Hand and Foot

Thursday night, I went to G-B Hand-Pulled Noodles. It was obviously a new addition but its' modest aims seemed more in keeping with the neighbourhood's old character. They had a lot of options but I tried their specialty: Lan Zhou beef noodles ($11.99) with a thicker, round strand. It was a large bowl for a small and quite tasty. I think they make their noodles to order because these were toothsome (not always true with fresh Chinese noodles). With the beef brisket and broth, it was like eating udon and pho together. I liked it better this time around. As a side-dish, their grilled enoki mushroom wrapped with hundred-page tofu ($6.99) was good but could a bit a spicy kick.

On Friday morning, I went to Maha's for breakfast. It was within walking distance from my sublet. My colleague who left the company in December had always wanted to try it. Since they were also an early morning riser and lived nearby, we were ok with an 8 am visit. By the time we finished just past 9, there was a line-up outside.

I ordered some sunny side-up eggs with foole ($16) and they tried scrambled eggs with dates ($16) and a honey-cardamom latte ($6.95). Both of these were favourite flavours. So it was a great first impression as both passed muster. I like the food but I don't love the place. 6 years ago, it was a snooty barista. This time, it was the payment option. When people ask for separate bills, you don't simply split the cost evenly.

They have been travelling since the hiatus and trying to get more rest. Their goal is 8-hours of sleep a night. I wish I could do that, too but I haven't slept more than 5 hours (with several interruptions) in the past decade. There hasn't much job searching because no company in the tech industry seems socially relevant and ethical.

For the rest of day, I made several trips to stock up the apartment with a stop at 241 Pizza for a veggie slice (now $5 and not as good as the location in Bloorcourt). The unit might be furnished but I need groceries, laundry products, and an increasing list of necessities. True, these are required regardless of where I live but on my budget spreadsheet the total cost is rising. Despite all the walking (and carrying), more than I have done in 3 months, it was nice to be back in a place where you don't have to drive or rely on sporadic transit.

04/04/2022: I went back for another slice. Then on Sunday, I was in the Bloorcourt area and revisited to the old 241 pizza. Its price has increased to $4.50. So it turns out that 241 locations have different veggie slices and prices for their to-go slices! But I was right, the bloorcourt location had a nicer crust (and the better deal).