I dropped into this Ramen house around 11 am on a Tuesday morning, taking advantage of the fact that there wasn’t a crowd huddled around the door like you’d see during a Sylvester Stallone sighting. The reasons for the mass crowds are threefold:
1. It’s ramen and it’s Toronto.
2. The place only holds about 30 people.
3. The policy is wait outside because there’s no room inside.
The decor is plain. The tables are bare. The menu is a small laminated, folded card. The tiny kitchen is barely visible in the back. No cliffhanger here…I followed my standard routine and ordered shio ramen with a side of gyoza dumplings.
The Ramen
It was quite a simple presentation, including green onion, noodles, a few bamboo shoots, pork belly and a softish boiled egg. It ignored the bells and whistles such as nori, pickled plums and goji berries. The broth was rich and full of pork flavor. On one hand, it was not oversalted. On the other, it was a bit greasy which wasn’t helped by the really fatty pork cut submerged in the broth. The egg was cooked and seasoned well, the amount of onion and shoots were not enough and the noodles (ordered thick) were a bit starchy. In the end, it was a decent bowl and less than $9.
Shio Ramen
The Gyoza
The lipophilic nature of Sansotei was evident again when I ordered the gyoza. Four pieces for $4.50 (I ate one before I remembered I didn’t take a picture) arrived Stallone style (slightly tanned and glistening with oil) and served with a tasty dipping sauce. Despite being a bit greasy, the dough had a great texture (unlike Stallone post Judge Dredd) in that it was not too chewy nor too crispy. The filling was well seasoned and not watered down in a fashion similar to the plot of Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.
Gyoza
My Take
Sansotei is a small, simple eatery with an equally simple menu. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other ramens, but despite being a bit greasy, the rich broth is flavorful enough and is not oversalted. None of the broths are vegetarian. The gyoza were terrific although a quick wipe with a napkin wouldn’t hurt. I really need to do a ramen power ranking but as it stands Sansotei comes in Stallone style again (an underdog who proves to be a serious contender). In the end, it may not the be the Rocky of all ramen, but it sure isn’t the Rhinestone either.
It was a stormy, cold night (that narrows it down to one of about 40 nights in the past couple of months) as I made the trek out to Farb’s in Ottawa. Farb’s is a smallish, gimmick free place that focuses on the elegant presentation of standard bistro fare such as walleye (you think they’d call it pickerel, especially in the nation’s capital), chops, steaks and even Moo Goo Gai Pan for a little ethnic diversity. It’s a meat heavy menu with one vegetarian starter (a ubiquitous beet salad) and one main (risotto with trendy sunchoke and tomato jam).
Must
If this was a short rib, I’d like to see a long rib. It would probably look like that hunk of meat that tips Fred’s car over at the beginning of the Flintstones. The meat was tasty and tender and abundant. It sat upon a blissful mess of beans and root veggies and a jovial jus. I’m not sure who Rodney Blake is (I’m assuming it’s not the Aussie rugby player also called Rodzilla) , but his wilted greens are pretty darn good. I would of picked up the bone and savagely tore meat of the bone but….
1. My guest would likely think I was even crazier than I am (after all I do take pictures of everything I eat and interrogate waitstaff like a defense lawyer).
2. There was so much meat I probably couldn’t lift it or get anywhere close to the bone even if Adam Richman was helping me out.
3. It only looks funny and appropriate on cartoons (how do they clean the bone in one fell swoop?).
Short Rib $30
Maybe
With a price just below double digits (restaurant soup prices in the past five years have escalated well above standard inflation rates), Farb’s does a decent one. This one was a carrot soup topped with a bit of salty. melty cheese and flavoured oil to offset the sweetness. The rawness of the carrot was evident and it was seasoned well. Overall it was a good cure for the wintertime blues.
