647 343 4698   |   $6-$9 Snacks, $9-$12 Plates

Fun new concept: Someone tells you there’s a new spot opening up serving Singaporean street food! Sounds really interesting right? We thought so. For a little Dish Duel reunion, Stella, Amy, Jess and I met up at Hawker Bar in hopes of getting through the vast majority of the menu. We succeeded…in record time too. Read on…

Photo Credit: Karolyne Ellacott, Toronto Life

Food

So let’s put it this way, we figured we could take down most of the menu here between the four of us. That ended up not being too tough, but at the lightning pace the dishes were flying out of the kitchen, the whole thing’s a bit of a blur. We were constantly trying to get plates off the table to make room for new ones, so let’s just say this won’t be the most detailed review ever.

We started with the Son in Law Eggs (above), basically soft boiled eggs that are deep fried and glued to a leaf with chili jam. The yolks explode in your mouth - WARNING: if you don’t eat this in one bite it’s going to get all over you - the texture-mix is cool, and the chili jam is yummy.

Next up were pork skewers with peanut sauce. The pork was moist, the peanut sauce was a bit mild in flavour, but I like the larger nut pieces for texture.

These chicken wings were also pretty good, but I wanted them to be punchier. The chicken was moist, but I kept wanting them to be the wings from Foxley. If not saucy, be crispy or spicy. I didn’t find they were either.

I was disappointed by the chicken laksa (above). I’ve never been to Singapore, but I thought it was supposed to be spicy or pack a really nice flavour punch. To me, it was a bit muted and reminiscent of a lot of OK curries I’ve had before.

The chili crab had more of the chili flavour from the son in law eggs and the chicken wings. Even though it was a familiar taste, it was more intense and I’m a sucker for crab so I liked it.

The whole sea bream with lime, ginger and soy was OK. I liked the crispy outside, but I thought the fish might have been a bit over for my taste. The sauce on the plate was pretty tasty though.

This was probably my second favourite. The rendang curry was nice, but the ultra tender oxtail stole the dish. It literally melted. You could complain that it all sort of became mush, but that would be over-analyzing the whole thing.

This was another dish that I just didn’t get. By this point in the meal, there had been a lot of chili, ginger, and soy. This dish is essentially plain rice and plain (albeit juicy) chicken with three sauces: chili, ginger, and soy. It tasted like everything else we’d eaten so far. The puree of ginger needed a different delivery device too: the squeeze bottle doesn’t really work.

Then we moved onto dessert. This one was a shaved ice kacang (above) that had some sort of red bean paste on the top that was pretty much all you could taste. I had no idea what it should have been, but looking at the Wikipedia picture left me wanting more.

The meal did end on a good note though. These banana fritters had great, hot crispy shells, with ooey-gooey banana stuffed inside. Couldn’t place the ice cream flavour (red bean again?), but the cold-to-hot contrast did the job.

Service and Ambience

This place is little. I think I counted roughly 23 seats including those at the bar, so you’ll likely be waiting if you don’t go early. That said, it’s cozy and the big windows typical of these new Ossington spots are always welcome on sunny days. 

Photo Credit: Karolyne Ellacott, Toronto Life

On the service, I’ll say two things: (1) our server was friendly, hospitable, and attentive, and (2) the speed at which the food came out was ridiculous. When a group of four orders ten dishes, there’s no way it’s all going on the table with tea cups, water glasses, and side plates. Add that to the fact that we’re all blatantly taking pictures of the food, and there’s just no way all ten of those dishes should come out that quickly.

I think we all enjoyed the food significantly less because we were very rushed, to the point of it being uncomfortable. We wanted to taste the food at its best, but it’s hard when dishes are sitting out in a culinary traffic jam.

The Reco?

The food’s not bad here at all. And some dishes (crab, eggs, rendang, fritters) were actually quite good. I’d have liked a little more variety in the flavours, since a group of four can eat most of the dishes in one sitting. All said, the dining experience just didn’t work for us and the enjoyment of it all suffered as a result. I can’t recommend it based on that.

