DAN MOWAT-ROSE & LUKE JOHNSTON
<Contributors>
This new column will document two 3L students’ explorations in the Toronto food scene, with an eye to student budget concerns, good eating, and a exposure to a broad range of culinary experiences. Since this is our first Obiter submission, we should probably introduce ourselves. Luke Johnston is a mature student and a tall, stoic germaphobe who lives on the Danforth. Dan Mowat-Rose is a dog owner, retired bartender, and a sarcastic Alberta ex-pat who resides in the Junction.
We are experienced in hunting for inexpensive and generously portioned foodstuffs at unique eating spots. The only thing holding this column back was some not-altogether unexpected stomach disorders following two years of homogeneous stir-fried lunches on-campus.
The way this will work is that every two weeks one of us will choose a local restaurant, the other person will come as their guest — providing fresh eyes and impartial gustatory analysis. Our discussion about the food, booze, price, and overall experience will be immortalized in this fine student publication, hopefully for your information and entertainment.
Food Adventure #1
Venue: Kinton Ramen – 51 Baldwin Street
Cuisine: Ramen, shockingly.
Food:
Luke: Chicken Ramen $9.80 & Kinton Nikuzara (House Pork Platter) $4.80; Dan: Spicy Garlic Ramen $9.80 & Spicy Karaage (Like Chicken Nuggets with Barbecue Sauce) $4.80; Shared: House Kimchi $3
LLBO Licensed? Yes – Cocktails, Sake, and Sapporo on Tap
Luke: Campari Lemonade $6.50
Dan: Sapporo $5.80
The Lead Up:
Dan: Glad to have the first pick! The buzz around this place the past year has been immense, hopefully it lives up to the hype.
Luke: Typical hipster selection!
Dan: I object to your use of ageist pejoratives to describe my restaurant choice.
Luke: Fine. Where is this place?
Dan: It’s an easy walk west from the Queen’s Park or St. Patrick subway stations, on Baldwin Street just off of McCaul. Alternate routes include the Dundas or College streetcars.
Luke: My first stop is always the Dine Safe website. I see a pass, but also a reported violation for failure to properly clean food preparation surfaces. I have a family. I don’t know if I can participate in your fast-and-loose lifestyle!
Dan: In this case ignorance is indeed bliss, and you’ve destroyed mine. Live a little. Your progeny will be proud.
At the Restaurant:
Dan: So, first impressions. Lots of yelling by the staff. Lots. In Japanese. Also, the J-Pop on heavy rotation really adds to the frenetic atmosphere.
Luke: When I arrived there was already a line. This gave me a few minutes to check out the Baldwin Village. Nearby is the Cheer Smoke Shop; a truly first class cigar store. Back at the restaurant I witnessed some sort of pre-game chant carried out by the staff.
Dan: Weird, sorry to have missed that. So Kinton is basically all counter seating, which is something I’ve grown accustomed to. Luke you seemed uncomfortable when that guy sat next to us.
Luke: You’re right. I was uncomfortable with the seating arrangement. It was disconcerting to eat food — in a manner that requires great dexterity — while elbow to elbow with my seat neighbour. In fact, I was hit with spittle and/or soup as he worked his chopsticks!
The Food:
Dan: You truly are an adventurous sort, hopefully it was soup. Speaking of the soup, it’s amazing. The noodles are filling and flavourful and the side dishes are great, and super affordable.
Luke: Agreed. The price is right and garlic-lovers will certainly rejoice, but for me the kimchi is far too garlic-B.O. inducing. The other sides, though, are a revelation! I have never tasted anything quite like the chicken karaage: it’s mid-west BBQ meets Japanese salty/sweet. The pork belly (***note: this column may reveal a meat-eater bias) was tender and flavourful. I am very impressed (other than hearing about your girlfriend lovingly stroking your hair in a post-TIFF-booze-induced-state). The food was also well complemented by my manly drink selection, Campari lemonade. The super-sour taste cut through the rich and salty flavours.
Dan: You’re right about the garlic. My ramen bowl was extreme. Can’t say I wasn’t warned. For those who don’t appreciate this level of intensity – consider yourself on notice: there’s a full scoop of minced garlic on top of the noodles. My beer went perfectly with the soup and the sides, though that this writer does not recommend his particular level of over-consumption. The noodles are cooked perfectly and the pork falls apart on contact, unlike the cardboardesque beef in similarly priced Pho. I also appreciate having the choice of light, regular, or rich broth. I went with regular, and it’s amazingly flavourful and not oily at all. First class.
Luke: I agree about the broth but my meal as a whole had flaws. They only make 100 bowls of chicken ramen per week and its easy to see why: the chicken meatballs are delicate and fresh. However, the overall dish is somehow bland and, for me at least, has too many noodles. The flavour was improved by the addition of a spicy powder and some pieces of house pork, but I would definitely have liked more kick. It may be intended as a non-spicy menu item, and I did enjoy it (especially the meatballs) but I would probably go with a different dish next time.
Amenities & Service:
Dan: Luke I noticed that you spent a lot of time in the washroom. What gives?
Luke: Going to the washroom is a pre-and post-meal ritual for me! I was hoping to find a singing toilet/sophisticated sink combination. The reality wasn’t far off. Kinton’s facilities are first rate: single-user rooms with toilet seat covers, plentiful hand towels and complimentary hygiene products (cologne, deodorant, mouthwash etc.)!
Dan: A great insider tip for the student budget! In terms of service, I had a few issues. Perfect example: our server asked what we’d like to order within 2 minutes of sitting down and after agreeing to give us a few minutes failed to return for ages. My repeated requests for side plates for sharing seemed to confuse him.
Luke: For sure, they seemed a bit overwhelmed. Still, the staff was friendly. In their defence, this is more of busy a lunch counter than a sit and savour type of place.
Score: out of 5 sossboss heads
Dan:
- Food: 4.5/5
- Service 2.5/5
- Atmosphere 3.5/5
Luke:
- Food: 4/5
- Service 3/5
- Atmosphere 4/5 (your server background is biasing you!)
Overall:
4 sossbosses out of a possible 5!
#thatsalottasoss