Market Soup $9
My Take
This is my second visit to Farb’s and both have been solid. It’s a quaint, family run bistro with a focus on well-prepared food. Starters range from $9-18 with most mains around $30. The wine selection is average and the dessert selection is somewhat minimal. It’s not a place that will blow your mind with creativity or the use of unmentionable animal products, but you can get a classic dish done well. It comes accompanied with an intangible but important touch of family pride which is often missing from other establishments. In other words, when your with the Farber’s, you’ll have a yabba dabba doo time, a dabba doo time, you’ll have a gay old time.
It makes sense…add a little Italian to Parkdale. They already have tacos, lobsters and ssam. Why not some capocolla too? Even better, make it tapas. Porzia has recently opened in the proximity of Grand Electric and Chantecler and promises edgy food in a edgy environment. Most of the menu focuses on aggressive uses of chicken liver, tripe, sweetbreads and other delicious body parts served as is or concocted into charcuteries. There are a few safe items on the menu in the event that one is not fond of animal parts used for things other than running.
Must
The citrus salad ($11) was the easiest dish to understand without waiter interpretation. However, the thought of olives and oranges playing together in a salad was a bit odd. The chilis added a great kick and the abundant parsley added a little green. I suppose the olive might have been an attempt to add a bit of salt while deviating from the normal addition of some salty cheese but it was rather unnecessary. Overall, it had a freshness that offered a refreshing option to many of the other dishes on the menu.
Citrus Salad
Maybe
The crostini ($12) were highly recommended by the otherwise preoccupied waiter. The sausage was the delicious mainstay but was covered with a rapini mixture that was highly oversalted, especially when topped with cheese. I was left to scrape the roughage off the remaining two pieces and discard it like an overcooked pizza crust so I could just focus on the meat.
Crostini
The eggplant involtini ($14) was one of the few vegetarian dishes on the menu although it was priced like it had some kind of creature in it. It was served hot and the eggplant was spot on in terms of texture. From a flavour perspective, it too was a little heavy on the salt and a little more of the advertised roasted garlic would have been nice.
Eggplant Involtini
Mundane
Maybe I didn’t have the balls to go for the tripe, so I went with another set of balls and opted for the classic polpetta ragu ($15). They were simply presented with crostini and sauce. Once again, there was an abundance of salt which almost made it unbearable. It was like taking tylenol; I only ate two and needed copious amounts of water to wash it down.
Polpetta Ragu
I’ve come to the conclusion that a $12 cocktail better make my meatballs tingle. I tried with the grappa sour (grappa, lemon, cardamon and egg white)…no tingling…just another example of me falling for the old put an egg in anything and I’ll order it trick.
Grappa Sour
My Take
I’m not sure if the abundant use of salt or the big prices left a worse taste in my mouth. The staff seemed a bit unfazed by my woes as there were no inquiries about my half eaten dishes (I was only asked when I got my coat and after I paid the bill) if there were any issues with the food. By then it didn’t matter. With an abundance of other small-plated ethnic choices available within a few blocks, I’ll get that tingly feeling elsewhere and leave the overpriced Italian fare to the other parts of town. Plus, I know a lot of places that serve a mean fruit salad.
I was minding my own business when I checked my twitter account and was teased by Richmond Station challenging me to come in and try the venison and wild boar tourtiere for lunch. I responded with a “maybe I will” and next thing I knew they were saving me a seat for after my appointment. When I arrived, I was greeted by name and sat promptly at the chef’s table.
The $19 prix fixe lunch was an easy choice…french onion soup with that alluring meat pie…..
Must
French onion soup is difficult to perfect. The tendency with most is to rely on salty broth and an abundance of cheese as the main flavour. This broth was light and delicate and seasoned with flavours much more robust than just salt. The Gruyere cheese was the perfect amount of taste and meltiness on top. It was quite easy to finish the modest portion without any ill feeling of consuming too much sodium.
