chambar – Fare..Eat..Ales

I’ve been to enough restaurants this year to compile a list of I what I think are the best 10 in Canada. I am also including a few which I may not have blogged about since I visited them before I started in June or July. I will begin a daily countdown starting with number 10 and ending with number 1 on New Year’s Eve.

I’m a amateur blogger with a passion for food and this post is nothing more than my personal reflection of a year of eating out. Feel free to agree or disagree. I encourage your comments!

See the urbanspoon list at the link below.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/guides/5781-my-top-canadian-restaurants-of-2012

10. Union 613– Ottawa

I can still taste the fried okra and Berkshire pork belly to this day. The environment is best described as union hall meets hipster joint meets smokehouse. The staff is courteous, flexible and attentive. The impressive cocktail list features rotating southern influenced cocktails (usually bourbon) and flavourful local brews. Some of the traditional dishes were presented with a risky twist; the lemon lime parfait was a savory rendition of the normally sweet yet tart key lime pie and the beef brisket was topped with an aggressive salsa verde.

The only major flaw was the rather bland oysters.

In the end, it’s great food and great service in a great environment. I’ll sign the union card.

Check out initial review below and agree or disagree!

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/review-ottawa-union-613/

9. Trevor Bar and Kitchen- Toronto

Trevor is a meat and fois gras happy restaurant buried in the architecture of Wellington Street East. Well executed main entrees such as coq au vin and prawn spaghettini as well as beautiful desserts are examples of the stellar food. In an attempt to preserve the integrity of the century and a half old building, the decor still makes me feel like I’m eating in a subway station. Regardless, I’ll buy a metro pass.

Check out initial review below and agree or disagree!

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/reviewtorontost-lawrence-market-old-towntrevor-kitchen-and-bar/

8. Table 17– Toronto

Table17 is a quaint place with a great atmosphere located along Queen St. East. It’s not too loud but still manages to have a buzzy aura. It offers an innovative cocktail list and sticks pretty consistently to a well executed menu with large portions and a focus on signature items including oysters, rillette, hot balls and and beef tartare. The polenta, presented table side, was the pinnacle of the meal and the duck entree was done well. The desserts were not mind-blowing but you may not need them after the meal. This is a table I don’t mind sitting at!

The blog post is below. Let me know if you agree!

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/review-toronto-queen-east-table-17/

7. Stoney’s Bread Company– Oakville

Stoney’s Bread Company is the least orthodox place on this list. It’s not fancy, doesn’t have a stunning decor and isn’t the roaring hotspot like some of the others. That being said, the food is wicked. The chicken curry sandwich on their own bread is one of the best I’ve had all year. The pizza had a crust thin enough to allow for delicious origami while thick enough to hold together the fragrant sauce and the other fresh ingredients such as the high quality meats and cheeses which adorn the pies. I’d skip the dessert squares though. Stoney’s may not be the place to bring a first date or to impress your new boss…unless of course they love amazing food and don’t mind taking a trip to a plain jane sandwich joint a bit off the beaten path.

The post is pending. Stay tuned!

6. Chambar– Vancouver

This west coast eatery mixes traditional belgian cuisine with tastes from around the world. Chambar offers an amazing and unique Belgian beer selection and mussels to match. In addition, there is an array of unique and sinful desserts with a presentation that rival some of the landmarks from the countries they represent. The entrees were average and it’s almost too loud to have a conversation but the ambiance is pleasant and the edgy yet traditional menu is for the most part one of the better I’ve tried this year. When it comes to the underrated recreation of Belgian cuisine, Chambar is no sham bar.

Read my earlier review!

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/reviewvancouvergastownchambar/

5. Charcut– Calgary

Highlights of this downtown Calgary establishment include a trendy environment in the Hotel Le Germain, a decent booze list and amazing well-prepared yet simple food. In particular, the kitchen pickles and pork belly were most memorable. The desserts were decent but limited in choice. I didn’t blog Charcut because I started writing a few months after going. Perhaps it was memorable since it was my first celebrity chef sighting when I chatted with Top Chef Canada contestant Connie DeSousa after dinner. Maybe it was memorable because the food was just damn good.

4. Ursa- Toronto

Ursa is a casual yet elegant eatery which sits quietly on Queen West. Adorned with a long wood bar and open kitchen, it has an intimate environment which is both classic and trendy. As I mentioned in my review, each dish is a story, whether it be the sourcing of the ingredients or the distinct cooking methods. Every plate is presented with an artistic flare with fresh,seasonal fare. The elk tartare was a lesson in leaving good ingredients alone to tell their own tale. In addition, the cocktail list featured quality liquors with fresh ingredients presented in award-winning fashions. Finally, the deconstructed lemon meringue pie was as tasty as it was visually appealing. The biggest downfall regarding Ursa is an ever changing and unpredictable small menu which may not appeal to everybody..but I leave you to decide whether that is a major or just a minor issue.

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/reviewtoronto-east-ursa/

3. Richmond Station– Toronto

In a few short months, Richmond Station has already established itself as a Toronto hotspot. Maybe it’s riding the wave of chef/owner Carl Heinrich’s Top Chef Canada 2 win. With a great open kitchen and a decor that is classy yet trendy, it’s a welcome change from the stuffy French bistros and hipster-centric caverns which straddle the Toronto streets. The food follows the same pattern, offering classic yet contemporary cocktails, lobster bisque, shucked oysters with fresh condiments and duck two ways. The service, the environment, the chef, the kitchen…all the pieces fit together to make Richmond Station a bitchin’ station.

