McGill Anime Club Maid Café 2014

Today M and I went a Maid Café, courtesy of the McGill Anime Club. I had seen the event on Facebook and was excited for this all week. The only other time we'd been to similar events is during Otakuthon, and those have always involved overpriced bad quality food and bubble tea with icky tapioca bubbles. Don't get me wrong, it's still a lot of fun, but it makes you yearn for better.

So we arrived at the site of the event, plenty hungry because we had both starved ourselves in order to gorge on tasty japanese-esque food. There was a short line, but we waited -- I don't know how long, it felt like hours of hunger, but it was probably closer to 30 minutes. The venue was small, maybe fitting 30-40 people, and they can't exactly kick people out. Eventually, we did get in, and we were greeted by ALL the maids and butlers. Eeek, awkward! As we were seated, our maid informed us of The Rules. Mainly, don't take pictures of people without permission and don't grope people. She also asked us what we wanted to be called. I was Fluffycat, and M got to be Commander Lazer Rocket. He specifically informed me that it's spelled "Lazer", because "it's edgier".

We ordered from the cutest menu ever, and proceeded to wait. And wait. And wait. This is going to be a recurring theme.

After more hunger, our main dishes came! Before the appetizers! But who cares, our Bunbun Croquette Sandwiches (7$) looked divine! I got a bear? rabbit? some sort of creature drawn in ketchup. M got Pedobear with a heart, hehehe. The croquettes were patties of mashed potato mixed with a little ground beef, then deepfried to perfection. Warm and soft, they acted as a great core to the sandwich.

In the middle of devouring our sandwiches, a couple of sides showed up in giant bowls. Apparently these were included with the main dish. Miso soup with tofu and seaweed, though you can't see them, and a light salad drizzled with a very nice dressing. Not quite sure what that was, and still too hungry to care, but they should use it again next year.

After our bowls and dishes were whisked away, we waited some more, and eventually our drinks showed up. M got his first, the Goku's Sparkin' (3$). It was a nice citrus soda, possibly orange and mango juice with club soda. Quite tasty! Mine came maybe 10 minutes later, the Bittersweet First Lime (2$), which was neither bitter nor sweet (also, I just understood the pun). It was a great limeade, with club soda as well.

So after that, M got his Tuna Onigiri (1.50$), and we didn't bother to take a picture. After more waiting, our maid asked us what we'd like for dessert. To which M answered, "I want the chicken curry." I had already ordered previously, and she let me know. Well, after some time, she came back to inform us that they had ran out of chicken curry, so M asked for the same dessert as me. Immediately, my dish came.

My Ichigo Crème Crêpe (4$)! Two lovely soft egg crêpes folded with slices strawberries and whipped cream, drizzled with dark chocolate sauce. Most of the cream had melted, but it was still a great dessert at an amazing price. At a restaurant, this would be at least 11$... I had a fantastic time eating this.

While M waited further for his crêpe, my onigiri appetizer finally showed up. I can't eat regular tuna so I got the Original Onigiri (1$). It was warm and chewy and the seasoning was ok but it tasted sooooo good because i really do like onigiris. I'm going to make some. 

So then we waited and waited some more, until our maid came over and told us that there were no more Ichigo Crêpes left. Ha! Thank goodness I got mine in time. Anyway, we were really bored and tired of this place at this point, so we paid and bailed. 

Although there was an awful lot of waiting involved, and the staff looked super disorganized, this was still a really fun experience! Now it's just 4 months until Otakuthon! 

Toronto: Kelsey's

On the second day of Anime North, we went to Kelsey's for dinner. The restaurant was packed with convention goers, and there was a bit of a line-up. Thankfully, there was a small seating area at the reception. Bleary-eyed, we waited for about 10 minutes before a table freed up. Our group had split up earlier during the day, so M and I had a booth all to ourselves! Across the restaurant, we saw six people -- some in cosplay -- squished into the same sized booth. We considered ourselves fortunate.

The service was slow, as expected. However, our waitress was quite cheerful and laid-back despite the fact that it was rush hour.

M couldn't decide between the steak or the burger, so he had the waitress pick. As I predicted, she chose the more expensive dish for him, the Fire-Grilled Steak & Chipotle Shrimp ($21.99). The presentation alone is much more than what I expected from a family restaurant. The portion size is adequate too, you wouldn't be too stuffed to walk after a dish like this. The steak, a 9 oz sirloin cut aged 28 days, was delightful in the sauce. I wouldn't call it chipotle, it is too mild and creamy for that, but it was tasty nonetheless. The shrimps were alright, tender but clearly from the freezer. Can't blame them for that. I was quite pleased with this dish, and stole more than a few bites. 

