647 748 4272  |   $5-13 Small Plates

I’ve read some polarizing things about Hapa thus far. Before it opened, people lauded it as another hiqh quality izakaya in the mold of Guu, but more recent opinions have labeled it more pedestrian and used the dreaded word: ‘fusion’. I decided to drop-in anyways and give it a shot.

Food

The menu is basically split into three parts: cold tapas, hot tapas and the fresh sheet, an assortment features, rolls and desserts. There’s a ton of variety and you could probably eat all fried things or all sushi if you felt like it. Naturally, I mixed it up for the sake of the review.

Before eating, I began with a Shiso Mojito that sounded like a clever shift from the usual. I’ll say it might be tough to pick it out blindfolded, but I think it’s good value for $9. There’s also a heck of a sake selection (if that’s your thing) and some good beer if you’re a fan of Blanche de Chambly and Amsterdam brews.

Our first dish was the Salmon Yukee (above) topped with a raw quail egg and some nori chips. The tartare was clean, the egg for richness and moisture, and a nori chip that added a unique twist. It’s definitely fusion, but it worked for me.

Next up was the scallop tartare with bacon, mustard mayo, and some wontons. I think the bacon, mustard, scallop flavour combo made sense, but perhaps a bit heavily dressed for something that’s generally a little more delicate.

I think this was my favourite dish of the night. Beef tataki, quickly seared, sliced thin with an addictive sesame-chile topping, crunch, lemon for acid, and a good amount of raw red and green onion. It’s clearly not rocket science, but it’s well executed and hits on all the things I was looking for in a bite.

One of the few hot tapas we ordered was the Ebi Mayo: a very simple preparation of tempura prawns and some ‘spicy mayo’. Outside of the fact I’d call the mayo more ‘zingy’, that was a perfect tempura prawn. Really juicy and tender with a nicely crisp batter made me wish we’d ordered two.

This next plate, the Aburi Saba, is what everyone will tell you order - both for the show and the taste. Your server will bring out a blow torch and give the raw mackerel a quick 5-10 seconds over top. Mackerel is already fairly fishy and the torching brings that out, provides some novel temperature contrast and a slight char flavour. If you like mackerel (I do), you’ll really enjoy this. If not, steer clear.

If you had to nominate one dish you’d find at Joey’s, this halibut taco dish would be it. It’s tempure halibut with bacon bits topped with shoestrings served with a roasted jalapeno tartar sauce. I know it sounds pedestrian, but the sauce packs a good punch,the fish is ruined and the grilled taco is actually tasty. I didn’t want to like it, but I couldn’t help myself.

The last dish we shared was the tuna carpaccio with yuzu dressing. It looks simple, bright, moist and pure, and accomplishes all those things when you drop it in your mouth. Another successful fish preparation.

QUICK NOTE: This is a tapas restaurant, so if you’re not looking to spend big, you’ll likely come away hungry if you entered with an appetite. Luckily, it’s surrounded by super cheap pho places, so keep that in mind.

Service and Ambience

One thing you’ll always get at Guu is an unrivaled ambience. It’s buzzing, borderline too loud, and the kitchen greets you with joy and fervor. Something about the room feels less authentic and more ‘Milestones’ (flat screen TVs will do that), so even a similarly joyous greeting just seems out of place.

Service throughout the night was attentive and helpful, with our server recommending sake for the newer drinkers at the table and delivering all the dishes promptly and as ordered. No complaints here.

The Reco?

Like a lot of pretty well-executed ‘Asian fusion’ restaurants, Hapa probably has taken more heat than it deserves. I almost think of it more as upscale comfort food in some ways, and try not to hold it to the standard of other ultra-authentic alternatives. If you walk in with the same mindset, I’m pretty you’ll come away feeling similarly satisfied.

Other Reviews? 
 Globe and Mail  |      Kat Can Rawr

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Oct 28, 2012

647 253 8000  |   $12-16 Bowls

Having already reviewed (and enjoyed) Daisho, it was only natural that I stop in to Noodle Bar to sample what continues to draw lines of folks outside the Shangri-La hotel. 

We ended up waiting about 20 minutes on a Friday - not bad - and got to sample a few things off the menu. I won’t call this a complete review since we just didn’t try a lot, so consider this a mini-review.

Food

If you do any review reading about this place so far, you’ll start to see a consensus: ‘I came here with exceedingly high expectations, ordered the ramen, wasn’t blown away, and came away disappointed’. I’m not gonna argue with everyone, so I decided to sample some of the other menu elements.

