Let’s be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for Cactus Club Café.
Undeniably, it’s because the restaurant is part of a chain and perhaps I’m a
bit of a snob when it comes to chains – their food is safe but generally not exceptional.
Worse still, it’s hard to get
reservations (they limit the number of tables daily) and there’s always a wait …
time that comes between me and food is never good.
Nonetheless, my friends and I ventured into the pack on a weekday
before the holidays in hopes of escaping the wait. Despite getting there just
after 5pm, there was still a 20-minute queue – not bad compared to the hour
long ones that is a regular occurrence during lunch and other nights.
Indeed, the restaurant is popular for after hour drinks; the
500-seater an ideal venue to accommodate large groups. The single serve bottle
of a Cordorniu brut clasico cava ($12) helped to satisfy my recent infatuation
with bubbles, the dry sparkling wine perfect for ringing in the holidays.
Chef Rob Feenie, best known for a win while competing on Iron
Chef America, is all over the menu and specifically developed a “Toronto-inspired”
one exclusive to the First Canadian Place location. The two dishes we ordered
off the menu served only in the Rob Feenie dining room (how lucky we happen to
be seated here), were both delicious… although it’s unclear how they’re
connected to Toronto.
The duck confit ($26 with an extra $9 for a second leg) was succulent,
pulling easily off the bone as anything poached in oil should. While the dish
had a lot of flavour, the duck itself was left neutral so you could taste the
fowl. Whereas, the complimentary ingredients originated the flavours: braised
lentils mixed with pieces of salty smoked bacon and an aromatic truffle laced vinaigrette
heightening the dish’s richness.
Sablefish ($34), which I recently discovered is another name
for black cod, is my type of dish: a moist piece of firm marinated fish sitting
in a fragrant Peking duck broth. Resting on a bed of shitake mushrooms, asparagus
and fingerling potatoes, even without the fish this would work as soup or vegetarian
entree.
Rest assured, even if you’re not in the Chef’s namesake
dining room, his creations are all over the main menu – just look for a “RF” in
a black circle beside the item.
I highly recommend the tuna stack ($16). Cool chunks of
albacore tuna tossed with sesame oil, soy and ponzu. Sitting on cubed avocado
and topped with tempura bits, daikon radish sprouts and micro cilantro, you can
already imagine all the textures in the starter. Rather than use pieces of
nori, Cactus Club provides an adequate number of fried wonton chips – large enough
to hold the tuna without being messy.
On the restaurant’s website, their blog explains Feenie’s
inspiration for creating the tuna stack. It was from meals spent with Japanese
neighbours that he was introduced to the ingredients and influences his
creations today. Certainly, it’s an appetizer that can be found at other
restaurants, but Feenie’s recipe balances the variety of flavours and textures
so nicely.
Some will find the veal and porcini pappardelle ($23.50) too
salty. Indeed, the pasta doesn’t lack flavour with the creamy porcini sauce and
flecks of grana padano grated over top. The sauce coats every ribbon of perfectly
al dante pasta and plenty of tender braised veal cheek is swirled into the
dish. To cut through the pasta’s decadence, fresh arugula is loaded on top and
works well as it’s mixed into the hot pasta and starts wilting.
Sadly, the Feenie magic didn’t continue with the desserts.
The velvet underground ($3 per shot glass) was like eating syrup, sickeningly
sweet with each layer: a caramel foam, crunchy sponge toffee and chocolate
mousse. If only one ingredient was sweetened it’d be enough (likely the sponge
toffee), I’d much rather have that with a bitter dark chocolate mousse and light
vanilla cream.
Although tired and done, the white chocolate cheesecake
($8.25) was a better combination. The cheese cake was dense with the white
chocolate peeking through. The bottom chocolate cookie crust a nice even layer
and the raspberry sauce incorporating pieces of fruit throughout.
Given Cactus Club is a chain originating from the West, I
hear it being compared to Earls – another restaurant popular with the Bay
Street crowd. For me, the food is better and Cactus Club is best described as casual fine dining while Earl’s would be
more upscale comfort food. It’s a
slight but important difference – the dishes at Cactus Club don’t feel as mass
produced and the atmosphere (despite being large) is sectioned into homelier
rooms.
A second location is set to open at Sherway Gardens in 2017
and I don’t doubt will be equally as popular. Only time will tell if Feenie
will make another exclusive “Mississauga inspired” menu to this location. Too
bad the second establishment will be too far away to alleviate the crowds of
the downtown location. Such a pity, I guess a return visit will only
materialize when I can score a reservation … likely a month in advance.
Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 77 Adelaide Street West
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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!
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