Toronto Restaurant Review: Bairrada Churrasquiera

Frango no Churrasco (BBQ Chicken)

My only exposure to Portugese food growing up was when the chain Nando's opened up near my house. With all due respect to Nando's, that place ain't got nothing on Bairrada.

I don't know why I've never visited Little Portugal in Toronto before. Maybe it was my over-reliance on Little Italy, or maybe it was for lack of purpose. All I can say is that there is a wonderful neighbourhood (just a few street car stops over) that everyone in this city should make time to visit.

The aforementioned "purpose" for this evening was Devin (who is, un-coincidentally, Portugese) and our very spontaneous decision to go on a Portugese culinary adventure that evening. It was really refreshing seeing Devin rocking it out in his element (not that he doesn't rock it out in regular life) and I even let him decide on my beverage choice (which was a surprisingly good orange soda).

The star of the evening (sorry Devin!) would have incontestably been the chicken. Having almost already passed out from the delicious smell and sizzle of the fatty oils dripping from the (Portugal-imported) rotisserie as we entered the doors, I basically didn't have a choice but to order their most popular item: The Frango no Churrasco, served with parisienne potatoes and rice. As an indication of how good it was, the fact that Devin and I (who are Chatty Cathys by anyone's standards) actually had a solid two minutes of silence as we attacked our chicken with grace and admiration that such a delicious thing could exist. The potatoes also hit a certain nostalgic chord for me, as they tasted greatly of the potatoes that this little old lady would make at the Saturday morning markets along the Rhône River which I frequented often during my year in France.

Devin before devouring meal

The desserts were nothing special but "nice little somethings" to finish the meal with, and were (according to Devin), quite authentic, which is all we really wanted anyways. We ordered the Passion Pudding (made with passion fruit) and the Mojotofino, which was essentially a good ol' fashioned flan.

Passion Pudding

Mojotofino

Positives

• Amazing food, hands down
• Amazing prices (the large portion of the chicken is only $10.50!)
• Great service
• Back patio in the summertime
• The informative placemat about Portugal leaves never a dull moment

Negatives

• The tight quarters and outdated decor may turn some people off
• The washrooms are downstairs and therefore not very accessible
• It's so popular that you might have to wait a bit in line (but we were able to bypass three parties! Hooray for 2-person tables)

Rating: 5/5

Final Note: Delicious and I'm still thinking about it.

Toronto Review: The Red Bench

"I can't decide!"

If you’ve walked down Yonge (near Charles) recently, you may have noticed a very prominent new piece of furniture on the street. Of course, I’m talking about the Red Bench, proudly situated outside the café by the same name. Well, café isn’t really the right name for it, since that would imply that this place served coffee. In fact, this is the perfect afternoon (or evening in our case) fix for anything but coffee. When my friend Kathryn sent me the BlogTO link to this place, I knew I would have to seek it out at some point!

The main allure of the place would have to be the cookie bar. Co-owner Eli and his wife came up with the idea when they realized that their cookies were simply too good not to share. Five different doughs (original, original gluten free, chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal) are held in a custom table with five stainless steel bowls with Tupperware lids, neatly labeled. This alone already got us very excited, especially because Zandra can’t eat gluten.

Dough and mixin's

Next, we moved on to pick two “toppings” from the vast array of little compartments. Anything you could reasonably want in cookie was there—a couple of different kinds of chocolate chips, coconut, dried fruits, candy bar pieces, nuts, marshmallows and candies—the possibilities were endless. After Eli measured out and sliced and pressed 5 mini cookies for each of us, Zandra and I sat for a quick 6-minute wait until our cookies were baked to perfection. How awesome, right? As I said to Eli (and I’m sure many have said the same!), it’s the best of both worlds: having (almost instant!) home baked cookies without having to do the work yourself.

Our cookies pre-oven...

6 minutes later!

The Red Bench

But if fresh cookies aren't your thing (come on, really?) they also offer the only organic frozen yoghurt bar in Toronto, with a whole separate toppings selection. And yes, there are copious amounts of fresh fruit.

Finally, they also have a great selection of teas from Tealish, a wonderful local company that they have chosen to partner with for their quality and general expert tea mixin’ skills.

Teas samples from Tealish

While Zandra and I left happy and inspired, I did have one last question for the tall thin Eli: how did he manage to work in a place that served up delicious treats all day while maintaining his weight?! Laughing, and in acknowledgement that he did in fact eat a lot of cookies and froyo everyday, he simply answered, “I have a metabolism of a ninja”. If we could all be so lucky!

#instagood 

Toronto Restaurant Review: Banh Mi Boys

Bahn Mi Boys

Holding an impossibly long streak as "the most talked about restaurant in town" on Urbanspoon.com, I'm going to make this post short and sweet as to not bore you with information you probably already know.

