Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

COYA (Dubai)

Posted on Saturday, January 18, 2020 by
Special thanks to Parv for so many of the photos in this post
You’ll find COYA on a busy cul de sac of restaurants at Dubai’s Four Seasons. After getting through the queue of cars being dropped off with the valet and the throng of people making their way to the many establishments in the area, the actual restaurant is a welcoming serene environment.

The colourful bar and dining room works well with the restaurant’s Peruvian menu. Quirky artwork adorning the wall is great for starting conversations and keeps the atmosphere fun and cheerful. There’s still an air of sophistication to the décor – the colours are done in rich jewel-toned hues and with lux velvet. And it’s the attentive service and little touches, like the mini shelf for purses that retract from the chairs like a CD player, which reminds you that you’re still at the Four Seasons.


COYA’s ceviche are one of the most ordered dishes and I can see why. The pargo a la trufa ceviche (AED88) uses chunks of tender red snapper that are gently marinated with a not-too-citrusy ponzu and jazzed up with chives. Even the truffle oil, an ingredient that can sometimes get overpowering, was present in scent and only slightly lingered on the tongue. Absolutely delicious and a great start to the meal.


The salmon tacos (AED60) may be more accurately described as a tostada: cubes of salmon and avocado sitting on a crispy fried tortilla. Once again, the dish didn’t lack flavour, but the strong ingredients (in this case the aji amarillo chilli) added just a bit of heat still allowing us to taste the fish.


While the pulpo rostizado (AED92) is described as a ‘small dish’, the portion was just as big as some of the mains. The protein was prepared wonderfully - you barely need to bite to get through the tendrils of roasted octopus. Yet, there’s something topping the creamed potatoes that wasn’t my cup of tea – the garlic chips and bits of olives covering the silky spuds gave it a bitter finish.


COYA offers tons of seafood on their menu. The lubina Chilena (AED180) leans towards the Japanese influences of Peruvian cuisine tasting like miso black cod rather than anything to do with the aji amarillo described on the menu. Nevertheless, the fish is cooked beautifully and it was a tasty rendition of miso cod.


I would go back for an entire langosta iron pot (AED158) for myself. The rice a luscious risotto that stays warm in the clay vessel. It’s everything I want with a risotto – creamy texture, just enough moisture, and filled with lobster essence with a bit of pea shoot for freshness.


COYA prepares chicken well, their pollo a la parrilla (AED148) arrives as four pieces of juicy and tender boneless meat with a fiery looking sauce covering it. Don’t worry, the aji panca is all look and no spice, instead adding a smoky flavour and aroma to the fowl. For me, how well a restaurant prepares chicken is a marker of their chefs’ talent. After all, it’s a protein that needs to be cooked thoroughly and has a rather neutral taste.


It’s not like the bife angosto wagyu (AED460), the beef so well-marbled that even being a sirloin cut there was plenty of flavourful fat covering the tongue. It’s left a ruby rare and stays that way as the grill it arrives on is all for show and isn’t actually heated. While the steak was tasty enough on its own, COYA’s chimichurri is something else – ultra fresh and the micro cubes of onion creating a great contrast against the rich meat.


Make sure to save room for the churros de naranja (AED52), they are the best I’ve ever had. The pastry’s centre is fluffy and creamy while the outside delightfully crispy. I had my doubts as the menu described them as orange and lime churros with a milk chocolate and dulce de leche sauce – fruit and chocolate should be kept separate in my books. Luckily, all the citrus seemed to lie within the dip so I ate the churros by itself and they were exquisite.


In a city where buildings and new restaurants and being constructed at a mile-a-minute I can see why COYA is still busy and respected since its opening in 2014. What a great meal for the senses, for both taste and sight.

Overall mark - 9 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
 Address: Restaurant Village Four Seasons Resort 

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
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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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
COYA Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Chotto Matte (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, October 05, 2019 by
Nikkei is a term that describes Japanese people who live outside of Japan. In the food world, the word is also synonymous with Japanese Peruvian cuisine, which combines both countries’ love for seafood with traditional ingredients found in each culture (miso soy with Inca corn anyone)?

