CLOSED: Wildfire Steakhouse & Wine Bar (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 3438 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

When my friend found a Groupon featuring a 4-course meal with wine at $175 for four people, it was deal hard to turn down. Having gone to Wildfire twice in the past (albeit about 3-5 years ago), I remember the restaurant was decent so happily agreed to join in.


Upon arriving, Wildfire looked familiar with the dark red and black colour scheme, yet appeared to be more lounge-like with the curtain of strings separating tables.  Even though we visited on a Friday night the restaurant was at most 70% full, which was surprising as in my past visits was packed. But, the unfilled capacity did ensure we had quick and attentive service the entire time.  Even though we were sat on the top floor, our waiter dutifully kept coming back frequently to check on us. In fact, a basket of airy warm bread and hummus was brought as soon as we sat down.
The first course was an appetizer platter to share amongst the table.  Ours consisted of shrimp cocktail, bruschetta and cucumbers topped with smoked salmon mousse. Served on a wooden cutting board it didn’t look overly impressive but the shrimp were decent and the bruschetta a good flavour.  Only the cucumber and salmon was a miss for me as the mousse was extremely fishy leaving a bad taste in my mouth.


Under all the greenery and julienned carrots is grilled calamari; really all the garnish is a bit much when it completely masks the main ingredient. After the poorly executed salmon mousse I was a bit apprehensive about my appetizer, especially when it didn’t smell the best when first presented. Thankfully, it was actually quite decent with a nice smoky char and a flavourful tomato, caper, olive and red onion salsa.  My fellow diners agreed it was a much better choice than the escargots they ordered which arrived unseasoned and bland.
Wildfire’s portion sizes are quite impressive. On a previous visit, I remember ordering the ribs and being astounded by how much they gave and having to take half of it home.  My friend ordered the ribs and it was nice to see the sizes haven’t changed at all … if anything it may have grown! The meal consists of a full rack of ribs layered over each other (hidden beneath the pictured two slabs is a third piece) and if finished would likely give you the “meat sweats”. Alas, the quality wasn’t the same – a bit dry and lacked the plumper juicy fall-off-the-bone characteristic of the past.


My New York striploin was also another large hunk of meat, dwarfing the accompanying roasted vegetables and scoop of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. By all accounts it wasn’t horrible, but certainly lacked any qualities that would make it worth the normal $40 price point. Quite frankly, it tasted like something I’d normally make at home and I’m by no means a great cook.  And like my own barbequing, the steak was overdone and not close to the medium rare I enjoy – at best the thicker part a medium but most of it bordering on medium well.


The housemade crème brulée was perhaps the best dish of the night. I enjoyed the higher ramekin so that there was more custard and less caramel crust.  The custard was rich, creamy and had a nice vanilla essence, while the crust easily broken with a spoon. Perhaps it could have been bought out of the fridge a little earlier to allow the bottom of the custard to warm up to the perfect room temperature, but other than that an enjoyable dessert. My friend’s caramel brownie cheesecake (sorry forgot to take picture) was also a rich, dense and delicious.


Below, I’ve calculated the savings you’d get from the Groupon. Certainly, the 50% sounds impressive but has been inflated as I don’t remember Wildfire being as expensive in previous visits. Whereas in the past it competed with the Keg, it’s now priced closer to Reds, Hys or Ruth Chris … which I’m sorry to say quality wise isn’t up to par yet. Nonetheless, the service was great, atmosphere comfortable and with the deal an enjoyable dinner. Overall, I was happy with the experience, but don’t think I’ll be returning anytime soon to eat at the regular menu prices.

Is Groupon worth it?

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

Groupon - $175 for 4 people = $43.75 per person (before taxes and gratuities)

Regular menu - $86.90 - hors d’oeuvres ($10*), wine pairing ($9), grilled calamari ($14.95), 10oz New York striploin ($40.95*) and crème brulée ($12)

Savings - $43 or 50%

* The hors d'oeurves and 10 oz striploin isn't on their regular menu; prices based on a wild estimate by me and the average of the 8oz and 12oz striploin mains.
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!



