Kingyo (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 51B Winchester Street
Website: http://kingyotoronto.ca/
Type of Meal: Lunch






Success! I’ve finally made it out to Kingyo! It’s been on my list of restaurants to visit for two years and at last a perfect opportunity for a meal presented itself. Situated on a quiet street off Parliament, the restaurant is unexpectedly large on the inside. Unlike most izakayas, the dining room is open concept and the tables, thankfully, aren’t packed too closely together.

Their lunch menu looked delicious with many options to choose from. Wanting to try a bit of everything, their assorted deluxe bento ($17) seemed like a good choice. At first, I was nervous there’d be none left (they only make ten sets per day), but we were early enough to score one.


It arrives as a tray filled with various small dishes, pickled vegetables, a generous bowl of rice and miso soup. This is certainly a satisfying meal that would be great for sharing with a couple more dishes from their a la carte menu.

The seared ahi-tuna was beautifully presented and the dish that drew my attention. Thinly sliced it was topped with a chili oil that wasn’t too spicy, which didn’t cover the fish. Personally, I would have liked the addition of something vinegary and/or salty mixed into everything, but all in all a decent dish.


I’m undecided on the deep fried taro croquettes. Not knowing what they were, I bit into them expecting takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls). When I was greeted with a salty smooth paste it seemed off. The taro flavour was so subtle that there was little taste but salt. These need a contrasting texture – the crust wasn’t crispy enough and there was nothing added into the filling. In the end, it all just seemed a tad mushy for my taste.

What redeemed the bento was the chicken karaage - my favorite of all the dishes. Juicy, hot and crispy; it was nuggets of perfectly fried chicken. Kingyo’s karaage is influenced by a version served at O-Sho, a restaurant in Japan. What makes it different from most is the pepper mixed into the batter which adds a slightly elevated flavour.  


The pork belly must have been braised for hours as it simply melts in your mouth and is filled with a juicy sweet essence. Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes it’s a delicious rich dish that should be enjoyed in smaller portions. 

A rolled up egg omelette with a dollop of grated turnip added a lovely colour to the platter but was forgettable. It was cold and lacked any flavour. 


A refreshing addition to the bento was the tofu salad. Two slices of silky tofu was simply dressed in a soy ponzu sauce and topped with garlic chips for an added hit of flavour and crunch. 

The tempura shrimp were disappointing as they were lukewarm, over battered and lacked the fluffy crust normally expected. But, the accompanying tartar sauce was tasty. 


At first, the minced pork meatball showed promise with its tender meat and sweet sauce. The flavour reminded me of the Shanghainese “lion head” meatballs, except with a finer texture. However, in the middle of my meatball there was a big hunk of raw meat which was off putting. 

The pickled napa cabbage with carrots went well to counterbalance the fried food. While the blanched chives required more salt as it was far too bland (I ended up dipping it in the pork belly potato mixture). 


As customary for Japanese set meals there was a bowl of warm miso soup to wash down everything. At Kingyo, theirs contained slivers of root vegetables which was quite nice.


In general, I found the bento had way too many fried items and lacked the fish I was expecting. On Kingyo’s website, their bento is pictured with sashimi and grilled fish – both would have likely been much tastier than the poorly executed tempura shrimp and meatball. Sadly, my bento was a combination of dishes that didn’t highlight what Kingyo could do well in. 

My friend’s dishes that were ordered off their a la carte menu looked much more impressive. Aside, from looking beautiful, she noted they were also delicious. The aburi toro and avocado battera ($14.80) was a pressed sushi topped with tuna.


Additionally, the seared tuna with avocado ($11.80) looked like it’d be a cacophony of flavours and textures – a dish that would definitely be up my alley.


Based on the experience, the bento was marginal but the other a la carte dishes looked much more impressive. Additionally, I have heard good things about their ramen, which seems to only be served during dinner. Who knows, perhaps I would have greater success with an evening meal. Alas, it may be another two years before I have an excuse to return. 

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

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
  • - 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!



Kitten and the Bear (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1574 Queen Street West
Website: http://kittenandthebear.com/
Type of Meal: Brunch




When you hear “Kitten and the Bear”, you wouldn’t think of an artisanal preserves shop that serves great scones. However, that’s what you’ll find. Situated in Parkdale is a quaint shop and café in one. Their sitting area is small – there are two tables (one for two and the other for three) – but eating there is such a treat. Aside from the cute teapots and cups, the smell of baking scones is intoxicating, making me salivate as soon as I walked in.

My friend and I settled over the tea for two ($28). Firstly, a pot of loose leaf tea courtesy of Sloane Fine Tea Merchants. There was a large selection and we opted for the “Heavenly Cream”. I suggest skipping the sugar and milk as there’s a beautiful fragrance to the tea that ends up getting drowned out. Plus, the tea contains a vanilla and honey property to it that already makes it feel sweet.


If you and your companion can’t settle on the same choice, you can also each get something different – it’ll just be served in single cups rather than an entire pot.

At Kitten and the Bear there’s only one type of scone – buttery plain scones. There’s not a single current, shred of cheese or zest of lemon added to them. Trust me, you’re not missing anything as they are great the way they are. A slightly crunchy crust that encapsulates a dense but fluffy centre.


The preserves is of course what the shop highlights. We’re able to choose three from the four available that day:
  • Black Plum and Sloane’s Earl Grey Tea: delicious, juicy and sweet. I really couldn’t get the essence from the Earl Grey but the plums were great. I ended up picking up a jar to take home.
  • Spiced Fuyu persimmon: it was described as similar to pumpkin pie. Indeed, the cinnamon and nutmeg spices were evident but the persimmon very subtle.
  • Blackberry and balsamic: we didn’t choose this as were told it is generally paired better with savoury elements (such as roasted pork) or with a cheese board.
  • Winter spiced banana: the fruit was very evident but a tad sweet for me.

The co-owner, Sophie, threw in a fourth one for good measure – pear with mulled wine. I’m certainly glad she did as it ended up being my favourite of the selection. There was a similarity to the black plum, but less sweet and the addition of mulled wine such a wonderful combination. I couldn’t help but also purchase a jar of this as well.


That’s the beauty of the tea tasting. You’re able to try out the preserves in their full glory before purchasing. We sampled each one, mixed them into the thick clotted cream and combined to our hearts content. After deciding on our favourites, we could purchase a jar to take home for $10.


Not included in the tasting, but offered for sale, were premium preserves ($14) made from unique ingredients such as red currant with fresh elderflower and mango nectarine with Linden honey.


As we didn’t want to waste any of the jams, we ended up getting another scone to share ($3). If you want to skip the tea, you can also purchase the scones to go ($4 and includes one jam. Additional jams or clotted cream for $1). But, trust me, try to get a table. That heavenly smell of baking scones and simmering preserves is part of the experience. If you get a chance, check out Kitten and the Bear – a great place for brunch. 

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




CLOSED: Chalau Dim Sum Restaurant (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 476 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Lunch



In my lifetime, I’ve had a lot of dim sum. If you have no idea what that is, head over to my all about dim sum post here to learn more. Admittedly, most of my experiences with it have been at traditional locations in downtown Chinatown or in the suburbs. But, I’ve also splurged and tried contemporary locations such as Luckee as well. So, when my cousin suggested we visit another new age location, Cha Lau, I was gamed.


Cha Lau is the Cantonese saying for 'tea house', which is where dim sum is served. Historically, people would go to these places for tea and socializing, but there happened to be food available as well. Presently, individuals generally go for the food and the tea becomes an afterthought. At Cha Lau, their tea was nice and fragrant, served in beautiful dishes that look more at home in an izakaya than a Chinese restaurant.


For most families, you haven’t had dim sum until you’ve ordered har gow (a shrimp dumpling) and siu mai (a pork dumpling). The pork siu mai ($4.25) was the better of the two: plump, juicy and had a nice sweet seafood essence from the shrimp mixed throughout and scallop on top. Meanwhile, the supreme shrimp dumplings ($4.85) were far from “supreme” and pretty ordinary. Nonetheless, the wrapper was a nice thinness and the chef did take the time to remove all the gritty black innards that can be found in shrimp.


For my buck, I’d rather spend it on the shrimp, scallop and asparagus dumplings ($4.85) instead. They had a richer seafood taste to it and the asparagus added a pleasant fresh contrast to the protein.


Another typical dish to order is the steamed rice noodle rolls (cheung fun). We tried the shrimp ($5) and chicken and Chinese mushroom ($4) versions. The rice noodle was daftly made so that it was thin but still had the strength to hold in the fillings. It was also nice that they slit them apart so the soy sauce could get into all the nooks and crannies.  