There’s also the tried and true sushi. Chotto Matte dresses it up Nikkei style ($28) by topping the seafood with elements like aji Amarillo (a hot pepper), black garlic, and truffle. Traditional condiments like yuzu also make an appearance to give the sushi a burst of freshness. The tuna, salmon, and yellowtail were all delicious; the scallop even better.


Most of the tuna tartare found in Toronto is made from the lean and vibrant Albacore tuna. Chotto Matte serves their’s ‘o-toro’ ($23), the fattier cut releasing a flavourful rich bite. Just make sure to get to the bottom of the dish where you’ll find sweet soy with a hint of wasabi, it’s where you’ll find the flavours. Yet, the dish really needs something like toasted nori as an accompaniment: to add a textual contrast against the soft tuna and act as a chip to eat the tartare from.


For the price, I was surprised to only see one shrimp spring roll ($14.50) arrive, but I guess it was a really really tasty one. Filled with succulent pieces of nobashi shrimp and shiitake, a shisho leaf is layered with the wrapper adding a citrusy herbal taste.


The kitchen made a terrible decision serving the barriguita de chanchito ($18.50) and gambas huacatay ($29) together. The pork belly is such a powerful bite having been marinated in a salty and spicy aji panca and aji amarillo chilli sauce … it reminds of a fattier deep fried chorizo.  Biting into the rock shrimp tempura afterwards tastes like eating plain batter. The gambas are said to be accompanied by mint and butter ponzu, but the dish seemed like overly soft tempura batter with what could be pieces of diced shrimp mixed into it.


From the robata, the pollo den miso ($21) is surprisingly tasty for a dish that’s really just grilled chicken. The miso glaze gives the dish flavour without rendering it overly sweet like teriyaki, while the yellow chili salsa bring in the Latin flavours of Peru. In the end, it’s also that lovely charcoal smoky aroma of the robata that ties everything together.


Peruvian fried rice is one of my favourites - the arroz chaufa ($9.50) is a bowl that needs to conclude each meal. Each kernel of rice infused with spicy soy and augmented by bits of herbs that adds a lovely freshness to an otherwise heavier dish. The bits of crusted rice strewn throughout creates a lovely toasted aroma and enough texture that the hard corn nuts are really redundant and frankly really annoying to bite into.


Chotto Matte brings a westernized version of the cuisine to Toronto (original outposts can be found in London and Miami). But then, it’s not trying to hide that it’s not authentic - the Andy Warhol like dining room and the black light bathrooms are a dead giveaway. It’s a place to be seen, shout over loud music, and sample Nikkei cuisine in the safety of corporate Toronto.

 Indeed, the Brookfield Place address brings with it high price points. Luckily, Chotto Matte is offering Toronto Life Insiders a 50% discount off of food items from now until early December, just by showing the membership card. If you’re going to visit with a large group, the membership will likely pay for itself, especially using the discount code below. Note: amounts listed in this post are the regular menu prices.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

Want to become a Toronto Life Member? Toronto Life is providing Gastro World readers a $15 off discount code to become a member!

Just use discount code GASTROWORLD at the Toronto Life Member checkout and the discount will be automatically applied.

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 161 Bay Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Chotto Matte Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cano Restaurant (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 28, 2019 by


Cano is one of those cozy Italian restaurants I wish was part of my neighbourhood. Living in the York Mills and Lawrence Park area, we have our fair share of great places slinging pasta and pizza, but Cano does both just a touch better.

Let’s start with the crust on the burratina pizza ($25), which is thin and chewy, everything I look for in pizza. It’s cooked until a golden crust develops that despite being covered by a generous layer of tomato sauce, remains crispy and holds up with one hand.  Then the toppings: having the sauce, cheese, and basil combination, it’s like a margherita but elevated with the dollops of creamy burrata dusted with black Maldon salt. The tomato sauce is fresh versus tangy and with a liberal drizzle of olive oil, even the bites with no cheese or basil still tastes magnificent.


Their pasta is also solid. The rigatoni annata ($20) a substantial mound of perfectly done pasta in a vodka rose sauce swirled with shallots, pecorino and pancetta. It’s similar to a carbonara but the creaminess tempered with a bit of the tomato’s acid. In fact, the sauce was so good I wiped my plate with bits of pizza crust to ensure it didn’t go to waste.


Visit on Tuesday or Wednesday and you’ll also receive half a dozen oysters free with any bottle of wine. It’s appeared to be a deal that most tables participated in, including us, where six freshly shucked St. Simon oysters arrived lacking none of the traditional cocktail sauce, onion mignonette, and fresh horseradish fixings. And a bottle of wine on a weekday... what can be more Italian?


Every bite was tasty to the finish. Their tiramisu ($10) is a good rendition of the popular dessert, done traditionally with plenty of espresso and creamy mascarpone flavours. A bit more of the lady fingers and lighter sprinkling of the unsweetened cocoa powder would have made it even better.


Yet, it’s the panna cotta ($9) that was the hit. The silky vanilla bean base so creamy and luscious it feels like you’re having tapioca pudding without the tapioca, but there’s just enough gelatin allowing the dessert to scoop easily into a spoon. Oh, and that drizzle of salted caramel? What a great finish.


In hindsight, it’s actually a blessing that Cano isn’t located a short walk down the street. The food is so comforting and delicious that I don’t think I’d have the willpower to not visit regularly. In that case, my waistline would definitely suffer from their close proximity.

Overall mark - 9 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1108 St. Clair Avenue West

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

CANO Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Zen Sanuki Udon (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 07, 2019 by


While many Japanese noodle shops are small and cozy, Zen Sanuki Udon is palatial with a spacious and airy dining area. To the point they could add more tables given they’re at capacity so quickly – pretty much every table was filled when they opened at 5:30pm. More seats shouldn’t detract from service levels: they employ a lot of staff so that food arrives at a quick clip and there’s always people standing around waiting to serve.

Speed is important when you’re selling noodles in broth. At this Zen location, their menu is based around hand-made sanuki udon from the Shikoki region, which is square-shaped and thinner compared to the cylindrical thick ones found elsewhere.

I expected springy chewy noodles, but they arrived fairly soft for udon. If anything, they tasted like the hand-pulled noodles found at the neighbouring Magic Noodle, which while not terrible is also a dime-a-dozen in the Markham area.


The ebi-ten udon ($16) allows diners to try the dashi broth made with a combination on konbu, bonito flakes, and dried baby sardines in a neutral form. Not surprisingly, there’s a rich umami flavour and it’s just salty enough without becoming overwhelming.

But then they ruined by broth by throwing in so many tempura bits that as you’re sipping the hot soup, every mouthful is filled with mushy batter. A spoonful would have been fine, but it seemed like there was equivalent tempura bits to noodles. As much as I commend chefs who use food scraps to eliminate waste, they should serve them in a separate bowl so diners can add it to broth themselves.

Bits of lemon zest adds a refreshing element to the udon, but the citrusy taste could also be strange for some customers, especially if you’re hoping for soup that’s really hearty and savoury. Who knows, perhaps it’s just something they include during the summer months to lighten everything?

The tempura was kept separate and arrived hot and crispy. While the shrimp a good size and deliciously sweet, I would have liked a light sprinkling of salt on everything as the vegetables were bland so you had to dip it into the broth, rendering the crispy crust soggy, to add flavour.


Their beef udon ($17) is like having bulgogi with udon, the meat thinly shaven and even has the same marinated sweetness. Call me a traditionalist, but it’d be much better if the beef was served in thick slices, similar to the pork shoulder cut you find with ramen.


