With the Elvis Presley motif on the wall, it’s clear where the inspiration for Lisa Marie’s name came from. As Kitchen Project notes, the King enjoyed Southern stick-to-your-rib food, exactly what the restaurant serves. But, where Elvis didn’t like strange foreign sounding ingredients, Lisa Marie uses things like kimchi or queso fresco, extremely popular ingredients in their own native lands, to jazz up the King’s favourites.
As part of the Summerlicious menu ($28 for dinner, regular
prices listed in post below), kimchi
was used in the Alabama tailgaters ($11) and Seoul fried chicken ($19); both
meaty dishes filled with flavours. The tailgaters have nothing in common with
the steak of the swamps, rather is sliced beef and aged cheddar, rolled up and
wrapped in bacon. They’re salty and tender, not as heavy as I expected.
Although the kimchi became lost, there was a light chili garlic sauce on the
green beans, which helped to cut through the grease.
A pile of cabbage kimchi
sat beside the Seoul fried chicken. If it’s too spicy, the sweet red sauce
covering the dish helps calm the sting. The bone-in pieces of chicken were
juicy and the breading substantial enough to withstand the thick glaze so it
retained its crispiness.
Soft creamy queso
fresco made its way inside the flautas
($9), combined with white cheddar cheese for the stringiness. The tortillas cylinders
were crispy to contrast against the molten cheese, it was a nice starter topped
with crema and a refreshing roasted tomatillo sauce.
Lisa Marie’s carne
asada ($19) incorporated tons of char on the pichana steak, yet remained a moist medium inside. The smoky meat
was complimented by creamy guacamole, heirloom cherry tomato salsa and of
course the soft crumbled queso fresco.
Of all the dishes we had that evening, it was actually the lightest, even incorporating
grilled shishito peppers for a
further portion of vegetables.
I can’t leave Lisa Marie without having some pad thai fries
($5) - fries tossed in a very spicy pad thai sauce with crunchy raw bean
sprouts to cool the zing. They’re normally fantastic, but were lukewarm that
evening so a tad less impressive.
Elvis must really have a SWEET tooth, as all the desserts
were fairly sugary. After one spoonful, I couldn’t have more. The Elvis ($7) is
like a Southern trifle, boozy zambaglione
dotted with bananas and French toast. Of the three being offered, it was the
tastiest to me.
The small skillet was really cute for the s’mores, but its
heat did little to melt the milk chocolate chips on the bottom. Mixed with
Nutella and topped with toasted marshmallows, I assure you it’s as sweet as it
sounds. The graham crackers were closer to a hard shortbread, so all together
the dish really didn’t remind me of s’mores at all.
You certainly need a cup of milk after having a bite of the
homemade Oreo: a crunchy chocolate cookie filled with the sweet cream that’s synonymous
with the famed cookie.
Although the desserts weren’t for me, all the savoury dishes
from Lisa Marie’s Summerlicious dishes were absolutely delicious. Everything
was full of flavour and certainly stick-to-your-ribs - you’re not leaving
hungry… the King would approve.
Is Summerlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Summerlicious - $28
Regular menu - $37 - Alabama tailgaters ($11), fried chicken ($19) and dessert ($7)
Savings - $9 or 24%
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 638 Queen Street West
Address: 638 Queen 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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