647 930 9517  |   $16-28 Mains  |   60 Richmond St E

After having gone to one of Rose & Sons first dinner services, I started to develop a tendency to try out other restaurants making their supper time debut. Hawthorne had been very popular for the lunch crowd over the past few weeks and was just beginning to offer a new menu in the evenings, so I decided to drop in with a bunch of friends to sample their offerings.

Exterior Image Credit: Karolyne Ellacott, Toronto Life

Food

I’m not exaggerating when I say the menu that night was extremely eclectic. The same menu shares edamame, lamb empanada, lemongrass ribs, fish and chips, peking duck phot and steak frites. Usually, this would send me running for the door, but the described elements of each dish seemed to be in harmony so we proceeded to order.

Starting with the ‘russian unorthodox’ above, there was a pattern of over-salting early in the early-going. The flavour combinations of horseradish, apple beet, caraway and dill made sense, but not all them showed up on the plate and I couldn’t help but feel the aioli was really salty.

One of the other starters was a mushroom ‘soup of the moment’ with some decent mushroom flavour, but really lacked depth. Felt very one-note and again probably had more salt than it needed.

The last app was a small beet and beef tartare with pickled mustard seeds, horseradish cream, and coffee oil. I can’t say I really picked up the oil, but for a third time, I’d say the tartare was too salty.

On to mains. My order was the ponzu glazed pork belly with lobster broth, long bean, crispy toast and chili peanut dust. While the broth did have lobster flavour, it was quite bitter almost like a Massaman curry. I was really hoping for some bright flavours or spice somewhere to help balance, but everything else on the plate was rather bland. No hint of heat or peanut, which made me wonder if there was any dust at all.

The crispy skin char with vanilla poached tomato, chestnut gnocchi, charred kale, onion fondue and bee pollen just sounded way too ambitious. I didn’t order it, but I did have a bite of a few elements and I just didn’t get it, especially the tomatoes. Very odd combinations here.

The beef cheek with bok choy, stone crab chow chow and crispy potato cake was another dish that sounded like there may be something there, but flavours didn’t really come together. Again, felt it was a bit bland.

The final dish sort of embodied the ongoing theme of promising description, followed by flat result. This chicken (while huge) was supposed to have east African spice and coffee essence, but really wasn’t as pronounced as it needed to be. Also, the presentation felt like Swiss Chalet take out and the croutons surrounding the bird were not what I’d call a good rendition of panzanella salad.

Service and Ambience

Safe to say the food was disappointing, but I did like the vibe of the place. Tasteful use of stone and wood with lots of jars filled with preserves made for a pleasant atmosphere. I can see how the giant bar facing into the kitchen would be buzzing during lunch.

Interior Image Credit: Karolyne Ellacott, Toronto Life

I also thought our server was very friendly, attentive to our large group, and was also around to answer questions or take any ad hoc orders. I really wish the food had been better so that we could have validated some of his recommendations.

The Reco?

I honestly think the menu stretches this place too thin and has resulted in dishes that seem to over-promise and under-deliver. I continue to hear good things about lunch here, and perhaps this early dinner service is not reflective of the food quality this kitchen puts out, but I can’t recommend this in the slightest based on what I tasted. Sorry guys.

Other Reviews? 
 No Dinner Reviews Yet

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Jan 11, 2013

647 748 0222  |   $16-55 Sushi, $7-18 Bistro

By all indications, the people behind Guu can do no wrong in this city. The first location (Izakaya) is still ultra-frequented, the second location (Sakabar) appears successful, and their recent foray into ramen (Kinton) is a prime contender for the best and busiest noodle joint in the city. All this said, their most recent opening is easily the riskiest concept. Naturally, I was eager to try. Here are my thoughts.

Food

I’ll open by saying that the restaurant is still in soft opening, but has been serving for about a month now. The soft opening menu is split into two main parts: premium sashimi + sushi and ‘bistro’ fare. You could call one part the ‘ja’ and the other the ‘bistro’. We went for a couple items from either side.