Other reviews:
 National Post  |    blogTO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited May 11, 2012

416 323 0666   |   $12-$15 Pizza and Pasta  

I’d read a little bit about F’Amelia late in 2011, but admittedly forgot about it until this spring. I tried recruiting them for Dish Duel at that time because I’d read positive reviews, but again things didn’t work out. My most recent exposure was Toronto Life putting them into 2011’s top new restaurants, so I finally caved and decided to head over. Such a good decision.

Food

Another concise menu foreshadowed a quality meal. There are really only six antipasti choices and eight mains outside of the pizza menu, so you know everything is there for a reason.

We started with the best charcuterie plate I’ve had in a long time (the large version pictured above). I should have filmed a video of our server describing it, but here’s what I remember as highlights. The duck prosciutto on the top left is out of this world. The thinly sliced pancetta crusted in juniper and black pepper on the bottom left blew my mind. The apple mostarda in the little dish was full of sharp flavour, with the cheeses to its right creamy and subtle in their own way. Just a fantastic spread.

Somehow, this might have been even better. Maybe the most tender calamari I’ve put in my mouth. Really fresh roasted tomato, fragrant fennel fronds and tasty bits of sausage all married to form perfect bites. Such a winner of a dish.

The green asparagues risotto while prepared masterfully, was missing the stand-out flavours of the previous dishes. The lardo gave it richness and ramps were definitely there, but despite spears of asparagus cut up inside, you would have been tough-pressed to pick out the taste of asparagus.

This super clean tagliatelle with braised rabbit (killer), brussel sprouts and wild mushrooms was very refined. The noodles were delicate and eggy, but I felt like it could have used just a bit more something (acid? sprouts?). Something.

After the previous two ‘good’, but not great courses, this pizza recovered. For those who like a mild crispiness, while preserving the thin/chewy quality that makes great pizza great, this is a home run crust. We ordered the ‘Norcina’ version, topped with more of that great sausage, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, and nutmeg. The nutmeg was really subtle, but made you appreciate the pizza a bit more every time to caught a hint of it.

We finished with the selection of gelato - the only thing not made in house. That said, the chocolate was so smooth and filled with cocoa-flavour and the pistachio was subtle, but dead-on. The straciatella (just means vanilla and chocolate shavings) was meh.

Service and Ambience

I really liked the homey quality of F’Amelia. It did the name justice with its rustic charm. The natural light hitting the white-tiled floor just brightens up what would otherwise be a pretty dark space. It”s a good vibe on a nice day.

Our servers were excellent throughout the night. Chumming with us, bringing everything out correctly at a pleasant pace, and making us feel at home. I’ve read reviews of poor service, but they clearly didn’t have any of our four servers. Kudos.

The Reco?

I know Toronto needs another Italian restaurant like a hole in the head, but every city could always use an authentic one that gets the cuisine right. This is one of those places. Many of our dishes were very near perfect, the service was welcoming, and we enjoyed our meal so very much. You should go.

Other reviews:
 Toronto Life  |    Food Junkie Chronicles

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited May 5, 2012

416 504 9669   |   $12-$15 Pizza and Pasta  

I’ll be the first one to admit I’m wary of ‘trendy’ new Italian restaurants in King West. As the area gets more and more saturated with restaurants, I get increasingly skeptical. A friend of mine said she’d enjoyed her last visit, so I brought of bunch of friends to check it out on a Friday night.

Photo Credit: Toronto Life

Food

The menu features everything you expect to see: fritti, insalate, antipasti, pasta, pizza, a few mains, and contorni. The variety is solid and the prices are surprisingly reasonable across the board which is refreshing given the area. 

We started with smoked eggplant and prosciutto on three large crostini (above). I don’t know if it was the campfire scent coming from the nearby pizza oven, but there was smokiness here and the simplicity of it was appealing and delicious.