CLOSED: Kochi Fukaba 東風吹かば (Tokyo)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 21-1, Udagawacho, Shibuya (in the Seibu Store, B2F)
Type of Meal: Lunch 

During cold weather nothing beats hot soups and shabu-shabu, a Japanese method of placing thinly sliced meat and other ingredients into bowling soup, certainly hits the spot. Koichi Fakuba, located on the B2 level of the Seibu building in the heart of Shibuya’s busy scramble by the train station, offers this cooking method at reasonable prices.   


When the pot of soup is first brought over a lump of collagen sits in the broth; slowly it infuses into the soup as it heats up. I’ve heard about the Japanese practice of eating and putting collagen products on their skin for beauty benefits and thus excited to try it. After returning home and researching more about it on Livestrong.com, it’s a bit disappointing to find out that your digestive process would break down any of the amino acids in it and thus there is no benefit. Luckily, there is nothing harmful with it either and I’d like to think that I did myself a great service for eating shabu-shabu for lunch.



Koichi Fakuba offers all you can eat and a la carte options.  We decided to stick with something where we wouldn’t over indulge, so I ordered their pork and beef (¥1,480) meal. A dish of approximately six slices of thinly sliced meat and another filled with vegetables (pumpkin, shredded root vegetable & carrots, spring onions and napa cabbage) arrived. The meat only took a few swishes in the boiling broth to cook through while still retaining its tenderness. There really wasn’t that much taste to the beef or pork but ponzu (a citrus soy sauce) and goma (a creamy sesame sauce) accompanied the platter to help flavour the cooked products.  The goma went perfectly with the meal and I enjoyed how its thicker consistency helped stick to the ingredients more.

A pot containing a ladle and strainer is used for skimming the impurities off of the top of the soup, gathering up all the slivers of vegetables and if you incline for scooping up the broth to add to the rice or drink on its own. Personally, I found the meal was the perfect amount of food so that I was satisfied without being overly stuffed.  Plus, for only ¥1,480 it was also an affordable option.
 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!

Hasegawa Saketen 酒友 (Tokyo)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 4-12-10 Jingumae,Shibuya (3F) but various other locations
Website: http://www.hasegawasaketen.com/index_en.html  


Hasegawa Saketen is a retail store with an onsite stand-up tasting bar.  With various locations across Tokyo, we stopped by the Omotesando Hills location situated on the third floor of an architectural high-end mall.



Sure you could have a glass of beer or wine, but what Hasegawa is known for is their artisan sakes. Their website describes Koichi Hasegawa, the president, as a powerful sake critic in Japan. But, he believes anyone can get to know sake and what it takes is more experiences with tasting it. Lucky for me, as up until this point I’ve only tried it a handful of times and know little about this Japanese rice-based spirit.
For the first round, we decided to rely on the expertise of the bartender and informed him, with the help of a Japanese speaking friend, that we like dry and crisp tasting sakes. He pours us three different kinds – my apologizes I can’t remember the names of them but the bottles are pictured for your reference and each shot ranged from ¥500 to ¥600.
When they are presented side by side, the differences are apparent simply by looking at them.  The cloudier one, we’re told, is younger and therefore has more impurities in it. In fact, the bullseye coasters are supposed to help you look through the sake to spot any sediment.

My favourite one was the one on the left, which had that clean & crisp taste and drier finish we liked. Meanwhile, the younger sake was a bit harsh for my palette and the one on the right a tad sweet.

For the second round, we ordered things off the menu which sounded interesting.  My choice was sparkling sake (¥400), which based on the menu changes daily. During our visit, it was gorgeous pink colour and arrived in a flute looking and even tasting like champagne.  My husband opted for the kanehachi genshu shochu (¥525; pictured on the right), another type of distilled spirit except in this case made with barley (although Hasegawa also offered another made with sweet potato). Shochu, with its 42% alcohol content, is like sipping tequila and I really could have used a lime afterwards.  In the middle, was another sake called ugonotuski Daiginyo (¥800) and interestingly was served in a wine glass. Perhaps, it’s the glass, but I loved being able to swirl it and stick your nose in to really smell it.  Out of everything I tasted, this was definitely the best – still a crisp dry finish but with a bit more body.
A huge thank you to our friend L. in Japan for introducing us to Hasegawa, it was a lovely end to an afternoon of site seeing.  Hasegawa also has a fridge the size of a wall filled with sakes to purchase and bring home.  If liquor isn’t your thing, there are also glasses, accessories and snacks that would make great souvenirs and gifts.

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Kamakura Gozan Bekkan 五山別館 (Kamakura)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by

Location: Kamakura, Japan
Address: 1531 Yamanouchi (right across from the Kenchoji Temple)
Type of Meal: Lunch
Kamakura is a region in Japan, only an hour train ride away from Tokyo, filled with shrines, temples and forests. During our day trip, I was determined to try shōjin ryōri (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine) but after leading our group on a 30 minute walk away from Kamakura’s city centre towards Kita Kamakura found the restaurant closed.
Too hungry and tired to walk back, we went into Kamakura Gozan Bekkan, a little noodle house across the street instead. Their menu is also limited to vegetarian options, except is soba or udon in various soup bases (tsukimi, natto, sensai, hiyshi sansai, etc.).



I ordered the house speciality, kenchin udon (¥900) an autumn vegetables based soup simmered together with tofu, miso and sesame oil. There were so many ingredients in it that I’m sure I’m missing some.  I recall soft root vegetables (radish and carrot), crunchy preserved veggies, a root jelly (could have been lotus or burdock?), onions, delicate tofu and toasted nori (seaweed) strips. It had such a wonderful scent and so warm & welcoming after a long cold walk. The hot broth was amazing … a little thicker and filled with flavour. The udon is thinner and softer than the North American versions but went well with everything.


After warming up and exiting Kamakura Gozan Bekkan, we realized Kencho-ji (one of Japan’s earliest Zen temples) was directly across the street.  Originally, it wasn’t one of the attractions we were planning to visit but ended up being the highlight of the trip! The buildings in the temple were ornate and pleasant but really weren’t that different from other shrines and temples across Japan.

What made the Kencho-ji visit so worthwhile was walking towards the back of the grounds and climbing all the stairs to the top. 

 If you continue past Hanso-Bo (a prayer area with a bell) and walk up the makeshift rocks going up the mountain, you’ll eventually get to an observation deck in the forest. We were treated with an amazing view of Mount Fuji, the Sea of Japan and Tokyo. So, what could have been a disappointment ended really well – a delicious bowl of vegetarian noodles and a lovely tranquil view of Japan.
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!

Il Pappalardo (Kyoto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Address: ４５１-１ Myohoin Maekawacho, Higashiyama
Website: http://www.ilpappalardo.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner 
When you’re visiting Japan, finding freshly made pizza and pastas generally isn’t high on the list of priorities.  But, eventually you may tire of delicious fresh seafood or hearty noodles and want something different.  Enter Il Pappalardo, a quaint Italian restaurant on a quiet street a short cab ride from Kyoto Station (cost us ¥640), which was well worth it; especially if you’re tired of the bustling crowds near the station area.

Having been in Japan for a week, we missed white bread, so when a basket arrived with chewy French loaf, soft & salty focaccia that wasn’t greasy and crunchy bread sticks we were delighted. Paired with a fragrant olive oil, available for sale from the restaurant, it was heaven.

Thankfully, we shared the parma ham with buffalo mozzarella (¥2,000) as a starter because it was a surprisingly big portion. The thinly sliced prosciutto seemed “younger” than most as it wasn’t overly cured and the meat's texture less waxy than when it's been drying for long periods of time; it was nice and fresh. As you’d expect, the buffalo mozzarella was soft and delicate but had an interesting tangy taste which complimented the ham’s saltiness quite well.  All this along with the peppery arugula was a good start.

My linguini with scampi shrimp (¥2,200) was absolutely delicious and reminded me of one I had port side in Positano, Italy. The pasta was al dante and smothered in a non-tangy tomato sauce which likely was mixed with olive oil and shrimp stock to give it that depth of flavor. While the shrimp were a tad overcooked, they still retained their natural sweetness and other than this slight slipup the linguine would have been perfect.

With a variety of pizza on their menu, my husband opted for one; I forgot to jot down the name but it consisted of cheese and spicy salami (¥1,900).  The Neapolitan style crust was chewy and airy with lightly scorched air pockets, yet the bottom had been cooked long enough to allow the pizza to be picked up with one hand.  The salami added a nice heat without being over powering and the fresh mozzarella, according to Il Pappalardo’s website which is flown in from Naples three times a week, was gooey and stringy. 

