Ruth Reichl writes in Garlic and Sapphires,
“Restaurants free us from mundane reality; that is part of their charm. When
you walk through the door, you are entering neutral territory where you are
free to be whoever you choose for the duration of the meal.” Dining at Chabrol provides
this illusion, suddenly I’m transported to Southern France, stepping into a
quaint café, sipping wine as I joke around with a handsome tattooed French man.
The smell of melting butter and cooking shellfish is
intoxicating, I was marveled by Chef Penfold’s ability to produce such
delicious creations from two induction burners that makes my four top range at
home look palatial.
Although the cool riesling poached foie gras ($19) had a
silky smooth consistency that simply glided across the tongue, its slightly gamey
after taste threw me off. I tried to mute it by using the refreshing black
currant sauce smeared on the plate.
Baked in parchment paper, the papillote of whitefish ($29) steams in its own juices and leeks infuse
their aromatic essence into it. Cooked to perfection, the light fish was flaky
and moist. The fish was accompanied with sea asparagus (like thinner French
beans) and swiss chard before being topped off with vermouth beurre blanc at the table.
The ballotine of
chicken ($29) was the sole disappointing dish. To be fair, my dinner companions
enjoyed it and perhaps it’s because I tasted the chicken last and received an
end piece but found the meat dry and tasteless. Trying to revive the chicken by
dipping it into the vibrant green watercress soubise was no help as my taste buds have a heightened sense for
bitter flavours. At least the roasted fennel and apple were good, but these
sides can hardly save an entire dish.
All can be forgotten as Chabrol’s ttoro ($29), a bouillabaisse from Southern France, is simply
sublime. The rich seafood broth is infused with green peppers, garlic and such
a well-rounded feel from saffron. As the soup is dispensed at the table, the
fragrance is so tantalizing that it took immense self-control to not dig in
while the pouring continued. Of course, the seafood was well executed: the fish
flaky, the mussels juicy and shrimps sweet.
Best yet, with the dish, the sommelier gave us a lesson as
to what Chabrol means: essentially adding a splash of wine to dilute the
remaining broth, bringing the bowl to your lips and finishing everything off
straight from the bowl. We didn’t gulp the remnants, instead using it to dunk
more of the great in-house baked crusty bread into. Forget letting the alcohol
burn off, the remaining concoction tastes of wine, a dish straddling between food
and drink.
Do yourself a favour and get an order of the potato gratin
($12); not only does it smell amazing, the taste rendered me speechless. The
thinly sliced potatoes are covered with a rich cantal cheese mixture (a
semi-hard cheese that’s similar to aged cheddar) and thyme. Getting an order of
this with a side salad would make for a perfect meal in itself.
After hearing so much about Chabrol’s apple tarte ($13), I
couldn’t leave without trying it. Chef Penfold painstakingly stands over a
double boiler whisking together eggs, sugar and calvados (an apple brandy produced in Normandy) until it becomes a
smooth luscious sabayon. Indeed, it takes
a while, but it’s well worth the wait and if you’re in a rush just order the
dessert before the mains are complete.
The large disc of puff pastry is airy and crisp; despite the
strong buttery essence it wasn’t greasy. Ample amounts of paper-thin apples
rests on top and the liberal dusting of sugar sweetens it just enough. It’s a
fantastic dessert, the best I’ve had over the last year.
Normally, I’d prefer sitting at a table, but gathering
around the bar makes for such a jovial atmosphere. Where else can you joke with
the handsome sommelier and converse with other diners? Even Niall McCotter,
co-owner of the restaurant, swung by a few times to chat with us. He informed
us that in the summer Chabrol will be expanding outdoors with an additional 20
seats, an outdoor kitchen and a champagne cart (which may or may not be manned
by McCotter himself).
Thank you Chabrol for the delightful dinner and for a couple
of hours freeing me from the cold Toronto winter … instead transporting me into
a warm and welcoming French café.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 90 Yorkville Avenue
Address: 90 Yorkville Avenue
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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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