The BBQ pork buns ($3) and pan seared white radish cake ($3.95) were both forgettable. There was nothing inherently wrong with them but nothing impressive as well.


The saddest dish of the meal was the spare ribs with black bean sauce ($3.85). After pushing them together a bit the photo turned out much better than expected. Cha Lau should consider raising its price and giving more pieces per dish. Somehow scrawny pieces of spare ribs swimming in a pool of clear broth isn’t an appealing sight.


The pan seared shrimp and Chinese chive dumpling ($4.85; 2 orders shown below) had some great flavours but was very over priced for its size. The menu notes their customers call it a “hockey puck”; I’d describe it closer to a flattened golf ball.


If you couldn’t tell already, Cha Lau’s serving sizes are small. Perhaps Chinese restaurants in the suburbs now super-size their dishes, but we were hungry and had to do a second round to satisfy ourselves. Luckily, we loaded up on starchier dishes like the steamed vegetable rice with chicken in a bamboo steamer ($5) and rice noodle in soup with pork chop ($5). Both were decent – I enjoyed the addition of the chopped Shanghainese bok choy in the rice and the rice noodles were silky and not overcooked.


The fried stuffed chicken wings ($6) were interesting and showed some skill. Here, Cha Lau debones a chicken wing and stuffs it with a glutinous sticky rice with small bits of lap cheung (a cured pork sausage). The chicken was hot and crispy but the glutinous rice needed further ingredients to add flavour - more lap cheung, some salt and some green onions to give it freshness. The dish did show some skill, but was a far cry from the stuffed chicken wings I’ve had as a child where the chefs would debone the entire wing (both the drum and middle parts) and serve it whole.

 

As a warning, the desserts are single size portions – these are not meant to be shared. The mango pudding ($3) was smooth but could have benefited from some pieces of real mango in it.


I was excited to see the steamed trio crystal buns ($3.65) as Ginger and Onion use to have a similar dessert where the wrapper is made from tapioca starch (sadly, it’s been displaced from their menu). Cha Lau’s arrives in little balls, filled with egg custard, red bean paste and taro paste. I only tried the taro one but everyone agreed that the fillings needed to be sweeter as the tapioca bun layer had no flavour so really dulls the dish.


Cha Lau is pricier than other locations, despite the smaller portions. But, it’s understandable with the higher rent attached to its Yonge and College location. So, if you have no means to head uptown or over to Broadview, it would be a decent alternative. But, for the mobile, I suggest branching out instead. 

Overall mark - 6 out of 10


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
  • - 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!



King Catering Holiday Pop-Up Taster Contest (Toronto)

Website: http://www.kingcatering.ca/


King Catering specializes in creating Caribbean dishes with a North American twist, offering corporate/event catering, personal chef services and participating in festival activities. Their pop-up taster events are designed to showcase some of their innovative dishes, for those who may not have had a chance to try them, within a social atmosphere. 



In December, they will be hosting a Holiday Pop-Up Taster and I'm giving away a pair of tickets for you and a guest to attend.  Get ready to fill your bellies with a 5-course meal:

  • Callaloo soup
  • Tropical bruschetta
  • Braised jerk pork ravioli
  • Deep fried breadfruit with spicy Trini meatballs
  • Coconut sorrel mousse
As well as be entertained with music by DJ Jay Dunaway. Work away those calories and dance the night away at their after party which will also include a burlesque dance show by the Toronto Raptor cheerleaders.

Details

Date: Saturday, December 27
Time: 7:30 - 10:30 (after party to follow)
Location: The Ballet 
              227 Ossington Avenue
              Toronto, Ontario

How To Enter Contest

1. Follow @Gastroworldblog and @KingCateringTO on Twitter

2. Tweet the following in it's entirety:

@Gastroworldblog, I want to eat, dance & be merry at @KingCateringTO 's holiday pop-up taster! http://www.gastroworld.ca/2014/12/king-catering-holiday-pop-up-taster.html #KingCateringContest

A winner will be chosen on the morning of December 26 and contacted via Twitter. The winner will have until 2pm that day to provide the required details to claim their prize.

Good luck and happy holidays!


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



The Carbon Bar Revisited (Toronto)

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


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

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


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

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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

Like the blog? Follow me on twitter for notifications on new posts, to chat and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!