French Onion Soup
I watched the chef struggle a bit with plating the delicate tourtiere, so it was a bit messy. Despite this, the meat pie was easily the best thing I’ve eaten so far in 2013. The crust was flaky and the large chunks of venison with the ground boar was a blissful textural contrast. The seasonings once against avoided from the tendency to rely heavily on salt and instead promoted the flavours of fresh herbs reminiscent of my Grandma’s Christmas pies. The frisse salad tossed with apples and citrus dressing was a great compliment which, coupled with the pickled vegetables, brought some crunch and tartness to compliment the main.
Venison and Boar Tourtiere
Maybe
In a smart move, Richmond Station offers their regular dessert menu for only $5 during lunch. I couldn’t resist. At the advise of the very helpful waitstaff, I opted for the lemon posset which was accompanied with a poached pear, blueberry compote, chamomile foam and meringue. The presentation was a bit odd as it lacked any real colour since the blueberry was hidden beneath the meringue. The posset itself could of been a bit more intense in its lemon flavour to offset the sweetness of the other components. The pear was delicious as a stand alone but was a bit confusing with the rest of the dish. The chamomile foam was magic with a wonderful mouth feel and subtle tea taste. In the end, it was a pleasant finish.
Lemon Posset
My Take
The first time I went to Richmond station the lunch concept was still under construction. Based on this experience, I’d get off at this stop anytime, especially if the tourtiere sticks around. The tempting twitter taunt materialized into an experience characterized by the trinity of terrific service (both virtual and in person), a smart location and the reasonable $19 prix fixe lunch menu. The whole 3 -course lunch was served in less than 45 minutes despite the fact the restaurant was full and offered a spectacle highlighted by a kitchen run with impressive efficiency. Let’s call it a great dinner and a movie for less than $30. I even got to see a great trailer with the delivery of an impressive pig by a proud butcher for later use. I’m sure it made for quite the sequel.
The retro tribute that adorns Parkdale continues with the introduction of Oddseoul, the newish street food joint serving Asian inspired snacks. Only identified by a red, white and blue barber’s pole, I entered a long, narrow room only lit by a glowing red “prescription” sign and two white signs that looked like they were stolen from an 80s drive-in theatre which display the modest sized food and drink menu. I was seated against the wall and had a clear view of the kitchen where 3 or 4 cooks were busily buzzing around. It was steady for late on a Monday night, but the service was like trying to get a haircut the week before school.
In addition to the signs which likely once announced the arrival of “ET” back in 1982, a printed menu was handed to me on a crinkled sheet that looked like a few dozen people had spilled something on it earlier in the night….or week.
Elusive Odd Seoul Menu
Must
The squash poutine ($7) was such a refreshing change from for others which grace most menus. The cubed squash was the perfect base in both size and texture to complement the salty, sour and tangy toppings. The subtle sweetness offered a foundation that rounded off the dish. The curry gravy added spicy dimensions that just worked. Lastly, it was served mouth-burning hot, a refreshing change from most poutine which arrive at the table in a semi-congealed state before you take the first bite.
Squash Poutine ($7)
Maybe
Bourbon drinks are the fad right now and I equate a good one to the experience of jumping in a cold pool. It should hurt a bit at first (I find a first sip of bourbon like a slap in the face) but once you get used to it, you don’t wanna get out. The Bulleit Smash fell a bit short on both fronts and was more like jumping in a luke warm pool. It lacked shock value. In other words, I didn’t bond with the drink in a love/hate relationship…it was more like an amicable friendship.
Bulleit Smash ($11)
The “loosey” ($5) was a saucy, small burger in sandwich form topped with kimchi. It was a tasty and messy few bites. I was hoping for more of a punch with the kimchi but it tasted more like a a Wendy’s quarter pounder in the sense that it had some predominant ketchup and mayo type flavours so I was left buzzing with a fast foodish high.
The “Loosey” $5
Mundane
I’m becoming increasingly suspicious of pork buns. It’s a dish where the bun is as important as the filling. The Oddseoul’s offering was anemic and sticky. Inside was a whole lot of filling. It was almost impossible to eat. The barbeque sauce was perfectly spiced but overwhelmingly tangy which took over the rest of the dish. Throw that sauce on a chicken wing and now we’re talking.
