Showing posts with label lounge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lounge. Show all posts

CLOSED: SoSo Food Club (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 15, 2018 by

Walking into SoSo Food Club, you would think you’re entering a retro hipster diner instead of a Chinese restaurant. The neon lit tunnel at the entrance is both trippy and wacky, I can’t help but think of Star Trek and going into hyper drive as I walk towards the host. Just pray you get seated at the plush banquettes by the window. The small circular tables by the bar are impractical when Chinese cuisine serves dishes that are meant for sharing – have fun trying to fit more than a dish, bowl of rice, two cocktails, and two water glasses on the desk-sized table.

If you’re feeling hungry, get one of the smaller bites to start as the main dishes take a while to arrive. I’m glad our waitress, Tabitha, convinced us to get the xiao long bao ($9) to tie us over. Truthfully, they’re like the ones from Asian Legend; nonetheless, they are well made: the wrapper thin with a slight elasticity and holding a lot of broth. An extra flavour element was added into the minced pork filling that I couldn’t decipher, maybe Chinese cooking wine? It gives the trapped soup an interesting taste.


Every table seems to get the lobster mapo tofu ($29). An entire lobster is halved and the meat removed from the shell then stir fried with soft tofu cubes, crab, and a thick spicy sauce (the mapo really has heat, especially if you eat the little chunks of red chilies strewn throughout). Smartly, the kitchen leaves the lobster in big chunks, it’s the only chance you can taste it since the strong sauce will cover any seafood essence. But there is something indulgent about having lobster with a dish that’s typically something served in homes. If only the rice it comes with was better, it needed more water and didn’t seem to be the “perfumed” variety.


A lot of SoSo’s menu is spicy and I expected to their dan dan mian ($16) to be scorching. Surprisingly, the heat was restrained with sesame sauce added to help mellow the spice. The chewy noodles are made in-house and thick enough to hold up against the thick spicy sauce. If there was some of the traditional crunchy preserved vegetables added, the noodles would be even better, the crushed peanuts just didn’t provide enough contrast.


For vegetarians, there’s also enough to choose from on the menu. The Not Really a Buddha basket ($15) could work as a main dish as the deep-fried taro paste pancake is pretty heavy. Covered with various chopped vegetables in gravy, the fresh corn kernels were a nice touch and provided crunchy elements against the soft taro. Adding some of the traditional Buddhist vegetables to the dish, like jook sung, would have made this even better as the vegetable would soak up the gravy, providing a more flavourful bite.


Coming from a Chinese background, I know SoSo Food Club is not 100% authentic. Yet, the creations are great representations of traditional dishes, with original elements that make it special. Plus, they have a great bar menu that is much better than the dusty bottles of alcohol or run-of-the-mill “cocktails” found in the old school restaurants. Their SoSo lager ($8) and Liefmans Yell’oh pineapple ale ($8) both intrigued me (and went great with their food) … this is coming from someone who rarely orders beer. SoSo encouraged me to enjoy Chinese food differently, in a dark day-glo environment with drinks that are much stronger than tea.  

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1166 Dundas Street 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!

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CLOSED: The Lockhart (aka the Harry Potter inspired bar) (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2018 by

The Lockhart’s connection to Harry Potter has been blown out of proportion by the media … they are not a “Harry Potter bar”. Even the owners warn visitors they are merely a bar with elements inspired by JK Rowling’s famous story – a tribute or theme bar it’s not.


Sure, you’ll find Pop Toys of the characters amongst a lot of other references on the walls. The downstairs washroom area is decorated with beautiful murals, the staircase leading to the basement with pages from the book. Let’s just say you’ll be entertained if you’re waiting for a stall. Even some of the mixers pay homage to the books – a shot of marauder anyone?


Just don’t expect to see the movies playing (the only TV in the bar is actually a chalkboard) or even the movie scores to serenade you (there was an awesome 90s slow jams and R&B playlist).

