I think some things get lost in cultural translation

[Scooter]

Poop Cafe opening up in Toronto

Toronto’s getting a new cafe where squatty meets potty.

Koreatown is going brown this August when the Poop Cafe Dessert Bar — the first of its kind in Canada — is opening its lid near Bloor and Christie Sts., celebrating all things feces.

“I went to Taiwan two years ago and tried the Modern Toilet Restaurant and I really liked it,” said owner Lien Nguyen, with a chuckle. “I decided to bring a toilet restaurant to Toronto because I didn’t see anybody open one up (gee, one can only wonder why). It’d be nice to have one here, so you don’t have to travel so far to have that experience.”

The Poop Cafe business model follows the trail of other Asian fads that have created a craze in Toronto, including Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese cheesecake and the TOT Cat Cafe.

Nguyen assures customers that although the theme is all about the porcelain throne they will not be eating poop in their meal — not even in their coffee. (how reassuring)

“We serve dessert here, so we have sweet red bean soup and a poop waffle — the waffle is shaped like poo (we eat first with our eyes, after all) — and we have a Thai ice cream roll and Taiwanese shaved ice and served in toilet dishes and mugs,” she said. “Poop has become very cute.” (um, to whom?)

The art in the space so far is mainly of cartoon piles of poop. One message says, “We’re so stinkin’ cute together.”

Nguyen said there will be long wooden benches with holes cut out in every seat as a tribute to Roman toilets. (I suppose it will save the effort of getting up to use the restroom)

The owner hopes to eventually bring in a health angle to the cafe, perhaps illuminating bowel health options.(well that just elevates the entire concept for me) But for now, the cafe itself is a way to get people talking about a movement that is totally natural, even though North Americans may be embarrassed to discuss it.

“But I think people are curious,” she said.

[Lord Jim]

They can hire the urine cooker to be the sous chef...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Robin Hood: Poop? What a jolly nice name. Well never mind, cheerio! Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very, very, very much.

Robin Hood: Awful people.