Pho 88 (North York)

Location: North York, Canada
Address: 5197 Yonge Street
Website: http://www.pho88.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner 


There’s no hiding it … I love pho. Something about the rich but not overly heavy broth, thin noodles and simple ingredients makes me happy. It’s the first thing I crave when I return home from a long vacation. There’s an abundance of it around the city and prices are unbelievably low for something that tastes so good! But, not every place makes it great – you can refer to this post for my top picks.

One evening my friends and I needed a quick dinner and found the line at Kinton Ramen way too long. Luckily, Pho 88 was just doors away and held promise for the same thing we craved – a big bowl of noodles and broth. Until this occasion, I’ve only been to Pho 88’s Scarborough location, which has always satisfied me. But, after eating at the North York location I wonder if they are even related given their menu and taste differs so much.

The spring roll platter ($11) was an enticing starter. Included were a good selection of the traditional favourites: deep fried chicken spring rolls, deep fried shrimp rolls and fresh cold shrimp rolls. On the side, a trio of sauces: peanut & chili, sweet chili Thai and a Vietnamese vinaigrette.


We weren’t impressed with the platter. The two fried versions could have been hotter. It’s either because it wasn't cooked long enough or there being too many layers of wrapper, but there was a doughiness to the roll’s inside. Additionally, there was too much filler (taro and yellow beans) such that the chicken was barely recognizable and even the shrimp rolls contained some. The cold roll was worse – the noodles were hard and the shrimp not at its freshest.

My pho, the plain rare and well-done beef ($6.75 for the small shown below; $7.75 for medium or $8.75 for large), was a touch better. But, it was really was just a hair better. The broth was a tad watery lacking that deep beef bone essence you’d expect. The beef was decent and lean but there was but a few slices and for a bowl that’s supposed to contain rare and well-done it arrived looking the same. The noodles were fine and the one saving grace to the meal.  


So, yes, I love pho. But, I’m definitely not in love with Pho 88’s North York location.

Overall mark - 5.5 out of 10

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
  • - 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!



Announcing Kanpai Snack Bar an upcoming restaurant in Toronto!


Taiwanese street food is gaining international attention with more travel sites declaring Taipei a food mecca and its street food the thing to try. Luckily for Torontonians, Kanpai Snack Bar is bringing a taste of Taiwan to us and thankfully it’ll be indoors – I don’t care how good something tastes, I won’t be standing outside to eat it during the winter.

Set to open at 252 Carlton Street, Kanpai will serve lunch, dinner and late night eats. It aims to be an approachable place where patrons will be welcomed and can get a satisfying meal without paying a fortune. Dishes will of course follow the street food theme being served in single or double portions allowing tables to customize orders to their tastes. While the menu is still being finalized, Kanpai will have a traditional Taiwanese yakitori grill creating delicious skewers.

Fried rice (1)

Other offerings include cold and hot dishes, wok prepared specialties and nose-to-tail delights (for all you ear, tail and cheek lovers). There will be no official stinky tofu yet. But, Kanpai is experimenting with a recipe that is more approachable to the western palate yet keeping the integrity of having authentically Taiwanese components


Taiwanese tofu (1)

Patrons will also be treated to reasonably priced drinks along with happy hour and beer/spirit promotional specials. There will be multiple craft beers, house wines and pre-mixed artisan cocktails all offered on tap. You heard right – there will be pressurized cocktail on tap. Trevor Lui, one of the owners of Kanpai, notes these cocktails have an interesting flavour profile that changes as it’s kept in the keg.

So, if you’re intrigued about trying Taiwanese food and would rather not travel north to Markham and Richmond Hill, then Kanpai Snack Bar is the place for you. It’ll open this winter and could be as early December 2014. 

Rest assured the partners at Kanpai have experience with the Toronto food scene. They’re also running La Brea Food, which has served Mexican and Asian mash ups for over a year. They’ve frequented food festivals (the latest being a week long gig at the Royal Horse Show) serving fusion creations such as Japanese shoyu pulled pork tacos and Tijuana sushi rolls. I’m intrigued to try their guacamame one day a guacamole made with edamame!

