CLOSED: Parts & Labour (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, February 08, 2014 by

Location: Toronto, Canada

Address: 1566 Queen Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner

I’ve always had the intention to visit Parts & Labour, but the commute to their ultra-Queen West location is so long that excuses to delay the visit were easily made. Still, a glance at their Winterlicious menu (and its delicious sounding options) bolstered my decision to visit; a reservation was made and a trek through the February chill commenced.


Upon entering, the cozy wood fireplace at the entrance was an immediate warm welcome. But, after glancing at the dining room my heart sank – oh no it’s communal seating!  The dining room is a series of rectangular tables seating eight with the only other options being sitting at the bar or some four tops in the kitchen (alas these were filled). Sure, call me old fashioned or even a snob, but is it too much to want some personal space? Really, when did eating in a restaurant become a food court affair and patrons are expected to get cozy with complete strangers?


We were brought to a table with only one other couple, so at first it didn’t seem too bad since an empty chair divided us. Unfortunately, this only lasted for 20 minutes and soon another couple was seated right in between us (in pretty tight quarters). My fellow guests noticed there were empty seats at tables further in the dining room (which never got occupied).  So, the arriving guests could have easily been seated elsewhere making the dining experience more comfortable for everyone. I can go on about this some more, but will sum it up with a warning – if you don’t like sitting beside strangers requiring you to talk over them to hear your guests, don’t visit Parts & Labour; it’s not the place for you.


Onto the food! After all, its delicious sounding nature is what drew me to the restaurant to begin with. To start I had to try the pork belly, a dish that is absolutely delicious when done right. Luckily, Chef Matheson knows his pigs as the pork belly was great. The cut was perfect with alternating layers of fat and meat and cooked slowly so the tough skin mellowed to a nice chew. Moreover, it was rendered well so what’s left of the fat wasn’t oily but just added a nice thick richness to the meat. The sweet glaze caramelized well and went quite nicely with the tart pickled shallots. For me, I found the smooth parsnip puree too sweet to eat on its own but went well when swiped onto the pork.

Originally, the maple-glazed cod was going to be my main. But, when the helpful waitress informed my husband that he could get the P&L burger instead I had to change my order.  And I’m so glad I did as this “best burger in Toronto” was delicious albeit an absolute mess to eat. Its brisket based patty was every ounce as juicy and full of flavour as I’d expect. But, if this weren’t enough there’s also lush caramalized onion with bacon, melted Monterey Jack cheese and mayonnaise topping it.  Really the soft milk bun could not hold it together and disintegrated in my hands; I switched over to a knife and fork to finish it off. 

The fresh shoestring fries were also good – hot and just the right amount of seasoning so it wasn’t overly salted. Mine just kept sticking together so it’s a bit hard to eat with a burger in your hand, but certainly not a deal breaker.  

The P&L Burger was a much better choice than the maple-glazed cod, in my opinion.  My friend offered me a taste and the overly sweet stock was not for me. Of course, it’s “maple-glazed” but I would have liked the dish to use a more savoury stock to contrast the sweetness of the glaze. If I had to eat a whole order of the cod I would have been very disappointed. Even my friend agreed that it was good for the first bite but after a while the sugariness was a bit off putting. But, if you’re a fan of sweet fish, this would be the perfect dish for you!

If you didn’t want a burger and sugary fish also doesn’t sound appealing, perhaps the flat iron steak would be a better bet. From what I could see from the two orders that came to the table they were cooked to a perfect medium and the individuals eating it were thoroughly satisfied.

The desserts all arrive in Mason jars, with a choice of lemon meringue pie, salted chocolate mousse or blueberry cheesecake. I opted for the later and was satisfied. The smooth cheese layer had enough flavour and went well with the graham cracker crust, while the blueberry sauce topping it had a pleasant freshness. All in all, not an outstanding dessert, but still a good ending to the meal.


Is Winterlicious worth it?

As a special feature to the Winterlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

Winterlicious - $35

Regular menu - $37 - pork belly ($14), P&L Burger* ($15) and cheesecake* ($8)

Savings** - $2 or 5%

* The burger isn't on the official Winterlicious menu but otherwise I would have gotten the halibut (which based on the cod's price would also be $15).  The cheesecake isn't on their regular menu so price based on guess by me.
** Attempts were made to contact P&L to determine if my calculation was missing something as the savings appear dismal. No response was received so I'm assuming it's correct.  I welcome P&L to post a reply in the "comments" section should they disagree with the analysis.