The first two items delivered were our bistro items. The salmon pie with mushroom and oyster sauce and prawn bisque (above) was our first bite. The bisque/sauce combo was flavourful and the pastry had the flaky quality you look for, but the salmon interior fell flat. Not much flavour, the fish was definitely overcooked and came in awkwardly large chunks. 

The other dish was nanban battered chicken (above) with tartar sauce, some sort of broth at the bottom and a slaw over top. From a taste perspective, this dish was addictive, provided you like a good tartar sauce. The juicy chicken was smothered in it, and on any given bite you were guaranteed flavourful moisture. My issue is that the best part of fried chicken, the crispy exterior, was unfortunately soggy. Sitting fried chicken in broth and pouring tartar sauce over top is a combination I’d recommend revising.

About a minute after our bistro dishes came to the table, both sushi items arrived. The tiger shrimp or ebi, was delicious and the most unique thing I tasted during the meal. The shrimp came topped with a sauce that I can only describe as bechamel and reminded me (quite fondly) of a savoury breakfast.  

Our other sushi dish was a torched mackerel topped with a jam/chutney of sorts that I couldn’t identify. The fish was fresh, tender, and flavourful (as mackerel usually is) and each bite made me want another.

To finish, we went with the nashi, a warm pear pie with ice cream and some berries. The pie was well-executed, had the perfect level of sweetness, and was pleasant with the pairings on the plate. I’d also say this was probably the most successful bistro-style dish of the night, but also decidedly unambitious.

Service and Ambience

From an interior design perspective, this is a beautiful space. It seems every Guu offshoot has a keen eye for what makes a comfortable yet premium atmosphere and I think the fairly large space, with open-concept sushi bar, accomplishes this with ease.

Image credit: Jabistro Website

From a service perspective, we had a few bumps over the course of the night.

• Felt a bit rushed when ordering, despite a half-full dining room
• All dishes arriving at once didn’t make sense and again rushed us to eat before everything got cold
• Ended up with $10 overcharge on a dish (corrected promptly though)

The Reco?

I’m positive you’ll really like this place if you come for sushi and sashimi, but this idea of incorporating a bistro theme is loose at best and definitely the weaker part of the menu today. While ambitious as a concept, the menus feels disjointed and the overall experience a little confused. For these reasons, I can’t say I’ll be back.

Other Reviews? 
 blogTO     |      Post City

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Dec 3, 2012

647 476 3833  |   $9 Bowls + Extras

It’s noon, your office is freezing, you have a ton of noodle options around, but you want THE bowl of noodles. You turn to a coworker, your go-to-foodie, looking for a nugget of wisdom. She tells you, “if it’s ramen you crave, Sansotei’s the place”. Jovial with this surefire recommendation, you race to the elevator, bust out the doors of your building, and make a beeline to 179 Dundas West.

Your problem? You’re already too late. There’s a huge line, it doesn’t move particularly fast, and you’re going to freeze your ass off outside.

Moral of the story: you can’t just show up here. I know you’ve heard it’s awesome, but so has everyone else, so plan ahead, leave early, and you too can enjoy a bowl of warm goodness.

Food

OK, enough with the narrative, let’s talk food. The menu is very focused on a few key variations of ramen. Wikipedia has a great description of all four: shio (salty), shoya (soy sauce), miso, and tonkotsu (pork bone). With each one of these you can add some extra egg, pork belly, veggies if you want to pack your soup with even more goodies. In addition to ramen, Sansotei also offers some sides like seaweed salad, gyoza, and a couple rice dishes.

I’m a big fan of seaweed salads, so we started with the one above. It should be exactly what you’re looking for: fresh, clean, and a tiny bit chewy for texture.

While Sansotei is known for the Tonkotsu ramen more than any other, I figured I might as well order another kind just for variety. Enter Miso (above).

Miso ramen originated in Hokkaido, Japan (see Bourdain video above for more) and has the familiar taste you’ve come to love, just amped up and combined with complimentary flavours like pork, green onion and corn (generally not found in other ramens). I was a big fan of the bowl myself: noodles had great chewy texture, the broth perfectly salty, and the portion was satisfying. 

