Showing posts with label small plates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small plates. Show all posts

Bar Reyna (Toronto)

With all the accolades Bar Isabel and Bar Raval have racked up, don't be mistaken, Bar Reyna is not part of the fold. While the prior restaurants are known for their excellent sharing plates, I’d consider Bar Reyna edible at best.

The mini empanadas ($6) should really just be called puff pastry triangles … the chorizo filling described on the menu was non-existent. Similarly, the sea bass ceviche ($15) lacked fish but incorporated so much sweet potato. Its most prominent flavour was citrus - somehow it drown out the red onion, mint, and jalapeno – with a hits you at the back of your throat level of acidity. 


On weekdays from 4-7pm they offer a selection of drinks and small plates for $7. The white wine, a decent sized glass of Thalia Sauvignon Blanc, is a steal. The food, on the other hand … well you get what you pay for.

The spinach and feta borek, the Turkish version of spanakopita, is really the famous Greek pastry without any garlic or herbs - basically the ingredients that make it delicious. Like the empanadas, the zucchini fritters simply tasted like crispy dough, it seriously needed more squash.


Of the specials, their French fries were the best, but much too thin if you’re not actually pairing it with steak. On the bright side, the one dish of fries seemed to last a lifetime and the yoghurt dip was quite tasty.


To be fair, not all the food was bad. The chicken shawarma ($30) incorporated large chunks of juicy chicken breast and tons of fixings (bird's eye chili, various pickles, crispy onions, cherry tomato salsa, and a lackluster tahini). The grilled soft doughy house made flatbreads were nice but we definitely needed more than three – why they’re served as an odd number is strange; after all, most tables consist of two or four people, so the three wraps is difficult to split.


The most surprising dish was the persimmon Greek salad ($10). I’m normally impressed with salad, but it was such a great idea to grill the sweet fruit and serve it warm with radicchio and kale. The poppy seed dressing was well balanced and the light feta as creamy as goat’s cheese.



Maybe I’m being too hard on Bar Reyna. For its swanky Cumberland address, the restaurant’s prices are affordable and you’re not scared to place another order. Too bad their food just isn’t that good. Oh well, maybe the few more you order is just another $7 glass of wine.

Overall mark - 6 out of 10

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 158 Cumberland Street

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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:


Bar Reyna Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cadet (Montreal)


Despite sitting in simple tables that resembled cafeteria seating, there’s something buzzy about Cadet. It could be that every table was filled with smartly dressed patrons laughing over cocktails and shared plates. Sipping on the overly sweet West coast spritz ($8), thanks to the liberal pour of orangey Aperol, the trendy restaurant made me feel hip … cool even (what do the kids say nowadays?)

With their small plates format menu there’s bound to be hit and misses - the worst offenders the meat-based offerings. The beef tartare ($14) was flavourless and mushy; the dish certainly could use something crunchy and zippy like chopped pickles to give it bite. The presentation could also be improved: if it weren’t for the radish slices and snippets of chives, the bowl of loosely cubed meat would feel like eating Alpo.

The pork shoulder ($14) was better, the meat tender and juicy, pairing well with the mustard. Even the edamame beans were fine – adding a bright splash of green and crunch. It was the sweet grapes and dry mealy falafels mixed into everything that threw me off, it simply didn’t work together.


Of all the meat dishes, the chicken wings ($12) were best, smothered in a sweet and sour glaze with crunchy peanuts and scallions for interest. They’re good, but hardly inventive, and rather salty so you’ll want these served last or it’ll take away from the other dishes.


So, all the carnivore based selections were passable. It’s all right - Montreal already has so many restaurants dedicated to beef and pork that Cadet can focus on everything else. The broccoli ($10) was fantastic: small roasted florets mixed with crispy pan fried speatzle and smooth tangy lebenah. Everything from the textures and flavours worked together so nicely; even the bits of pistachio threw in for crunch.


Incorporating a light jalapeno yogurt and sweet melons, the scallop ceviche’s ($18) flavours were well balanced and refreshing. I liked that the ceviche didn’t rely on the typical lime juice, which can overpower delicate seafood and changes the scallop’s texture. In fact, the dish was closer to sashimi than ceviche, the scallops remaining soft like silken tofu.


Soft and meaty, the cubes of octopus ($17) paired perfectly with the earthy king oysters mushroom. Between the octopus, mushrooms and the soft plump romano beans, this is a hearty dish that could substitute for a meat one any day.


The crispy coating on the fried halibut ($12) was a nice change from all the other saucy dishes. Cadet’s batter was oh so airy, filled with tons of pockets for crunch. What a great vessel for dipping into the creamy gherkin laced tartare sauce.



Don’t leave without trying the clams ($14) – for a table of four you’ll need two orders as they’re that good! The light curry was fantastic, full of Thai flavours and not too thick as to overpower the clams. I wish there were more pieces of dried bread thrown into the dish, which soaks up the sauce. Even better, a bowl of steamed rice … *sigh dreamily* ... that would have made the night complete. 


Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Montreal, Canada
 Address: 1431 Blvd Saint-Laurent

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:


Cadet Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: OMAW (Toronto)


While OMAW’s name is not an acronym, for me it summarizes my experience: Oh My! Ah… Well? Let’s start with the “Oh my!”, my initial reaction when I heard Toronto Southern food master, Chef Matt Blondin, was back in a permanent location serving his famed shrimp and grits! Having last eaten the dish almost five years ago during Blondin’s last weeks at Acadia, I still fondly remember the luscious comfort food.

As soon as Omaw’s menu was placed in front of me, I anxiously scanned the one-sheeter, almost missing it as the grits was hidden in the description, rather the dish simply labelled gulf prawns ($15). The grits didn’t arrive until halfway through the meal and when the small bowl was finally presented it looked good, but seemed saucier than I remembered.  



Numerous media outlets report that these are indeed the same shrimp and grits from Acadia. Then why does it taste different? Sadly, dining at Acadia was before I started documenting my food adventures, but this dish didn’t bring back the iconic Blondin cooking I yearned for.  It’s still good with a smooth consistency packed with flavours on account of the pimento cheese, jalapenos and smoky broccoli. It just somehow lacked the hearty grittiness of the grain itself… ah well.

Before our meal began, a bowl of complimentary lightly pickled cucumbers arrived, a refreshing snack to munch on as I marveled over the sabbatical ($15) cocktail. If you’re into not-overly sweet, citrusy (shiso and lime) drinks with a surprising twist (ginger, habanero, and herb saint), do yourself a favour and order the drink. Despite the differing ingredients, they combine together so nicely and the lingering kick from the ginger and habanero leaves me wanting more.



With the restaurant’s small plates menu, sharing is encouraged or you could mix-and-match to create a customized tasting menu. The aged wagyu ($17) is gorgeous and reminiscent to a dish served at Alo



Also incorporating tons of tastes - from the creamy aioli, soft pea relish, and not overly heavy beef fat vinaigrette - the dish is decent but I couldn’t help but crave a crispy element. The crumbles of buttered popcorn could have done it but somehow didn’t. The small hot pancakes the chef suggests rolling thin strips of the beef onto is a good idea, but may work better if served thinner with crispy edges.

Two forgettable dishes include the beef shortrib ($15), wonderfully cooked and tender but lacked interest, and the Kentucky fried squid ($13), which were so thin the dish tastes like cornmeal fries slathered with mayonnaise (in this case an Alabama white sauce that’s a mayonnaise based BBQ). The crunchy slivers or melon rind on the squid were noteworthy, something the dish needs more of.


Nonetheless, the dinner wasn’t a complete disappointment. The crispy jambalaya ($9) was fantastic and a must-try if you love arancini (fried risotto balls). The flavourful rice incorporates diced tasso (a fattier cut of smoked lightly cured pork) and is covered with a prawn powder before being deep fried and served sizzling hot. What I wouldn’t give to pop one into my mouth right now.



The turkey & dumplings ($15) was also satisfying, the fowl itself rather sparse but the dumplings lovely and not unlike a pillowy gnocchi. Drink every last drop of the flavourful broth spiked with black truffle oil, it’s salty but oh so satisfying.



OMAW isn’t where you’ll find low key Southern home cooking, but with Chef Blondin you should expect a spark of pizzazz and opulence. Regrettably, the Matt magic didn’t cast a spell on me this time. Ah well.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 88 Ossington 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:






CLOSED: Krazy Corean (Toronto)

Krazy Corean


With a name that would irk any editor, Krazy Corean is increasing the diversity in Little Italy with their menu of Korean offerings. Their signage introduces the cuisine as fusion: although there are several blended plates, the restaurant serves a number of traditional offerings as well. Don’t worry, there’s nothing particularly “crazy” about the food, unless you count the baskets of complimentary freshly made buttery popcorn, served in lieu of bread, wild.


Of all the dishes we tried, the bul-na ($10) (bulgogi nachos) was the most crazy fusion dish. In place of typical chewy rice cakes were crispy thin warm tortilla chips. On the side, a decent pile of well-seasoned bulgogi (thinly shaved beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce), onion, broccoli and jalapeno, smothered in cheese.