Overall mark - 6.5*** out of 10

 *** Based on the food, I would have given it a 7 but the seating situation such a turnoff that it's hard for me to say I'd return.
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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!

  

Ten-ichi 天一 (Kyoto)

Posted on Wednesday, February 05, 2014 by
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Address: Kyoto Station (11 floor in "Eat Paradise")
Website: www.tenichi.co.jp
Type of Meal: Lunch
We stumbled upon Ten-Ichi by chance, as by the time we arrived in Kyoto, I was famished and needed to refuel quickly.  Luckily, the JR Kyoto train station does not disappoint with the entire 11th floor dedicated to restaurants.  There are likely elevators somewhere, but after looking around for five minutes we couldn’t find it.  My suggestion is to go up to the pedestrian walkway on the 2nd floor and take all the endless escalators up to save some frustration.




Ten-Ichi is a tempura chain with locations across the country and their flagship store in Ginza. Although they do have tables, the best seat in the house is at the bar seats where you can see the chefs in action. Of course, you do end up smelling heavily of fried food; personally, I was thankful that they had little carts behind the chairs where you can stash jackets and bags to cover them from as much of the fumes as possible.

A good time to visit is during lunch as they offer specials, which is what we ordered (¥1,995), quite a good deal compared to their dinner combos that can be upwards of ¥5,000.

When the platter of dishes arrived, one contained a piece of cold squid with tofu skin and chives. Although it was very simply seasoned (a miso dressing?), the squid was tender and went well with the blanch chives. A great amuse I wasn’t expecting and helped tied me over until the tempura started arriving.

Unlike my experiences in Canada, Ten-ichi’s tempura is freshly battered and cooked, with the chef presenting one ingredient at a time so that each one can be enjoyed piping hot. The first to be done were two shrimp. They were not as heavily battered and “fluffy” as the North American versions, rather each shrimp was gently coated so that the crust was crispy but not overly oily. Surprisingly, the shrimp’s natural sweetness was still pretty pronounced and shone through the batter and soy sauce.

Next a shiitake stuffed with crab meat was served. The mushroom was fairly light tasting allowing the sweet flaked crab meat to permeate through. Personally, I found this went better with just a light dusting of salt. 

When I saw the eggplant I was a bit worried that it would be gross and oily – eggplant is notorious for soaking up whatever it’s cooked in. However, this certainly wasn’t the case and was in fact tender and delicious.

Following was another seafood offering, a delicate white fish fillet deboned and perfect for eating.  Juicy and just cooked through, the fish was fresh and such a good combination of flakiness and crunch. What I wouldn’t have given to have some house made tartare sauce with this!

When the chef first put down the next vegetable, I assumed it was a green bean. Upon biting into it I discovered it was actually a pepper. Interestingly, it had no heat nor was it sweet; just a pepper flavour with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

The last item brings the meal full circle – more shrimp.  This time in fritter form with tons of tiny shrimp nestled into a crispy and doughy batter.  It’s great for breaking into little pieces, dunking into the light soy, scooping up the ground daikon and eating with rice. If you were worried about not being full before, this certainly will fill you up and ensure you’re satisfied!

I absolutely love how each table gets a bowl of ground daikon (a light tasting turnip) to add to the soy sauce.  The juiciness of it cuts through the oiliness and helps the soy sauce stick better onto the tempura. Once scooped onto the rice and mixed with some crunchy pickled vegetables it complements the plain rice quite well.

Like most Japanese restaurants, Ten-Ichi includes a bowl of hot miso soup with the meal. Ten-Ichi jazzes it up a bit by adding mini clams into the soup, not the easiest thing to eat but gives it some extra depth of flavour.

Why isn’t tempura served like this all over the world? Instead of the overly battered pieces of frozen shrimp with tasteless root vegetables, in Japan chefs use fresh seasonal ingredients with each piece offering unique flavours. Of course, it also helps that you’re served piece-by-piece so that each one arrives deliciously hot.  Most pieces aren’t that large, so once you finish you can’t help but anticipate when the chef will lift their large chopsticks and place the next offering in front of you.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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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!