I’m no ramen connoisseur, but I very much enjoyed these.

For the hell of it, I also ordered gyoza, and found them to be steaming hot inside their thin crispy noodle exterior and full of pork flavour.

Service and Ambience

Once you step inside the restaurant space, you realize why there’s a line outside: it’s tiny; my best guess is around 20-25 seats max. While a hole in the wall, the interior’s very unique with an intricate rock wall lit from above and a giant rope that looks to have once been used to secure large ships to shore.

From a service perspective, the first thing to know is that you’ll be given a number when standing in line. Servers will pop out from the restaurant and call you in from the cold when it’s your turn for soup. 

Once inside, best to ask your server to help you understand what comes in each ramen, as the menu isn’t very detailed in that regard. Your server may not have an awesome command of the English language, but she’ll do her best with a smile on her face, and you’ll eventually be able to make an informed choice.

The Reco?

I waited in line for about 15 minutes, and thought the meal definitely justified it. The purpose for your visit is straightforward, the menu is good value, and if you’re informed enough to arrive early, I’m certain you’ll have a pleasurable experience. Enjoy!

Other Reviews? 
 Where Jess Ate   |      blogTO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 1, 2012

647 748 1444  |   $21-$26 Mains

Did you watch Top Chef Canada Season 2? If so, you’re pretty familiar with Chef Carl Heinrich’s style: well-executed, comforting, and far-from-convoluted. This rings true at Richmond Station, the newly opened project from Chef Heinrich and partner Ryan Donovan, both former faces of Marben (another favourite of mine). 

Opening only about a week ago, I’ve already been twice. The first time for a quick bite with a friend, the second with a huge party of more than 20. My impressions from both visits are below. 

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

Unfortunately, the full menu isn’t yet available online, so I’ll do my best to describe it: the focus is very local and seasonal, with a handful of starters and sharing plates, mains, and desserts. I’d say there’s a good balance to the menu offering a bit of everything for carnivores (in-house charcuterie, rib-stuffed burger, coq-au-vin) and those looking for lighter options (roast beet salad, smoked trout, kohlrabi ravioli). 

I’ll run through some of what we sampled on both occasions, but unfortunately don’t have pictures of my own due to lighting and a struggling iPhone. Thankfully, Toronto Life and blogTO have some great shots.

With Pictures

Photo Credit: blogTO

One of the starters for the big group’s fixed menu was a vibrant roasted beet salad with whipped goat cheese, pickled shallots, and candied hazelnuts. I’ll leave the description to my buddy Kevin:

“Probably my favourite dish of the night. Great balance between the goat cheese and sweetness from the (maple) vinaigrette. Beets were just right in terms of softness for me.”

Photo Credit: blogTO

This smoked rainbow trout plate (above) is another stellar dish. I ordered it on my first visit and came away thoroughly impressed. Served with kale, soybean hummus and antipasto that included nice chunks of eggplant, this dish yells Marben to me. A preparation that’s rich without being fatty and understands how to execute pairing hearty eggplant and hummus with a delicate fish preparation. Yum.

Photo Credit: Renee Suen, Toronto Life

The kohlrabi filled ravioli (above) is another good option, especially for the non-meat eaters in our group. I sampled this my first time in and thought it had the perfect level of buttery, earthy flavours without being overpowering on either account - I suppose the collard greens and portabellos helped preserve the right level of freshness as well.

Photo Credit: Renee Suen, Toronto Life

We’re jumping to dessert now, but we’ll come back to other starters and mains in a bit. The ‘Station S’More’ above is the restaurants version of the classic campfire favourite, but the consensus around the table is that it needs work.

The most common gripe I heard was it needed to be HOT, just like a s’more that’s on the edge of burning your tongue. The other issue was the chocolate’s texture - it’s basically pudding. I think the magic of the s’more is the gooeyness of the marshmellow contrasted with the barely melted chocolate bar.