Large portions is something you won’t find at Zen; if you don’t have a light appetite, add the $3 to upsize the bowl. Even their sides are miniscule: the kamo (duck) roast ($14) only had five slices, which is surprisingly when the actual duck udon already contains four pieces. It’s a satisfactory side, the freshly grated wasabi a lovely addition, but the actual duck could be more flavourful and less chewy.

 

With Zen’s history of serving solid Japanese cuisine, their soft noodles, over garnished broth, and puny portions is rather disappointing. Which is dangerous since udon seems to be the next “it noodle” opening across the city. With competition, there are better options, in my opinion, to tuck back a bowl.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3720 Midland Avenue

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Dinner With a View (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, April 20, 2019 by

If you asked me 5 years ago if I’d like to eat dinner under the Gardiner Expressway, a look of confusion and an adamant no would have followed. Yet, the underpass space is undergoing a revitalization, starting with this winter when it was transformed into a skating trail. Now that the ice has finally melted, a small portion of the space near Fort York plays host to Dinner With a View.

Let’s start with the latter half of the title - With a View. As you first arrive, it’s an underwhelming feeling when you find the view consists of black gauze and the metal and concrete highway. But once you settle into one of the domes ($149 and seats from 4-6 people) you start to get into the spirit.


The décor and furniture vary in the domes. As I relaxed into the comfortable wooden chair (which felt like I was getting a hug) and pulled a blanket over my legs, that feeling of experiencing something different added a sense of excitement. Interestingly, the cozy enclosure makes the dinner feel intimate, but being able to peer out into the Bentway also ensures you don’t feel claustrophobic.


I just wish they didn’t keep harping on how the items within the dome weren’t complimentary and that staff members conduct an inventory count before and after the meal. Were guests really pilfering the pots of fake plants? Way to ruin the experience.

Now the first part of the title – Dinner. After reserving a dome, guests are required to select a dinner option (additional $99 per person) within 48 hours and can choose between meat, fish and vegan mains.

Let’s just say you don’t come for the food. The quinoa salad with ranch dressing was something I could have easily whipped up myself. Moreover, the random boring garnishes thrown in – chickpeas, pitted black olives, and frisee – felt like someone was cleaning out their fridge and decided to throw a bunch of ingredients together. Seriously, is it that difficult to at least roast some beets?  


I left hungry as the paltry portion of whitefish (with many soft bones left in) barely made a dent in my appetite. Sure, they could skimp on the protein but at least load-up the plate with more sides (slivers of mushroom, turnip puree, and roasted vegetables). At the very least, give out a bread basket. Note, the beef is slightly larger – although my friends complained it was too salty.


Dessert was a minor improvement with a fancy sounding rosemary vanilla crème brûlée topped with pear tuille. While the actual dish didn’t resemble the name – there was no brûlée and somehow the rosemary was chocolate instead. At least it tasted decent.


I’m sure Chef René Rodriguez tried his best with the challenging outdoor conditions. But, the meal was a flop. They should really stop touting his accolade of being a Canada’s Top Chef winner. I’ve had better meals attending conferences.

Nevertheless, our 7:30pm dinner was the perfect seating – at the start there’s plenty of sunlight so you’re able to navigate easily into the dome; we’re treated to the descending sun for the first half of the meal; and after it gets dark, the lighting and illuminated domes creates a dazzling back drop. I loved the night-time experience and couldn’t believe the one and half hours was over … I didn’t want to leave and felt like I could party all night. You’re definitely here for the experience, not the food.


I can’t finish this post without correcting a piece of fake news – no homeless people were forced to vacate the site to make room for the domes. During the opening weekend of the dinner, OCAP made a lot of fuss that a homeless camp was demolished and people were evicted in preparation for the event. In reality, that camp was located 2km away and the City of Toronto removed the tents for safety reasons; over the winter fires have broken out killing people in the process.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not disputing there’s a growing homeless problem in the city. It’s a visible issue that’s not only confined to downtown Toronto and something that has to be addressed. What I can’t agree with is how OCAP reacted to the event. Instead of protesting something that supports the Bentway and adds tax dollars into system, they could have approached the organizers to donate a portion of the proceeds to their cause or alternatively set-up a booth outside to raise awareness and solicit donations.