Limited but cozy seating

Without a doubt, this place deserves it's fantastic reputation. While many people like it for it's affordability and deliciousness, I think the real reason is that it has achieved glory is through what I call the Toronto Foodie Algorithim (still in progress):

Basic Formula

Good Quality Food 

Good Prices (+3)

Good Location (+3)

Good Service (+2)

Supplementary Formula

"Ethnic" (but not poor quality) (+1)

"Authentic" (but still easy to order) (+5)

"Hard to Pronounce Name" (but not too hard) (+1)

"Fusion" (but not a mishmash) (+10)

"Cool vibe" (but not pretentious) (+8)

Where most fusion restaurants fail is by not establishing a proper identity with their flavour profiles or simply, by trying too hard. Banh Mi manages to bring the best out of the classic vietnamese sandwich by creating a solid list of variations to keep it exciting, but also keeping the ingredients within the ordinary lexicon of the basic foodie to make it accessible.

A pulled pork taco

Kalbi beef steamed bao

Put simply, this was a great idea and we are all grateful for its existence. This place helped me expose my non-Toronto friends to Toronto in a nutshell, gave me the energy burst I needed for a Queen West boutique day, and got me through exams. I am sure I don't need to tell you that you should eat here.

Rating: 5/5

Toronto Restaurant Review: Jules Bistro

Jules Bistro

There seem to be a lot of places holding themselves out as "bistros" these days in Toronto, and sometimes, this definition lends itself to a pretty loose interpretation. Jules? I think it does a fairly respectable job. On a Saturday night, we were lucky to get a last minute reservation at the very popular restaurant and settled in to a simple and well-groomed $24.50 prix-fixe. 

Overall, I think for some, the food will be "amazing". For others, "terribly mediocre". And finally, for a rare few, result in a horrible gastronomic dilemma. Allow me to explain.

First Course: French Onion Soup (other option was a Chèvre Chaud salad)

Amazing: the flavours were very well developed in the base and the bread was delicious and had a perfect amount of butter. The cheese was really good too.

Mediocre: The soup lacked some heat (temperature-wise) and the green onions were very odd. 

Gastronomic Dilemma: The cheese was at the BOTTOM of the bowl.  Benefit: made it less messy. Drawback: you don't get the wonderful broiled texture of baked cheese (and boy, do I love Gruyère!). Innovative or completely faux pas? You decide.

French Onion Soup

Second Course: Salmon; Steak Frites

Amazing: Both proteins were cooked very well, especially the salmon. Good flavours, well balanced, good temperature. The salmon was served with kind of a ratatouille on the bottom too.

Mediocre: The steak was a flank steak (so, not exactly the most tender cut) and for me personally, was a bit over-seasoned.

Gastronomic Dilemma: The fries. Half the people who come here say they love the fries because "they taste like (a better version of) McDonald's". The other half? "They taste like McDonald's". 

Note: I forgot to take a photo of my own main. I must have been very hungry.

Salmon

When asked, our server brought on some very nice mayo as well (I asked for aioli and she insisted that "didn't have aioli, but their mayo is pretty good)". Spoiler alert: it's kind of the same thing here...

aioli

Third Course: Crème Brulée

Amazing: It was pretty light and creamy and all around delicious.

Mediocre: It's served in a pretty unimpressive standard ramekin with no particular depth of flavour. Just kinda standard. 

Gastronomic Dilemma: How much "brulée" is too much "brulée"? This is an area of personal discretion as to how long you think someone can justifiably come at your crème with a blowtorch (yes, I just wrote that!). For me, it was too much. For my sister (who will also eat my burnt marshmallows at a campfire) it was fine.

Crème Brulée

Final Notes: Despite my mixed review, this is a restaurant that is charming and sophisticated without being overly stuffy. The decor is super cute, the staff are nice, and the chalkboard specials are plentiful and looked and smelled amazing. Next time I come, I will definitely be making a selection from the specialities board. These boards are basically giant platters of meat (the lamb looked divine!), fries and salad served on a wooden board. The table next to us had a small party and had ordered a few platters of each and the look on their faces reminded me of diners at a Medieval feast. I'm definitely going to be coming back here.

Their "Shareable Specialities"

Rating: 4/5 (but certainly debatable!)

Food Spotlight: Chez Mari's Test Kitchen

Readers, I want to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my very talented friend Mari. Now, there may be a fair share of law students who are foodies, but very few who are also aspiring chefs. Ain't nobody got time to make a gourmet four-course meal while studying Securities Law! Nobody, except for Mari. 

Not only is making delicious food her passion, but she also understands flavour profiles and textures in a way that very few do. Whether it comes to breaking down whole lobsters or whipping up some perfect Nutella macarons, Mari does it all. 