I tried the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich ($13.69). The description on the menu had me nearly drooling. I've never had a cheese steak sandwich before, but I know I wanted one. Unfortunately, Kelsey's version of the Philly delight left much to be desired. Served on a toasted baguette, the sandwich consists of shaved steak, grilled red peppers and onions, garlic sautéed mushrooms, and a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese. The steak, however, was cut too thick and tasted too bland. It was like eating pieces of tasteless, stringy matter. The cheese was only on one side of the sandwich, so the first half I ate actually had no cheese. The dipping jus was flavourful, and it was fun to dip the fries into something other than ketchup, but that hardly salvaged the meal. 

Surprisingly, something did save the meal. M felt like he hadn't eaten enough, and I was just unhappy with my food. We had been eyeing the little dessert menu on the table ever since we sat down, and we both felt up to getting a little sweet something to finish off the evening. 

The description of the Maple Apple Pie ($5.99) really called out to me, and ohhhh boy, we did not regret that order in the least. It came as a stout, round cylinder topped with an enormous scoop of vanilla ice cream, the whole thing drizzled with vanilla cream sauce and English toffee sauce, then sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon. Wow. The first bite was heaven -- decadent buttery crust that broke easily to the tooth, yielding a cinnamon and apple filling with just a hint of maple. The base of the filling is actually Granny Smith apples, a choice that surprised me on the menu, but tasted just right on the tongue. The tartness balanced the overwhelming sweetness of everything else in the dish, and highlighted the woody tones of baked apple. Delicious. If I ever frequent a Kelsey's again, this will be my dessert for sure. 

Despite my bad sandwich, I do think Kelsey's is a pretty solid restaurant for the convention centre. The staff can handle a busy restaurant, and the food is good. A lot of my friends had the Messy Fish Sandwich and enjoyed it, so I may try that next time. At one point, M went to the bathroom, and came back to declare that it was the most disgusting men's room he'd ever seen in a restaurant, so cleanliness might be an issue to watch out for. If you come in a group, it might be smarter to split up, because you don't want to be crammed into a booth with 5 other people. 

636 Dixon Rd,

Etobicoke, ON

M9W 1J1

(416) 240-6932

http://www.kelseys.ca/home.php

Cheese Please: La Foumagerie

I'm really fond of Westmount. I went to school there for a couple of years, and I love browsing the tiny Japanese grocery store Miyamoto on Victoria Avenue. There isn't a lot of good food on the few streets I haunt, but La Foumagerie never lets me down. It's a little cheese shop that also sells sandwiches. In the summer, they set out chairs and umbrella stands on the patio, and it's always hard to find a seat. Sometimes, you can even see people lining up outside to order delicious lunches. 

The inside of the shop is crammed to the brim with goodies. Every shelf and counter displays sauces, jams, digestive crackers, imported chocolates and fancy sweets. There is, of course, a cheese counter with dozens of choices. Yum! But that's not what we're here for...

Here, we have A Well-Dressed Turkey, for 7.25$. Pesto rosso (aka sun-dried tomato pesto) smeared onto a good chunk of baguette bread, then piled neatly on top: a generous portion of turkey, one slice each of mozzarella, provologne, and swiss cheese, and finally dressed with fresh lettuce and tomato. This sandwich was quite a delight. The different cheeses provided fragrance and texture to every bite, and the pesto added a subtle woody aroma that slowly emerges as you chew.

This is the Smoking Goat, for 9.25$. It contains quite a bit of creamy goat cheese and a few slices of smoked salmon, topped with capers, black pepper, lemon juice, and the Foumagerie sauce. This sounds like a delicious combination of ingredients, but the lemon juice really overpowers all the other flavours. Yes, even the cheese.

I didn't have high expectations for the Beef Blues, priced at 6.50$. It has roast beef, Stilton sauce (a type of blue cheese), celery rémoulade, red onions, and lettuce. I have very little experience with blue cheese. Twice, I tried it in burgers. Twice, I was disgusted with the overwhelming sharpness and stink that invaded my mouth and stayed there. But Beef Blues was a wondrous revelation! The sauce was creamy, and actually paired well with the rest of the ingredients. It was sharp, but in a smooth way rather than in a stabbing me in the mouth way. The roast beef is pink and perfect, and my only complaint is that there should have been more of it! Don't be stingy with that yummy, tender beef...

Here is the British, for 6.95$. It looks like there is a lot of roast beef in this one, but I still found it to be less than enough. There is also tomato, Monterey Jack cheese, celery rémoulade, and Spanish onions, but the Foumagerie sauce masked all those flavours with its sweetness. It tastes like the honey mustard from Subway, honestly, and while I could see it working with other combinations, it disappointed me in this particular sandwich. The single slice of Jack, although tasty, didn't help. 

All in all, this is a lovely place for a light lunch or dinner. Some of their sandwiches need work with sauce toppings, but there is no disputing the quality of their cheeses, which are clearly the stars of the show. Next time, I'm going to buy from their cheese counter -- can't wait!

4906, rue Sherbrooke O.
Westmount, QC, H3Z 1H3
http://www.lafoumagerie.qc.ca/
(514) 482-4100