Steamed Bun ($5)
My Take
What’s with Steigl? It’s popping up quicker than a Han brothers restaurant itself. I missed the memo announcing it was the new foodie beer of 2013 much to the dismay of past foodie bandwagon favorites including Heineken, Stella, Dos Equis and of course, Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Oddseoul is another invention by the Han brothers. It’s prescription is for aggressively flavoured asian inspired street food and modern cocktails in a vibrant setting. The ambiance features loud hip-hop music and equally old school decor in the form of bear heads and drive-in movie signs. Although the food was tasty, most of the dishes had a monotonous yet “polar” and unbalanced flavour profile (that’s my witty reference to the barber’s pole). On that note, I’m not sure whether I’ll be coming back for a trim every eight weeks or so.
Imagine a place where you can grab a coffee, pop open your computer, enter a clever password (I won’t give it away but it has something to do with a very tasty pork product) and expose yourself to seasons of scents which go from smoked vegetables to pickled onions to freshly baked bread. Welcome to the Hogtown Cure, a newish joint open at the corner of Dufferin and Dundas. Part cafe, part deli and part grab and go, I was keen to sit down and see if it would cure my wintertime blues.
The Hogtown Cure Interior
Perks
Although the hot beverages are a bit pricy, Hogtown Cure offers a wide variety of coffee elixirs, notably the red eye and black eye featuring one and two shots of espresso in a cup of drip coffee respectively. Both the coffee and espresso had a balanced tone and were of good quality and I’m pretty sure that the red eye even gave me wings.
The Hogtown Reuben was a unique spin on the classic sandwich. It was proportional from an ingredient standpoint. The homemade pastrami was super tender and reminded me of slow-cooked roast beef as opposed to the boiled, shriveled balls of meat from Shopsy’s I associated with this type of meat during my youth. The brine and the seasoning was subtly appropriate. The sauerkraut and cheese were flavourful. My only issue was that the bread was toasted and not fried on the grill. Call me picky but I crave the chewy texture of some lightly grilled fresh bread as part of a hot sandwich vs one made with crunchy of toast.
The mushroom soup was good as well. It has the earthiness of….well…earth. Not dirt, earth. The mushroom was the star and the surrounding broth was neither too flimsy nor too intense.
The Hogtown Reuben with Mushroom Soup
Sludge
Although I enjoyed the constant olfactory stimulation, I left smelling a little like a smoker…meaning a food smoker, not a chain smoker. My wafting scent coupled with my unwavering stare after sucking back a red-eye may have had resulted in a few odd glances my way afterwards, but I really didn’t care. I had a gut full of reuben and was strolling into a strong head wind which aired me out like Grandma’s pantaloons on a brisk summer day.
In most cases, I have an unnatural admiration for slaw and wasn’t fond of Hogtown’s offering. I found it had the monotone taste of wine vinegar which overwhelmed the harmony of sweet, sour and sulfur present in a great slaw.
The Final Sip
I love the concept of this place. It’s kind of like hanging out at your mom’s place doing work all afternoon while she’s slaving away at the stove concocting a plethora of her favorites. Your attempts at intellectual advancement are challenged by sultry sensations of savory sundries. The coffee is decent, the food is pretty good and you can find an electrical outlet here and there. You can even grab a few hundred grams of unique local cheese, few slabs of duck bacon or a confit leg on the way out. Let’s see mom serve that with her scalloped potatoes.
Upon entering A-OK, which over hovers over County General at the corner of Queen and Shaw, I felt like I was in a high school cafeteria, complete with pastel coloured picnic tables. Instead of long-winded calculus problems scripted on the board, a short and simple menu was presented offering eclectic spins on Asian food. The curriculum included small plate options mixed with the equally popular ramen bowls. The question would be whether the food had the same cafeteria flare as the decor.