CLOSED: Bent revisited for Winterlicious (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, February 02, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 777 Dundas Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner


My first visit to Bent was back in late 2012, close to its opening.  I was pleased with my experience and their strongly flavoured dishes (read review here) with only complaints being on their service (not changing plates and offering serving utensils).


While revisiting Bent for their 2014 Winterlicious menu ($35 for three courses), they were as busy as ever.  Service continues to be friendly and helpful with our waitress providing point on descriptions of the dishes and stepping in quickly to address some spilt wine. The food was enjoyable still incorporating Susur’s bold Asian European fusion flavours and was somewhat sharable small plate formats.

The black pepper charred salmon arrives with a side of spicy salmon tartare, a nice contrast to the calmer seared pieces. Both were very different with the slices cooked with just a simple sear and a pepper/dill crust.  Topped with crème fraiche, a fennel relish, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds and a dill vinaigrette there was a certainly a host of different textures and flavours. All in all, it works but a bit too much dill for my taste as I found the piece on the right of the plate (away from the vinaigrette) a better combination.


Meanwhile, the salmon tartare is similar to their “tartare two ways” offering with a smooth salmon paste mixed with crunchy shallots, more dill and something briny.  A nice amount of heat is incorporated into the mixture and gave it a punch. I’ll admit, it tastes much better on top of a crispy sushi rice cake, the salty potato chips doesn’t work quite as well.

My friend and I split our mains as the shrimp ravioli and short rib cannelloni both sounded delicious. The shrimp ravioli was an impressively presented dish with a lot going on.  The ravioli is made exactly how I like it, a higher filling to dough ratio, with light wonton skins acting as the dough and a sweet peppered shrimp paste as the filling. Nicely seared scallops topped the ravioli and rice cake / creamed swiss chard combination while a seafood tofu (?) medallion rounds off everything. All in all, this is the dish to have if you’re not going to share as there’s enough going on within it to keep things interesting and really showcases what Susur does best – mixing different ingredients, textures and flavours.




I apologize for the disheveled looking short rib cannelloni … I forgot to snap the picture before it was split. If you’re planning to share mains with someone else, my suggestion is to have the other dish first and leave this until the end. The cannelloni is filled with robust flavours – tender pulled short rib, a rich red pepper and garlic gravy and some parsley (?) puree and gorgonzola cream. It’s a much heavier dish and reminded me of eating an enchilada. Overall, was good but, in my opinion, not as well constructed as the intricate shrimp ravioli dish… so definitely share to avoid disappointment.   


The dessert course was a nice surprise – you don’t have to choose as you get them all! But, unlike the three dishes listed on the Winterlicious menu, it’s actually two things with the panna cotta and chocolate mousse merged into one. The table’s unanimous favourite was the crispy hot apple purse.  A cinnamon apple mixture is wrapped into a crispy phyllo pastry and topped with a warm caramel and cool cream. This is a delicious take on apple pie! Personally, I love desserts that incorporate a hot and cold element so this did not disappoint.


On the other hand, the panna cotta and mousse was a bit too much.  With jarred desserts I usually dig right into the bottom to make sure each spoonful incorporates all the different layers of flavours, but this one just had way too much going on. At the top is a chocolate coriander mousse topped with puffed rice, which if by itself would have been quite nice with the combination of smooth mousse and crunch rice bits. The bottom half was a vanilla panna cotta topped with an apricot preserve and raspberry coulis; also had potential to be quite refreshing if served on its own.  Together though, the dessert is the chocolate and fruit blend I detest and the coriander chocolate actually added a bitter tinge to the dish. My suggestion … split this dessert into a trio; I think it would work much better.


Is Winterlicious worth it?

 As a special feature to the Winterlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

Winterlicious - $35

 Regular menu - $52 - Charred salmon ($16), shrimp ravioli ($26) and dessert* ($10)

Savings - $17 or 33%

 * The dessert price based on similar items in the menu.

 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
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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!


Beast (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 96 Tecumseth St
Website: http://thebeastrestaurant.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner

 Beast has been a restaurant I’ve always had intentions of visiting, especially after following the Group of Seven Chefs, a collaborative pop-up dinner team started by Chef Vivian.  People rave about the Beastwich, a towering buttermilk biscuit holding fried chicken, cheese, a fried egg, potatoes and then smothered with gravy.  Offered only during Sunday brunches, it sounds delicious but seems a bit heavy for the first meal of the day. 

