After scurrying
through the colourful China Town streets, R&D’s sleek black sign on a normal
looking building seems so out of place. There’s no large sign out front packed
with too much information or walls covered with colour slips of hand written
menu items. Instead, the cavernous dining room with soaring ceilings features walls
adorned with vibrant paintings and an opened kitchen where fans can watch the
Master Chef himself cooking away.
Indeed, most of the earlier R&D visitors are
likely MasterChef Canada fans. I can still remember the episode when Eric Chong
presented the lobster chow mein ($25) to the judges, looking apprehensive as
they tuck into it before a smile erupts on their face. So, it was one of the
must eat dishes for this visit … I want that smile to erupt on mine.
It’s an interesting idea to use the thicker chewy chitarra
noodles in lieu of the thin egg noodles normally assimilated with chow mein.
Personally, the chitarra noodle’s (“yow mein” or “oil noodle”) texture is more
enjoyable for me. But, the downfall is its thickness requires a stronger sauce
to stand-up against the doughy pasta - in this case a ginger and green onion
gravy with an overpowering ginger element. Sure, it smelled amazing when
presented, but the ginger’s spiciness leaves a sting at the back of your throat
and causes the lobster’s sweetness to be rendered non-existent. Possibly, a
lighter XO sauce combined with green onions would alleviate the need for so
much ginger?
The shiitake polenta fries ($8), an airy concoction of
smooth polenta and micro-fine pieces of mushroom, is delicious. Dusted with
mushroom powder and served with a side of mushroom infused ketchup, it’s
definitely not a traditional but so good that you shouldn’t care. Adding chopped
green onions on top makes it even better (especially if you don’t like ketchup)
– some pieces were on my plate from the lobster chow mein and they tasted quite
nice with the fries.
The scallops ($23)
with its intense sear and just cooked through doneness is what people look for
with this seafood. But the sear, in part, seemed to develop from a crystallized
sauce rather than a high cooking temperature causing the salty crust to be more
chewy than crisp. Even so, it had great flavour and although I was worried the
R&D chilli sauce and Sichuan hollandaise’s spicy elements would overpower
the scallop they were actually quite muted and paired well.
Strangely, other than
a single full scallop, the rest were served in half pieces as if they were cut
through to see if cooked. C’mon R&D, for $23 it’s not unreasonable to just
serve full sized scallops – cutting some in half to make it seem like there’s
more pieces is really unnecessary.
Despite taking
forever to arrive the General Sander’s chicken ($25) was a satisfying way to
round out the meal. The chicken stole the show: the crispy salty coating
encapsulating juicy succulent chicken. It really didn’t need either the kung
pao sauce or Sichuan maple syrup as there was already so much flavour in the
breading.
The waffles were a
great novelty item to include but sadly didn’t showcase these eggy delights the
way they are meant to be enjoyed – lightly cooled but straight off the waffle
maker so the thin crust and airy centre remains; at R&D, it was warm but
dense and soft. Although the drizzles of kung pao sauce added colour to the
dish’s presentation, the sauce’s ultra-salty flavour is just not for me and I wish
it were left off so I could have the waffles purely with the maple syrup
instead.
R&D has
three tempting desserts – the kahuna being a massive banana split that’s meant
for sharing. Stuffed from the four pieces of chicken, we opted for the coconut
sugar crème brûlée ($8) instead. The combination of palm sugar and coconut gave
the dessert a warm caramel colour and a flavour reminding me of a candy I used
to eat at my grandmother’s house – I want to say Riesen. The sugar crust was
executed perfectly an even thickness across the entire dish. The scoop of sour
cherry ice cream paired nicely in the dessert to balance the sweetness.
Serving their piña colada with tapioca pearls ($13) is
a great idea. As an aside, when bubble tea rose in popularity in the 90’s I
thought it may be a fad but with the continued success it’s proven the drinks
are here to stay. Afraid it would be overly sweet, I requested less of the chai
syrup which may not have been the smartest move as there’s a hefty dose of run
in the cocktail.
Sprinkling toasted coconut on top is an interesting
idea but the hard slivers somewhat detracts from the silky drink and chewy
tapioca. What would be even better is if R&D allowed diners to add tapioca
to any cocktail as it could work well in the Shanghai sour as well. Too bad you’ll
never be able to get this boozy concoction in those sealed cups to go.
I’m glad R&D opened in the heart of Toronto’s
original Chinatown – a once vibrant busy community, to me, seems to be waning
as the suburbs of the North built up. Hopefully, R&D will bring some fresh
blood to liven up the neighbourhood, attracting younger individuals to the area
once again. Because, yes, they will come for the trendy restaurant, but while
walking there perhaps become enticed to shop at a local supermarket (has amazing
prices on fresh produce that’s often sourced daily) or return to tuck into a
bowl of plump dumplings and noodles.
Along the way it’s great to see Eric Chong’s succeed,
an example where pursuing his dreams allowed him to do what he loves in life. For
those who have “Tiger” parents pushing them become a white collared
professional, even more reason to bring your parents to R&D! Personally, it’s
inspiring to see his story unfold as I too want to give up my desk job and work
in the culinary world instead.
As Eric noted in a CTV interview, “I don't know,
not many people know what it feels like to actually realize your dream and this
feeling is indescribable." Congrats Eric on realizing your dream, here’s
hoping there’s many restaurants to come.
Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 241 Spadina Avenue
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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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