A OK Menu (Subject to Change)
Must
The salt cod inari was a terrific start to the meal….kind of like a first period english class with a cool teacher. The wrapper was a chewy but not an uncomfortable texture housing rice that was moist, not mushy. The salt cod added subtle spots of saltiness throughout the inners of the roll. The feisty dipping sauce was cleverly spread along the rim of the plate, appealing to both the dimension of visual appeal and sapidity.
Salt Cod InariSalt Cod Inari (inside)
Maybe
The spin on the shoyu ramen was decent but it certainly wasn’t the best in the city. It was rather generic and lacked the complexity of some of the other soups. The broth was one-toned, the noodles a bit limp and the pork was tender but not remarkable. The egg was well cooked and nicely seasoned and the goji berries were a cute touch. In the end, it was satisfying but not memorable, creating an economic argument by being priced at over ten bucks a bowl.
Shoyu Ramen
The pork ssam had a messy appearance and was tricky to eat. In the end, it had a nice, fresh taste but the flavours were scattered depending on the placement and size of the bite. Not a bad snack for 5 bucks. It might have been a bit more exciting if a short course in engineering promoting self-assembly had been employed.
Pork Ssam
Mundane
My table mate ordered the Sichuan Tsukeman ramen bowl. I was tempted to do the same and I’m glad I didn’t. It was a bit of a mess. Understanding it’s a bit of a variation from the standard noodle bowls ( the broth is replaced with a spicy dipping sauce on the side) , it lacked the heartwarming nature of its Shoyu cousin. After dragging the limp noodles through the sauce, I was left with a nice quantity of spice but an oily taste that was less than appealing. The pork, egg and seaweed were interesting additions but still couldn’t cut into the monotony of the overpowering sauce. Let’s call it a cool science experiment gone slightly wrong.
Sichuan Tsukemen
My Take
A-OK foods fuses two of Toronto’s hottest culinary trends: asian inspired street food and ramen. Although it doesn’t deliver the best of either world, there were a few dishes worth talking about. As for the vibe, I only experienced the midday experience but it felt a bit like being in detention, lacking the buzz and excitement of similar eateries. In the end, the report card is such that I can’t give A-OK foods an A, but more likely a C and possibly a B minus if the salt cod inari is somewhere in the lesson plan.
I had the fortune of being in the vicinity of Yonge-Dundas square yesterday and headed over for the lunch money days campaign which was held in support of Second Harvest, an organization committed to reducing food waste while improving the food security of hundreds if not thousands of people living in Toronto.
Second Harvest (http://secondharvest.ca/) works closely with food retailers, hotels and restaurants to redistribute food to those in need. Unlike food banks, they focus on perishables such as fruits, vegetables, meat and cheeses. These foods are often discarded by institutions for a variety of reasons. This has always been a particular issue for me, both as a past food service employee and a dietitian. Furthermore, perishables are difficult to attain for many on a restrictive budget, especially in the winter due to cost and transportation issues, and are often the first omitted in efforts to control household spending.
Today’s event invited 15 or so vendors who volunteered their time and food to raise money for this worthy cause. Famed Toronto chef Mark McEwan was on hand to promote this event which I understand is near and dear to his heart. I spoke with him for a few minutes and found him to be a humble and inspiring individual….and he let me take a picture.
.
Second Harvest advocate Mark McEwan
Caplansky’s Deli
This Toronto icon was serving some of its favorites including the smoked meat sandwich with a pickle which I topped with some great hot mustard. The meat was tender and the bread was fresh. It was a traditional and classic few bites.
The maple and beef-bacon donuts were a sweet finish to the small meal. It had old school texture and was the size of an overgrown timbit. The bacon added a wee bit of salt and texture.
Caplansky’s Smoked Meat Sandwich with Maple Beef-Bacon Donuts
Ese
This mysterious pop-up was present at the event as well, offering a hot chicken masa ball soup brilliantly topped with chicharron (dried chicken skin). The sight of the clear broth steaming from Le Creuset was music to all my senses, offering relief from the nasty February elements.