Next was the calamari (above), which is always a good test. Definite pass with really tender, lightly battered rings. The roasted garlic aioli on the right tasted great too.

What I really didn’t understand was the pickled cucumber and jalapeno salad in the middle along with the balsamic reduction. The presentation was confusing since I was eating the calamari ‘chips-and-dip’ style, so I had to cut up the salad and use a fork to combine it all…at which point the flavours just didn’t make sense to me.

Another ‘gotta try’ item was the arancini (above). I order them every time I see them because I’m always in search of perfection. Even when they come up short, it’s hard to make them taste bad. To me, it’s gotta be thin and crispy on the outside filled with a 1/3 melted cheese, 2/3 risotto mix.  

These had a thin outer layer, but no crispiness. The inside wasn’t cheesy enough, although the mushroom and fontina risotto had good flavour to compensate.

For the mains, the table had two pizzas. The first was their classic prosciutto (above). For those of you who like crispier/floury crusts, this will be to your liking. I was also fond of the tomato sauce.

The other pizza was the Da Dee with thin slices of sweet potato topped with spanish onions, lots of crispy kale, and some cow milk mozzarella. It was pretty tasty, but I felt like the bitterness of all the kale wasn’t quite balanced with enough salt or cheese. 

We finished off with two pastas: a mushroom fettuccine and rigatoni with lamb shank. I thought the fettuccine was passed al dente, but what it didn’t lack was earthiness. It’s packed with portobello, oyster mushrooms, porcini AND truffle paste. That plate needed a green or something because that was intense.

The rigatoni was well-received around the table and the lamb was tender and not particularly gamy. 

One last thing, the dessert menu is pretty limited and there’s no beer on tap (only a few bottles available). The wine menu is quite extensive though and there’s even wine on tap. I had a cabernet sauvignon-malbec blend that was simple and fruity; it’s pretty good value too at only $1/oz.

Service and Ambience

From an interior design perspective, I really liked the grunge/loft feel. My guess is it used be a garage (there’s a big garage door at the front). Much of that ‘bricks and mortar’ style remains, and all the sunlight that seeps through from the front really lights up the place on a nice day. There’s a patio out front too, but it doesn’t yet have a liquor license if a drink in the sun is what you’re in the mood for.

On a busy Friday night, the staff managed to hold a table for six of us by turning two tables sideways. The improv was smart and worked for us. Our server was also knowledgeable about the menu and called all the women at the table ‘senorita’ (most of them enjoyed this). 

The Reco?

Toronto has yet another casual but authentic Italian restaurant that you’ll probably enjoy. Nothing on the menu wowed, but it all tasted reasonably good and the service along with the ambience charmed me. Couple all that with the fact the prices are reasonable and the location is central, and it’s a decent choice downtown.

Other reviews:
 blogTO  |    Foodies Inc.

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited May 4, 2012

416 979 6763   |   $2-$12 dishes

I eat in the The Village by the Grange at Dundas and McCaul pretty frequently. If you’ve never been, the food court inside this ‘mall’ is full of independent vendors serving mostly ethnic-specific foods and very few chains. What I learned recently is that there’s actually a sit-down Japanese restaurant inside called Manpuku that’s supposed be pretty tasty. So in I went. Here’s a mini-review.

Food

The menu here is separated into noodle dishes, rice dishes and specials. There’s also a separate ‘assorted menu’ for some reason. Not really sure why it’s not part of the main menu…guess they don’t fit nicely into a category? I don’t know.

Since it was lunch and cold, most of us had bowls of udon noodle soup. The niku soup (above) with a good portion of tender sliced beef is tasty and a good deal at $5.99 given the big bowl. The kake udon is an even better deal at $3.99 coming with fishcakes and diced scallops in a slightly smaller bowl. Both good noodle soups.

I ordered the negitama gyudon, a rice dish topped with sliced beef, lots of green onion and an almost barely cooked egg. I was expecting a taste closer to bibimbap but for some reason, the beef seasoning kept bringing me back to shepherd’s pie. It was warm, hearty, and filling. Win.

I also started with some Ohitashi (cold spinach in a light dressing with bonito flakes). It was pretty bitter, chilled, and the bonito flakes added that fishy flavour. I’d classify this as an acquired taste, meaning I didn’t really like it.

We ended with what everyone says to try: Takosen. Apparently this is a popular Japanese street food, whereby Takoyaki balls (octopus dumplings) are squished between two crackers with mayo and a sweet sauce. Texturally, it’s pretty interesting and squishing the dumpling is just plain fun. You also get three of these for $3!

Service and Ambience

When you walk in, it looks kind of like a diner, with a big bar and the kitchen right behind it. Seating is also pretty limited, so get here a bit early during lunch hour. 

One of the great things about our brief drop-in was the service. Our server was really pleasant and attentive throughout and she helped accommodate the four of us during the busy lunch hour despite needing to move around some tables. Much appreciated.

The Reco?

There are two main reasons to drop in here: good value and unique dishes. The menu presents a few choices that appear to be quite authentic and difficult to come by, and you can try a bunch of them on a budget. Enjoy.

Other reviews:
 Where Jess Ate   |    Amy’s Food Adventures

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Apr 27, 2012

416 588 2299   |   $20-$26 Entrees 

It’s been a few weeks now since The Grove opened up in the increasingly competitive Dundas West strip, and I decided it was about time I dropped in for what appeared to be some delicious British delights. The buzz from chefs in the area and some folks who beat me to the punch had been exceedingly positive, so my expectations were high. With a Dark & Stormy in-hand (below), we ordered everything that sounded inviting.

Food

You’ll notice immediately that the menu is quite succint, which is usually a good sign. If it’s there, there’s a reason. There are five items I’d call starters with options centered around root veggies and seafood, and five meat-centric mains. 

Our server indicated we’d be missing out if we didn’t order the parsley root soup (above), so that’s where we began. She was bang on: this provided one of the best bites of the night. The parsley root has a rutabaga-parsnip vibe to it, and when combined with fried bread and bacon, you understand why this is a can’t miss. Add some snails for texture and you’ll be re-ordering it.

Next up was a new dish on the menu (above): dungeness crab pieces, with lots of dill and purees/sauces that tasted like dill with radishes. Presentation wise it’s beautiful and fresh on arrival (apologies for the shadows, it’s dimly lit so needed some light from a phone). I thought this tasted very clean, well-seasoned and straightforward. Appreciated the simplicity of the flavours.

We also had to order ‘chips’. I find between these guys and Queen & Beaver, fries are just generally out of this world with homemade smokey ketchups and crispy-on-the-outside, soft-inside wedges. If this place were open for lunch, I’d get the parsley root soup with some chips in a heartbeat.

The last appetizer/starter was the scallop with picked walnuts, stinging nettle sauce, and some beech mushrooms. Stunning presentation here, but I felt like this dish was missing flavour. Stinging nettle evokes an expectation of bold flavour (even though factually it shouldn’t when it’s cooked down), the beech mushrooms were relatively mild, and there weren’t many walnuts. Scallops were cooked perfectly, but had lost their heat as well. I wanted more boldness, for an admittedly non-sense reason.

On to the mains.

The first was beef two ways (skirt steak and short rib) along with an oyster emulsion and deep-fried oyster. The deep-fried oyster was tasty and the skirt steak had good flavour from whatever the marinade was. Thought the short rib didn’t have much to it in the way of taste and again the proteins were on the lukewarm to cold side.

We also ordered the lamb (above), that comes in both a filet and sausage form, charred red onion and bread sauce. Again, the food was lukewarm and the plates were cold. Apparently there’s some heating for the hotplate in the kitchen that has yet to arrive, so I’m sure this will be remedied. Here, the sausage was pretty good and the lamb cooked perfectly, but I didn’t find there to be much else on the plate outside of red onion, crisps, and a gravy-like sauce. The actual star was the bread sauce, but there was so little on the plate. I’d be much more liberal with it.