On the plus side, the berry coulis was delicious and hazelnuts elevated the flavour profile.

Photo Credit: Renee Suen, Toronto Life

The other dessert we tasted was a table favourite: butternut squash sponge cake with mascarpone, honey, and toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s a perfect fall dish, that had great sweetness, crunch and creaminess from the quinelle of cheese on top.

I’ll also say these flavours inspired the distinct childhood memories of sugar crisp cereal; I managed to convince a few others around the table that I wasn’t crazy in this assertion.

Dishes With No Pics

Polenta Fries with Spicy Aioli and Cilantro - These were great little crispy bites to compliment a main. I wouldn’t have minded more heat in the aioli though.

Rib-Stuffed Burger - The entire table raved about this burger. Most words didn’t really seem to do it justice, but I thought this comment from my friend Kim came close as she finished hers:

“I don’t want this to end - it’s like reading the last Harry Potter book”

Wild Boar Ragu - I pleasant homey pasta dish with some oxtail as well, but I couldn’t help feeling like it was missing something. 

Service and Ambience

For a place that looks like a bit of hole in the wall from a distance, it’s quite large inside with multiple sections seating a total of 80 people. The decor has a casual, neighbourhood vibe to it, helped by the retro transit imagery throughout. That said, the high ceilings also give the room some sophistication and the giant circular window in the front keeps the space somewhat modern.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Perhaps the most impressive part of our visit was the excellent service. We brought in more than 20 people to a restaurant that’s been open for little more than a week and they handled it like pros. Meals came out in good time, our servers were friendly and in constant communication with me to ensure everything was in order, and separated the bill for every single person at the table.

The Reco?

It’s not often you can walk into a restaurant twice so early into it’s life and come away so satisfied and ready for more. With a delicious set of dishes and a team of personable servers, Richmond Station has accomplished this feat and definitely earned my spirited recommendation.  

Other Reviews? 
 blogTO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Oct 19, 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

416 504 9463  |   $5-$16 “Tapas”

So to be completely honest, I didn’t know much about Wine Bar before deciding to go there. Upon further inspection, it was once a celebrated Jamie Kennedy restaurant and also home of Scott Vivian (now of Beast). Today, there’s very little buzz about the place, but it’s conveniently located near Union so I managed to convince 20 friends to come with me to sample the menu.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

Wine Bar bills itself as a ‘tapas’ style restaurant with some serious variety. The menu really is all over the place with no consistent culinary theme, which did worry me initially. I also wasn’t pleased to hear they had a Summerlicious menu, so I abstained from those choices. Others at the table liked the good value though, so we ordered a mix of everything. It’s also worth noting that the dishes change, so you likely won’t be eating what we did.

I started with some mixed greens, apple, cheddar, grapes, spiced cashews, and mustard vinaigrette. This was actually pretty tasty overall. The cashew, grape, apple combo was dead-on. I’ll say the cheddar wasn’t very apparent, which was surprising given it was called an ‘apple and cheddar salad’.

Next up was a mixed platter of crostini/bread, prosciutto, chorizo, grainy mustard, pickles and pickled cauliflower. Again, the flavours were pretty satisfying. None of the ingredients wowed in particular, but they all worked.

Some friends of mine got the crab cake topped with some smoked salmon. This was probably my best bite. I’d never had a cake topped with salmon and I’d definitely do it again. Really appreciated the crab/salmon duo.

Next up was butter chicken poutine. I know, what the hell is this doing on the menu and why did you order it? I didn’t, but when there are 20 of you, someone’s going to take the plunge. Kudos to them though - it tasted good! Texturally, it was pretty soggy throughout, but I wasn’t complaining.

I believe the above steak dish was one of the Summerlicious options, and I think it showed. The presentation wasn’t very appealing, the leek underneath was served whole and stringy, and I heard a lot of people around the table say the word ‘Ziggy’s’ when they had the potato salad. As for the protein, the steak was prepared well with a sweet glaze that was met with mixed reviews around the table.