Once again, RL as solid as rock, putting up a tasty lobster bisque and a lobster roll for tasting. Both were as delicious as their offerings at their Ossington location. They did tease me with a copy of their drink menu which left me longing for another taste of their Iginla Fizz..or maybe a lobster tail Caesar.
Bite size cupcakes in four flavors graced the Sullivan and Bleeker tent. I opted for the smore and red velvet options although the oreo and cookie dough choices were equally as appealing.
The lunch money days campaign is a win-win-win-win etc. Great local eateries peddle their wares and fares to new and interested diners. These diners get to experience a mish-mash of creativity in bite-size portions. Most important, second harvest gets much needed exposure and a financial boost to carry on with their important cause.
It’s always good when you go to a group dinner and can order a la carte. One of the biggest frustrations is when you have a set menu in which you can only choose from one of three entrees that are designed and prepared to appease the conservative diner. Beef (usually steak), chicken (usually roasted), fish (usually salmon) and some lame vegetarian entree (usually a regular menu item with the protein removed) populate these set menus. Needless to say, I was elated when I attended a group dinner at gusto 101 and was handed a real menu, with no restrictions or limitations.
Gusto 101 is positioned right beside Jimmy’s coffee on Portland Ave just North of King Street. There was a tremendous amount of hype as its creation materialized about a year ago. Some may call it another Italian restaurant. Others may call it a trendy trattoria. It has a very friendly website (http://www.gusto101.com) with copies of the menu, gallery pics and even a detailed explanation of their unique reservation policy and very specific expected wait times based on the day of the week and the time of night.
The private room is located in the basement. It’s a well decorated yet unfinished wine cellar with a large wooden communal table which seats about 20. There were about a dozen of us there. Most curious was the fact that about half way through our meal, 4 or 5 people were escorted in and seated at the end of our table for their own soiree. It was actually kind of neat but quite unorthodox. Nonetheless, when it comes to Italian feasts, we are all family, right?
Must
Kale can be a fussy vegetable. Gusto uses a combination of lacination (cutting into small pieces) and acid to perfect the Cavolo Nero salad. A subtle bitterness is maintained amidst the sour lemon vinaigrette, with salty and sweet accents in the form of peccarino cheese and currents rounding out the dish to touch all the tongue’s taste points. It’s a perfect example of simple and balanced preparation.
Cavolo Nero Salad
The Monday night polpette special is a simple dish of meatballs, tomato sauce and grilled tuscan bread. The meat was well seasoned and cooked to the faintest of pink which maintained moistness and excellent texture. The tangy tomato sauce was fresh and vibrant. Once again, it was an other example of traditional and rustic cooking done right.
Polpette (meatballs)
Many of the wines come in around $10 a 5 oz glass or$50 a bottle with others available at a variety of price points. Gusto offers a rather unique concept….house wine on tap served and poured from pitchers. The table opted for the Gusto Rosso (Cabernet Savignon and Malbec). It was mellow yet complex with a very drinkable character which matched reasonably well with most of the dishes on the menu. Although it may not score perfect on wine spectator, at a buck an ounce, you really can’t go wrong.
Maybe
Octopus is a risky menu item. It’s a finicky ingredient with a tiny cooking window. Yet every place that serves it boasts it has the best octopus in the city. Gusto’s claim of its Polipo (char-grilled with olive tapenade, green beans, basil oil,citrus emulsion) was no exception. The wood oven baked octopus was almost the perfect texture, but was a tad dry. The condiments, however, were not really complimentary, with overpowering flavours that took away from the intended star of the plate.
Polipo (octopus)
The prosciutto pizza was simple, topped with high quality ingredients including Pingue (a Niagara producer) prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes, arugula and parmigiano on a wood baked crispy crust. It was satisfying and comparable to surrounding pies but no more memorable.