All in all, I was impressed with the quality of ingredients used, the relatively affordable prices and decent portion sizes. If you’re in Kyoto and in the mood for something Italian, I’d certainly recommend checking out Il Pappalardo.

 Overall mark - 8.5 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!

Menya Iroha 麺屋いろは(Kyoto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Address: Kyoto Station (10th floor in "Ramen Alley")
Website: http://www.menya-iroha.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner  

After visiting Japan, I’ve learnt two things about the beloved bowl of ramen:
1.    In Japan, they consider these to be “Chinese” noodles as some believe it originated from China’s hand-pulled noodles, whereas in Canada, we describe ramen as “Japanese”. In reality, the more traditional Japanese noodles are soba and udon; and
2.    The different soup bases are actually linked to different regions in Japan with miso being popular in Hokkaido, tonkotsu developed in Kyushu and black (dark soy) from Toyama.
With so many regions it feels impossible to try them all. Luckily, the 10th floor of Kyoto Station consolidates eight restaurants into Ramen Koji or Ramen Alley. Most are outposts of popular ramen chains from across Japan. My husband and I ventured to the floor and found each set-up similarly – with a vending machine order system out front and a series of tables / bars seats making up the dining room.
After doing a full circle, we ended up choosing Menya Iroha as it didn’t have a line-up but still seemed busy. I’ll admit, the big poster of Iron Chef Chen also caught our eye even though we couldn’t understand what it was advertising.  Something that’s endorsed by an Iron Chef must be good right? Upon doing some research afterwards, it turns out Menya won best ramen in the Tokyo Ramen competition for the last few years with their black ramen… hence their bragging rights.

Alas, I didn’t realize this was their specialty and after purchasing a combo of ramen, rice and gyoza (¥1,150) and being asked whether I wanted “white” or “black”, I naturally went with white as I prefer salt based soup over soy.  Had I known their crown jewel was the black ramen I would have ordered it – my husband did and said it was delicious.

Having been use to the smaller bowls of noodles served previously, we were surprised with the large size presented to us about ten minutes later. Topped with tons of Japanese scallions, bamboo shoots, a soft boiled egg, two slices of pork, three dried shrimp and a sheet of nori there was a lot of food to get through. The noodles are thinner & softer and the broth more watery than the springy noodle with thick soup combination I’ve become accustomed to in Toronto. I personally prefer the noodles to be more al dante, but enjoyed the broth as it wasn’t as heavy so I could have more of it with the ramen. The slices of pork were marbled to a bacon like consistency and so tender that it just flaked off. If only everything was hotter this would have been one of the better bowls I’ve had in my life. 
Alas, I only had a bite of the rice as I couldn’t even finish the noodles. Luckily, I wasn’t missing much as it’s pretty average - sticky rice with sprinkles of sesame seeds and very hard pieces of dried seaweed. After adding some broth into a spoon with the rice and seaweed it did help rehydrate things and make it more appetizing. 
The gyozas also needed more heat. But, I still loved the lightness of the wrapper and flavourful crust on the bottom; these wrapper didn’t get hard and rubbery as some can get once it’s been sitting out for a while. The simple pork and chive filling was pretty tame so a bit of soy sauce and chili oil was needed to give it the right flavour.
Menya Iroha’s dining space is quite small but has a fair number of counters and four top tables, each equipped with a pitcher of ice water and condiments. If you are looking for a quick and inexpensive meal, this is the place for you. We were in and out in less than half an hour and couldn't finish our meal with their hefty portion sizes. For the price it was a great quality and very satisfying. If you can’t make it to Japan, Menya also has an outpost in LA which may be a bit easier to get to.

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!

Earls Kitchen & Bar (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 150 King Street West (in lobby of the Sunlife Financial Building)
Website: http://www.earls.ca/
Type of Meal: Lunch

Having only gone to Earls for drinks (a frustrating ordeal where you should arrive by 4pm unless you’re willing to wait), I never had a chance to eat anything more than pita chips with dip.

After returning for lunch, I found the experience much better. The only hiccup was a difficulty in finding our reservation because one person had already arrived and this appears to then wipe the information out of their system. Somehow, the manager figured out the empty table with one person sitting at it was actually our reservation and brought us over about five minutes later.