This was a pork shoulder with couscous from what I can remember. I think there was also an apple component here of some kind, just can’t remember if it was a glaze or what. I’ll say the portion size definitely wasn’t ‘tapas’ (could be a positive or negative), but from what I remember, it wasn’t bad. Quite tender, but fatty and didn’t get much flavour from it.

The beef cheek with root vegetables was the apple of my eye on the menu, but I’ll say I was kind of disappointed. While fork tender and melt-in-your-mouth, I found the cheek kind of bland and tasteless. Possibly under-seasoned? The potatoes and carrots around didn’t do much to that effect either. 

We finished up with two desserts, the first was a strawberry creme brulee topped with berries and the other was an apple crumble. 

The strawberry was quite sublte in the creme. I had trouble finding it, but others said it was there so I took their word for it. To be honest, I don’t have any memory of the crumble. 

Wine

I know this is a wine bar so I feel obliged to make a quick amateur comment about it. The menu has a ton of choice by the bottle and decent amount by the glass with 3oz tasters available as well.

It is pricey though. I can’t remember if the wine menu in person matches the one online, but there’s only one glass under $10 which doesn’t make it very accessible for those looking for something simpler with their meal.

Service and Ambience

I like the design of the place. It’s dark and warm with a ton of seating around the bars on either side of the room. I was also really impressed that they managed to seat so many of us in the main dining area. The table they set up can seat 16 comfortably, but we managed to squeeze in a few more.

Photo Credit: DiningDateNight.com

From a service perspective, I have to really commend our server and the kitchen. We had 20 people all on separate bills, several of which arrived and ordered at different times. Everyone’s food came out shortly after ordering and there were barely any mistakes on the checks at the end of the night. Really impressive.

The Reco?

I was surprised by Wine Bar. The menu variety freaked me out a bit and I wasn’t a fan of the Summerlicious menu, but I did try some tasty things here. My hesitation with going to three stars is that none of the ‘mains’ were particularly strong and I didn’t have any ‘gotta order this again!’ moments. I might be back for a few bites if I’m in the area, but I wouldn’t put this among the better tapas in the city. 

Other reviews:
 kiki’s BFF    |   Nothing else recent

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited July 20, 2012

647-343-0268    |    $7 -$30 Dishes

Have walked by this place a few times and thought the menu looked pretty encouraging. I have yet to go for Korean downtown outside of some of the chains, so I was excited about this spot.

Food

The menu is split into dishes (sharing plates), and different ‘sets’ that either come cooked (ssam) or are self-prepared on a table top BBQ or hotpot style (swish). We tried a variety of starters, so I’ll do a quick run-down on them followed by the swish.

Photo Credit: Swish by Han website

First thing to come out was the pork neck tacos (above). Two little ones for $10 wasn’t exactly great value, but they tasted good enough. The kimchi flavour you’d expect, don’t know that pork ‘neck’ really mattered much. Very saucy, which may or may not be good depending on your preference.

Photo Credit: Swish by Han website

Next were the Kimchi’d pears with stilton cheese (above). This was the best thing I tasted of the night. Ordered it because it sounded different, but it was was fresh, barely sweet, a little spicey, and the cheese gave it richness to balance everything. I’ll definitely attempt to replicate this at home.

We also tried the spicey pork buns, which were like the onion buns you find in sandwich shops or grocery stores, but the pork was flavourful and not very spicy. Tried some potstickers as well, but probably would have preferred something crispier. Nothing ‘wrong’ with them though.

We finished out the meal with the beef swish, essentially boiling our own vegetables, noodles, and beef in the pot. While fun, I don’t think the broth added very much, there was no twist or upscale tweak, and generally I don’t think it was worth the $25 price tag. 

Wanted to finish off the meal with some bingsu, a Korean shaved ice dessert topped with red bean & ice cream, but they stopped serving it…months ago. The only available dessert was a special and it too was sold out (likely because it was the only dessert option). I’m cool with things running short - it happens - but to keep items on your paper non-laminated menu for months after you stop serving is just lazy. For a ‘nicer’ restaurant, I can’t get around that.