Of course, it didn’t stop me from ordering the Betterbeer ($11.50), a drink that looks like a milkshake but tastes like a lightly creamed ginger beer. The cinnamon-infused toasted butter washed Sauza meant I couldn’t even taste the tequila... talk about being befuddled. Despite being creamy, the drink finishes light from the carbonated beer. I don’t get the significance of the toasted marshmallow, but it was delicious nevertheless.


Cocktails like the Botanist ($12) and Royal Tea ($10.75) are simply beautiful. While I normally love cucumber and floral based drinks, the Botanist was even too much for me. The Royal Tea is a mellower choice with no floral essence other than the sprig of Baby’s Breathe used for garnish. It reminded me of a spiked lemonade iced tea with the refreshing raspberry rooibos infused Absolut peach with lemon.


If you enjoy a savoury Ceasar ($12), you’re able to customize the spice level and I find it has a mellower finish. The generally overpowering Worcestershire is nicely restrained.


Their mixologists must be busy with potion's homework as The Lockhart also makes the syrups and infusions used within the cocktails. Creating so many of the inputs does mean their menu is condensed and carefully curated. It seems a trip to Hogsmeade is in order.   
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1479 Dundas Street West



Is That It? I Want More!

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CLOSED: Pick 6ix (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, May 26, 2018 by

Pick 6ix is Drake’s latest hospitality venture in collaboration with Montreal’s Chef Antonio Park. Having lived in South America, Canada, and Japan and coming from a Korean background, you can see Chef Park’s multi-cultural influences on the restaurant’s menu. In a single dinner I sampled dishes from all the countries!

He seems proficient in creating recipes from each of the geographies as the three stand-out dishes, for me, varied from Korea, Argentina, and Japan. The best was the 8-hour braised kalbi style short rib ($38), which I’d expect from Chef Park’s background. The slightly sweet soy marinade is bang on in terms of flavours and thickened to form a glaze on the meaty rib. It was moist and tender, but you could still taste the beef.


Pick 6ix’s beef empanadas ($18) reminds me of a meatier Jamaican patty in an empanada shell. The filling is lightly flavoured with Argentinian spices and goes especially well with the chimichurri sauce, which adds a tangy herby bite.


The spicy salmon maki ($12) was simple but delicious: the rice thinly layered and brimming with salmon with a significant dollop of spicy kewpie on top. So flavourful that you wouldn’t need the house-made low-sodium soy sauce.


Although the soft-shell crab maki ($18) was still good, I would have thought there would be greater interest with so many ingredients - avocado, tobiko, mizuna (a Japanese mustard green), and pickled radish. In reality, all I could taste were the leafy greens until the soft-shell crab kicked in, at the end.


The fried rice ($26) combines the Chinese staple where the chicken and shrimp is presented almost teppanyaki style, layered on top. Everything arrives in a hot stone bowl with a fried egg and sauce drizzled over top, a nod to bibimbap. It was decent and a good option if you just want a main meal.


We didn’t know what to expect with the choripan asiatico ($18) but all the dishes elements – sausage, guacamole, kimchi, mustard slaw, salsa creola and crispy shallots – sounded enticing. Look out traditional American hot dog, the choripan asiatico is an extreme version of one. Through all the crunchy textures the spicy sausage heat shone through, the heat further amplified by the gochujang spiked ketchup accompanying the fries. It is a rather heavy sandwich, so this is best for sharing.


The pork gyozas ($16) were fine but seemingly plain compared to the other dishes. While the meat filling was tasty enough, it could have incorporated an unusual element (perhaps kimchi) to give it more interest. Moreover, they’d be even better if they were pan fried (instead of deep fried) as I love the contrast between the chewy dough and crispy crust, a small nit-picky personal preference.


Although beef carpaccio ($19) is known for being thinly sliced beef, it would help if the kitchen overlaid the slices for this dish as with the dwarf peaches, olives, puffed quinoa, crispy wild rice, carrots, and plum emulsion the beef became lost; all I could taste was crispy rice with sauce. Overall, aside from this one miss, the other dishes were as I expected: good interpretations that were satisfying but not out-of-this-world.


