly and luscious Oolong milk tea.

I had explicitly expressed no intentions of leaving my humble abode until all physical and digital content materializing as a result of the trip had been sorted thoroughly. Perhaps I ought to have vocalized that donuts weren't my style either, though it wasn't too difficult a deduction should critical observations been made.

​While I would never have bothered to invest in such costly fad snacks, I will admit that the chewiness harnessed within offered better texture than regular donuts. That said, this chewy consistency was sustained only when fresh, with the cross sections revealing themselves stale and rigid the next day.
Obnoxiously sugary on the first day, I experienced an instantaneous headache. I wanted nothing more than to strip them of their colourful dip and solely munch of its base - the Old-Fashioned Plain Timbits are my go-to for a reason. They were acceptable the next day, with the Sea Salt Honeycomb proving the best overall. Hong Kong Milk Tea bore no resemblance whatsoever to the its name, while Ube was vaguely similar, albeit masked within sugariness.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't hesitate to pass them up next time around. It was an interesting taste, but not a comprehensibly enjoyable one.

​The gift had been poorly timed, for little was it known that I had assembled a Chocolate Mousse Cake just in advance of the donuts' arrival.

​With a penchant for curbing cravings from the evening prior, I proceeded to realize my true item of affection, starting from the base utilized in Sunday Baking's Rich Chocolate Mousse Cake.

To my dismay, the cake disintegrated upon touch. The gluten content was severely lacking, as it had also been in the seven-layer Pecan Chocolate Mousse Cake With Chocolate Ganache. I only realized later the absence of flour - neither all-purpose nor cake flour had been added, meaning that stability relied strictly on the inclusion of cocoa powder. I re-watched the video twice afterwards, just to confirm my understanding. Visually, the cake was identical to the slab shown in the video. On the other hand, the same degree of sturdiness was not to be witnessed. Consequently, any future chocolate cake layers shall revert to roll cake formulas - or maybe the inclusion of cornstarch? Brownies rely on aerated eggs and cornstarch after all.

Whipped cream and melted Surfin formed the middle layer of chocolate mousse, with a small portion of melted chocolate reserved for ganache. Alas, in my haste, I had omitted the heavy cream entirely, yielding a firm block of chocolate on the surface. It weighed down on the components underneath, causing the mousse to ooze and the fragile cake to crumble even further: Chaos.

​Rapidly cleaning up the edible catastrophe, I readied myself with my first outing since return. Donning freshly tinted treads, a new AIRism tank, recently acquired accessories, and a spritz of Maison Kitsuné x James Heeley's Note de Yuzu, I set off to re-familiarize myself with the conditions of 401 and the Gardiner after 3 weeks of involuntary dependence on Vancouver's up-and-coming Translink system and Uber.

The reservation at Yuzuki has made just three days before, and actually as a backup to Shinobu at Yonge and Lawrence. The York Mills sushi spot was discovered to operate a total of 13 hours over a seven-day span, making calling the establishment quite a challenge while still on a time difference. I opted for the cozy Yonge-Bloor destination instead, for it was responsive to calls and a receiver of consistently positive feedback.

Journeying downtown on a weekend was just as I recalled: a tad frustrating at times, given the increased number of weekend drivers, but otherwise decent. Parking was found at the Green P garage adjacent to Tokyo Kitchen. The neighbourhood was exactly as it had been several years ago: grimy, bustling, and questionable. Furthermore, places I had flagged as mediocre (Tokyo Kitchen) and despicable (TIKA, WISH) were still standing, shockingly enough.

View the full album HERE !

We strode past the lofty commercial buildings of Yorkville to find the quaint entrance of Yuzuki. Double doors of glass and ceiling-high glass windows gave the illusion of a brighter, wider space. Yet, in reality, the eatery was quite compact.
Greeted by ladies in traditional Japanese kimonos, I relayed my reservation details and was guided to a spacious table by the window. Hardcover menus were provided, along with standalone panels of alcoholic Summer Specials, printed and fitted with a hardcover backing, and limited-time menu offerings, handwritten and slid into laminated insert. The assortment was surprisingly vast, encompassing everything from Westernized teriyaki bentos and California Rolls to cooked and raw Donburi options, tiered sashimi sets, and the broadest spectrum of à la carte witnessed in the GTA. It was with great indecisiveness that I perused the list, unsure whether we should opt for combinations of social media-confirmed greatness or deviate into truly authentic Japanese small plates such as Maguro Natto, Pumpkin Tempura, and more.

Images from Instagram were shown to our server with budding inquiries in an attempt to associate item names with appearances. After much contemplation, a Maguro-Don and Hiyayakko were chosen. The waitress struggled to provide the exact quantity of akami, chu-toro-and o-toro slices residing in the bowl, but estimated "twelve pieces". I hadn't been certain whether this was in reference to the individual maguro amounts or total, though.

​In the absence of Hitachino Nest and reluctance towards LCBO commoners of canned Sapporo and Asahi, I proposed a small flask of the house sake, Sho Chiku Bai. It was later learned that the Umeshu on hand was not Choya, but in fact Kunizakari. By this point, the scorching bottle of sake had arrived in its square container. We took to savouring it slowly over the course of the meal; I can affirm little interest in revisiting the taste going forward, but did appreciate its effect in elevating the sashimi-sampling senses.  

