It's easy to splurge on Starbucks when you pass one every day. Not to mention that all other commercial building food court options just seem less appealing when you're Gold. And, oh yeah, bonus stars help too.
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< Pictured above: Maple Macchiato, Ham & Swiss Breakfast Sandwich, Vanilla Bean Frappuccino w/ Orange-Mango Juice, Blended Frozen Blackberries, and a Cookie Straw >
There are generally three times at which I visit the American coffee joint: in the early morning (when I'm severely sleep-deprived), during lunch (to access the Wi-Fi), and in the late afternoon (when I need a slight boost to make it to the end of the day).
Despite having the deal with the morning rush, being in the Toronto area definitely has its perks. Besides access to large retailers that aren't present in other parts of the GTA, a quick hop on the subway can easily take you to a street full of various amazing dining options (aka the dream destination of food enthusiasts such as myself).
On a recent occasion, a visit to Han Ba Tang was made.
There are generally three times at which I visit the American coffee joint: in the early morning (when I'm severely sleep-deprived), during lunch (to access the Wi-Fi), and in the late afternoon (when I need a slight boost to make it to the end of the day).
Despite having the deal with the morning rush, being in the Toronto area definitely has its perks. Besides access to large retailers that aren't present in other parts of the GTA, a quick hop on the subway can easily take you to a street full of various amazing dining options (aka the dream destination of food enthusiasts such as myself).
On a recent occasion, a visit to Han Ba Tang was made.
I first discovered the Korean pub/restaurant a few months back while casually browsing Instagram: quite a number of people had posted and given brief descriptions of the popular fusion dishes offered there. But it really wasn't until I became a bit more familiar with the area that I decided to drop by to try the place out for myself.
We had Googled the directions prior, but were confused when we failed the find the restaurant located where it was supposed to be. I took a second look around, and then realized that we had completely strode past it."Han Ba Tang" hadn't been written anywhere on the exterior of the shop; instead, it had been written in Korean (Hangul), but with slightly different pronunciation. ('혼바탕' read 'Hon Ba Tang'.)
We had Googled the directions prior, but were confused when we failed the find the restaurant located where it was supposed to be. I took a second look around, and then realized that we had completely strode past it."Han Ba Tang" hadn't been written anywhere on the exterior of the shop; instead, it had been written in Korean (Hangul), but with slightly different pronunciation. ('혼바탕' read 'Hon Ba Tang'.)
The interior was much more visually appealing compared to the store front, thought it still boasted the same "raw industrial" aura. The walls were defined with large wooden panels, and the signs and cocktail menus with chalkboard-like planks covered in colourful writing.
Neither much of a drinker, we skipped on the cocktails, earning us a discerning look from our waiter. There was actually a much more pleasant girl working, though it seemed as if this guy focused on taking orders. I'm uncertain as to why he would work a customer service job, as he didn't even crack a smile the entire duration we stayed for.
Neither much of a drinker, we skipped on the cocktails, earning us a discerning look from our waiter. There was actually a much more pleasant girl working, though it seemed as if this guy focused on taking orders. I'm uncertain as to why he would work a customer service job, as he didn't even crack a smile the entire duration we stayed for.
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After much discussion over the offerings attached to a wooden clipboard of a menu, we decided on the Lobster Salad, heavily raved-about Kimchi Fries, and a Kimchi Pancake.
The Lobster Salad combined mixed greens, extremely salty shredded lobster meat mixed with salad dressing and possibly mayo, and a few crunchy bits of an unknown fried substance. The greens were fresh, which was much appreciated, but the shredded lobster was higher in sodium than expected; the portion was also a tad small considering the price it was being charged for.
Up next were the Kimchi Fries, which we added Bulgogi to for an additional three dollars (it was a superb idea, by the way).
Up next were the Kimchi Fries, which we added Bulgogi to for an additional three dollars (it was a superb idea, by the way).
(To view the full album, please click HERE.)
Fries are fries, so the bottom later of the dish was expectedly ordinary. But the toppings were extraordinary: the pickled flavour of the kimchi perfectly cut through the dense greasiness of the fries and the sweetness of the marinated bulgogi meat. It wasn't too spicy either! I personally do not possess a high tolerance for spicy foods, but found this to be the ideal level of mildness-spiciness.
The dish was emptied in a matter of minutes.
The last dish was a Kimchi Pancake. I did not try this dish, but was told that it was quite plain in comparison to the other dishes we received. It did not smell too heavily of kimchi; I was also informed that it pretty much tasted like every other pancake out there.