The menu itself is pretty small with some buns (or baos), bowls, and extras. Since I’m a complete sucker for these fluffy steamed buns, that’s where I started.

We went the chicken versions (above), and thankfully they were some of the best I’ve ever had. I’d say they stack up well with Baohaus in NYC and those served at Chang’s Ssam Bar and Noodle Bar NYC. The texture is beautiful and fluffy, the chicken flavourful, and the crackling a special textural contrast. I’d highly recommend these.

Next up were the ginger scallion noodles (above), topped with shiitakes, cabbage, cucumber and a ton of scallions. A really clean, fresh, flavourful bowl for sure with noodles curled underneath. My friend really enjoyed it, but was hoping for broth of some kind to add another layer of flavour. Thankfully, the squirt bottle of awesome hot sauce was nearby.

My lunch main was the kimchi stew bowl with pork shoulder and rice cakes (above). I really enjoyed this dish with a bunch of hot sauce added to give it some spice. Match that spice with some of the sharpness from the kimchi and piece of tender shredded pork shoulder, and you’ve got a giant bowl of home.

Service and Ambience

I’ve already commented on the design of the three-storey edifice in another review, so I’ll describe the organized chaos you’re likely to walk into during weekday lunch. Almost all seating is communal, so be ready to rub elbows at the long wooden tables and bar. There’s some seating upstairs in Nikai while you’re waiting, but it’s not serving until dinner hour unfortunately.

As for service, I’d call it friendly and mostly efficient. They try to turn the tables quite quickly given the lunch rush, so you’ll get your food easily within 10-15 minutes. Our server did forget the beer we ordered, but small slips like that are likely to occur every now and then given the speed and noise level in the room.

The Reco?

Go to Sansotei or Kinton if killer ramen is your hankering. I know it’s called Noodle Bar, and everyone expects mind-blowing ramen, but I encourage you to check out some of the other options on this menu. I did, and I’ll definitely be back to check out a few more. I hope you do the same. Cheers.

Other Reviews? 
 Kiki’s BFF   |      foodpron

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Oct 19, 2012

416 274 8766  |   $17-34  Mains

Does King West have enough restaurants? Yes. Does it have enough good restaurants? Debatable. East of Spadina? There’s serious room for improvement.

While Weslodge isn’t precisely east of Spadina, it’s close enough to get folks who work downtown excited. I kept hearing people say they wanted to try the place with ‘the big yellow doors’, so I decided I’d head there and sample it. 

Food

A drink is definitely food, so I’ll start with what I drank. The mixed drink menu is a fair size and kinda pricey, and since this is a saloon, I felt compelled. 

The drink above was entitled the Gentlemen’s Quarterly. Quite strong, really pronounced herbal/licorice flavour. At first I was surprised at the size for $16, but it packed a punch.

After a few sips, our two starters arrived. The first, a scotch egg surrounded by chorizo with tomato jam and truffle. While quite tasty, the best thing on the plate is the jam. Chorizo and truffle felt like it was missing unfortunately.

Next up, awesome garlicky snap peas. If you want to start with something green, this will be a great choice. The parmesan and radish are fairly subtle, but these are just really fresh and delicious. We should have ordered two of them.

Our first main was the fried cornish hen with chantrelles, corn, and black kale. The sauce had a bourbon note to it which was great and the hen was quite moist. The breading was a bit thick and maybe lacked a bit of crunch, but I think the dish fell short due to lack of salt. It just felt under-seasoned and the flavours didn’t pop.

This dish was terrific. The veal cheek was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but the balance of this dish was what sold me. The white bean puree provides a good hearty base, the escarole has a great sharp vinegar taste, the dates were just sweet enough, and the bacon adds just enough pork to round everything out.

We also ordered a side of carrots with harissa, yogurt, and crispy carrot tops. This was an unfortunate miss. It looked cool, but was ultimately more about harissa than carrot. I also thought the tops didn’t work given their lack of flavour and toughness.

Thankfully, the dessert was really creative to end the meal. It’s a cherry sorbet, with a machego cheesecake, melting chocolate bits and crumbs of condensed milk (I’m guessing) for texture. While the cherry wasn’t super pronounced, the machego cheesecake DEFINITELY tasted like manchego and the texture was really close to melting cheese. It’s hard to describe, but I think it’s a really unique composed dish.

Service and Ambience

It’s clear a ton of work went into to creating the vibe of this place. I’m terrible with describing these types of things, but the three words I’d use are old-fashion, ornate and open. I’ll say you can’t help but just look around for the first 10 minutes or so. 