While we were waiting for them to figure out the reservation debacle, a staff member brought over little cups of soup to tie us over. I received a hearty cream of mushroom made with large pieces of button mushrooms and a generous topping of green onions.  Despite being in small cups, the soup was piping hot and had a nice creamy finish with perhaps a hint of brandy? It was quite delicious even though challenging to eat without a spoon.

Earls’ menu proudly boasts their signature sourdough bread is made in house daily. Since I enjoy a nice fresh chewy and crispy sourdough, I ordered the roasted portobellini and red pepper sandwich ($13) which uses it as a base. The bread was enjoyable – having a nice elasticity but still airy with a crispy crust. But, since it’s grilled with butter on the outside (yes you’ll get greasy fingers), the sour essence of it was covered. Stuffed with a fair amount of grilled Portobello mushroom, roasted red pepper and fresh spinach leaves the sandwich was filling. A sharp melted white cheddar and flavourful artichoke aioli made it more luscious, but the once healthy sounding sandwich ended up being anything but.


Accompanying the sandwich were hot shoestring fries. They were too salty for my taste, but with such a hearty sandwich I had little room for anything else. You can add an extra $1.50 for soup or salad or $2 for yam fries, which may be a better option especially given the delicious experience I had with the soup earlier.

My coworkers ordered CAB (certified angus beef) smashed burgers or entrée salads and all were equally impressive in size and looked appetizing. Overall, the menu prices are reasonable and service fairly quick. Maybe Earls can be more than an after work drinks spot after all.

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!

Collage (Tokyo)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 1-9-1 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato (inside the Conrad Hotel on the 28th floor)
Website: http://www.conradtokyo.co.jp/collage
Type of Meal: Dinner

Located on the 28th floor of the Conrad Hotel, Collage offers soaring windows with an amazing view of Tokyo. Occupying the space of a former Gordon Ramsay restaurant, it also serves French creations but with a Japanese twist on account of Chef Shinya Maeda’s inspirations.

The interior dining space is a conservative mix of dark wood and cream linens with large but simplistic light fixtures. After settling into our plush chairs we decided on the “saison” tasting menu (¥15,000), the only one I’ve had that offers a bread pairing with each main dish.  I apologize as didn’t realize this happens until the third dish so didn’t take any pictures of the bread. As a carb lover I was in heaven - pretzel bread with the ballotine and tortellini, a fluffy squash water bread with the tilefish and a cocoa bun with the duck! What an interesting concept that I encourage other restaurants to adopt.

To begin a hot crunchy cheese croquette adorned with a cold dollop of smooth tangy ricotta. I love the beautiful dill imprinted into it and foreshadows the dishes to come – each carefully built to be a beautiful presentation.


Having had quite a bit of mackerel while visiting Japan, I wasn’t surprised to see a seared mackerel sashimi presented next. Disappointingly, it had a very fishy taste that could only be masked when eaten with the pickled peas (?) at the bottom. Luckily, it was a very small piece so with a couple of bites it was done.


After finishing the meal I’ve come to realize Chef Maeda likes to add a crunchy element to his dishes. Normally, I’m quite happy about this as the contrasting texture can work very well. But, as with all things, sometime it works and sometimes things should just be left alone. The king crab ballontine is an example of where I felt it didn’t work. Imagine… a succulent piece of crab wrapped in a delicate braised leek but then ruined with various crunchy bits that really add nothing to the dish. All the delicious natural sweetness of the crab and freshness in the leek gets lost when simplicity might have been better.  


Luckily, the tortellini was an improvement and affirms why Collage earned a Michelin star to begin with. The braised shredded lamb inside was spot on and wonderfully tender and flavourful. Although the pasta was a touch hard, after letting it sit in the au jus for a bit the dough soften up. But, it was the humble eggplant in the middle topped with crème fraiche that tied everything together so well, really brightening up what could have been a heavy dish.  


Up next was the cône de pin (translates into pinecone) tilefish, where the fish scales were crisped up to resemble a pinecone. The fish was cooked splendidly, flaking apart and tender, contrasting nicely with the crunchy fish scales. A thick red pepper bouillabaisse-like sauce added a great flavour to everything. The crunchy element in this dish was dried pieces of chorizo which I didn’t particularly like; but, at least it was on the side of the plate so could easily be left off depending on your preference.


The following dish had a lot of elements to it, all highlighting an ingredient I love – duck! Firstly, a perfectly cooked skinless duck breast topped with some undecipherable crunchy bits. In between were miniature duck confit tornado rolls, a rich take on spring rolls with a more gamey flavour. All this rests on a light and smooth foie gras sauce which went well with the meat. Some grains of barley sat around the dish as well soaking up all the delicious duck juices. Only the turnip sauce threw me off as I found some bites bitter and off putting.


Before dessert, a palate cleanser of sweet raspberry or pomegranate sorbet with pieces of a champagne (?) ice. It was nice and refreshing, especially after the heavier duck dish.


The first dessert was a beautifully risen chocolate soufflé and side of chestnut ice cream rolled in walnuts. The cake was perfectly fluffy with the edge toasted to let cocoa flavours out. Meanwhile, the ice cream was very cold and took a long time to melt enough so that my spoon could cut through it; personally, I prefer this as would rather the dessert not turn to mush as soon as the ice cream is placed into the soufflé. But, the best part was the chocolate pop rocks on the bottom of the ice cream which crackled as they melted in your mouth. I absolutely loved this dessert.       


In my view, I would have been perfectly happy ending on the soufflé high.  Surprisingly, another dessert arrived, this time a fruitier nougat parfait. Simply put, it was a creamy custard log covered with crunchy graham cracker bits. On top were some dots of bitter orange reduction which with the sweet custard wasn’t too bad. Beside the “nougat” was a delicious smooth cinnamon ice cream with thin meringue bits to contrast. All in all, a good dessert but nothing compared to the soufflé.   


Although the food wasn’t spectacular, it was nonetheless delicious and satisfying. I love the chic environment and traditional linen and silver service you’d expect from a French restaurant. Collage is a great venue for a long meal (ours lasted two and a half hours) with some special guests. Of course, its convenient location and spectacular views could also warrant a visit as well.  

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!

CLOSED: Monk Kitchen (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 348 Adelaide St West (inside the Templar Hotel)
Type of Meal: Dinner 
My advice… go to Monk Kitchen soon before it becomes impossible to get a reservation. And yes, with the quality of cooking they offer, it’s inevitable that in time they will be highly sought after.  Tucked in the basement of the Templar Hotel, it’s a hidden contemporary oasis of pristine white and shiny stainless steel accents. As a warning, as you’re walking up Adelaide Street, pay attention to the numbering as the only signage for Templar is a small embossed crest on the bottom of a column.  But, it’s hard to miss if you know to look for a gleaming white counter with a few chairs off to the side. On the somewhat dark street of Adelaide the stark change in décor is certainly noticeable.

Having arrived 15 minutes early, we started off with a drink in their lounge, upstairs on the main floor. Brendie, the mixologist, described a tasty Pimm’s cocktail ($14) so naturally I went with that. Made with gin and mango juice there was also a refreshing hint of ginger, a great starter while waiting in the modern quiet lounge.


Being a huge fan of chef’s tables, I automatically asked to be seated in one of the six seats within the kitchen. Monk also has a dining room area holding about twenty additional patrons so these seats are easier to nab.

Monk Kitchen has no menu, rather Chef Roberto Fracchioni comes by to ask about allergies/limitations and then the food begins. Without a set menu, there’s no indication of what and how many courses will appear, but then that’s what really adds to the experience – that anticipation and excitement of each dish to come.

First up, a cold shrimp salad where the shrimp were marinated in a savoury sauce with just a slight heat to it. The salad portion consists of leafy Asian greens (Chinese broccoli, bok choy and tung ho (?)), which were crispy and flavourful and unlike the stir fried or blanched ones I've had. We were advised they were steamed in a lobster shell bath which is what allows the leaves to retain its flavour and gives it that slight augmented fragrance. A wedge of creamy grilled avocado, bits of tempura and a yuzu dressing finish off the plate. 