The last main was the cornish hen (above), accompanied by barley and a swede puree (another root veg). This must have been the last main plated because everything was hot and delicious. The loose hen sausage wrapped in pastry was excellent and moist with a nice punch of grainy mustard. The other meat (think it was breast) was mouth-watering and had some great salty, crispy skin on the outside. Best main by far.

We also ordered some yorkshire puddings (above) to go along with the mains, again on the recommendation of our server. They were topped with a bit of oxtail and some sauce at the bottom, but were also kind of cold. I didn’t find there to be much to them taste-wise either. I’ll say texturally that I enjoyed how light and fluffy they were though.

To end the meal, we also took three forks into the gingerbread with marmalade, custard and creme fraiche. The ginger was very forward (excellent) and the rest of the components married quite well. This was a satisfying couple of bites.

Service and Ambience

Inside, the look is exactly what you’d expect from the area. Big windows out front for light, dimly lit otherwise, lots of exposed brick and wood, and a bar up front. The most charming features are the mismatched wooden chairs throughout. Kind of feels like my dining room as a kid.

Photo credit: Toronto Life

Our server was great throughout the night, offering recommendations (I’d say she went 1 for 2), checking up on the food, explaining elements of our plates clearly, and responding to our questions about the temperature of some of the dishes. 

The Reco?

This is another hit for Dundas West with some really memorable dishes, specifically the soup, chips, and hen. I think having a drafty hotplate for the meticulous plating process is a must-fix-now kind of issue, but outside of that, I really did enjoy both the concept and product. All in all, you should probably add this place to your list of new restos to visit in the area, just give it a couple weeks.

Other posts (no actual reviews to date):
 Foodie Images   |    Toronto Life

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Apr 21, 2012

416 977 0056   |    $4.50 empanadas, $8.50 corn pie

I had never heard of this spot in Kensington Market until today…probably because I’ve yet to really wander around here until today (shameful, I know). If you’re looking for a frame of reference, it’s across from Agave y Aguacate supposing you know where that is. We almost went there until a friend of mine suggested Jumbo Empanadas. Why not? Here’s a mini-review.

Photo credit: blogTO

Food

There’s only a few things on the menu: three empanadas (beef chicken, and vegetable), humitas, chilean salad, and corn pie. Of course we all went with empanadas and one lucky soul with the corn pie.

First the golden brown empanadas with salsa. Each one is about the size of small paperback book, stuffed with your choice of beef, chicken or vegetables.

The interesting part starts when you put your fork through the shell (above). The fun surprises were large olives, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs. None were particular sharp in flavour which helped everything meld in with the taste of the spiced beef. Couldn’t tell you what the spices are, but I can tell you it’s pleasant.

While the empanadas are in the restaurant name, the star is the corn pie (above). Sometimes you forget just how appealing sweet corn is - thankfully this dish brought back a rush of wonderful memories. Kind of looks like a small sweet potato pie, but it’s pretty deep and lined on the bottom with beef, chicken, and a lot of the same fillings you find in the empanadas. The meats are all stew-tender, and THE COOOORN is delicious. I will be back to eat this whole thing. Mark my words.

Also, go across the street and grab some chocolate filled churros (4 for $5). Actually some of the better churros I’ve had in a while.

Service and Ambience

From what I can tell all the food prep and service is run by two people and it gets pretty busy during lunch. Kudos to banging all this great stuff out to hungry diners.

It’s too bad the patio wasn’t yet open, but given that the market doesn’t really have that much outdoor seating, I’m sure this is a hit once it get’s hot out. 

The Reco?

If you work remotely close, go for a walk into the market and see what you’re in the mood for. There are some great options (especially across the street), but I’d recommend stepping into Jumbo Empanadas, especially for the corn pie. I think I’ve said enough.