Service and Ambience

I thought service was OK, not particularly friendly or warm. One of our orders didn’t make it out until much later when we reminded our server we’d ordered it (kitchen mix-up I suppose). 

Photo Credit: Swish by Han website

I quite like the design of the place though. Tons of exposed brick, a couple chandeliers for contrast, big abstract wall-paintings and big windows. It’s a good look. What I didn’t like was the music volume. I love A Tribe Called Quest, and I love that they were playing it, but people across the table could barely hear me. 

The Reco?

I think there were some successful dishes and I wouldn’t be totally against returning, but some things didn’t click. Paying $25 for the swish didn’t sit right with me, the service wasn’t stellar and the dessert menu thing makes no sense. Personally, I just didn’t have a great experience overall.

Other reviews:
 blogTO      |     Toronto Star    |     Toronto Life

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Dec 7, 2011

416-406-8009    |    $6-$29 sharing plates

I’ve been to Origin three times now, two in the summer and just recently. I liked the variety and concept, but wasn’t really impressed by any one dish. The menu has been tweaked a bit since then, and I think it’s for the better. I’ll detail last night’s experience, but the recommendation is based on all three visits as a whole.

Food

The menu is divided into Snacks, Raw, Mozza Bar, Chilled, Hot and Sweet. If there isn’t at least three things that interest you, you’re probably crazy. Only issue is price: $17 mozza on crustini plates and $12 for a small fry portion aren’t exactly good value. In any case, here are some quick hits on what we sampled:

• Spicy spanish fries, chorizo, manchego: Essentially Spanish poutine and it’s delicious. It won’t surprise you, it won’t refresh you, but it will make you happy.
  
  
• Buffalo mozzarella, pear, rosemary oil, pine nuts, honey on crustini (below): I’ve had this all three times I’ve gone for a reason. Sweet, savoury, nutty, and cheese. Win.

P
Photo Credit: Sammylicious.net

• Buffalo mozzarella, pesto, eggplant, roasted red pepper: More conventional flavours, roasted red pepper is the dominant flavour though.
  
  
• Duck, flour tortillas, cucumber, hoisin, sriracha, sour cream: This is a winning combination. Everyone around the table enjoyed.
  
  
• Jerk rock hen, fried rice, grapefruit, coconut, mango: A lot of people’s favourite around the table. Hen was tender, flavours bright.
  
  
• Chorizo, manchego risotto, poached egg, salsa verde, dried black olive: Very successful. Risotto forms the creamy body, poached egg adds to richness, chorizo is spice, salsa verde is bright, and black olive adds salt. Not much for texture here, but doesn’t really matter. 

Other dishes (above) I’d recommend testing out are the deviled eggs (you’ll hear about these from anyone you talk to about this place) and the spicy tuna hand roll with apple, shiso, miso mayo, and amaranth. 

Service and Ambience

Lots to look at inside this place in the dining area and in the lounge space; the deep purple is an interesting palate for the funky light fixtures and furniture, and it fits the eclectic food choices.

Initially service was a little bumpy as we were told we’d all need to eat from the $50 prix fixe menu due to the growth of our group from 5 to 7 diners. After some ‘Really? Why would we want to do that?’, we were able to go a la carte for all.

The Reco?

You should definitely go. Are you likely to be blown away? Maybe. Is it going to be expensive? Probably. But as a couple or big group, you can get an unrivaled variety of well-executed sharing plates that’s likely to leave you satisfied.

Other reviews:
Toronto Life   |Globe and Mail|Toronto Star

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 12, 2011

416-531-4447    |    $10-18 entrees

Just when you thought you’ve tried all the spots on Baldwin, something else pops up. Kept forgetting about this place until this afternoon. Its clear now that I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

Food

The lunch menu is a perfect size, offering a variety of tartes flambees (think thin flatbread), sandwiches and a sprinkling of other intriguing options. There’s also some surprisingly refined desserts if you’re having ‘one of those mornings’.

