Showing posts with label The Carbon Bar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Carbon Bar. Show all posts

The Carbon Bar Revisited (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 99 Queen Street East
Website: http://thecarbonbar.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner


Earlier in the year, I dined at Carbon Bar when it first opened (for a description of the restaurant and to read about my experience go here). Recently, I heard on weekends they hire a DJ and the restaurant transforms into a lounge afterwards. During the winter, anywhere that minimizes outdoor travel times is welcomed, so a return visit was in order.

But, before the drinking festivities began, eating a substantial dinner seemed to be the responsible choice. Since the beef brisket ($22) was the highlight of my last meal it had to be ordered. Again, it was smoky, flavourful and tender – everything you’d want brisket to be. This time the dish was larger (albeit the price has also risen by $3) and contained various cuts of brisket ranging from marbled to lean.


The first fatty marbled slices were heaven, the meat was so soft and tender that it melted on the tongue. I didn’t even need the sweet molasses BBQ sauce as the brisket’s natural juices were so delicious. If you’ll be trying more than one slice, I suggest having the lean one first as after enjoying the marbled delight everything else pales in comparison.

More meat was in order, this time the dry-aged hanger steak ($27). Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the steak was very tender for this tougher cut of beef. Simply seasoned, the natural flavours of the beef shone through. An ample portion of hollandaise was included on the side if diners needed something saucy. The sauce itself was decent, but with so many rich ingredients donning the plate, I personally would have preferred something lighter (such as chimichurri).


Unlike the other dishes, the hanger steak had sides included. A pile of starchy smashed and fried potatoes that was tossed with some tart kimchi. Topping the mound was a fried egg whose runny yolk covered the potatoes in a gooey sauce. And a few soshito peppers as well. This was certainly a varied dish – with different cultural influences and a combination that makes it satisfying for brunch or dinner.

Not reading the menu properly, we also ordered a side of soshito peppers ($8). But, I enjoyed these non-spicy peppers so happily munched on more of them. The fire roasted eggplant dip which accompanied the bar snack was rather mild and forgettable, perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper or garlic would be a nice addition.


The TCB slaw ($4) is a side worth getting. It’s everything I enjoy about coleslaw – crunchy vegetables and a predominantly vinegar based sauce with a touch of creaminess. At Carbon Bar they also sprinkled crushed corn nuts on top which adds even more crunch to everything.


Lastly, was the side of collard greens ($5), this time simply dressed with a dollop of butter rather than stewed in a tomato sauce. There was still enough flavour to it and the leafy greens retaining some of its freshness. Another great side to pair with hunks of meat.


Perhaps it was the holiday season, but the restaurant really didn’t pick up after dinner. We moved over to the lounge area but the promised DJ and beats never happened. Nonetheless, some cocktails were sampled. The most impressive was the black mamba margarita ($16) which was set a blaze at the table. It’s a strong drink, not exactly my taste, made with charcoal infused tequila, Bowmore scotch, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, lime and a sea salt rim.


The volstead ($13) suited me better with a gin base, Amaro nino herbal liqueur, agave syrup, cucumber juice, lime and orange bitters. It was very refreshing and helped to alleviate the full feeling I had after all the meat.


A cocktail that’s perfect for the holidays is the borealis sour ($14). Despite the name, there’s nothing sour about it … if anything it’s sweet from the maple whiskey. Mixed with rye, banana liqueur and topped with a foamy egg white sprinkled with spices it’s a nice alternative to dessert.


Alas, I wasn’t able to work the calories off with music and dancing. But, the visit to Carbon Bar allowed me to have some great conversations and catch up with friends. And really, that is what the holidays is all about. Additionally, I feel the restaurant has improved since my first visit – for example, offering various cuts of brisket on one plate. So, it’s been awarded another 0.5 to round off their score to an eight.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - 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!




The Carbon Bar (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 99 Queen Street East
Website: http://thecarbonbar.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner



You won’t find gingham tablecloths, tin foil platters or uncut hunks of meat here. The Carbon Bar is refined with linen napkins, plate changes and meat cut into fork friendly portions. Between courses the table is wiped clean so all evidence of dripped sticky sauce is erased with it.

