Amano
consists of a pasta bar, café, and market. Within their small footprint in
Union Station (in the concourse area close to York street) there’s a bit of everything:
the “market” is really a shelf with cans and jars for sale; the café, a coffee
bar, includes some takeaway items at the front; and the most sizeable portion
of the establishment, the pasta bar, a sit-down dining area at the back of the
restaurant.
While
the menu isn’t overly long, there are enough tasty sounding options that makes
deciding difficult. Their starters are relatively simple Italian staples. The
arancini ($9; actually arrives with three) were decent, the best part was the
molten smoked cheese centre. Yet, I found the risotto and in need of salt, so
that the most prominent flavour doesn’t end up being the honey on the plate.
Nonna’s
salad ($7) is a very lightly dressed pile of spring mix with cucumbers. A
better salad option is the stuffed squash ($11), which also arrives with greens
but also has an entire roasted squash with stracciatella, which makes it
soft and savoury. Unlike the other starters, the squash doesn’t lack flavour
thanks to the miso brown butter dressing, bread crumbs, and pomegranate
sprinkled around.
Amano’s
menu, not surprisingly, goes back to Chef Michael Angeloni’s Italian roots
while blending in Canadian new world flavours. You’ll find this blend the most
in the “not your nonna’s” options. The addition of the crispy shallots really
makes the little ears ($19) dish pop, giving the pasta extra crunch and a zip
of interest. Of course, the orecchiette is cooked perfectly and tossed
with bite-sized roasted broccoli florets and plenty of cheese (white cheddar,
aged gouda, and pecorino). It was a delicious main.
While
you can’t taste the Dungeness crab or pancetta in the black trumpets ($22), the
flower like campanelle pasta has a chewy al dante doneness and is
vividly black from cuttlefish ink. Personally, I’d like the dish to have
stronger seafood flavours, but realize it’s not everyone’s preference. In fact,
with the healthy sprinkling of chives and mustard seeds, the dish has a
surprisingly light taste.
For a
more traditional option, Amano’s rigatoni is cheekily called fat tubes ($18).
The beef Bolognese with parmesan is simple and not earth shattering, but hits
the spot if you want a traditional hearty tomato-based pasta.
In terms
of drinks, the Sophia Loren ($13) goes down way too easy thanks to the cassis
(blackcurrant liqueur) and red wine, which covers the Pike Creek whiskey. It’s
like grown-up sangria and works great as an after-meal cocktail.
Personally,
I’d just go with another cocktail, in lieu of dessert. The leaning puff tower
($9) is really two profiteroles stacked on top of each other … that don’t even
lean. They’re at least tasty cream puffs, stuffed to the brim with chocolate
cream. It’s a dessert for chocolate lovers, with disks of it topping the cream
puffs. It’s much better than the sweet cream ($7) or panna cotta, which tastes
like Greek yoghurt - with the almond butter crumble and raspberry pieces, it’s
like eating a parfait. Not terrible, but more breakfast than dessert.
I can
overlook the disappointing dessert, it means more calories for delicious fresh
made pasta.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 65 Front Street West
Address: 65 Front Street West
Website: https://eatamano.com/
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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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