Fries are fries, so the bottom later of the dish was expectedly ordinary. But the toppings were extraordinary: the pickled flavour of the kimchi perfectly cut through the dense greasiness of the fries and the sweetness of the marinated bulgogi meat. It wasn't too spicy either! I personally do not possess a high tolerance for spicy foods, but found this to be the ideal level of mildness-spiciness.
The dish was emptied in a matter of minutes.
The last dish was a Kimchi Pancake. I did not try this dish, but was told that it was quite plain in comparison to the other dishes we received. It did not smell too heavily of kimchi; I was also informed that it pretty much tasted like every other pancake out there.
The overall dining experience was satisfactory, with the exception of the crazy good Kimchi Fries (totally over and above 'just satisfactory') and the slightly depreciating attitude of the one waiter (below the 'satisfactory' line).
And I don't usually comment on restaurant bathrooms, but I think Han Ba Tang deserves a paragraph dedicated to this. To sum it up, it's pretty "industrial", and by this I mean that the insides are also quite woody. The two-stall bathroom located at the foot of a small flight of stairs is on the small side, with each stall only providing 1 to 1.5 ft of space between the user and the door. Bright yellow pipes, that have gradually dulled in hue over time, line one of the walls; a large stump-like wastebin with a plastic lining can also be found by the sink. It's a weird bathroom, to say in the least.
And I don't usually comment on restaurant bathrooms, but I think Han Ba Tang deserves a paragraph dedicated to this. To sum it up, it's pretty "industrial", and by this I mean that the insides are also quite woody. The two-stall bathroom located at the foot of a small flight of stairs is on the small side, with each stall only providing 1 to 1.5 ft of space between the user and the door. Bright yellow pipes, that have gradually dulled in hue over time, line one of the walls; a large stump-like wastebin with a plastic lining can also be found by the sink. It's a weird bathroom, to say in the least.
We headed over to cafe bene for dessert afterwards, as I had, once again, been tempted by the photos popping up on Instagram.
Making our way up to the 2nd floor where the cafe was located, we were warmly greeted by the two girls standing behind the counter and comfortably seated at a four-person table with decent lighting.
Flipping through the laminated sheet of the menu, we decided that the Green Tea Bingsoo (shaved ice) seemed to stand out the most of their selections, and proceeded to order it.
To be quite honest, it wasn't what we had expected.
To be quite honest, it wasn't what we had expected.
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This was my first time having bingsoo, and I had expected it to be more than just a bunch of random toppings placed above two cups worth of crushed ice. For a whopping $8.99, we received a bowl filled three-quarters of the way with unflavoured crushed ice topped with melty green tea ice cream (which was actually on the bland side), large tapioca pearls, corn flakes, a small scoop of red bean, and sliced bananas. (I still have have yet to understand why anyone would combine green tea and bananas...)
None of the flavours complemented each other, resulting in an utterly disappointing dessert. The service was great and the waitresses were extremely friendly, but I just couldn't comprehend how such a thing could be so inadequate yet so pricey. I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't. Neither of us could. I don't even know how all the other Instagramers made this look so good!
To rid the awkward Green Tea Bingsoo taste from our mouths, we stopped by zenQ to pick up a drink. A Wintermelon Milk Tea was delivered to us, with the incorrect label.
The drink was actually much too sweet for our preferences, so we asked the girl to lighten it up, which she gladly did without giving us the annoyed expression we would've seen from other bubble tea joints.
None of the flavours complemented each other, resulting in an utterly disappointing dessert. The service was great and the waitresses were extremely friendly, but I just couldn't comprehend how such a thing could be so inadequate yet so pricey. I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't. Neither of us could. I don't even know how all the other Instagramers made this look so good!
To rid the awkward Green Tea Bingsoo taste from our mouths, we stopped by zenQ to pick up a drink. A Wintermelon Milk Tea was delivered to us, with the incorrect label.
The drink was actually much too sweet for our preferences, so we asked the girl to lighten it up, which she gladly did without giving us the annoyed expression we would've seen from other bubble tea joints.
For two times that I have visited, service has always been great, regardless of whether it was busy at the time or not. Consistency is always much appreciated, and it actually makes me want to return to try the rest of their menu. (Of course, their stamp card is also a prompting factor.)
We got a glimpse of some of their tasty-looking tofu desserts before leaving. (Note to self: I should try this next time.)
We got a glimpse of some of their tasty-looking tofu desserts before leaving. (Note to self: I should try this next time.)
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More of zenQ can be found HERE !
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