Other reviews:
  blogTO   

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Apr 16, 2012

info@banhmiboys.com   |    $5 - $8 sandwiches

I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard someone mention Banh Mi Boys over the last month or so. It opened in December 2011, but has been closed for the past couple months for renovations. Post-reopening, lines have characterized the lunch hour here at Spadina and Queen West as people hustle to get their hands on some long-awaited banh mi. 

Food

The menu is composed of ten banh mi (BM) sandwiches, five tacos and five steamed baos (SB). Popular fillings include pork belly (BM/SB), squid (BM/taco), beef cheek(BM/SB) and duck confit (BM only). There’s also kimchi covered fries and and a yummy jicama papaya slaw offered as sides.

As a big fan of baos and banh mi, I decided I’d have one of each. I started with the five spice pork belly bao (above for $3.49). The belly was tender, maybe not quite as fatty as you might expect and the spice didn’t really stand out; nice pickled veggies and a room-temp steamed bun completed the snack. I wouldn’t rave, but I just love open-face baos so much that I’d easily eat this again.

Next I ordered the kalbi beef banh mi ($5.99, zoomed in above). The beef and accompanying sweet sauce had some decent flavour and a bit of a tang. The baguette wasn’t too thick, fluffy soft, and crusty on the outside - all good things. It’s also a nice size overall and would satisfy many people for lunch. 

I’d heard great things about the duck confit ($7.49, picture above), so I recommended it to my vietnamese friend who came along. She claimed it was banh mi ‘done right’. I had a bite too. Sometimes duck confit doesn’t really taste like duck and is kind of dry, but this was both moist and supremely duck-y. The onion chutney added some sweetness to contrast the pickled veggies and bunches of cilantro (in all BMs offered on the menu). 

I didn’t have the kimchi fries, but I’ve heard rave reviews from people I trust so I’d recommend it for sure.

Another side note: apparently banh mi often has pâté in it. I didn’t know this before my friend told me, but I hope that shows up on the menu at some point as an add-on. I’d take them up on it in a second.

Service and Ambience

The redesign has made the restaurant ‘nicer’, but with limited seating and lots of take out orders, it’s not a highlight. I think the real reason this place is popular is the unique concept, good execution and value. The prices are very competitive with a lot of take out options in the area and the food is clearly better quality.

One thing I’ll comment on service-wise is the speed. We showed up 11:45am on a Wednesday and ended up waiting about 20 minutes from lining up through to receiving food. Around 12:15pm, people just saw the line and left because they knew they’d be there forever. It’s worth the wait if you beat most people to the line, but I’m not so sure it’s worth 30+ mins unless you’re REALLY craving it.

The Reco?

As I said, the unique concept and value make this place a success. It’s niche food done pretty well, and there are enough options to keep you coming back without getting bored. It’s like if your favourite shawarma place had 20 legitimately interesting options. You’d go back too. 

Other reviews:
  NOW Toronto    |      blogTO 

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Apr 4, 2012

416-860 0086   |    $16 - $36 mains

I’ve talked a bit about being disappointed with O&B restaurants because my first time at each of them always seems to be underwhelming. I find the service is always good, the selection seems appealing and the spaces are beautiful…the only problem is I never really like the food. Luma had changed my mind a bit after returning recently, so I decided to give Biff’s on Front a shot. 

Food

Honestly, this menu looked certifiably appealing to me. There were tons of classic french dishes from the starters, to mains and bistro specialties. Biff’s even serves cheval (horse!). I was pretty excited to get tasting.

The picture of butter you see above was an odd way to start the night. The bread came out as usual (a decent sliced baguette) accompanied by a ramekin of regular, spreadable butter by all appearances. Weird thing was I could have sworn there was a noticeable aftertaste of oysters. The other two at the table conveyed similar sentiments. I kinda liked it. Unfortunately, our server said that it shouldn’t have any aftertaste. Weird.