The dining room is surprisingly spacious with soaring ceilings, adequately spaced tables and minimalistic décor. Want to throw a “family” BBQ without messing up your home? The Carbon Bar offers a private room on the second floor that can hold 30-50 people.

Without a doubt, beer goes with BBQ and the Carbon Bar has plenty of that. But for the refined BBQ aficionados, fancy handmade cocktails are also available to swig back with meat platters. A refreshing spring soother ($16), tequila based with an elderflower syrup (?) and splash of citrus was a lighter drink complementing our appetizer. The C2 colada ($16) was the better choice. With a hefty portion of rum it’s stronger tasting but finishes nicely with a creamy coconut water.


With the sheer amount of meat to come, we decided to start with something lighter. The Hamachi ($14) fit the bill with cubes of delicate cool fish, sweet clementine, crisp pear and cherry tomatoes all melded together with kombucha vinegar and sesame oil. The dish was flavourful, simple and energizing; a great choice for the warmer months. I thoroughly enjoyed the sesame oil added to the dish that gave it a nice finish on the palate.


The pit master platter ($27 per person with a minimum order of two people) seemed like too much food for us. Instead, we shared an order of the pork ribs ($19) and beef brisket ($19). Both were delicious, but for me the beef brisket stood out just a bit more. It started off with a great cut of beef; in between the meat was a thin cap of fat that soaked into the beef to keep it moist throughout the cooking process. Although it had been slow smoked (same as the pork ribs) the smokiness wasn’t overpowering, just enough for you to get the essence of it. Served with a sweet molasses (?) BBQ sauce it was a good plate.


The pork ribs were equally tender but didn’t seem as smoked as the brisket. I have to commend the Carbon Bar’s butcher because the meat was another great cut. Too often ribs are either too fatty or lean, this one had just enough fat to add flavour but not too much that you felt the need to cut it off. Additionally, you could taste the pork but it didn’t have a strong “hog” smell to it, which can be such a turnoff. The rib’s sauce was much tangier; a bit sour for my taste so I opted to use the brisket’s sauce instead.


Some reviews from other diners had noted their meat was dry and/or bland. Our ribs and brisket were definitely not dry, but as for the taste? I wouldn’t say it’s bland, perhaps not as saucy as other ribs, but this is due to the Carbon Bar’s cooking style. Their menu warns about the simplicity of the preparation - that meat is rubbed only with salt and black pepper and then placed in the smoker, no sauce is applied through the cooking process.

Admittedly I’m not a huge BBQ connoisseur but when the cut of beef or pork is this good, shouldn’t you want to actually taste the meat? Afterwards, if you want to douse it with sauce than that’s what the sauce on the side is for. Of course, since the meat wasn’t basted during the cooking process, you won’t find a thick barque around it (there’s no layer of hardened caramelized sauce). So, as a warning, if you like sticky ribs and well crusted brisket then the Carbon Bar may not be the place for you.

We really enjoyed the collard greens ($5) which helped stave off the meat sweats. The sauce was tomato based but had a great zing of spice that hits you at the end. Not being a fan of mushy vegetables, I was glad that the stalks of the collard greens retained some level of crispness.


To end we shared the banana toffee cream pie ($16) and it was delicious. Comprised of a crispy shortbread crust, softened bananas pieces and light whipped cream, the dessert was satisfying but not too heavy. Interestingly, the toffee was cut into thick cubes and sat on the bottom of the crust; it wasn’t sticky or overly sweet and almost had a rich ice cream like consistency. All in all, I was quite happy with the reduced sugar levels and abundance of banana, you could almost trick yourself to think it was healthy if it were not for the buttery crust.


Kiri, our server, was extremely friendly and attentive. Consequently, you still get that small town charm despite the cloth napkins and real cutlery. The crowd also has a jovial atmosphere to it; as the night went on the groups got a little rowdier and soon cheers and laughter rang throughout the restaurant. But, the noise level was always bearable given the well regulated music level and the large space. In the end, my experience at Carbon Bar was enjoyable and perhaps will round up a larger group of people to try their pit master platter.

Since the above visit I've returned to the restaurant and tried some other items. Read about it at my other post.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10


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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - 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!