Our service was great for the most part. The server was very personable, helped speed up our meal so we could make a flight, and ensured we had everything we needed. He did miss the carrots when we ordered it, but was apologetic and got an order to us right away.

The Reco?

I would definitely recommend this place, but I think there’s attainable room for improvement. The veal cheek, snap peas, and dessert were real highs, and a few other dish concepts are inches away from that same territory. With an already impressive dining room and charismatic servers, this isn’t so far from a 3.5/4 in my book. 

 blogTO   |    dine.TO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Sep 17, 2012

416 977 0999  |   $3.50 - $9.80  Small Plates

I’ll start by saying this review is way overdue given that I’ve written almost 70 of these since last September. If you’re a reader of the blog, chances are you’ve already been to Guu because it’s massively popular and has been since it opened in 2009. I’d been a couple times before, but finally got around to going again, taking some pics, and thinking about what I’m eating. Here goes what you already know.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

The menu is a collection of 48 Japanese tapas nestled into categories like apps, cold dishes, deep fried, oden (slow cooked hot pot), grilled, and rice & noodle. The variety is impressive and, from my experience, you’re not likely to get a dud if you close your eyes and just pick items at random. That said, we decided not to do that, and instead picked what looked interesting.

Of course, you have to start with a ‘big mug’ of Sapporo by virtue of its novelty. It’s $9.50, looks about the size of a pitcher, and makes you happy. Good value. 

I’ve also heard good things about the cocktails here, and at $6-$7 each, why not try one? (note: ordering the big mug is a valid excuse)

We started with the gyu shabu salad on the recommendation of our server, which is essentially very thinly-sliced beef warm beef on greens with an exceptional black sesame dressing. The salad greens and peppers were fine, but the tender beef with sesame combo was a definite winner. 

Next up, deep fried octopus balls with tonkatsu sauce (delicious) and karashi mayo (a Japanese mustard-mayo). It’s kind of hard for these not be awesome; the two sauces are savoury and sharp, and the hot inner-octopus, while a bit chewy, was a good complement. Overall this is a very unique flavour combination for most North American palates. 

Next up was marinated octopus with wasabi stem and nori wrappers. Octopus was much more tender here, and the I liked the idea of wrapping your own little bites. However, the wasabi stem is powerful. I’m not an enormous wasabi fan, so I got a little blown out by the dominance of the flavour. 

Next up was marinated jellyfish, a first for me. It comes to the table looking like a clear rice noodle, but upon further inspection it’s clear this is something different. I’ll say it doesn’t really taste like anything; the marinade and salad is what you’ll taste. I found the jelly fish tough, rubbery, and arduous to chew even with a marinade that may have tenderized it.

Next up, we came back to traditional flavours with bacon-wrapped scallops and enoki mushrooms, a soy sauce and more karashi mayo. These are going to be tasty no matter what, and the added sweetness from the sauce with a little bit of mayo was delicious. I don’t understand why only half of them are stuffed with enokis though. Leaves some folks at the table wanting more.

We then jumped into the deep fried section again with prawns and mayo. This dish is really quite basic, but lets the seafood shine. The prawns were juicy and perfectly cooked with a thin, crispy batter and some spicy mayo. 

As I went through the menu, it became obvious that mayo was on a fair number of these dishes. Not sure if that’s a Japanese preference with fried foods or just a Guu-ism.

Another deep friend item we ordered was egglplant with sweet miso sauce. While tasty, I was missing the crunch you come to expect when you read ‘deep fried’. Parts of the pieces were sort of crispy, but there isn’t any batter, so the sauce made the majority of them quite mushy. Conceptually, deep fried eggplant sounds like a great contrast between crunch and mush, but the contrast just wasn’t here.

Next we grabbed buta kimchi bibimbap with ground pork served in a sizzling stone bowl. This was great once we let our rice crisp up and gave everything a quick mix. I think we were hoping for a higher ‘stuff’ to rice ratio though.

We finished with a pseudo-dessert as opposed to something on the menu: deep fried brie with mango and blueberry sauce. Suffice to say this was an indulgence. 

We found the textural contrast we were looking for here for sure, and the two sweet sauces with the fatty goodness over top made me promise myself that the next day would be a ‘salad day’.

Service and Ambience

The ambience here is particularly novel for Toronto (or at least it was before the copycats). The room is bustling with hungry folks at communal tables, happy to no longer be waiting in line, all of whom are greeted in unison by the kitchen and waitstaff both when they enter and when they leave. 