In a city where there’s a growing divide between the rich and the poor, do we really want to make the chasm even larger? Instead of pointing fingers and throwing insults, wouldn’t it be better to work together to enact positive change? 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 250 Fort York Boulevard

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Aoyama (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2019 by

In a small plaza sits two storefronts – Aoyama and Aoyama VIP. Enter to the one on the left and if you’ve made reservations, chances are you’ll be escorted back outside and into the VIP one. Yes, it’s a bit strange that they’re not connected, but when you want to expand and the opportunity arises (albeit not directly beside your existing restaurant), you need to seize the availability.

Just ordering your meal can take time if you’ve never visited. There’s a leather bound menu that already has numerous options, but then you’ll also want to sift through several laminated loose pages, and there’s even a wooden board with drawn images that gets circulated with other a la carte items.


Indeed, the cheeky wooden board drew us in to try some of their hand rolls ($3 for spicy tuna and $3.50 for spicy salmon). Having been spoiled by ones that chefs insist on handing you and having you eat right away, I did find the seaweed chewy and a bit tough to bite through. However, for the price, these are great, a pretty generous portion of fish wrapped in seaweed, although the spicy mayo needs to be spicier.


During the weekend, Aoyama offers a “sushi set upgraded weekend special” ($125) that comes with a more sushi and luxurious appetizers, compared to their regular option. To begin, there’s a sharing platter of small eats containing chawanmushi (a savoury egg custard), lobster tempura, yakitori skewers, other small nibbles, and a pot of seafood consommé.   


Normally, chawanmushi is served hot. At Aoyama, it’s cold so ends up being denser and almost the consistency of a savoury flan. The temperature and jellied soup takes some getting used to, but it tasted good, the dashi (?) flavours seeping through. Finishing it with a teacup of the umami-filled seafood consommé is a nice combination.

Plump pieces of lobster tempura is dressed with the all-colour-no-heat spicy mayo. Nonetheless, the lobster was cooked nicely, it just needed a bit of salt or something else to dip it into. Surrounding the dish were pods of dry edamame and tempura burdock root that was cold but tasty to nibble on.

What makes yakitori skewers delicious is when they’re hot off the grill and you can smell and taste the smoky caramelized glaze. In the platter, the chicken and scallion yakitori were cold (having been brought over from the other store) so the chicken became hard and the sauce congealed and lumpy. Really, Aoyama should consider replacing these with a starter that doesn’t need to be hot.

Something to consider when you make a reservation: what is important about the meal for you? Is it hot food or a comfortable sitting environment? While the VIP room is spacious and has an ambiance of a brightly lit piano lounge, there isn’t a kitchen so food is transported over in a non-insulated metal container arriving lukewarm to cold. To get the best of both worlds, you’ll want to order cold items when sitting in the VIP area.

Luckily, the huge plate of sushi that’s part of the set menu can withstand the frigid journey. That evening, it contained two types of tuna, the fattier toro and the regular blue fin variety; sweet soft pieces of unagi (barbequed eel); surprisingly clean pieces of aji (horse mackerel) that’s further topped with tons of ginger and green onions; tried and true kampachi,  salmon, and salmon maki; a decent take on tamago (egg) that had the flavours but not the lovely layers; as well as generous portions of hotate (Hokkaido scallop), ebi (raw shrimp), and uni (sea urchin).


In terms of the sushi rice, something I’ve really started to learn to enjoy, it had a great consistency but needs more vinegar and could benefit from being warmer. The rice is an important element to get right given it’s such an integral part of sushi.

Since the set meal lacked vegetables, an order of the wakame salad ($6), ice berg lettuce tossed in a creamy sesame dressing and topped with a sweet seaweed salad, was welcomed and helped add that freshness we were craving.