As soon as the lobster risotto was laid before me I knew I was in for a treat. Just the incredible shellfish aroma wafting off of it was amazing, making it hard to remember – snap picture first then eat! The rice was cooked perfectly with just a slight bite to it without being hard. Finely diced bell peppers mixed throughout the lobster bisque sauce added a bit of crunch and freshness to the flavourful rice. The consistency was spot on - enough liquid to form a creamy sauce but not so watery that’d you’d need a spoon to eat it. On top a simply cooked piece of lobster that was tender & flavourful and some fried muted capers rounded it off.


When we told Chef Roberto how great it was, he humbly shrugged stating that you can’t go wrong with lobster. But, alas sometimes even with lobster things can go horribly wrong. While replaying our conversation with the second chef (unfortunately, forgot to ask for his name and can’t find it on their website) he laughed and stated he’s from out east - they don’t mess up lobster. It’s these conversations that immediately put a diner at ease; I felt comfortable asking questions and conversing with them. Having done a couple of other meals kitchen side, at Shoto and Chantecler, none offered this down to earth friendliness that Monk Kitchen excels at.  

It’s as if Chef Roberto knew me, as up next was duck – lobster and duck in the same meal, I was in heaven already. The duck breast was seared and cooked to an impeccable medium, paired with a sweet and sour fig sauce. The fruity fig added just the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming. With each bite, you get a bit of the tender juicy meat, rendered duck fat, crisp skin and the sauce that mellows everything out. There was even a dried fig chip that when broken into small pieces and mixed with the sauce and duck juices starts to rehydrate and comes delicious & chewy.   


Roasted carrots & parsnips and kale leaves tossed with pickled mustard accompany the duck. The pickling is very light but really helps soften up the kale and left little balls of mustard seeds which provided such a pleasant texture. 

Before the last savoury dish, an intermezzo of pomegranate granita topped with fresh juicy pomegranate seeds was served. It was refreshingly sweet with a hint of sour to wash away the heavier duck. 


The last savoury dish was truffle breaded veal. The Chef informs us the truffles are imported from Italy and used in all the parts of breading - pieces in the flour, truffle oil in the egg mixture and more shavings in the bread crumbs. Without a doubt, you can taste the distinctive truffle flavour with each bite but because the oil was used in moderation it wasn't overwhelming. Given the veal is such a neutral tasting meat, almost like pork but leaner, it could have been completely lost in the truffle but wasn't. It went especially well with the cauliflower purée, which deepened the earthiness inherent in the truffle. I was also pleasantly surprised that the cauliflower purée still tasted like its main ingredient; too often so much butter and cream is added to it that any cauliflower flavour is lost and the smear on the plate could really be anything. 


We opted for the wine pairing with the meal. At first, we weren’t going to do it as I typically find there’s too much wine and you end up being so far behind and tipsy by the end. But, Brendie was great and offered us a half wine pairing ($30/person) where we’d get 1.5 ounces with each dish, just enough in my opinion. The pairing consisted of two whites and two reds, I’m not wine expert so I won’t begin to try and rate these, but ended off with a delicious cocktail. It was vodka based with muddled strawberries, elderflower syrup and soda water and was so refreshing that it wakes you back up after all the food.  


To end, we each received a dessert plate made up of five items. It's difficult to determine a favourite as each offered a distinct taste so there’s something for everyone. All were fresh, moist and full of flavour; thankfully they were small pieces so you didn’t feel guilty finishing everything. Starting from the left a pear tart that was nicely poached and paired well with the crumbly buttery tart, a velvety espresso chocolate ganache with a rich dark chocolate flavour, smooth French toast cheesecake with blueberry sauce and hints of maple syrup and perhaps cinnamon, a delicious chewy walnut pecan tart (I simply loved the moist nutty cake) and lastly an After Eight cake consisting of layered vanilla sponge cake and chocolate topped with mint frosting, a great refreshing end.




I can’t say enough good things about the service at Monk Kitchen, everyone was friendly and checking in to make sure things was going well. The entire evening went spotlessly and the overall experience great. Given I couldn’t find anything about prices online, I was a tad worried at what the magnificent meal would end up costing; at $75 per person for five deliciously pulled together courses and an intermezzo, I felt was well worth it. Monk Kitchen is my new favourite restaurant in Toronto, I can’t wait to return. Just please don’t become too popular that I won’t be able to get back in!

Overall mark - 9.5 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!




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