Brassai

After a failed attempt to go to Bite Me (even with reservations), we headed over to Brassai on King. The place was pretty busy, but even without a reservation on Saturday night at 8:45 during Winterlicious season, they squeezed us in at the communal table (literally).

It was a tough dilemma over what was more exciting - watching the action around the kitchen, eavesdropping on the weird neighbors or talking to Ian! If the communal table chairs had backs on them, this table would be a real winner.

Dinner started well with an $11 glass of Niagara pinot noir...perhaps a touch expensive, but it seemed like decent value with the cheapest bottles on the wine list ringing in at a hefty $40 or so.

For appetizer, Ian was happy with his 4 large crispy shrimp with tartar sauce. I enjoyed the soup of the day - mushroom.


Real star of the night was the Brassai bistro steak frites in shallot jus. Steak was perfectly cooked - flavorful & tender. The sauce was especially good and made for some dipping action for the crispy fries. Judging by the entrees coming through the window, this was the most popular item on the menu tonight.

Ian had some salmon with lemon creme fraiche, green beans and roasted potatoes. No complaints, just a bit boring and not too different from what we would cook at home.


My favorite of the night (well a toss up with the steak), was creme brulee - orange and white chocolate. Perhaps my favorite creme brulee ever! Highly recommended!

Ian's flourless chocolate torte with creme anglais was enjoyable, but a touch dry.

Final verdict: Recommended - go with shrimp, steak & brulee for a fantastic meal for $35!

Cool factor: High. This joint was packed with late 20's who probably can't afford to be seen at the very high end Toronto places. Until the next big promotion, Brassai fits the bill.

Final bill: $105 for 2 including tax, tip, tap water and a glass of wine.

Here's the full winterlicious menu.