Sadly, La Brea doesn’t have a permanent location yet, but they do offer private catering.  Trevor teases that a restaurant is under consideration should all the stars align.  For now, the attention will be focused on Kanpai Snack Bar, but I say it wouldn’t hurt if a yakitori taco topped with guacamame makes it way on the menu. Secret menu item perhaps?

UPDATE: Kanpai is now opened! Read more about them in my dinner experience review.


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


Photo Sources:
  1. All photos are courtesy of Kanpai Snack Bar. From their Instagram account (http://instagram.com/kanpaisnackbar/)

CLOSED: Mesa Grill (Bahamas)

Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas 
Address: 1 Casino Drive West (inside The Cove at the Atlantis)
Type of Meal: Dinner


During our last visit to Atlantis, a conference was taking place and snapping up reservations at many restaurants across the resort. Mesa Grill was one of those spots that was booked solid for dinner. It was a bit disappointing I wouldn’t be able to eat at Bobby Flay’s 6th restaurant in his budding empire. I enjoy the Food Network – not as a learning mechanism, but rather to salivate at the dishes being displayed. Chef Flay’s creations, to me, had always seemed down-to-earth but promised to be packed of flavours.

Five years later, during a brief return visit, my chance to dine at Mesa Grill was fulfilled. Moreover, this time we were staying at the Cove (one of the many buildings at Atlantis), so dining there was even easier since it was but steps from the elevator bank. The stars couldn’t align any better.

The restaurant is spacious with tables everywhere – which made it that much more surprising we weren’t able to secure reservations last time. Perhaps they saw me shivering from their over air conditioned lounge/waiting area or they knew I’d appreciate seeing action, but we ended up being seated at the table directly in front of kitchen. People were bustling and the stone pizza oven was ablaze adding some much needed warmth to the chilly restaurant.

On the advice of a friend, my husband and I both started with the crab and corn chowder ($12). He raved about it and warned it would be a dish that we wouldn’t want to share. Since we didn’t try other appetizers, it’d be hard to confirm it’s indeed the best starter. But, we both thoroughly enjoyed the soup and it was my favourite dish of the meal.


The corn puree base was sweet, thick and had just the right touch of creaminess to it. Clumps of crab meat were dotted throughout along with chives and tortilla chips to add crunch. But, it’s the drizzle of chilli oil atop everything that’s the most surprising, adding that kick that Chef Flay is known for. The complementary jalapeno corn bread and doughy bread knots were great for wiping up chowder remnants from the shallow dish.


After such a strong start our mains were disappointing in comparison. The sixteen spice chicken ($39), although tender, was much too tame for something promising sixteen spices. The dry rub really didn’t add much so most of the flavour came from the much too tangy tamarind barbecue sauce on the plate. As a saving grace, the bits of red cabbage and jicama slaw topping the chicken was delicious and could easily be made into a side dish for purchase.


The pan roasted shrimp ($45) would be a better choice with three huge prawns cooked nicely. The sweet corn puree on the bottom was also delicious but became overwhelmed by the smoked chile butter and cotija sauce. There was simply too much of this rich oversalted sauce that it covered the subtle sweetness of the shrimp and corn. In my opinion, the sauce would be better suited for the leaner chicken instead.


For sides, we shared the Southwestern fries ($9.50) and a sweet potato tamale ($9.50). The fries, although crispy and fresh, lacked anything special to classify them as “Southwestern” or warrant the price.


The sweet potato tamale ($9.50), albeit much too sweet for my liking, at least showed some creativity and skill. The tamale was smooth and flavourful, infused with corn kernels and topped with a crushed pecan butter sauce. You could even consider ordering this as a dessert as it was certainly sweet enough and satisfying.


Instead, my husband and I had the churros ($13) to share. It’s hard to go wrong with freshly deep fried dough dusted with sugar and spices. These were enjoyable by themselves or dipped into the chocolate sauce on the side. Thankfully, the star anise was only subtly added so the licorice flavour wasn’t too pronounced and went well with the sauce.


The service was efficient and friendly, but lacked the flair you’d expect for a restaurant classified as “fine dining”. If you were only going to have one nicer meal at Atlantis, I’d suggest Café Martinique instead. Prices are a touch higher but the dishes better executed (the duck was delicious) and the atmosphere more refined.

In the end, I’m happy I had the chance to try Mesa Grill and Chef Flay’s menu. But, as with most celebrity chef restaurants, too often you’re paying for the name rather than substance.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10

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
  • - 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!