Photo Credit: Toronto Life

Service was also pretty good, given how hectic the restaurant was (and usually is). You get the feeling the staff have gotten used to the high-paced environment.

Our food came out reasonably quickly, as is to be expected with tapas, and our server was happy to make a recommendation when we needed her to.

The Reco?

You already know you should go to Guu. For most of us, it’s the first time we’ve tried many of the dishes, and more often than not they leave you quite satisfied.

Yes, you’ll need to wait at least 30 minutes in line most days, but plan ahead, put your name down, kill some time, then enjoy one of the more unique dining experiences Toronto has to offer.

Other reviews:
 FoodiegatorJ     |    Cafe Joie

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited August 12, 2012

416 214 2252  |   $19-25 Pasta/Risotto, $25-50  Mains

Eating in the financial district during weekdays is usually an exercise in banker avoidance. When the business model is built around alcohol sales on the patio, it’s hard to find somewhere that puts great emphasis on food. I was skeptical about Vertical for this very reason, but I think it’s safe to say you can eat well here even surrounded by our suited friends.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

A read through the menu shows you this is more than a bar. It reads very modern Italian with everything you’d expect to find in the apps and pastas, along with some mains that veer away from the traditional. 

The four of us decided to start with three apps that we all agreed were the highlights of the meal.

The lamb meatballs in tomato sauce (above) were delicious - juicy and full of lamb flavour you’re looking for when you order lamb. I also enjoyed the focaccia with it to sop up all the leftovers. 

Next up were the five balls of arancini (above) filled with saffron risotto and fontina cheese. I will always order arancini when I see them on a menu because, when perfected, nothing is more addictive. That, and they’re usually tasty even when botched.

That said, I thought these were pretty darn good. If you don’t like saffron, avoid these, because the risotto is rife with it. I enjoyed the bold flavour, along with thin exterior and accompanying sauce. Just a touch more fontina would have won it for me. I’m very picky.

This was a dish that tasted as good as it read on the menu. Seared scallop, watermelon, speck, corn and watercress. Watermelon and corn makes sense. Speck and scallop makes sense. Fresh, juicy, porky goodness.

The first main that caught my eye was the halibut over spinach, with a fennel and star-anise puree along with a porcini and potato ’crochetta’. In theory, sounds like a really smart flavour profile. 

The good: Most of the fish was perfect, with an excellent crispy layer on top and moist, flaky interior. Spinach was a nice strong compliment. The mix of textures throughout the dish was really successful.

The not: The puree was ultra mild to the point where it was hard to say what it tasted like. The filling of the crochetta didn’t yell porcini either.

I think this dish has huge potential, but I really missed the promise of fennel, star-anise and porcini.

You may think the above is a ravioli, but this stamp-shaped pasta is called Sfoja Lorda. Vertical fills it with halibut and services with lobster, tomato, and wild fennel. I’ll say the star of the dish was the halibut filling, which I’ve yet to have in a pasta dish. My issue was the lobster is overwhelmed and the fennel flavour was missing again.

The last dish looked beautiful. The risotto of the day was also lobster, so we said why not?

The mouth feel was great and the flavour was pleasant, but I really wish something had stood out. Lobster meat is really quite subtle so anything to dial it up is appreciated and I just felt like I was missing it again.

The last dish of the night was the dessert above. I can’t seem to find that night’s dessert menu online, so I’m not going to take wild guesses at the ingredients. What I do remember is that the cake fell apart really easily, got sopped up in the sweet sauce below and turned into a bit of mess with the cocoa-flavoured sauce.

Dining Date Night

You may have heard me mention this service before, but I’m just going to reiterate how useful and easy it is. 

It lets you make a reservation at some solid restaurants for $10 during off-peak nights (usually excludes Fridays & Weekends) for up to six people. In exchange, they give you 30% off the entire bill including alcohol. The four of us save $40+ and turned this pricier place into something pretty affordable.

Click below to sign up. Highly recommend it:

Service and Ambience

So here’s the obvious part: during weekdays in the summer this is a bar for business people in the financial district (and those eager folks that pursue them). If you don’t like that atmosphere, you may be put off. If you’re not and don’t mind a lively patio in a great location, this is your scene.

On the service side, I was impressed. The great thing about these restaurants is that the kitchen isn’t particularly bombarded with orders so your food comes out pretty quickly. Our server was also very attentive and was always around when we needed her.

The Reco?

This was a really tough one. The apps were great and definitely reco-worthy, but the mains and dessert all had some issues that held them back from fully delivering on the menu’s compelling promises.

