You Do You

I met up with a friend on Friday to celebrate their birthday. Originally, I wanted to take them to Soos or another restaurant on the Ossington strip. Mostly to show its lively bustle compared to when they lived downtown and this area was Vietnamese and Portuguese businesses. But every place I called beforehand was full-up so we needed luck for a walk-in spot. They were late though and we would have lost our hypothetical reservation anyway. Also, the drizzle that turned into pouring rain would have killed the patio vibe.

In any case, they had a hankering for sweet pancake from Hodo Kwaja so we headed to the wallet-friendlier Koreatown. We chose Doo Roo Ae which was almost directly across from Hodo. Looking over the menu, we opted for the Spicy Tteok Bokki with cheese ($15.95) because they had seen it in Korean dramas, LA Galbi ($26.99), and Gam Ja Tang (pork-bone soup) Hot Pot ($29.99).

The tubular rice cake strips had a satisfying chew and the melted cheese added richness. The beef ribs was fragrant and though good, they could be more tender. I've only ever had Gam Ja Tang in a bowl so was impressed when they brought out the portable gas stove to cook/reheat it in a deep pan. But I didn't like it as much. A lot of the soup boiled away, leaving the meat exposed and made for a drier dish. Part of the enjoyment is slurping up the spicy broth. But the main draw of a Korean restaurant for me was banchan or the set of pickled and fermented side dishes that came with most meals. Doo Roo Ae didn't disappoint and my favourite part of the entire meal was sampling all 8 sides.

In a few days, their sister was heading to Texas pretty much on a whim in my opinion. How else to explain someone making the decision over a single month to sell all their belongings for enough funds to "move to the U.S.". Canadians can't actually work there or even stay for more than 6 months. Without a work visa, how could this be a permanent relocation? But then again, this person has always gravitated toward get-rich-quick schemes.