Showing posts with label carpaccio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carpaccio. Show all posts

Black + Blue for dinner (Toronto)

A lot has changed since I first visited Black + Blue during their opening month in 2023. Toronto’s Financial District was booming on a Tuesday evening; the restaurant’s dining room, upstairs, and patio was filled. It’s summer and people were out and wanting to spend.

I was back for a special TL Insider wagyu tasting menu ($125 for 4 courses, side dishes, and three drinks). This post includes regular menu prices beside dishes, where available. Maybe because the dinner was a Toronto Life event and preceded by Executive chef Morgan Bellis, but the food was delicious.

To begin, the special menu simplified the carpaccio ($26) to a “Harry’s Bar” version. The thinly sliced wagyu was simply adorned with a mustard aioli, pepper, and shaved parmesan. Gone were the pickled shimeji mushrooms, crispy shallots, and fried capers that were too salty and overpowering. Instead, I could taste the meat’s sweetness and the seasoning was enough to flavour and the carpaccio and enjoy it without bread. Chef Bellis should consider adding this version to their menu.

The prized beef was also used in the Japanese A5 wagyu roll ($34), stuffed inside and also as slices on top. Combined with avocado, cucumber, and crispy shallots, the roll was tasty on its own, with a bit of the gochujang (?) glaze, or soy sauce. Although, it would be even better with an acid element… perhaps the pickled shimeji mushroom?

As the trio of 3oz striploins arrived at the table, diners started to buzz with excitement. And to my surprise, the medium rare doneness was what I generally expect (pink with a slightly rare centre). Has Black + Blue received enough complaints and send backs that they cooked their steaks longer to meet the Torontonian palette?

We’re advised to start with the Canadian beef before moving onto the Australian and ending with the Japanese. In fairness, the Canadian contender was not wagyu, rather a prime striploin ($84 for a 14 oz) hence it’s understandable why it’s leaner than the other two pieces. Additionally, it was cooked more, which also didn’t help with the beef’s tenderness. Still, if I had received this as a striploin (and not expecting wagyu), I wouldn’t complain.  

Black + Blue should consider adding the Australian wagyu striploin to the menu - it was my preference for the evening. It was well marbled, juicy and flavourful without being overwhelming. You could easily go through 3oz of this without feeling glutinous.

Meanwhile, the Japanese A5 wagyu striploin ($31 per oz) was just too fatty. The outer seared sections were rich like butter, but once you cut into the centre it’s like having chewy blubber. The striploin needed to be cut into strips or smaller cubes and seared off to give it a caramelized crust. As it stood, it’s like having bacon that’s not crispy enough.

To accompany the steaks, we were treated to a trio of sauces ($15) that I found weren’t required (béarnaise, truffle jus, gochujang mayo) and a host of side dishes. Of the sides, the wagyu fried rice ($32) is normally found on their menu. The Japanese A5 wagyu toned done as it’s cut into small pieces, its fat mixing into the rice and egg. If that weren’t flavourful enough, it’s further enhanced with garlic, scallions, and chili oil for heat. I could easily visit just to have a bowl of the rice with a side salad.

To conclude, a special dessert created by their pastry chef from Vancouver. The mandarin orange, made with crème anglaise and white chocolate, was filled with a refreshing clementine jam and really looked like a fruit, dimples and all. Sitting on sponge cake and a toffee cracker, all the elements paired nicely forming a great bright ending to the heavy meal.

Kudos to Black + Blue for their improvements. Meanwhile, their service was just as welcoming and efficient, despite the restaurant

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: Australian wagyu (if available), wagyu fried rice
  • Just skip: Japanese A5 wagyu (unless you specifically request it be cooked in strips)

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

Want to become a Toronto Life Member? If this event sounded great, don't miss out on the fun. Toronto Life is providing Gastro World readers a $25 off discount code to become a member!

Just use discount code GASTROWORLD at the Toronto Life Member checkout and the discount will be automatically applied.
Email me if you join and let me know the next event you'll be attending. Maybe we can meet in person!

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 130 King 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!


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Boom & Batten Restaurant & Cafe (Victoria)


British Columbia’s hospitality industry mints trendy resto bars. You know, the restaurants that occupy a lot of space so there is a large bar, plenty of seating for tables of various sizes, often a patio area, and soaring ceilings so you feel it’s size, but with warm tones and lighting so it feels casual as well. Some restaurants have become chains that have scaled across Canada, such as Joey’s and Cactus Club, and I bet Boom and Batten may join the club.

Located by the harbour in a luxurious residential neighbourhood, Boom and Batten’s cosmopolitan vibe could almost seem out of place. As the well-heeled crowds of Victoria make their way into the restaurant on a weeknight, the place is busy and seemingly draws all age groups and occasions.

Their menu is extensive and includes a multitude of shareables that will entice even those who are just there for drinks to sample one nibble. The elk carpaccio ($17) is a lighter choice with paper thin slices of lean meat (don’t worry, it’s not gamey) that’s topped with black garlic aioli, puffed rice, and what seems like a lot of mustard seed but works. Eat the carpaccio on its own or on top of the lavash crackers, both create a great snack. 


