The idea of lobster boils and clam bakes has always been a
dream of mine. Living in Toronto, it’s hard to partake in the romantic group
dining experience that I’ve always envisioned – sitting outside on a picnic
bench, the bounty of the sea thrown on a plastic table cloth covered table and
everyone grabbing and nibbling while laughing into the early evening air.
Dining at the Captain’s Boil doesn’t exactly match my vision
– you’re inside a cozy two storied building and the bounty arrives in plastic
bags that you likely won’t empty onto the table lest you want to ruin the paper
tablecloth. Yet, my friends and I were nibbling the night away laughing at what
a mess we were making.
At the Captain’s Boil, you pick from a variety of seafood
(get there early if you want crawfish or Dungeness crab), then choose a
seasoning and spice level. There are also a variety of sides and starches on
the menu to help you round out the meal.
Going with a larger group, we were able to score a
reservation (minimum of eight people) and also share more items (since there’s
a minimum of a pound per order). For all the seafood, we selected the
‘Captain’s Boil’ spice, which is essentially a combination of all the seasonings
(Cajun, lemon pepper and garlic). And for the spiciness stuck with ‘medium’
where there was enough heat to already prompt us for water refills … I can only
imagine how strong ‘fire’ would be.
The shrimp ($12.95 per pound) and mussels ($10.95 per pound)
are the least pricy options and there were surprisingly a lot of them in a
pound – over a dozen for the shrimp and about ten for the mussels. Left with
their heads on, the shrimp were able to scoop up more of the cooking liquid
which married well with the sweet shrimp. Meanwhile, the mussels were large and
meaty, but from the frozen variety so the texture more rubbery than and not as
delicate as fresh ones.
Although the lobster ($29.95 each) was split in half, if you
sharing between more than two people you’ll have to break it apart further.
Given the seasoning was so strong, it sort of detracts from the succulent
lobster meat. Personally, I found the snow crab ($18.95 per pound) better – for
sharing and complimenting the seasoning. Along with the shrimp, it was my
favourite of the evening.
On the side, the hot juicy corn on the cob ($1 per half ear)
soaked in all the cooking liquid. Also, the Cajun fries ($4.95) were freshly
made arriving sizzling hot and crispy – very delicious!
The cooking liquid remaining in the bag can also be enjoyed,
garlicky and seeped in the seafood’s essence. The steamed rice ($2) went nicely
with it, but hard to share given there were no plates and only one spoon per
bowl. In the end, we resorted to making small balls of rice and dipping it into
the liquid.
Captain’s Boil, please start offering plain toasted
baguettes … these would be perfect for dipping. Although the menu offers garlic
bread ($3.99), I’d rather have plain bread given the sauce is already so
buttery and garlicky.
I only wish the dining experience was more environmentally
friendly – almost everything used was disposable including the cups and the
bags the seafood were served from. A clear plastic bucket to present the
seafood in would be better … they could even mix different items together to
avoid using too many buckets.
Overall, after the meal our table looked like a crime scene …
definitely not the most pleasant looking. But, we had tons of fun creating the
site and everything was delicious. Grab some seafood loving friends that aren’t
dainty and afraid of some spice. You’re in for a messy but tasty experience.
Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 5313 Yonge Street
Address: 5313 Yonge Street
Website: http://www.thecaptainsboil.com/
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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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