Prosciutto Pizza
The dessert trio offered Crema Cotta liquore di caffe, Budino al Cioccolato (with coconut, caramel and cream) and Ravioli di Pera Fritti pear, fig with a spiced red wine reduction. My favorite was the crema cotta as it was fresh and palate cleansing. The ravioli was a bit reminiscent of a McDonald’s baked pie. The budino was served in a baby food jar, a refreshing change from the mason jars which seem to house desserts everywhere else. More importantly, the pudding was quite good although a little sweeter than I like.
Dessert Trio
Mundane
The only thing I wasn’t fond of was the Arancini (arborio rice, wild mushrooms, fontina, tomato sauce). Maybe I find this dish a bit boring in general but other than the tangy sauce, it was a starchy monotony with a taste similar to grandma’s cream of mushroom casserole.
Arancini
Also mundane is the minimal beer selection. There’s no draught beer and only a few bottle choices. Although Italy is not known for its beer selection, Toronto is. There is nothing unauthentic about throwing a few more local brews into the mix, preferably with a few on tap. A crisp local lager or a nutty amber ale would nicely compliment many of Gusto’s menu items.
My Take
Gusto’s focus is traditional Italian food within a trendy environment. Even the “semi-private” room tucked in the basement buzzes with a downtown Toronto vibe. The servers emit an aura of pride, evident through their story telling, each with a thesis promising fresh, authentic fare. For the most part, the food is delicious. In fact, I think I would have been just as happy being served a group meal providing it included the kale salad along with Monday’s meatballs (perhaps with some homemade pasta) and all washed down with free flowing dollar an ounce house wine….a far cry from the aforementioned group dinner or the oily salad, rubber chicken, cold spaghetti, stale bread and one-toned table wine normally considered an Italian celebration in other venues.
Cava is midtown Toronto’s answer to Spanish tapas. Tucked down a small alley off of Yonge street, Cava offers a modest but comfortable environment featuring a plentiful array of over 30 menu options. For the most part it errs on the traditional side, offering tapas dishes reminiscent of the mother land. In addition, there a few twists, with choices reflective of the current Toronto dining scene. It has received a number of accolades including number 5 on Joanne Kates’ 2012 top 100 list.
Must
For a guy who normally does not like olives, Cava surprised me. They were like candy. I can’t pinpoint if it was the temperature, the saltiness or the variety. but I found myself eating one after another. The price point was a very fair $3.
Warm Olives ($2.95)
The venison anticucho ($12.50) with a warm red cabbage salad featured extremely tender cuts of well-seasoned meat on a a bed of red cabbage. Each morsel was cooked a perfect medium rare. It’s one of those dishes in which you only order one and after the first bite think you should or ordered two…or three…or four. It makes you want to break every rule of tapas etiquette; You keep the plate at close range and encourage everybody to eat everything else while you subtly eat the entire thing. The cabbage salad worked but I would use it as a diversion, offering it to the table and suggesting that it’s just as good as the entire venison skewer you just devoured.
Translation: Anticucho- Cut stew meat usually skewered and served with a variety of traditional spices.
Venison Anticucho ($12.50)
The eggplant with queso fresco, honey and tomatillo ($9.75) was well constructed and well executed. Hints of the eggplant’s bitterness, sweetness of the honey, the tomatillo’s sourness and the salty richness of the cheese completely painted the tongue’s hotspots. If anything, it was a little rich but was balanced nicely otherwise.
Translation: Queso Fresco- A soft, unaged mild white cheese.
Eggplant with queso fresco, honey and tomatillo ($9.75)
Swiss chard gratin with manchego and a poached egg ($9.50)? How can one go wrong? Actually..one could but Cava produced. The chard maintained its integrity despite being suspended within a plethora of cheese. The poached egg was perfectly cooked and vamped up the dish in a way only an egg yolk can. I recommend sharing this one given there are a lot of rich flavours and a few bites will suffice.
Swiss chard gratin with manchego and a poached egg ($9.50)
Maybe
The salt cod cake with piperade and chipotle crema ($12.75) was solid. The salt in the cod was not overwhelming and the cake had adequate moisture and good texture. The tasty piperade was a bit messy and rather one-toned in flavour, missing a punch of heat or acid that might have helped the dish a bit.