The dish needed more sauce and I could have done without the small broccoli florets, which was a strange combination with nachos (bell peppers may be a better choice). Personally, I would rather have the toppings covering the tortillas to allow the flavours to meld together. There’s something about the process of searching for a chip that has the best combination of toppings that’s so satisfying – it’s almost like a treasure hunt. However, the dish is perfect for individuals who hate soggy chips and will allow people to customize the toppings on each tortilla.

Although not overly battered, the Korean style chicken wings ($8) had a nice crunch and were smothered in a tasty sweet and slightly spicy sauce. For the price, there was a fair amount of wings and each piece a decent meaty size. Pine nuts, crushed peanuts and green onion slivers top the wings providing added crunch and flavours.


I love ssam and Krazy Corean’s kalbi version ($14) was satisfying. The marinated BBQ beef short ribs were served with plenty of leaf lettuce and boiled cabbage for wrapping. Ideally, with all the vegetables, the kalbi pieces could be cut larger – two was too much to hold in the wrap but one became somewhat lost amongst the foliage. On the side, slivers of jalapeno and garlic, spicy kimchi and ssam-jang (a sweet and spicy sauce) to add into the wraps – their kimchi was crunchy and delicious. 


Although Krazy Corean isn’t a Japanese restaurant, I thoroughly enjoyed their volcano roll ($13); my favourite dish of the evening. Inside the maki was a plethora of delicious ingredients including shrimp tempura, crab meat, avocado and cucumber. To further augment the roll, the rice was wrapped with salmon and scallop that’s then blow torched to char the protein's fat. Even the garnishes, fried lotus root slices, were fantastic … we finished every last piece.


Despite the narrow store frontage, their dining room is well laid out and the tables easily convertible to accommodate large groups. Being opened until 2am makes the restaurant popular with the late night crowd looking for drinks. Their Tokyo iced tea ($9) is a good choice; made with rum, gin, vodka, trip sec, melon liquor, lemon juice and sprite it doesn't taste alcoholic until you give it time to settle.

Overall, if you’re looking for outrageous creations, Krazy Corean still has a ways to go. But, for reasonably priced dishes and fairly price cocktails, it’s a good choice in Little Italy. Who knows after a few Tokyo iced teas, maybe you’ll make the restaurant live up to its name after all.


Overall mark - 7 out of 10*
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as stated in the mission statement, I will always provide my honest opinion.


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 598 College 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:





CLOSED: Bar Buca (Toronto)

When a restaurant doesn’t take reservations, you learn to arrive early to avoid the wait. Visiting Bar Buca earlier has its perks: from 4pm to 7pm diners who order a drink receive an aperitivo platter to munch on. During our visit, it consisted of cubes of mortadella & fontina, small soft olives, focaccia toasts and deliciously tart pickled dandelion leaves. The original “tapas” bar of the neighbourhood, aperitivo is the practice of having drinks and nibbles before dinner. The fact that you can continue dinner in the same establishment? That’s the ideal Canadian way. 


Their Winterlicious menu sounded delicious and thankfully included their regular offerings. Although the sardella looks simple - like some sort of spread on toast - the vivid flavours are a far cry from simple. The fermented smelts paste on the bottom has a wonderful brininess, while the hits of chili is slightly calmed by the creamy burrata on top.


Bar Buca’s crudo uses thick slices of Guelph arctic char topped with a liberal sprinkling of squid ink salt and fennel fronds. The Chef suggests eating the fish first and reserving the crostini to sop up the remaining smoked olive oil. We happily obliged, who am I to question someone that can make such a tasty dish?


The barbabietole should have been served first, as after two stronger dishes the salt baked beets topped with pistachio seemed plain and non-memorable. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty dish and if you enjoy beets they were prepared nicely.


Crisp bits of pig ear, cheek and other facial features followed, lightly dusted with salt and chili slices should you want the heat. All the greasy crunchiness would have gone wonderfully with beer… not horrible with wine either.


What will have me returning to Bar Buca are their schiacciata, fragrant oily Tuscan flatbread with the richness of focaccia but slightly denser. Cut into quarters, it’s great for sharing and given their heaviness, you’ll likely want to split with a friend.


The porchetta contained plenty of pieces of plump roasted pork drizzled with an herby aioli. I would have liked the apple mostarda to be cut into smaller pieces as the large chunks of sweet fruit was too much for me.


Meanwhile, the salsicce version made with slices of grilled pork and fennel sausage was better balanced. Along with the lean sausage there was roasted bell peppers, sweet cipollini onions, arugula that helped cut through the greasiness and a thin layer of soft scamorz cheese. The sandwich was molto delizioso!


After so many indulgent dishes, the caponata di romanesco, a roasted cauliflower and eggplant mixture in a vinegary tomato sauce, should have been a great ending. But, something about the spices (could have been nutmeg or anise) gave the vegetables a Middle Eastern taste that didn’t go with the meal.


