Noorden Food Bar brings “modern Dutch” to Toronto: street
food style dishes from the Netherlands combined with Indonesian influences for an
extra boost of flavour. The restaurant’s hip and has a Queen West vibe, except
it’s in Midtown and the music is kept at a reasonable volume.
Described as their “most popular dish”, the patatje oorlog or war fries ($7) were a
disappointment. While I appreciate crispy fries, Noorden double (perhaps even
triple) kiss with the hot oil was too much, rendering the fries hard, dry and
hollow. In lieu of ketchup or gravy there’s sweet soy mayonnaise and peanut
sauce, creating an interesting sweet and salty combination with scallion and
bird’s eye peppers for freshness.
If you’re squeamish about raw beef, Noorden’s beef tartare
($14.75) is a safe introduction. There’s plenty of sweet soy glaze that drowns
out any beef flavour; the sweet pickled Asian pear and aromatic crispy shallots
will cover anything else. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s a good dish – it wakes
up the taste buds and the krupuk
(thick crunchy shrimp chips) really holds up against the saucy tartare.
Five pieces of stick-to-your-ribs ribs arrives with the pork
ribs ($15), each slathered in a sweet and tangy sambal cobek sauce. The fermented shrimp used in the condiment adds
an umami essence to the meat; they sure are tasty, but also fairly salty so you
wouldn’t want a full rack. Don’t forget about the small pile of slices cucumber
and radishes on the side, it’s a salad and works so well at cutting against the
grease and heaviness.
The sambal matah
($7.50) could be the next answer to roasted cauliflower and Brussel sprouts.
The charred broccoli concentrates the vegetable’s flavour while adding a smoky
nuttiness to the florets. Bringing the tried and true broccoli to the next
level of tastiness, the crunchy shallots are a great pairing, but the lemon
rind needs to be picked out as the bitter chewiness can be a bit of a shock.
Noorden also offers dishes like the sweet potato glass
noodles and vegetable salad ($10.95) that don’t appear to have a touch of Dutch
influence at all; the chewy noodles are popular in South East Asian countries
and even the dressing (a white miso sambal vinaigrette) weighing heavily to the
Asian contingent. Nevertheless, it was one of the better dishes. Refreshing and
satisfying, the crunchy salad is tangy, spicy, savoury and sweet all at once.
After hearing the name of the Dutch beignets, oliebollen ($6), the dish already sounds
cheerful. Indeed, one bite into the warm yeasty dough studded with currants and
ginger and a smile spreads across my face. Their milk chocolate buttermilk
pudding ($6) is the consistency of crème caramel and ever so slightly
sweetened. Keeping the pudding neutral, the dessert’s flavours predominantly stem
from the dark chocolate ganache layer on the bottom and the airy whipped cream.
I particularly liked the crunchy cocoa nibs pieces sprinkled on top, which goes
so well with the smooth pudding.
Chef Michael van den Winkel and Jennifer Gittins also operates
Indonesian restaurant Little Sister, just a few doors south on Yonge. With the
sambal, chillies and peanut sauce touches, there are similarities between Noorden
and Little Sister. Up until dining at Noorden, I didn’t even realize Dutch
cuisine gels so well with Indonesian ingredients.
As a warning, portions are rather small; heed the
restaurant’s advice of sharing five to six dishes amongst two people.
Nonetheless, the strong robust flavours lends itself to being served as small
plates … I can only imagine the gluttonous feeling if I ever consumed a
full-size portion.
What is most memorable about Noorden is the laid back Dutch
hospitality - the smiles, attentive service and even the bartender steps up to
offer an extra seat when we bumped into others. As blogTO reported, the
restaurant’s lease ends mid-2018. So, if you want a taste of Dutch
friendliness, you better oliebollen over
there soon.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 2110 Yonge Street
Address: 2110 Yonge Street
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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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