Mari hard at work

After having worked quite extensively in the restaurant industry, and realizing how much she loved cooking for friends, one day, she had the brilliant idea of launching the "Chez Mari's Test Kitchens" pilot project. She would invite 3-4 friends over (through a bid and lottery system) and cook up an incredible meal to be enjoyed and critiqued. All that the friends had to supply was a suggested $20 donation and a bottle of wine to pair with the proposed menu items. Genius right? And totally win-win.

I was very lucky to secure a bid for the "Marvelous March Morsels" monthly seating of Chez Mari's, and of course, couldn't have been happier with her menu. Along with Devin (this is his first mention on this blog!), Elena (ditto), and Mari's friend Tim (not in law school, but a very nice guy!), I devoured the entire four course meal with purpose and determination.

To start, Mari served up a (raw) mixed beet (golden and red) carpaccio salad, mixed with gourmet tomatoes, candied walnuts and almonds, herbed goat cheese, arugula and alfalfa sprouts. A pretty perfect mix of veggies and protein if you ask me. 

Beet Carpaccio

For the second course, Mari made a freakin' lobster bisque! From scratch. Yes, including breaking down the lobsters and making lobster stock. This girl means business! Other than it being a bit salty (we figured out the reason why later), it was rich and delicious and we slurped up every last bit. And just as a shout out to how much Mari thinks about her guests, each guest got a full lobster claw in their bisque and she went sans claw. How very considerate!

Lobster Bisque

Third course: Duck and butternut squash ravioli sautéed with mushrooms. Equally good, and we all finished our dish even though we were already super full (To make sure I don't speak for all of us, as a side note, Devin claims that he "never gets full" and is very popular with Portugese grandmothers for that reason!) What always amazes me about Mari's cooking in particular is that she never burns or undercooks anything (unlike yours truly...) Every single one of her little handmade raviolis was perfectly cooked to a smidge past al dente, the way that it should be. No rips or tears, No duck or squash poking out of the wrapper. Just perfection.

Ravioli

If there was one mistake that Mari made, it was putting out her extra giant bowl of mixed nuts for us between her main and dessert. We knew we shouldn't have eaten them, but they were so good! So by the time the baklava hit the table, I was already laughing hysterically (perhaps the wine was a contributing factor) at the very likely potential of not being able to fit myself back into my winter coat. But you know what? I ate it all anyways! Baked grapes, greek yoghurt, pistachios and all. Can you believe this is actually the first time she's ever made this? 

Baklava with Baked Grapes

Feedback Box

I must apologize (especially to Devin's parents!) that unfortunately not everyone will be able to get to experience Chez Mari's at this point, as she is still in the conceptual phase of her grand plan. I do not have any doubt, however, that this is going to become an amazing event that Toronto's foodie following will be tweeting about in the near future. Until then, I hope that these photos will hold you over!

Toronto Restaurant Review: Sidecar

Sidecar is a gem in Little Italy that I stumbled upon in my casual perusal of restaurants one day. Actually, because my gym is also nearby, I'm usually particularly hungry after my workout (actually, ravenous would be more appropriate) when I walk past the restaurant. Thus, making the day that I finally went in all the more epic. With its simple but tasteful presentation, excellent service, and fresh ingredients, this is a great place that is definitely too often overlooked.

Although I would be happy coming here any time, their mid-week (Sunday to Wednesday) prix-fixe is an exceptional value at only $25.

For the first course, you have a choice between two salads or the soup of the day. The Sidecar Salad, with jicama, corn, red onion, cucumber, tomato, radish, feta in a creamy oregano dressing, is good. But, I actually do crave a good Caesar more often than not, and was very content with my "Romaine Hearts". The dressing was amazing.

Romaine Hearts (Truffled Caesar Salad)

Sidecar Salad 

For the mains, you have a choice between a Steelhead Trout, Steak Frites, Roasted Chicken or Tagliatelle. Pretty good, and pretty standard. You cover all your basic proteins and have a great vegetarian option as well. I was a little unimpressed with the slicing of my steak, but the flavours were good and the aioli was particularly rich and bright.

Seared Steelhead Trout with swiss chard, Israeli couscous and a white wine butter sauce

Steak frites with aioli

For dessert, non-chocoholics beware: there is only one option! But I'll be hard pressed to find someone who can deny a combination of chocolate, caramel, and brandied cherries. And as my mom would say about foods that she likes and could eat a lot of (roughly translated from Mandarin), "you don't get tired of this taste". I agree!