On a cold winter night I finally had that chance to try their creations. Tucked away on a quiet residential street (Tecumseth) near King I first feared that Googlemaps had led me astray.  Luckily, it was correct and soon was seated in a warm and casual dining room.  My only caution is you may want to make Beast the only stop of the night as it’s a bit poorly ventilated so you will reek of food afterwards.
Beast’s menu consists of small plates that meant for sharing.  Jeff, our fantastic waiter for the night, gave us plenty of time to peruse it as so many things sounded delicious.  We finally settled on six dishes for our table of three.  Before they came out, we were presented with a platter of some interestingly shaped bread, where the horn shaped ones acted as a roll and bread stick in one (on account of its crunchy ends).


The steelhead trout ($12) arrived first.  Lightly smoked and flaked apart, the fish was served cold on top of slices of sweet beet root and flavoured with dollops of thick yogourt and chives.  I enjoyed the trout’s texture and strong but not overwhelming flavour.  The beetroot actually helped to mellow out the smokiness a bit and I wish there was more of the delicious creamy yogurt to go with it.  In my opinion, the sunflower seeds could have been left off as they added little to the dish and got in the way of the delicate flakiness of the fish.


 Meanwhile, the mixed greens were less impressive and priced at $10 needed a bit more than a handful of spring mix topped with a button mushrooms and radish slices.  Sure the sweet balconville dressing (a late harvest apple vinegar) was good and each leaf well coated. But, it wasn’t that outstanding to make it a worthwhile repeat order. Alas, it’s likely our own fault … when you go to a restaurant called Beast should you bother with vegetables?

The Asian inspired fried squid ($11) was much better.  I liked the addition of the Thai basil and pomelo (a sweeter and drier grapefruit) which lightened the dish. The battered squid was nice and fresh, albeit in very small pieces on account to the size of the squid used.  But, the tinier pieces did make it easier to combine forkfuls of all the ingredients so you could really taste everything holistically.

Our last seafood dish was the mackerel ($13) cooked beautifully with crispy skin and flakey meat.  A tomatoy chorizo and cucumber mixture added a nice saltiness to the fish and a Spanish flare.  Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how well Chef Vivian prepared fish considering Beast is known for its meatier fare.  Yes, hunks of soft meat and crispy nuggets are good, but dish after dish of it would be too much.  Sometimes you do need a lighter seafood added to the mix to really appreciate the differences.

A dish that certainly turns heads is their bone marrow ($12), a hunking beef bone cut in half with a deep char on top.  That nice crust comes from adding sugar to the top and then blow torching it to create a nice brulee topping; the slight smoky sweetness actually goes quite well with the soft marrow.  Personally, I preferred the marrow by itself as when eaten with the grilled bread the smokiness was overwhelming.  Perhaps the dish would be better suited with simple toasted bread rather than the grilled version.

Beast’s poutine ($10) replaces fries with fried pieces of soft gnocchi (on my!).  The crunchy crust holds up quite well but is softened somewhat with the liberal topping of gravy that thoroughly melts the cheese curds.  Tender braised pulled pork adds even more flavour to it.  Although this sounds like a heavy dish, their gravy is a lighter jus so isn’t as gluttonous feeling. This is certainly a dish I’d order again!

After six dishes we were satisfied.  Nonetheless, we couldn’t help but peek at the dessert menu.  With only three to choose from the choices weren’t much, but still sounded delicious enough that we had to pick between two.  In the end, we opted for the sticky toffee pudding ($10) and it was such a great choice! 

 When it arrived the sheer amount of toffee seemed ridiculous; the soft moist pudding was actually sitting in a pool of toffee. Even though it wasn’t overly sweet, you still had to eat it quick as near the end so much was soaked into it that it almost felt like toffee with pudding bits.  I recall reading somewhere that Chef Caldwell use to be a pastry chef so this could have been one of her delicious creations.  It was one of the best sticky toffee pudding’s I’ve ever had.

At Beast you won’t find obnoxiously loud music that overwhelms your ability to carry a conversation.  You will find dishes coming out at a good pace so you actually have time to savour each one and not feel rushed.  Prices aren’t cheap but with the flavourful dishes we found we felt satisfied with two each so the bill ends up feeling affordable.  Just don’t come with a vegetarian as I can assure you they will feel disappointed.

 Overall mark - 7 out of 10


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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:


Minami Aoyama Toshio 南青山 とし緒 (Tokyo)

Posted on Saturday, January 25, 2014 by
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address:  5-12-4, Minami-Aoyama, Minato (All 菓連 building B1F)
Type of Meal: Dinner  


Minami Aoyama Toshio is situated on a quiet street in Minami Aoyama, at the basement level of a building but is still visible from the street. If you’d like to visit, it’s a place that’s harder to find but not impossible, included below is a picture of its entrance.
Upon entering the dining area I was excited for the intimate surroundings (about nine bar seats and two tables). We were brought to the bar, which is always a treat to be seated near the chef as I love to watch them prepare ingredients and put dishes together. Although, in this case, a bit of a turnoff as he kept coughing and most times not even covering his mouth.  Luckily, by then he had already prepared our sashimi dish, but I felt a little disgusted for the other patrons – really he should wear a mask.

The hand written menus were attractive and foreshadows Toshio’s beautifully presented dishes to come. Although they have a la carte options, we went with the omakase (tasting menu). Unfortunately, I don’t know the price per person but our bill ended up being ¥50,400 (inclusive of taxes and gratuities) for four people, three beers and a glass of white wine.

To start, a hollowed mikan (type of mandarin orange) was filled with a hot taro/sweet potato (?) paste which had a smooth but slightly sticky texture from the starch.  Pods of edamame and a piece of scallop sat at the bottom; the edamame adding a nice crunch but the scallop overdone. Overall, a good start but you have to be careful to not get over zealous with scraping at the mixture as the mikan pith comes up and taints it with a bitter taste. 
An appetizer dish arrives next with tons to try. On a clockwise basis:
  • The square dish contained an interesting combination of creamy fish roe paste and blanched veggies, where the paste is very smooth and has a nice briny flavour.
  • Next, a Japanese take on an avocado and crab salad.  The blue crab meat was fresh and delicious going well with pieces of rich avocado and crab roe.  I enjoyed this simple but succulent dish.
  • Meanwhile, the karasumi, slices of cured mullet roe dried in the sun and then waxed, is truly an acquired taste. These orange slices are the consistency of pressed preserved egg yolks (sometimes found in the Chinese mooncakes) with the flavour of fish and a hint of bitterness. I’ve heard it’s a delicacy generally enjoyed with sake and tried but could not finish them.  Rather I ate the pieces of pear sandwiched in between the karasumi and relied on the pickled onion at the middle of the dish to take away the lasting aftertaste.
  • Lastly were two pieces of seared mackerel oshizushi (pressed sushi). It was average but somewhat expected for something premade and just added to the dish.

The sashimi platter was beautifully presented - the plate and slices of radishes brought out the colours of the fish so well! The thinner slices were more to my liking – simple and clean tasting.  Meanwhile, the stronger fishy taste of the thicker slices was more of a challenge but my husband preferred them. Two sauces arrived with the sashimi – the sweeter thick soy made for the thicker slices and the citrusy ponzu for the thinner fish.

Next, we were presented with two large pieces of fugu kara-age (also known as pufferfish or blowfish). The crust wasn’t tempura but thicker and akin to a fried chicken coating. The fugu is a dense whitefish with the texture of grouper or shark and is rather tasteless. Personally, I enjoyed the thinner piece which may have been the inflating portion of the fish as there where layers of gluey collagen and lots of bones with the meat. On the other hand, the thicker slice was just a big piece of rather bland fish. 

In the end, fugu is not the tastiest type of fish. Instead, people are drawn to it for its lethal nature given the fish has toxic parts that could be poisonous if not removed.  Only trained and licensed chefs in Japan are allowed to serve fugu (quite an extensive process including years of apprenticeship and various exams) so it’s generally not offered at many restaurants. Some say you get a numbing effect in your mouth when you eat it, this didn’t happen to me (perhaps because it wasn’t eaten raw) but I did have a weird feeling in my throat afterwards.

The best course of the night was a dish of thinly sliced beef with vegetables. I can’t remember what type of beef it was, but could have been the valuable Matsuzaka (a type of wagyu). It certainly had a rich flavor and was so well marbled that it sort of melts in your mouth. The crisp and lightly marinated vegetables (daikon, radish, brussel sprouts) helped to cut through the greasiness. However, I felt the ground pork stuffed shiitake mushroom could have been left out as it didn’t complement the dish well and personally wasn’t a fan of the mucus like consistency of the raw egg it was sitting on. 
Since it was winter, I was excited to see the bubbling hot stone bowl of the next course; that is until l I noticed the brain like matter sitting in the middle of it.  Luckily, it wasn’t brains or intestines (my second guess) but rather shirako which can also be known as milt or cod fish sperm. Its texture is soft and creamy (similar to silken egg tofu) and really wouldn’t be that horrible if it weren’t for the fishy and slightly bitter aftertaste… perhaps I shouldn’t have held the small piece I ate in my mouth to really taste but rather wash it down with as much soup as possible. Needless to say, I couldn’t handle it and scooped it out of the soup.

The broth was slightly sweet and flavoured with more of the mikan mandarins, which in my opinion ruined what could have been a delicious soup. I’ll admit it’s just my tastes - I detest most sweet & salty combinations and find fruit generally doesn’t go well with other ingredients. However, I was impressed with the carrots in the soup; they don’t have a stronger taste but were such a vivid orangey red colour. 
Rice accompanied the following course so we knew it was the last. The typical fish (this one soaked in a sweet soy and topped with green onion and sesame seeds), pickled veggies (thick dried seaweed and a very flavourful sweet & tart cherry) and soup (dark miso with fried gluten pieces) rounded everything off nicely.

The meal ended off on a high note with delicious desserts (two for each couple). Firstly, was a warm glutinous honey jelly with cold vanilla ice cream, the combination went wonderfully together.  Topping everything was a ground almond (?) powder adding a hint of nuttiness (in texture and flavour) to the dish. 
A rich green tea pudding was the other; the tea powder so infused into the custard that it gave it a powerful punch. Its creamy finish on the tongue was absolutely delightful.

Although I didn’t really enjoy the taste of most of the dishes (on account of the many sweet & salty combinations and bitter tastes), Toshio did offer the most unique dining experience of the trip. After all, restaurants don’t often serve karasumi, fugu and shirako all in the same meal! So, if you have an open mind and the desire to try rare local delicacies this is definitely the meal for you.

Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10

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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!
    •  

Chantecler (Toronto)

Posted on Friday, January 24, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1320 Queen Street West
Website: http://restaurantchantecler.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner
Right in the middle of racking my brain on finding a suitable restaurant to celebrate my mom’s birthday, a coworker introduces me to Chantecler.  It was perfect, Asian inspired dishes for my mom and an interesting twist to excite the inner foodie in me.  Booking about a month in advance, I was able to secure one of the 16 coveted spots sitting bar side to experience Chef Poon’s creations, which are only offered on Friday and Saturday with two seatings each night.

Placed directly in front of the open faced kitchen complete with an antique stove and mishmash of very non-industrial looking gadgets, I kept my eyes peeled for the young upcoming chef.  Alas, he only appeared ever so briefly before the meal began to grab something and the rest of the meal he worked in the back, out of site.

Chantecler’s tasting menu changes seasonally and on our visit was $85 per person, with an optional wine pairing for an additional $45.  Given I was driving and my mom isn’t a big dinner we ordered individual glasses, starting with a fancy bubbly cocktail ($12) and later a glass of wine ($11).  The cocktail is an easy going drink – sweet, citrusy with a hint of floral (from elderflower) and topped with prosecco.

Having arrived ten minutes early, we got settled and watched the chefs preparing food for the a la carte diners.  Popular dishes that night included popcorn shrimp (breaded in real popped corn and deep fried), the braised beef and pork shoulder lettuce meal and chicken wings.  They all looked delicious and made us hungry for what was to come.

Chantecler brings in the Asian concept of sharing dishes. The items pictured below are a two person portion (placed in the middle of each duo) with the exception of the scallop, duck and ice cream where we each received our own dish.

To start a tri-tip beef tartare, diced by hand and mixed with jalapeno, wasabi oil, pieces of cashew (?) and topped with a raw egg yolk.  Deep fried shrimp chips, often found with crispy chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants, accompanied it as a substitute for crostini. The beef was tender and cut into such finely diced pieces so that it blended with all the other ingredients.  It was fairly salty from the soy sauce (?) and the heat from the jalapeno and wasabi were a nice addition. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of nuts mixed into non-dessert dishes, but the pieces of cashew were actually were quite nice adding a bit more crunch.

