ADDRESS: 924 College
Street
PHONE: 416 850 1729
DINNER FOR TWO: $100
HOURS: Tue-Sat 5-11pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE: No.
RESERVATIONS: Recommended
The black-clad avós of Little Portugal have been casting
suspicious eyes at the hipster invasion of their quaint environs for
years now, but only recently has the demographic shift begun to make
its commercial mark. The best of the new places have made a genuine
effort to blend into the neighbourhood, which is just one of the things
that makes us happy about the terrific new bistro, Karuchie.
Right on the burgeoning strip of College near Ossington, the
mid-sized Karuchie isn't a recent resto reno that you'll see in a
design mag anytime soon. “Basic” is a polite word to describe it,
albeit some fun Kozyndan originals do adorn the front walls. But
clearly, the decor was never intended to seduce – the food is.
Chef-owner Chris Thorn knows the value of a buck. His plated
artistry is not just pretty darned astounding, it's unbelievably
priced. A mystery starter platter ($12) promises never to present the
same combination twice. Expecting the typical, we're instead presented
with an imaginative smorgasbord: half a pound of plump mussels in a
tomato-Pernod sauce; properly grilled and sliced hanger steak topped
with crisp daikon slaw; mildly tangy house-marinated artichokes and a
medley of mushrooms, alongside thin slices of prosciutto and sweet
little arugula sprouts, not to mention a quartered fresh fig
accompanied by a wedge of beautifully stinky rosemary-encrusted Piacere
from neighbouring La Fromagerie. For $12? And for the same price, you
can go with a bowl of pillowy house-made gnocchi swimming in cream and
topped with superbly tender braised venison that could easily satisfy
as a main if you're a light eater.
In choosing the setting for his first solo venture, Thorn set
himself some lofty goals: appeal to young sophisticates, blend into the
existing 'hood's vibe and make a mark for his individual spin on
continental cuisine. So while he eats his chicken sandwiches at the
churrasqueira next door and chooses his fish from Peixaria Portugal,
his kitchen does much to modernize the old-school.
Duck ravioli ($16) sees shreds of meaty fowl combined with
local fruta di mostarda, an Italian chutney of long-simmered fruit and
mustard powder, between round Asian dumpling wrappers; the broth
beneath absorbs the sweet, spicy flavours, to which is added the
earthiness of red-veined Swiss chard. A sizeable portion of beautifully
braised beef short ribs ($17) is a fanciful Gehry-esque construction
when plated next to a mound of chestnut mash. The meat shreds softly
into the nutty pillow, completed with pieces of still-crisp rapini.
The bounty at the Dufferin Grove farmer's market is sure to
provide endless inspiration for Karuchie's daily pasta, like a
gorgeously thin and delicate homemade arugula linguine ($16), the
gossamer noodles tossed gently with more mussels and a bit of tomato
and leek in a briny shrimp broth.
Sous-chef Shelby Brown aims to have at least five house-made
ice creams ($7) on hand at any time: delicate fig, laden with wee
crunchy seeds is our favourite, but the generously studded rum-raisin,
pistachio and bright strawberry weren't far behind. A triple-layer
bread pudding ($7) is rife with moist apple slices and creamy custard,
while a glazed lemon tart ($7) has a pucker that miraculously passes
Rahier.
Finally foodies have a reason to park their Vespas a bit beyond Little Italy for some mighty fine dining.