The chef also sent out some house-made grainy mustard that had a pleasant - and intentional - bitter aftertaste. That along with some house-made pickles were a nice start.

Our first main was the pork belly with spaetzle and fennel (above). The pork belly piece itself was the largest I’ve seen in a main. Unfortunately, it was a big miss: chewy on the outside (not crispy), meat wasn’t tender, and the melt-in-your-mouth fatty part was barely there. Also, the spaetzle looked, felt, and tasted like soft breadsticks, which definitely wasn’t we were expecting. I just didn’t get this dish at all.

Next had another large portion, this time of smoked sweetbreads with potatoes, wild mushrooms and a creamed leek sauce. My first bite of everything was decent, but this got bland from the second taste onward. I couldn’t pick out the green-coloured oil/sauce, which I wish had imparted a stronger herb flavour to keep the dish interesting. I understood the concept, but I just didn’t think it delivered on it.

We finished with a crowd-pleasing trio of profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream, covered in chocolate, caramel and almonds. This was undoubtedly an extra-safe choice to end the meal and it paid off. The chocolate was darker than I expected which I found made the topping of almonds more complimentary and the caramel more contrasting. 

Service and Ambience

Despite the food not being great, Biff’s lived up to the positives of O&B restaurants: the service is awesome and the spaces are beautiful. 

Our server was super friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and checked up on us the perfect amount. Probably one of the better servers I’ve had across all my restaurant visits in the city.

The Reco?

I’m giving this two stars because the only things I enjoyed were the pickles, profiteroles and unintentionally oyster-kissed butter. Neither of the mains were very good in our opinion, despite their size, and that just doesn’t make me want to come back and sample anything else. On the bright side, I hear Auberge du Pommier is O&B’s best. Perhaps that should be next…

Other reviews:
  Toronto Life   |     Chu on This

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Mar 30, 2012

416-534 8520    |    $5.00 - $22.00 sharing plates

If you’re a foodie in Toronto, it’s kind of embarrassing not to have dined at Foxley. All your foodie friends have told you it’s awesome, you’ve heard chefs say it’s awesome, it’s been there for years, but for some reason you STILL haven’t gone. I was just like you, but now I’m not. Consider this your final kind poke to get off your ass and go. 

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

The menu is 40 sharing plates long, one page, no sections (see the menu link above for a picture). You could call the style ‘Asian-inspired’ or ‘Asian fusion’, but those both have such negative connotations in the dining community. For all intents and purposes, it’s delicious, eclectic, and happens to have a lot of Asian ingredients. 

We started with the ceviche (above) that everyone highly recommends - including Chef Chris McDonald of Cava, @CavaChef. Thinly sliced sea bream lies beneath a topping of yuzu, shiso leaves and crispy shallots. The dish gets its freshness from shiso and clean fish, crispy and salty from the shallots, and a prominent tartness from the yuzu. Wanted a few more servings.

Next we grabbed the spicy crispy shrimp with jalapeno and garlic relish. Seems simple, but when you execute juicy shrimp perfectly, and create a bright, garlicky relish with a kick, you have to marvel at this. We were craving shrimp before we walked in and this made it worse (in the best way possible).

Keeping with the seafood theme, we selected the blue crab salad with avocado. The two flavours just work so well together. The crab comes heaped on top of a large avocado that you then hollow out as you eat. Give me three.

Next up, I had to get meaty. The spicy sticky chicken wings live up to their name. Ask for some extra napkins if you intent to tackle these. Good thing they’re saucy because these tender chicken wings are slathered with an uncommon heat and tang. It’s still bold, but really pleasant. Like everything we ate, I wanted more than one order.

We concluded the meat portion of our meal with the famous side ribs with caramelized shallot glaze. These are the perfect ribs. The meat isn’t literally falling off the bone, but it doesn’t take much for the fibers to slowly unravel and part. The sweet and savoury shallot glaze is great too.