Translation: Piperade- a Basque soup made with various ingredients usually including the Espelette pepper (a mild pepper cultivated in the part of France).
Salt cod cake with piperade and chipotle crema ($12.75)
The cauliflower and kabocha squash tagine with medjool dates and Spanish saffron ($9.50) was a nice rendition of the middle eastern staple. None of the ingredients were overpowering and blended together for a medley of sweet, spice, sulphur and salt.
Translation: Kaboucha- a winter squash also referred to as a Japanese pumpkin.
Cauliflower and kabocha squash tagine with medjool dates and Spanish saffron ($9.50)
The brussel sprouts with black garlic ($8.95) were tasty. Neither spectacular nor bland, the garlic was a nice change from the normal pork fat laden veggies served at most of the competing establishments.
Brussel sprouts with black garlic ($8.95)
The lemon-pistachio baked alaska with saffron pepper cake and sherry poached pears ($11) was as much a mouthful to eat as it is to say.That’s not to say it wasn’t a good mouthful. There is a bit of an art and science to eating this. The lemon is tart and needs the sweet meringue and the earthiness of the pistachio to round out the dish so a careful spoonful is needed to incorporate all the ingredients. The cake was slightly spicy and the saffron was not overpowering. The poached pears were wonderful by themselves but a bit of an odd addition to the plate from both a taste and visual appearance.
The lemon-pistachio baked alaska with saffron pepper cake and sherry poached pears ($11)
The coconut pineapple clafouti with sea buckthorn sorbet ($12) came with a 20 minute wait….I was given adequate warning. When it did arrive it appeared more like a souffle. It was fluffy and light with a wonderful mouth feel. The confusion came with the addition of the pineapple. Although it had a sweetness to it, the combination with the custard didn’t make sense, especially when topped with the acidic sorbet. The use of cherries or sweetened berries would have made this a near perfect dessert.
Translation: Clafouti- a french flan usually containing fruit.
Translation: Sea Buckthorn- a fruit similar to a gooseberry or cranberry grown in part of Europe, Asia and across Canada.
Coconut pineapple clafouti with sea buckthorn sorbet ($12)
Mundane
There was very little mundane about the food. It would have been nice, however, to have a cava-english dictionary to interpret some of the dishes. I was left to feel a bit inferior if I wasn’t clear on certain dishes, especially since there were creative liberties taken on many of the dishes offered (ie piperade and clafouti). Not that the service was bad, it was a bit pretentious.
On another note the food was fairly expensive. It’s amazing how quickly pricy tapas adds up. In addition, there were about half a dozen red and white wines by the glass. The minimum price for a 5 oz glass was $10 and went up to $25 for a 8 oz glass. This is not to say that the wine is not of a good quality, however it seems to be a bit of a gouge for somebody who simply wants a glass of wine (eg. $23 for an 8 oz glass of a wine which is $19/bottle). That being said, the bottles offer much more of a variety with a wider variety of price points.
My Take
Cava is a bit of a hidden treasure in midtown Toronto. It’s a cozy environment but clearly its focus is on the food. The large menu can be overwhelming as it is full of descriptions and definitions that are truly foreign to many. On the other hand, I could go back again and eat 8-10 different choices and be totally satisfied. I barely scratched the menu’s surface in that I didn’t order many of the traditional dishes (scallops, octopus, tripe and of course, paella) or the modern menu favorites (sweetbreads, brisket and sablefish). There are plenty of vegetarian choices which sometimes is an issue with other small plate establishments. The beer selection is scarce and wine by the glass choices are limited and on the pricy side. The desserts are served in a very shareable size and are an enterprise in creativity which offer extreme flavour and texture variations all within the same bite.
Translation: Go to cava, be decisive and bring your wallet….and your appetite.
Fare..Eat..Ales 