Similarly, the décor was swanky, as anticipated, in a cool retro way. While the furnishings look great, the tables aren’t exactly designed for dining – the large booth style ones along the sides makes sharing plates difficult and the small ones in the centre have so little room that sharing would be impossible. Oh well, maybe none of that matters… after all, the city loves Drake.


Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 33 Yonge 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!

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Kelly's Landing Opens Downtown (Toronto)

Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 by
Thanks to Parv for all the amazing interior shots (my phone couldn't do the space justice)
The Landing Group only started in 2010 and already has amassed eight locations across the GTA. Their newest addition, dubbed the “Centre Ice” location (thanks to their proximity to the Air Canada Centre), opens on August 23, 2017. Like the rest of the chain, the Kelly’s Landing pad is large and spacious offering an extensive menu that makes choosing difficult. Steve Pelton, CEO of the Landing Group, notes that while they know they can’t please everyone, they’ll try their best to do so.


During a sneak peek event, we tried a number of items, prior to Kelly’s Landing official opening. True to form, the dishes were very different. Of course, there’s pizza, a perennial crowd favourite. Of the three styles, I was most surprised with the sausage picante ($18), a flavourful concoction combining spicy tomato sauce, house-made spicy Italian fennel sausage, roasted peppers, and mushroom. Generally, I find sausage pizzas too heavy, but theirs was not oily so the crust remained dry and crispy. Moreover, the meat added just enough to taste without being too salty.


The artichoke and cheese ($16) is what I’d normally order. The pizza is rich and creamy thanks to the parmesan asiago cream sauce and goat cheese with mozzarella mixture on top. Other ingredients are kept simple with slightly tangy marinated artichokes, sundried tomato, and baby kale; items that help balance the dish. Meanwhile, Mamma’s margarita pizza ($15) is the opposite – light and juicy with a bit of sweetness from the balsamic syrup.


You’ll be tempted to share an order of the brisket mac ‘n’ cheese ($11), which takes aged cheddar pasta and tops it with brisket that’s gone through a 10-day brine and 14-hr smoke. Imagine the most intense smoky bacon with a light heat (care of the poblano barbeque sauce), mixed with creamy pasta… how can you resist?

As the Beer Sisters taught me, creamy foods pair well with beer since the carbonation in the drink helps to cleanse the palette; a dish like mac ‘n’ cheese goes nicely with a light one. Coincidently, Kelly’s Landing has a ‘Beyond the Beer’ program where 50 cents from the sale of a draft Dos Equis gets donated to the University Health Network (operates hospitals such as Toronto Western and Toronto General). Now you can have your beer and help others too.

Two dishes that wowed me at the tasting were the Moroccan curried chicken ($20) and turkey burger ($16). The Moroccan curry incorporates a great blend of North African spices so the sauce actually has a strong hit of spices - full-flavoured and slightly spicy. It comes with fragrant basmati rice, flatbread, and some cooling crema that helps stave off any heat.


While the turkey burger ($16) is less exotic, it’s remarkably good thanks to the granny smith apples and herbs mixed into the patty for flavour and moisture. There’s a bit of spice from the chipotle aioli that’s balanced by a creamy Napa cabbage slaw, no boring burger here.


For vegans, Kelly’s Landing offers the Righteous Greens ($19) a mix of quinoa, brown barley, kale, roasted yams, avocado, vegetables, chia seeds, and cashews all tossed in a lime ginger sauce and topped with chili slices. It’s a hefty filling salad with sweet, salty, savoury, and spicy flavours giving the dish a Thai flare without tasting like a traditional Thai dish.


The Honey Smash cocktail ($13) is summery and sipping friendly, comprised of Absolut vodka mixed with strawberry and raspberry purée topped with mint. Touted as their take on a daiquiri, I find the cocktail is much smoother and you can taste the berries without the scratchiness of ice crystals mixed throughout.


During brunch (Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 3pm) you can get the Landing Cure ($16), a monstrous Caesar topped with a lobster tail, pizza slice, jalapeno Havarti and bacon skewer, celery, carrots, vegetable skewer, and an extreme green bean pickle. Good luck walking out hungry.