We closed our meal with a fresh mango salad, filled with slices of tender grilled calamari and charred shrimp that were quite tender despite their small, overcooked appearance. This was a palate cleanser of sorts to close the meal.

Service and Ambience

Foxley is a pleasant hole in the wall. Nothing decor-wise really stands out, but the high ceilings, big windows and exposed brick wall give you everything you need to enjoy the space on a basic level. It’s pretty small too, so you’ll need to get here early from Thursday onwards if you want a seat.

Photo Credit: Plato Putas

Our service was pleasant, nothing particularly stood out to us. The kitchen got the food out at a good clip and we were able to get our bill pretty quickly.

The Reco?

This is the first four-star review I’ve ever given out (I believe this is review #52). It’s not the ‘perfect restaurant’. I’ve eaten more ambitious food, in nicer settings, with more personable service; however, this was the first time that I badly wanted to re-order EVERY dish I tasted without exception. I think that says enough. Enjoy!

Other reviews:
  Food Junkie Chronicles   |     Where Jess Ate

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Mar 27, 2012

416-971 4000    |    $4.75 - $12.75 full sandwich square

When I first heard there’d be a new gourmet sandwich shop opening up close to work that served Ravi Soups, I had to walk over that very same day. I love Ravi Soups and wanted a second location as close to me as possible, this was the next best thing. Check out my thoughts below.

Food

So the shop concept is that nearly everything is pre-made and pre-packaged, but super fresh and with gourmet ingredients. This includes sandwiches, salad, soups and sweets. The sandwich menu online is extensive, but not all are available every day so you roll the dice a bit if there’s something specific you want.

First off, two Ravi Soups are available daily in this middle serve-yourself island area (above). Variety-wise, it’s probably close to what your work cafeteria offers, but the difference is they’re damn good. You’ll also pay for it though, a medium isn’t that big, and at $6.95 it’s not particular great value.

The same can be said for the sandwiches unfortunately in my opinion. The cheapest full sandwich is $4.75 (a nutella and hazelnut sandwich), but all are made on square whole wheat pieces of bread and most are served cold in the fridge section. Most of the options with a protein start in the $8-$9 each range.

One friend sampled the lemony tuna above with tuna, lemon mayo, cucumber, watercress and pea sprouts and enjoyed it. She found it particularly lemony, so kudos on the naming convention.

Another friend had the best-selling Brick Lane Chicken (curry chicken, raisins, cashews, mango, spinach). She really enjoyed it and it smelled delicious to the rest of us.

I ordered The Roast, one of the two warm sandwich features of the day that had roast beef, horseradish and grain mustard aioli, onion confit, portobellos, brussel sprouts and gruyere. It was definitely tasty, but I was looking for more sharpness from the horseradish and mustard. Also, at $11.75 for just the sandwich, I was still hungry afterwards. I would highly recommend introducing some heftier bread options to make the sandwiches more substantial given the price range.

HOWEVER, because I mentioned how hungry I still was the co-owner Jordana brought over some chocolate and peanut butter sweets, which was much appreciated. Love it when people go that extra little bit out of the way!

Service and Ambience

Because of the DIY nature of the place, it runs on two folks in the front of house so on a busy lunch day I can see it getting pretty hectic if folks have questions or there’s a build up at the register. Fortunately, when we were there it was a bit after the rush so all ran smoothly.

My only feedback would be that the warm sandwich took something like 10 minutes to assemble and was the only order at the time. Again, during a busy lunch hour, that kind of turnaround time could cause some frustration for customers.

The Reco?

The most important part is that the food tastes good. The sandwiches are tasty, the options are unique in the area, and the staff are really friendly. These things alone make it worth a try.

What makes me hesitant to come back is the concept. To me, if I’m grabbing a quick soup and sandwich, value definitely comes into play. If you don’t have a big appetite but want something more interesting this is your spot. If you’re pretty hungry come lunch hour, maybe not.

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Mar 8, 2012