Without the 30% off, I’ll say Vertical borders on being too rich for what it delivers. That said, the apps give me faith that there’s more delicious food to be had here, and with the available discount, there aren’t enough reasons not to come back.

Other reviews:
 Food Junkie Chronicles (tasting menu)   |   Toronto City Gossip

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited August 2, 2012

416 551 6362   |   $3-$12 lunch rolls, $9-$19 boxes

I’ve eaten a lot on Baldwin Street. Having tried almost every spot of interest, you start wondering about places of no interest at all.

My coworkers and I have consistently walked past ND for one reason: the sign yells everything but “we have excellent Japanese cuisine!”. We’d walk down the street to Etsu for our sushi fix, completely ignorant of the quality that lay right before our eyes. Thankfully, I came across blogTO’s very positive write up and decided to walk in one afternoon for lunch. See how it went…

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

We just popped in for lunch, so I’ll call this a mini-review since I’m sure their dinner options are more ambitious. 

The lunch menu itself won’t wow you with anything really different; a few apps, udon dishes, bento boxes and rolls are you options. The difference comes in the quality of what arrives at your table.

I know it’s silly, but I’ll start with edamame. Most of us enjoy these absent-mindedly, but I’d swear these were ‘fresher’ than usual. Couldn’t really tell you why or how, but they just were.

After having polished off all the beans, the mains arrived. The first order was a vegetarian box with crispy agedashi tofu, veggie-filled maki, and a great seaweed salad. The presentation was meticulous (shards of nori over the tofu) and all the elements on the plate were beautifully executed. I’m usually not a huge tofu fan, but the textural contrast was dead-on.

Next up was a spicy salmon roll with avocado, crispy tempura bits, and scallion. I’m guessing you’ve had your fare share of of spicy salmon rolls, but here are the little details that shine: the rice falls apart when it hits your mouth, the salmon melts, and you can actually pick out the flavour of the scallions. It’s still just a spicy salmon roll, but I can’t imagine it being done much better.

I decided to go a bit more ambitious for my main and went for the Spicy Rainbow roll. The layering of tuna, salmon, and butter fish with tempura prawn, and avocado running through it called my name on the menu. I put the first one in my mouth with a nice chunk of ginger and it was delicious. 

The heat comes from spicy oil drizzled atop that builds as you make your way through the roll. Without the ginger to contrast, I think it overpowered the fresh fish a bit. That said, the textures are excellent throughout and the portion size was also good for a $12 roll.

Service and Ambience

The room itself is pretty bare bones and is surely not meant to be the focus of the experience here. It’s also pretty evident because there are rarely large groups of people inside. With some more positive reviews and a new sign, I could see this place picking up many more loyal customers.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Our server was very pleasant and ensured our water glasses were filled throughout lunch. Unfortunately, it was necessary because (1) there’s no A/C and (2) it took about 30 minutes for the food to come out of the kitchen in a pretty empty restaurant. You can tell your food is made to order, but I wonder if there’s any more than one chef in the kitchen.

The Reco?

I struggled between 2.5 and 3 stars on this, but I think it’s important to promote excellent food even in the presence of some negatives during the service. I used to call Etsu the best sushi on Baldwin, but I’m comfortable crowning ND as the new champ. I’ll be back.

Other reviews:
 blogTO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited June 20, 2012

416 703 4222   |   $9-$32 sharing plates

Niagara Street Cafe occupied this same spot just off King West for years, but as of about a month ago, it was reborn as Edulis. What does Edulis mean you ask? It’s a type of porcini mushroom. Who knew? Learn something every day!

The new menu caught my eye, so I decided to bring eight friends to descend upon the restaurant and chow down. Here’s how it went.

Photo Credit: Facebook Page

Food

The changing menu not only features some great shrooms, but offers an eclectic mix of Spanish, French, Italian and more that I’ve yet to find downtown. You’ll see things like paella, sweetbreads, foie gras torchon, lamb neck, ceviche and veal belly among other things, which really makes this menu stand out. Generally, I’m wary of too many cuisines on one menu, but everything just sounded so good.

We were graciously presented with a couple servings of this traditional ‘pintxos’ (spanish amuse-bouche/snack if you will) of olives stuffed with anchovies and spicy guindillo peppers (above). Very traditional salty, spicy, fishy combo with some bread to balance it out. Perfect little bites.

Had some fresh greens (above) to start off with. Not much to say here other than the menu reads ‘Soiled Reputation Greens’, which is just a reference to the name of the farm in Stratford where the greens come from. You won’t get any soil =P

Next up was the foie gras torchon with fresh oregon porcinis stacked with toasts and a pinenut vinaigrette (above). I stay away from foie personally, but my friends quite enjoyed the dish. Fresh, earthy, and nutty are words they uttered along with ‘mmm’. So far so good.

The next dish we ordered was the BC spot prawn ceviche with aji amarillo and cripsy corn. I was an idiot, and mistakenly deleted the picture of my favourite dish of the night. The juicy chunks of prawn were great, but the star was the really bright spicy peruvian chile pepper along the bottom of the plate that brought the dish to life. I’m also a sucker for corn nuts, so the cripsy corn was a great touch for taste and texture. Excellent dish.

Next up was the lamb neck with chickpeas (pieces and puree) and a simple carrot, onion and parsley salad (above). I quite enjoyed the lamb neck and the accompaniments. I’m not sure if it was too simple or I’m just being picky, but I feel like one more element (acid? extra seasoning of some kind?) could have made it just a bit better.

Then came the veal belly that many folks around the table quite enjoyed. I’d never had it before, but it’s like your pork belly texturally, but remove the bacon quotient from it. This dish was also clean, fresh, and straightforward.

A friend of mine wanted a healthy fish dish, so we got her the salmon cooked in cedar leaves with butter poached radishes, wheatberries and pea shoots. The preparation of the salmon was rare and you could really pick out the cedar flavour. That said, she was really hoping for crispy-seared skin on the top. Thought $24 for this portion size was also a tad pricey.

A new item on the menu that night was the soft shell crab ‘schnitzel’ with a fried egg and a bacon salsa verde…how can you not order that? All the combos made sense: deep fried, egg, bacon, seafood, fresh. The bacon flavour wasn’t quite as forward though, so if that’s what caught your attention on the menu, don’t expect tons of bacon. The portion overall is generous though, so you should get your fill of crab.

Another must order on the menu seemed to be the baby octopus paella for two. The chef clearly likes his Spanish food, and I’ve been longing for a great paella in Toronto to bring back memories of Valencia and Barcelona. Unfortunately, two critical things that make paella great were missing: (1) the soccarat and (2) perfectly cooked seafood (found the octopus to be chewy). The soccarat is the carmelized, crispy rice layer on the bottom that forms to give paella its trademark texture. It wasn’t there on arrival, so we let it sit for a while in the hopes it would develop - still no dice. Maybe it’s the pan or something, but it was disappointing for sure.

Next were the sweetbreads with porcini, asparagus and nettle-parsley pesto (above). I enjoyed the deep-woodsy green flavours in this, but found my sweetbreads chewier than I’d like. In my experience, great sweetbreads are juicy, tender, and taste reminiscent of a chicken’s dark meat. Didn’t quite get that here.

While the savoury part of the meal ended on a bit of sour note, I had faith some sweets could resurrect it. Our first order was baba au rhum. I’d never heard of it, but the description of fluffy, semi-rum-saturated cake with whipped cream was enough for me to order it. I’ve read reviews saying they didn’t ‘get it right’, but I really enjoyed it. Nice punchy, deep rum flavour with light cake and cream was just swell for me.

The last bites of the night were taken from a lemon tart with a brunoise of rhubarb and some crunchy crumble (above). Pastry was well done, lemon tart was clean and bright, and the little juicy rhubarb cubes and crumble provided the ideal textural mix for the topping.

Service and Ambience

I love how it feels to sit in this place. It’s homey, comfortable, and looks distinctly like a rustic french cafe/bistro. The polished stone tables give it a bit of class as well that you could say bridge into the somewhat less rustic food preparations.

Photo Credit: Facebook Page

I thought service was great. This was the night of the Union flood, so a lot of our party arrived sporadically late. Thankfully, our server had no problem explaining the menu items and concepts to everyone multiple times, and kept our courses coming out at a pleasant pace. I was also particularly pleased that upon our arrival, we were offered some wines by the glass that are usually only available by the bottle. I happily ordered a spicy Hungarian red on the server’s recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Reco?

I think it needs to be said this menu is ambitious; the scope and depth of European cuisines presented here aren’t easy to pull off. The place is also just a month old, and with more feedback, I believe you’ll see more and more home run dishes being put out of the kitchen. While you might get a miss, you’re also sure to be wowed and I think that’s a real reason to come back. I sure will.

Other reviews:
 National Post  |    dine.TO   |    Cookbook Store Blog

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited June 1, 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