Next, timbit sized gougères (cheese puffs) were served warm.  Inside a molten compound seaweed butter melted throughout the puff, which actually went quite nicely with the gruyere.

Having seen so much lettuce as the front of the house chef painstakingly cutting each leaf to the perfect size, we were glad we got a taste of it next.  The lettuce wraps were filled with ground pork, roasted seaweed (?) and topped with puffed wild rice. Instead of the typical hoisin sauce, these wraps were flavoured with a smear of tangy Miracle Whip in between the lettuce and pork mixture. I enjoyed the nuttiness the crispy rice kernels added and overall was a decent dish.

Instead of an oyster shooter, Chantecler served theirs in shell with citrusy yuzu, spicy sriracha, a bit of fish roe and raw quail egg on top.  Having had a similar dish at Yuzu No Hana, I wasn’t overly excited about the slimy concoction, but Chantecler's was clean tasting and much easier to get down. Likely this is on account of the chef’s attention to detail. I watched as he diligently smelt and inspected each oyster for impurities as he shucked them - a couple that didn't meet his standards were thrown away.
XO sauce is a spicy and savoury flavouring agent used in Hong Kong cuisine, typically stir fried with seafood, meats or starches.  In Chantecler’s case they topped their house made sauce on shrimp and steamed it. It contained quite a bit of dried scallop and shrimp and some sort of meat (perhaps Chinese sausage) as well. This flavourful sauce with cooking wine and the shrimp juices soaked into the vermicelli on the bottom, my favourite part of the dish. Of course, the perfectly cooked shrimp were also good; but, I seriously could eat a whole bowl of the cooked vermicelli and be happy.  

Another traditional Cantonese dish was served next – pan fried turnip cake. It was good, made with lots of shredded turnip (as opposed to flour), big pieces of Chinese sausage and fried until it had a crispy coating.  A dollop of sriracha rounded everything off.  It’s a nice dish but to be honest wasn’t overly exciting … nothing brought this to the next level. I would have like to see it made with a twist – perhaps mixing taro and turnip together or substituting the Chinese sausage with chorizo – something to make it worthy of being served on a tasting menu.
The next dish may looked like pieces of uncured bacon, but hidden underneath the thinly sliced melt-in-your-mouth pork belly were two impeccably poached scallops with a layer of julienned zucchini and prince mushroom (?). It all went quite nicely together with the savoury sauce that had just a hint of vinegar in it that cut through the heaviness. I enjoyed the inventive dish and liked the addition of the vegetables in between which brought a freshness to everything.

My favourite dish of the night was the last one - double smoked duck breast and stir fried crispy kale. The duck was a flawless medium rare and the skin wonderfully crispy and flavourful. A light sugary sauce went well with the smokiness of the fowl.  Meanwhile, the kale was roasted in the oven and then coated with the same sauce so that it had a nice crispy texture.
The simple scoop of ice cream pictured below seemed underwhelming until you taste it... it seriously one of the smoothest ice creams I've ever eaten. Topping it were sweet buckwheat flakes adding a toasty nutty crunch against the neutral not overly sweet ice cream. The slices of apples around it were perplexing for me, but actually something my mom appreciated as she felt it helped lighten the dish.

Dessert wasn’t over, next arrived hot freshly fried donuts rolled in sugar with a pot of creamy grapefruit (?) curd on the side.  I thoroughly enjoy made-to-order donuts and these were great by itself or with the condiment.  The consistency reminded me of the Shanghai donuts made with egg whites … these were slightly denser but still airier than other varieties.

To end were chocolate truffles filled with a café latte like sauce. Our friendly and attentive waitress for the night warned us to eat it whole given the liquid filling. They were a nice sweet finish to the meal.

Prices have gone up considerably from the $45-$55 per person since its launch in early 2013.  But, in reviewing past menus there are a few more courses and in the laws of economics, it’s all about supply and demand. At $85 it’s still a reasonably priced option and one I’d suggest to tasting menu lovers like myself.  So, find someone you don’t mind sharing food with and call soon to secure a spot soon. With this calibre of cooking, I don’t see demand dying anytime soon.

Overall mark - 9 out of 10

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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!
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