​Spectacularly presented was the Maguro-Don: A multitude of edible flowers were sprinkled about, ranging from dainty lilac kernels to slender strands of vibrant green to an exquisite mini rose. The slices were thin and wide, arranged about a bed of shimmering grains in order of hue and fattiness. Yellow pickled ginger and pulpy portion of wasabi rested at its peak. An umami-filled miso soup with wakame and tofu and house salad, accompanied by ponzu dressing, were served alongside the donburi.

​The senses were delighted at the Maguro-Don, for beyond its colourful, inviting appearance was gustatory quality. Balanced and delectable was each bite. Refreshing was the lean akami, gratifying the silky chu-toro, and heavy the uniformly marbled o-toro. Double-ended wooden chopsticks enabled us to precisely isolate the slice of choice, or wrap the desired slice about a small portion of seasoned sushi rice for the best of both worlds. Although emphasis was placed on the maguro, there was not a single element that overpowered another. Derived from the bowl was absolute indulgence - pleasure in the purest form, from simply the act of eating.

​Hiyayakko was a dish rarely seen in local eateries. I had questioned the value of the dish, for $6.50 seemed steep for a four-piece assemblage of tofu, bonito flakes, and grated ginger. The seemingly straightforward quad surpassed my expectations, offering a texture between medium and firm tofu, yet devoid of the air pockets and crumbly aspects typically found in storebought blocks. Silky with structure were the cubes. Bonito flakes, scallion rings, seaweed, and the gentlest inclusion of grated ginger assisted in highlighting these respectable qualities.

​Two pieces of Medai sushi and Octopus Karaage were requested to supplement the existing spread.
Once more, we laid eyes on perfectly plump pearls of sushi rice. They adhered together effortlessly, and in an amount just adequate to pair with the Medai. There was no excess of carbohydrates. A small smear of wasabi could be perceived underneath the translucent, shimmering slice. This species of red snapper bore a slight resemblance to cuttlefish in its initial stiffness, but slowly revealed softness with subsequent nibbles. The wasabi, presumably grated in-house, was milder than most, radiating a modest pungency.

​Octopus Karaage, which had piqued my interest by being unique from chicken, was served in the form of tiny, lightly battered specimens. Customary karaage condiments of a lemon wedge and mayonnaise were placed on the same platter, however the experience was entirely unlike any other karaage. Tiny but mighty, the pieces were crunchy, chewy, and crisp. There was not a cloud of grease to be inhaled, nor a speck of excess oil to be perceived. Likely the least fond of deep-fried dishes, even I surprised myself by repeatedly diving back into the pile for more.

​The restaurant was compact, but busy thoughout the evening. Between the UberEats orders and dine-in customers, Yuzuki received not a single moment of emptiness. Three members of the floor staff assumed roles as hostess, waitress, and cashier. Two chefs were spotted behind the sashimi bar, with more staff assumed in the enclosed kitchen area.

​Bathrooms were found towards the back (north end) of the restaurant behind a cloth curtain. The corridor led to two single, gender-separated stalls, both minimally furnished and spotless. An adorable "Hand Towel" label was pasted on the paper towel dispenser, indicating the area from which to pull. Flushing capabilities were acknowledged by yours truly.

We departed just before their closing time of 9 PM, soul and appetite wholly satisfied. The dining experience boasted excellence, flawlessness even. With attentive and prompt service, a cozy, relaxing ambience, clean facilities, and beautiful, delicious sustenance one could hardly ask for more. Yuzuki will be remembered as an authentic Japanese gustatory adventure, succeeding JaBistro as my downtown go-to.

​Proceeding to walk off the fullness, I proposed Craig's Cookies. It was located within the 1 km radius, in the gayest district of Church and Wellesley, fittingly so. Rainbow lights and males in short shots soon came into view. A surge in the homeless was also seen, including one undergoing a violent mental outcry involving glass shattering of a storefront and disordered frustrations. To bypass any chance of unwarranted attack, we crossed the street at the nearest intersection and continued onwards.

The chosen Craig's Cookies outpost would remain in operation until 10 PM, unlike the likes of Richmond's 7 PM shutterings. After a brief wait, I took to three stuffed cookies: Pride, Skor, and a charity-labelled 519. Both the Pride and 519 cookie were bedazzled with rainbow chocolate bits. The standard dough was thicker with cloying pockets reminiscent of brown sugar; the 519 cookie was constructed of a softer, cocoa-based dough and nuts of sorts. Proceeds of the five-dollar charity cookie would be presented to the nearby local community in support of various counselling needs.

​Obnoxiously sweet though charming in terms of colour usage, the cookies revealed a base of salted butter, which was then offset by an incredulous amount of white and brown sugar to regain its dessert status. I am unlikely to repurchase the treats again for personal consumption, first given their proximity and second their variance from my preferred palate.

Mumuso and their floppy ducks were spotted en route back to the carpark, along with more questionable - but thankfully non-violent - pedestrians.