Aside from the traditional beer (24 options on tap), cocktail, and wine options, Kelly’s Landing also offers an extensive list of spirits. In fact, there’s a good choice for scotch lovers at various price points.

During the opening event, Glenlivet was on hand and I conducted a blind taste test to see if age actually matters. As it turns out, the older scotches definitely have less of a burn, but after a certain point it’s all pretty smooth. Personally, I preferred the 15 to the 18 year ($18/oz) as it’s an easy going drink. However, for people who like a drier peppery bite, the 18 year old definitely has those flavours thanks to being aged in bourbon and sherry casks. A more price conscious offering is the Glenlivet Founder's Reserve ($10/oz) that has an amazing oaky aroma but harsher bite.


With their 43' x 30' retractable roof and spacious patio, you know Kelly’s Landing is going to be popular with the downtown crowd and packed during games. Luckily, they accept reservations (even on their patio), which seems to be an anomaly amongst the newer restaurants opening downtown. I’m already excited to return for food and liberations and to try out the patio. Go soon, while the summer’s still upon us.   

Disclaimer: I tasted the food and drinks noted above at a media event. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 123 Front Street West

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

CLOSED: Fring's Revisited (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, August 07, 2017 by

My last visit to Fring’s was shortly after it opened. After hearing all the hype about the restaurant, I had to experience it in person, secretly hoping to get a glimpse of Drake. Since that first weeknight visit was so busy and loud, I readied myself for a night of drinking and music. Strangely, this return Friday visit was much quieter: we were seated at the bar (surrounding areas had some empty tables) and there was no live performance. Alas, there was still no Drake.

The menu has completely changed and now offers more items. Arriving as crispy golden spheres, the crab cakes ($24) were delicious with plenty of lump crab meat and not much other filler. The sweet seafood was the dominant taste with an herby tomatillo verde and cooling sour cream for contrast. It’s a great starter to share or something to nibble on even if you're there just for drinks.  


In fact, they have a few good options for sharing. The beef short rib tacos ($16) also arrive four to an order and incorporate a fair amount of juicy tender beef held in a crispy wonton shell. Unlike other tacos that tend to be messy, Fring’s was easier to devour as it relied less on sauces for flavouring and more on ingredients like creamy avocado, spicy mango pineapple salsa, sour cream, and a slice of red chili.


While the actual grilled skirt steak ($28) was merely decent – unfortunately, the meat was overdone and the flavours somewhat covered by the chimichurri and thick slices of red pepper - the accompanying Parmesan polenta “croutons” were delectable like a traditional crispy polenta but much creamier and cheesier. 


We had added a side of quinoa crusted onion rings ($10), thinking they’d go great with the steak. At first glance, they looked good – plenty of crispy crust and not overly oily. Then when you bite in and are met with the mealy tasteless crust, the perception changes. When I slathered enough chilli mint yogurt chutney on the onion ring it was a bit better, too bad there was so little of the condiment. Note to self: quinoa and onion rings do not mix.


Thankfully, the tried and true roasted Brussels sprouts ($12) didn’t disappoint. There was enough bacon to make it sinful while still keeping the dish predominantly vegetables, the pearl onions providing a bit of sweetness, and to cut through the typical sweet maple glaze was a generous sprinkle of fresh thyme.


One dish that just wouldn’t arrive was the grilled octopus ($26). Unlike my previous dinner experience at Fring’s, our waitress kept an eye on the dish, coming by to provide us with updates. In the meantime, she provided complimentary truffle fries ($20) and another order of crab cakes (likely from hearing our moans of deliciousness) to keep us placated. Upon receiving the fries, I realized why a side of spuds would cost $20. In lieu of truffle oil, the chefs dust on real black truffles instead. Along with the Parmesan cheese, it makes for flavourful fries!


In the end, we decided to replace the octopus with fried chicken and waffles ($26); plate after plate kept whizzing by so they seemed popular and looked tasty. Although the chicken were pieces of boneless chicken breast, they were still tender; the batter spiced enough for taste, but could still handle the sweet and spicy maple syrup glaze.