Flourless chocolate cake with salted caramel sauce and brandied cherries

Positives

• Great cocktails. I didn't have one myself, but I wish I had ordered one of their famous ones (hence "Sidecar" as the name of the restaurant! Note to self to do first thing when I go next time!
• Outstanding service. I am honest when I say that I have yet to have such good service in Toronto. Partially attributable to the old-school European standard that they try to maintain, partially due to the surprising lack of patrons, and mostly due to our excellent wait staff, they really knock this criterion out of the park
• Thoughtful menu. The reason why they can offer such good prices is because the menu is clearly well planned to maximize ingredient usage and focus on the execution of the dishes rather than any bells or whistles. I really appreciate this. Think about this next time you go to an over-priced establishment that has more garnish than substance on a plate that has more "white space" than food and you will know what I mean
• They serve many local, organic and free-range products
• Almost everything is made in-house. Like, the bread, the butter, stocks and sauces. Pretty impressive if you ask me

Negatives

• If you like a bustling environment, you won't find it here because it's really, really low-key (for many though, this is not a negative at all!)
• Washroom is not wheelchair accessible, and the stairs a bit steep for an able-bodied person in heels and/or inebriated. I'm just saying...
• There's only ONE dessert option for the prix-fixe menu

Final Note: For the price, location and service, this was a great restaurant to go to and if I had more time on my hands, I would go back very, very often!

Rating: 4/5

Note: This review is based on a dining experience from a few months ago, but the menu is exactly the same, and I suspect the servers who have been there for years will also be the same! :)

Toronto Restaurant Review: Bloke & 4th (Supper Club)

Bloke & 4th (Source: Toronto Life)

Based on various positive recommendations, I chose to have my birthday dinner this year at Bloke & 4th, marketed as "King Street West's Premiere Supper Club". It's a pretty cool place, really. It's based on a concept of combining globally inspired social dining (read: elevated fusion food served in shareable appetizer form) in a venue that is all at once a restaurant, lounge and club. They also market themselves as an establishment that uses locally-sourced, sustainable meats, fish, poultry and produce. Finally, when I heard that the Food Dudes (one of Toronto's best-known food truck/high-end catering masterminds) were behind the kitchen, I knew I had to give this place a try. 

Fire Roasted Shrimp with Guacamole, Sour Mango and Lotus Root

For any party of 10 or greater, they will ask you to make a selection for the entire group from the seasonal prix-fixe menu with either a $45 or $55 option. On the Spring 2013 menu (which just came out this week!), the $45 option included 8 "social apps", some of which I have taken photos of for you here (although the mood lighting and various distractions made it quite difficult to capture!)

Hearts of Romaine Salad with House-Cured Bacon, Parmesan, and Brioche Croutons 

Beer Battered Tilapia Fish Tacos

Tofu Tacos: vegetarian alternative 

Itzumo Tuna and Wild Salmon Tartare with Taro Chips

Braised Brisket Sliders on a Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Brioche 

Churros served with Bourbon Caramel Sauce and Chocolate Sauce

Some of my lovely friends and I at our table for 17

I don't really want to do a pro and con list for this particular event because I know that birthdays and special events are not your normal dining experience. It is likely that no matter what I say in this post, you could have an entirely different experience based on when you go, who your friends are, who your server is, and how well communication goes for your reservation.

Overall, the food was really quite good (and so were the cocktails!) and I think most of my friends left full and satisfied.

However, I do have some qualifying points to add to that statement: 

1) For my vegetarian friends: Although their vegetarian substitutes looked quite appropriate, I think it was a bit of a cop-out to give my vegetarian friends doubles of the same thing to substitute for two different courses that the rest of us "omnivores" got. I also don't think it's really fair to them to get the same salad, but without the bacon. Tilapia costs more than tofu. A slice of wasabi pea crusted tuna on Bangkok Slaw (which was one of the other dishes not pictured above, the other being a veal meatball and grilled polenta) has a far greater substantive value than a Bangkok Slaw without. Just sayin'.

2) On the cost: It was an expensive dinner, no doubt, but I guess that is a price to pay for the Toronto entertainment scene. Although I don't think that $45 with a 18% gratuity was outrageous, and while I do admit that I really enjoyed each item, I do think that in the mask of the swanky venue, buzz words, and sophisticated plating, the portions were kind of small. I also think that they could have served a much more substantial dessert. Finally, note that if you are not coming for dinner, cover is a steep $20 after dinner service. 

3) On the service: Like I said above, this is something that can vary from experience to experience. For this particular event, I did have some logistical issues with booking that made things a lot more complicated than necessary, but to be fair, it was partially my demands that made it difficult. However, all that was obliterated with our main server Matt, who was the most attentive, sweetest, charming man that you could ever imagine. He made up for all of that, for sure!

Final Note: I'm coming back. Despite all the pretention, it's legitimately a cool place and the design of the venue itself is so well thought out. Above all else, I had a great night with some of the best friends that a girl could ask for and the dining experience was a great start to a great evening!

Rating: 3.5-4/5