The meatballs ($16) and spicy clams ($16) both incorporated a lovely sauce that had us reaching for the grilled sourdough to sop up. While the pork and beef meatballs were large, they broke apart easily and were wonderfully tender and delicate. I thoroughly enjoyed the smoked tomato butter and romesco sauce that covered the spicy clams but found that they could up the chili peppers as its heat just began to tickle the tongue. 


It wouldn’t be a B.C. resto bar without pizza; Boom & Batten showcases their pizza oven prominently at the front of the restaurant where we watched the chef prepare pie after pie as we waited for our reserved table. The show enticed me to try the prosciutto pizza ($23), which oddly uses a cream sauce as its base yet, when combined with roasted pear and truffle honey creates a sweet and sticky element against the cured ham and peppery arugula. This pizza is made for sharing as it’s also fairly heavy. 


Of course, trendy restaurants also need to feature local ingredients and the wild sockeye salmon ($36) was a good dish. While the fish appeared to be overdone upon arrival, it was nonetheless moist and flaky. The dish could have done without the rye crisps as it already included blocks of crispy potatoes that could rival McDonald’s hash browns any day. Instead, it would have been nice if the main had another vegetable, other than just roasted beets, to balance out the meal better. 


Boom & Batten’s atmosphere and our unexpected seating in their private dining room was likely why we had to stay for dessert. Truthfully, I didn’t need a bite of their chocolate bar ($14). By this point, I was stuffed to the gills, and we were carrying out half the pizza. However, if you’re a chocolate fan (I’m not), you’ll love their decadent deconstructed version incorporating a mound of crunchy hazelnuts, a wedge of silky chocolate mousse and malt chocolate caramel, and some ice cream, because why not? 


In fact, there’s something about B.C.’s resto bars that makes me think, why not? Dishes are enticing yet not overly fussy, price points are reasonable, and as you look over to other tables you want stay and enjoy the moment a bit longer. It almost conjures up images of old Keg commercials where people are laughing, women alluringly toss their hair back, and wine glasses are raised at the table. Boom & Batten, when you make your way to Ontario and need someone to feature in your ads, give me a call. I’ll take wine and meat balls as payment.   

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Victoria, Canada
 Address: 2 Paul Kane Place


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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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Ardo (Toronto)



Ardo isn’t flashy. The décor reminded me of someone’s kitchen, the tables neutral and sparse.  Even as the tin of bread arrived, the thick slices looked rather plain. Yet, one bite into the salted soft chewy bread and a dunk into the rich olive oil, I knew the restaurant doesn’t need pomp … using fresh ingredients and seasoning dishes just enough is their calling.


Take the carpaccio ($16), the dish incorporated a nice selection of flavours and textures with the leafy peppery arugula, salty preserved mushrooms, and a slight crunch from roasted pistachios. Sure there was cheese, but unlike other places that shave copious amounts of strong parmesan on top, Ardo showed restraint with smaller pieces of ragusano instead.  My only grievance was the cut of beef: perhaps it was sliced too thickly or cut with the grain, but they were a tad chewy for carpaccio.


Seeing arancino ($7) written in its singular form on the menu, I should have realized we may need more than one for a table of three. Nonetheless, the risotto starter was a decent size and could adequately satisfy two. Inside the cone shaped coating was the traditional creamy rice … but stuffed meat ragú, green peas, and a light caciocavallo cheese! One of the best arancino I have ever tasted, it would even pair nicely with a salad to make a light meal.


Yet, it’d be a shame to miss Ardo’s pasta. The anatra ($18) was fantastic: the fettuccine chewy and emitting a lovely egg flavour.  Although I couldn’t decipher the five secret spices in the duck ragu, it was delicious and with the sauce on the bottom added a buttery meaty essence to the dish. Even the crispy kale on top was a good touch – just eat it quickly before the heat starts wilting the kale and rendering it chewy. 


You really can’t go wrong with pasta; my friend’s salsiccia ($17) showcased soft chewy pieces of orecchiette. The house made Sicilian spicy sausage added a hearty richness to the dish but it was balanced with rapini and cherry tomatoes.


As much as I enjoy Neopolitian pizza, I’m glad restaurants are starting to branch out to other regions as well. Ardo’s Sicilian crust is crispy with huge air pockets – oh that lovely yeasty aroma that escapes as you bite through the pizza. The speck & ‘shroom ($19) incorporated copious amounts of prosciutto and the same salty preserved mushrooms used in the carpaccio. The thin layer of tomato sauce was enough to flavour the dough, but more fior di latte is required for creaminess.


Despite being in a Sicilian restaurant, we didn’t order the cannoli for dessert, instead settling on the torta all’arancia ($8) to share. I didn’t think I’d like the dish after reading there’s orange incorporated into the creamy mascarpone. But, it wasn’t bad. With the lady fingers, amaro liqueur and sprinkling of cocoa powder, the cake is essentially a tiramisu with fruit. It’s okay, but I’ll take the tried and true espresso any day.


Another thing I like about Ardo’s low key environment is the quieter setting. With all the loud music blasting at the “trendy” places, I’m delighted to find a place where the ambient noises are subdued and I don’t have to shout to catch up with friends. So yes, Ardo isn’t fancy … but that’s just the way I like it.  

Overall mark - 8 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 243 King Street East

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



Ardo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato