Friday, October 19, 2012

WesLodge Saloon, 480 King Street West

WesLodge is a Saloon. Why we needed a saloon, I'm not sure but it's blatantly obvious that no expense was spared in creating this "I'm cool like New York" type space. There's taxidermy, old painted portraits and servers in gun holsters. It feels rich yet unnecessary. Let's just focus on good food please.

There are two Bennies on WesLodge's brunch menu: smoked trout or lamb bacon. The former has nice, thick pieces of aggressively smoked flesh. I'm told it's done in house as is the baking of the petite English muffin it comes on. Perfected poached eggs is important to me and the kitchen nails it. Unfortunately, the Hollandaise suffers from a lack of citrus. It's a creamy beige and a little separated. Adding a few bits of tender mizuna doesn't impress me.

Fingerlings ($6) roasted in duck fat with pieces of the aforementioned lamb bacon is my side of choice. The bacon is amazing. The belly of a lamb is a surprise; it's slightly gamey and crispy.

I just wish that for $13 a pop, my tiny Benny came with something.

But then again, this is King West and style seems to always trump substance.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Sushi Couture, 456 Bloor Street West

The Annex is a sushi town in Toronto. Competition keeps prices low but doesn't do much for quality or presentation.

Sushi Couture is Kat and Jer's favourite. They live in the neighborhood and are avid diners. I trust their lead and so can you.

This restaurant stands out not only in its' decor; a sleek, modern room done up in black and red with low lighting but in the quality of their fish as well. They fly in fish from all over the world. Everything is fresh and generous. The maki is more fish than rice and everything that hits our table is beautifully presented. You'll pay a little more here but it's worth every penny.

My favourites were the spicy salmon rolls; smooth and buttery flesh that had real spice and without dousing them in that weird orangey mayo. The hamachi (yellow tail) rolls had a mellow sweetness. I could've eaten sixteen of them.

Dinner for three (6 types of rolls and one app) including two large cans of Sapporo, tax and tip was $99.00