Off the a la carte menu, the seafood zousui ($18), a Japanese-style congee, was beckoning during the cold winter night. Pieces of shrimp, salmon, crab, a fair-sized scallop and various mushrooms gave the dish a lovely sweet seafood essence.


The rice sits at the bottom of a clear seafood broth, rather than being boiled for hours so that the grains combine with the soup, so you’re able to taste just the soup and then also have it with the soft rice. Indeed, the broth is king and despite being tepid had a warming property to it. If there was more seasoning and the seafood was added near the end of the process (so it doesn’t become rubbery) it’d be even better.

A bowl of tempura udon ($13) also seemed like a good choice. While the broth is rather run-of-the-mill, it was at least hotter than all the other dishes and the noodles chewy and springy. Something about ending the meal with a hot bowl of soup really suits me.


The VIP room was so comfortable that after two hours we still wanted to stay. A round of desserts helped extend the experience a little longer.


Deciding on the black sesame mochi ice cream ($4.30), it arrived two to an order. The small ping pong sized mochi needed a few minutes to rest as at the beginning it was tough to cut through. A thin chewy layer of glutinous rice flour pastry encapsulates plenty of ice cream. While it was pretty, the dessert lacked sesame flavour and tasted more like vanilla ice cream. For real black sesame ice cream you’ll want to stick with the ice cream with red bean paste ($4.50) combination.


Once the store between Aoyama and Aoyama VIP vacates, they can finally combine everything into one continuous restaurant. At that point, patrons finally won’t need to decide between quality of food or atmosphere. Until then, choose carefully.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2766 Victoria Park Avenue

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Padella (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, October 07, 2018 by

Like any good Italian restaurant, you won’t leave Padella hungry. Even as we sipped on wine, a basket of freshly toasted bread and a small bowl of delicious pickled beans arrived, something that even people waiting by the bar were nibbling on. 


To avoid sounding repetitive, I found Padella best suited for people who enjoy under seasoned dishes, which allows an ingredient’s natural flavours to shine, but was too plain for me. Some restaurants add a lot of toppings to their beef carpaccio ($16), the only garnishes at Padella were well-drained capers and shaved parmigiano; even the greens were left undressed. Indeed, we could taste the beef, it just doesn’t taste like much without seasoning.


Similarly, the pan seared octopus ($16) and cannellini bean salad barely had a lick of salt so the flavours were derived from the herbed olive oil. I just couldn’t get used to the octopus’ texture, which was too soft. Sure, you may be thinking tender octopus is a good thing. Yet, when the seafood flavours disappear and the springy texture almost becomes mushy, it no longer tastes like octopus.


The clams to linguine ratio in the vongole ($19) was impressive: equal amounts of seafood to pasta. Moreover, both ingredients were prepared to perfection – the clams just cooked through but still juicy and the pasta retaining that lovely chewiness. If only the sauce wasn’t so acidic – it’s like the chef forgot he added lemon and did a second squeeze, then the person at the pass added a third helping – rendering everything so sour that even the garlic and white wine were masked. This could have been an amazing dish with a quarter of the lemon and double the salt.


Only the spaghetti carbonara ($18) had a decent amount of saltiness from the guanciale, pecorino, and parmigiano. If you like bacon, this dish is for you as Padella doesn’t skimp on the guanciale. Combined with the egg yolk, the cured pork’s fat creates a rich smoky sauce that covers the fresh spaghetti. For me, I would have like more pepper to balance out the flavours.


Padella’s tiramisu ($8) was equally rich with generous amounts of mascarpone cream, making for a moist and decadent dessert. If only it had a stronger espresso flavour it would be even better, but still left us satisfied.


The cozy restaurant was packed on our Monday evening visit. From the number of people speaking to the staff, I could tell there are a lot of repeat customers and this is a neighbourhood joint. The friendly environment and respectable portions were great, I only wish the flavours were better. Luckily, aside from the vongole and octopus, the others are an easy fix with a dash of salt and pepper, something that can easily be accommodated by asking for some shakers. 

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1967 Avenue Road

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Padella Italian Eatery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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