The Hong Kong egg waffle was cold and soft, not terrible but definitely doesn’t do the accompaniment justice. Note to restaurants: if you’re going to use the bubble waffle, these need to be made-to-order as it really doesn’t lend itself to sitting around.

As a nice gesture, due to the long wait for the octopus, Fring’s also gave us the replacement chicken and waffles on a complimentary basis. Needless to say, we left terribly full (the walk back to a car a welcomed exercise to help start digest the mass of food), since the one octopus dish was replaced with three heavier items.

Compared to the first dinner, service has improved – staff were more attentive and there were no delays at clearing dirty dishes. Of course, due to waiting around for the octopus, dinner wasn’t a shorter affair (the meal still lasted three hours), but on a weekend I don’t mind hanging out over another drink … with or without Drake.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 445 King Street 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!

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CLOSED: Weslodge (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2017 by

While restaurants like Cactus Club Café are known for their pretty approachable waitresses, at Weslodge, the scales tip in favour for the ladies where dapper young men sling the food instead. Dressed in tailored jean shirts, some even complete with leather suspenders, I’m guessing they’re supposed to resemble cowboys … very clean and tailored cowboys.

Despite the upscale saloon environment, their menu is more adventurous than steak and potatoes. There’s items from the sea and non-American risottos; of course, there’s still beef, but it’s braised and served with jus.  

During Winterlicious ($38), I’m happy to see their special price fixe menu includes renditions of their normally available dishes, such as the smoked trout and crisp potato cake starter. It’s a superb dish, the fish cooked through but still having the smoked flavour and aroma, which is balanced out with thinly sliced cucumbers and tangy crème fraiche. The potato base is not the shredded pancake or latkes version, rather a square of non-creamy potato gratin that flakes apart just like the fish.

The braised beef cheek was prepared to my liking: fork tender yet still has a meaty texture and just enough fat for moisture. Generally I’m skeptical about fruit sauces, but Weslodge’s huckleberry version had an appropriate level of fruitiness to cut against beef’s richness without reminding me of a fruit salad. Yet, the most surprising part of the dish was the sunchokes - cut into wedges and roasted so well they were creamy and encapsulated in a lovely crispy caramelized crust.


The meal was delicious to the end. The apple tarte tatin incorporated a thick layer of thinly sliced apples, nice and soft with crunchy butter graham clusters for contrast. With the light Ontario cider sorbet on the side, the dessert was positively refreshing. If only the tarte was warmer, it would have been perfect.


Looking back at the evening, it was a great experience: the friendly banter, attentive service, and delectable food. It wasn’t always like this. My last visit to Weslodge, when it first opened, was a stark contrast – our group of six was crammed into a table for four, it took forever to get a cocktail (even longer for food), and the burger was just a step above Jack Astors (no offense Jack Astors). Oh, how the tumbleweeds turn for I’ll be back … and it’s not because of the hot cowboys.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $38
Regular menu - $58 - trout ($18), beef ($30) and dessert ($10)
Savings - $20 or 34%
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 480 King Street 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:



CLOSED: Entice Culinary Lounge (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 27, 2016 by
Entice Culinary Lounge’s current menu incorporates an assortment of cultures and flavours. Normally, I’m skeptical … really, can a chef actually master such different dishes and create something delicious? Truly, the creations aren’t traditional or authentic (such as our main of Korean beef ribs), but the menu reads like the popular dishes from each custom curated into one. The result: it’s not easy deciding what to order because so many items sound enticing.

Even as the cast iron calamari ($15) was presented, I could tell it was cooked perfectly - the hot pan gave it a quick sear, leaving the protein tender.  Since the squid wasn’t grilled, there’s not a strong smoky flavour, instead, the crispy garlic pesto shone through. Dots of fried capers were a nice contrast and the diced lemon segments a tart surprise, rather than the typical lemon wedge.