To start, we shared pike quenelle dumplings in a mushroom bisque. This was awesome. I’m still craving another serving. Quenelle is a mixture of creamed fish (in this case) with some breadcrumbs and egg to bind everything in the dumpling. The mushroom bisque was hearty and savoury like a stew, and balanced by the white fish in a way I haven’t tasted before. It wasn’t at all strange, the flavours just made sense.

We each followed the app with a tarte given that it appeared to be the lunch specialty. I’d say the best part was the execution on the crispy thin crust. It’s the kind of texture I’d love to see more on pizza. Each one was tasty in its own way, with my friend using the phrase ‘yum, yum, yum’ on more than one occasion. 

Grilled portobello (top) and Sauerkraute (bottom) tartes flambées

• The duck confit with potato, onion and gruyere was pleasant with duck flavour front and centre. 

• Grilled portobello, sun-dried tomatoes, gruyere and pesto topped a balanced and flavourful veggie option. 

• The last we sampled was the house-made smoked sausage, sauerkraut, and gruyere. Mild flavours overall, but again it was enjoyable.

With success up to that point, it was clear dessert was worth a shot. As I said, unusually complex desserts were available for lunch so we took the plunge and went for two options.

• Blueberry cornbread, lemon curd, mixed berry frozen yogurt and candied ginger was great. Tart, sweet, warm, cold, chewy, soft. It had it all. Cornbread in composed desserts is a good call.

• Chocolate terrine, salted caramel ice cream, cherries, dried apricot, and almonds. Definitely the more decadent of the two with the chocolate and ice cream (so good), but the variety of textures and forms of sweetness made it work. A more prominent darker/bitter chocolate probably would have rounded it out for me.

(apologies for not grabbing pics here, dishes were begging to be eaten)

You know it was a good meal when your friend comments ‘I feel so good’ on the stroll back to the office. Very satisfying overall.

Service and Ambience

It’s a pretty small dining area downstairs, with more room upstairs. Pretty sparsely decorated, but in a charming way. I don’t usually comment on the music choice, but it really helped add to the french bistro ambience. A nice touch.

The Reco?

You should go for lunch, dinner, or just dessert. I have faith the dinner menu holds similarly pleasant options. I will definitely be stopping by again.

Other reviews:
Globe and Mail    |    National Post    |    Toronto Star

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 8, 2011

416-599-3868    |    A la carte small dishes $2.50-6.50 for sushi bar

I’ll make this a mini review since we didn’t really sample the menu, only had the sushi bar so that’s what the review focuses on.

Service and Ambience

Starting off here first because the big feature of the place is a conveyor-like sushi delivery system around the bar. Seen it in movies, but this one has floating sushi boats on a circular-flowing river. Definitely gets cool points.

It’s also a good option for a quick lunch if you’re looking to power through your meal. Each dish off the boat is priced in relation to it’s colour/design, so it’s easy to see what you’re racking up. Your total gets tallied at the end based on your plate stack.

Service is very polite and speedier than you average Japanese restaurant. Quick on the waters and the mess clearing.

Food

Didn’t have anything exotic, but the maki and sashimi options were plentiful and fresh. Good ratios of filling and topping to rice. Also had a pricier 6.50 plate with two pieces of wagyu beef (wouldn’t expect it to be kobe) that was very tender.

On flavour, nothing stood out in particular. A spicy crab roll was nice as was an avocado and mango mix. Other more mild fishes were definitely tender but it was all about texture. Found this with many of the plates.

The one beef I have is that you pay for the novelty of the boat setup and variety of your selections. $30 after tax/tip on a sushi lunch yielded about 12ish pieces.

I felt a little jipped given the number of very reasonably priced sushi choices downtown. The main menu’s not too bad for lunch though. I’ve heard the udon and soup dishes are really good.

The Reco?

Go here for a fun first date. The novelty is appealing and rolls are above average, but be prepared to splurge for what you’re getting at the end of the day.

Other reviews:

Couldn’t find any others.

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Oct 12, 2011