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/reviewtorontodowntownrichmond-station/

2. Grand Electric-Toronto

Grand electric has a feel to it like no other place. It’s well…electric. The pozole, the spicy squid and the tacos (especially the arbol chicken and beef cheek) are some of the better things I have eaten this year. There’s a great booze list as well. Despite the long waits and sometimes shady service, the overall feel is hip and cool, catalyzed by loud, hard rap and funky yard sale decor. It’s not clear if the second floor expansion will change the vibe but it shouldn’t change the food on the relatively static but well executed menu. In the meantime, there are no surprises. You’ll get what you expect with Grand Electric; the “it” factor…but first you gotta put your name on the waiting list.

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/reviewtorontoparkdalegrand-electric/

1. Sidedoor- Ottawa

The Sidedoor experience started with impeccable service the minute I walked in and continued until I left. There was a great cocktail list and the food was even more impressive. The tuna sashimi might have been the best thing I ate all year and the sinful donuts were a great end to the meal. I was treated to a fantastic pickle tray that wasn’t even on the menu, which contained everything from melon rind to sunchoke to sea asparagus. The tacos were just fine as well. Sidedoor is an example of a perfect storm in which the service, food and environment collide for a truly memorable dining experience. It was so addictive, the next time I went to Ottawa I walked through the cold at 11 pm on a Monday night praying that by some miracle they’d be open so I could indulge again. They weren’t.

Link:

https://fareeatales.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/review-ottawa-sidedoor/

When asked about Belgium, most people will associate it with two things: waffles and chocolate. Others may also cite mussels, Stella Artois and Jean-Claude Van Damme . Belgium is a bit of a misunderstood country sandwiched in between the more recognized entities of France, Germany and the Netherlands. It’s no surprise that its culinary influences which include rich saucy foods and hearty stews originate from its neighbours except for Holland…there’s no good food in Holland.

Chambar is a evening hot spot bordering Gastown in Vancouver. Commandeered by well-trained chef Nico Schuermans, one could consider Chambar’s menu an “Amazing Race” of world flavours, complete with fast forwards, detours and road blocks.

Must (Fast Forwards)

As it should, the culinary adventure begins in Belgium with offerings of mussels and over 50 Belgian beer ranging from witbier (wheat) to blondes to darks to trappists to table beer (served in 750 ml bottles) that you drink like wine. At the recommendation of the staff, I ordered the Duchess de Bourgnogne, a deep ruby lambic with intricate flavors synonymous with a fine European wine. My choice was the Boon Gueze, an aggressive but beautiful sour lambic, which paired nicely with the mussels. Speaking of mussels, the Coquotte Moules Frites (pictured below) were mind-blowing. They were meaty and fresh and swimming in a philter of wine and cream with teases of bacon and garnished with fresh green onions.

With due diligence paid to the homeland, Chambar turns its attention to other parts of the globe. The lapin a la moutarde (rabbit cannelloni) pays respect to the French neighbours while fusing with the middle-eastern flavours of dates and pistachios. The filling was decedent and encased in a perfectly cooked pasta which would even make a few Italians nod with approval.

Steak and sausage are staples all over the world. The Chambar’s Grillade be Boeuf and Chorizo adds a Spanish/South American flare to these two carnivorous staples by grilling the sausage and serving the beef seasoned with lime and chili atop a fragrant chimichurri. The fingerling potato chips added an additional earthiness and subtle crunch to the plate.

For dessert, the Mama Rizk goes back to France with a mille feuille pastry with a rosewater twist. It has an french renaissance architecture that I almost didn’t want to tear down. The mint sorbet harmonized the dish from a taste and texture perspective.

The tarte au citron was another French influenced dessert which payed homage to traditional lemon meringue pie. Fluffy coconut cake is the foundation for the the tart lemon curd and souffle accents. As tasty as it was visually appealing, it was a brilliant spin on a classic dish.

Maybe (Detours)

Chambar’s next stop is Asia by offering the ubiquitous tartare de thon rouge (tuna tartare), flavoured with wasabi, pickled veggies and served with rice crackers. It was an average dish with decent flavour but can’t compete with others I have had elsewhere.

Chambar goes Canadian next with its rendition of grilled local octopus, seasoned with soy, maple and bacon flavours and topped with fresh kale. The octopus was prepared nicely and the flavours were…well….nice.

Both the Le Nico Fume and Le Cafe Belge were both highly recommended cake by the waitstaff. Both were nicely presented but a bit monotonous in flavour. Le Nico Fume was chocolate scotch cake with caramel and ice cream served in a glass (at least it wasn’t a mason jar). Le Cafe Belge was coffee flavour cheesecake with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate on top. Both would be a fitting end to a good meal but lacked the edginess I had come to expect based on the offerings earlier in the evening.

Mundane (Road Block)

The thought of sitting on the Pacific coast and enjoying a local, roasted halibut loin swimming in a fragrant broth made my mouth water but I was left a bit confused by the cassoulet de poisson (halibut). Sometimes its better to keep things simple and clean, especially with the availability of a great eating fish like halibut but there were too many competing flavours that ironically “drown” the halibut’s subtle flavour.

From an ambiance perspective, the noise level is off the charts. I equate it to having a window seat near a jet engine so loud you can’t hear the person in the aisle seat beside you. If that’s your scene it works; otherwise it’s quite a distraction.

My Take

Chambar is an edgy eatery which lays its foundation in its Belgian roots but experiments with cutting edge international flavours reflected through frequently changing menu items (in fact some of the items reviewed here are no longer available) . A fascinating Belgian beer selection and world class mussels served by knowledgeable waitstaff makes every trip worth it. In a manner similar to the Amazing Race, the plates offer some wonderful scenery, however, this aggressive style is bound to lead to some winners and losers during the noisy travels along the way.

Mulling Moment- Please comment!

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Fare..Eat..Ales: My Top Canadian Restaurants of 2012

Review:Vancouver:Gastown:Chambar