Despite the beef patties being cooked through (ideal for those who are squeamish about pink meat), the sliders ($15) were still juicy thanks to the bacon lardon pieces mixed into the beef. The flavourful patty held up against the slice of sharp cheddar, tangy pickles, and chili mix on top.


Entice’s mains certainly don’t lack flavour. The Korean beef ribs ($27) had the customary sweet garlicky soy marinade with the caramelized barbeque char. Even the shoestring fries were topped with ample amounts of chopped kimchi for a sharp acidity; the spicy pungent vegetable means you definitely don’t need ketchup. Meanwhile, the vinegary Asian slaw was cooling, cutting against the rich tacky ribs.


The sea bream ($27) was an excellent suggestion from our waitress, the fish’s skin so crispy it could have doubled for a chip, while the mild fish still moist. On the bottom, the zucchini noodles were light and satisfying; the roasted rapini and fennel adding an earthiness to the otherwise summery dish. Yet, I couldn’t help marvel over the lemon squeezing gadget – helps keep fingers citrus free while extracting so much juice from one thin slice.


Even the desserts were tempting. Since we couldn’t settle on one, we had the peanut butter Nanaimo ($10) and pumpkin fritters ($10). The Nanaimo arrives deconstructed, the plate includes all the staple ingredients: milk chocolate, coconut chocolate cookies and a peanut butter cream. As an added bonus, there was a light coconut sorbet that had virtually no sweetness except for the natural coconut milk.

Although deconstructed desserts look pretty, I’m always disappointed with the final output – the ingredients are everywhere and in the wrong proportions. Even though I try to get a bit of each element, the ultimate outcome is never as good as having the actual dessert. In this case, I really wanted a taste of the dense creaminess generally found in the dessert, but ended up tasting coconut sorbet mixed into hard cookie bits.

Luckily, the simple pumpkin fritters hit the spot. The warmth helped permeate the spices within the dough so you can smell and taste the cloves and cinnamon. They were also dense enough that even as the maple ice cream was melting, the fritters didn’t become soggy, rather it just seemed like a pool of sauce for the doughnuts.


For those who prefer drinking their sweets, Entice even has a selection of dessert cocktails: the il ciocclato sounds like an adult hot chocolate (complete with marshmallows) and the smashing pumpkins a warmed rum drink incorporating pumpkin puree and sweet potato syrup.

For cocktail aficionados, you need to try the liberations at Entice Culinary Lounge. The city has really stepped up with great drinks and Entice doesn’t disappoint with unique and exciting concoctions. The entire bar staff came together to develop ideas for the menu and even make many of the syrups and infusions for the drinks.

Take the Beauty and the Beast ($14), the cocktail starts with Pinot Noir that reduces by a third before adding hibiscus syrup and further concentrating in half. It’s put together with a shot of scotch (what I like to think is the Beast of the cocktail), except the Pinot Noir mellows the mixture and the drink tastes of Christmas morning. Inside, the cocktail is adorned with an edible hibiscus flower, which reminds me of the Chinese red preserved plums. Although the sprig of rosemary used as the stem of the flower is a clever idea, I found it overpowered the drink’s aroma; to really appreciate the cocktail, I ended up removing the rosemary. 


1001 Nights ($14) was concocted for the owner’s mother, who enjoys a tasty drink that’s not overly sweet. Somehow, she and I have the same taste. You can tell there’s tequila in the cocktail but along with Amaro Nonino, sage and cucumber, it’s but a whisper in the background.

What I appreciated most about the drink was the use of saffron, which is rarely incorporated into cocktails. The prized spice was to pay homage to the mother’s Persian heritage, with large strands frozen into the ice cube so that as it melts the spice melds into the drink. Even the sugar surrounding the rim is infused with saffron so that it’s the first taste that hits the tongue.

Justin Cleva, new Executive Chef of Entice, reveals that diners can expect the menu to change in December: with the cold weather, they’ll be adding comfort foods, but done in the elevated Entice fashion. Who knows, maybe it’ll become a collaborative effort again. If it’s anything like inventiveness of the cocktail menu, we’re all in for a treat.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1036 Queen Street 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!

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