To end, we shared a plate of pastries. The cannoli was tasty with plenty of ricotta cream studded with chocolate chips. I also enjoyed the chewy amaretti cookie dusted with powdered sugar. The torta cioccolatino is extremely chocolaty (imagine a flourless chocolate cake with extra unsweetened cocoa powder) and should be shared. While the jam filled shortbread should not as it turns to dust if you attempt to cut through it.  


I rather enjoyed Bar Buca’s small plates experience. In an era when menus in restaurants are swinging towards the tapas route, I find some dishes are really not most conducive for sharing (is a hunk of short rib really the best thing)? But all the items work at Bar Buca. Add some wine and special friends, then you’re in for a wonderful evening.  

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $25
Regular menu - $31 - sardella ($6), crudo ($6), porchetta ($14) and dessert* ($5)
Savings - $6 or 19%
* Dessert based on a wild guess from me

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 75 Portland 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:






Kintori Yakitori (Toronto)

Kintori Yakitori Toronto

If you’re a grazer and fancy eating small portions of food while drinking, Kintori Yakitori is an idyllic dining experience. Think of the restaurant as the Bar Raval of the Japanese scene – order a few items (most dishes are sold in single units), chat whilst enjoying a drink, then order some more. Repeat until you’re full and satisfied.

As Kintori’s name would imply, yakitori is what their known for – in the strictest sense, skewered grilled chicken products. In reality, the restaurant’s menu encompasses many other proteins and vegetarian ingredients as well.

The gyu-tongue kushi ($3.80) was fantastic, a thin slice of flavorful tender beef with a slight springy bite. The dish offers such a rich flavour in a delicate way.


We tried two meat and onion options. The grilled spring onions interlaced with the chicken thigh in the negima ($1.80) provides a slightly sweet and fresh contrast. While the scallion sauce covering the beef ($3.20; negi shio gyu) was much stronger – if you enjoy the ginger and onion oil that accompanies Chinese boiled chicken, this is very similar.


The chicken wing ($1.80; tebasaki) was delicious, especially in the winter when the craving for BBQ starts to creep in. Of all the meats, this had the most prominent hint of smokiness, the end product of cooking the yakitori over Binchotan charcoal that Kintori imports from Japan.


Although chicken meatballs ($1.80; tsukune) sound rather plain, the meat mixture was nicely seasoned and when combined with the caramelized glaze quite tasty.


Kintori provided me with my first experience with numerous chicken innards ($1.80 each). Despite the scary veiny looking exterior, the chicken heart (hatsu) was the best of the bunch and reminded me of a tougher gamier squab.


The chicken gizzard (zuri) is what I like to think of as the bubble gum of the offal world; it’s good if you can stand the bouncy texture. Despite having a delicious sweet and salty tare glaze on top, I regrettably couldn’t stomach the chicken liver (reba) – it’s quick change in texture becoming almost powdery and foamy is so different from the whipped mousse normally eaten.


At times, Kintori also offers kushikatsu or skewered deep fried delights on a specials menu.  The quail eggs ($2; uzura kushi age) and the bacon wrapped asparagus ($2.50) are heavier than the grilled options but has such a satisfying crunch from the panko crust. They went particularly well with beer, the malty bitterness of the Asahi black ($8) a nice combination with the grease.


An order of the house made pickles ($3.80; oshinko moriwase) is a good idea, the lightly marinated burdock root, cucumbers and napa cabbage works to clean the palette. If you can stand the saltiness, the nikumiso kyabetsu ($3.80) could also work, the cabbage “salad” accompanied with a strong miso pork sauce for dipping.


Should you need something more substantial, Kintori also offers noodle dishes including the ramen from Kinton downstairs. To keep with the grazing theme, we had the yakionigiri ($3), a grilled sticky rice ball with a smidge of preserved plum in the center providing a salty sour kick. I thoroughly enjoyed the crunchy smoky exterior, which reminded me of the crust that forms at the bottom of hot pot rice.


For a savoury end, the delicate dashi maki ($5.30 for 6 pieces) is nice, the egg’s texture light and moist. Meanwhile, if it’s sweetness you crave, the nouji cha crème brulee ($5) was also enjoyable. The roasted green tea taste was quite pronounced … I could see the matcha remnants on the bottom of the ramekin.


With all the options, it may be difficult to decide what to order. Kintori has an omakase ($17.80) menu where they’ll serve you a selection of what’s fresh and delicious. Considering Chef Hiroki Takai has been specializing in yakitori since he was 18, I’d say the restaurant knows a thing or two about what to try. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 668 Bloor Street West, 2nd floor
 Website: http://www.kintoriyakitori.com/

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:



KINTORI YAKITORI Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato