I first heard about The Only from some foodie friends, who mentioned there was a new restaurant on the block rapidly rising to stardom after being named one of Canada’s best new restaurants. At the time, I had no idea they were also one of the only restaurants attempting to “do the sustainability thing.” It wasn’t until we invited Paul and Jason to speak at a sustainability event at the business school that I really understood, and came to appreciate, their unique venture. Paul and Jason get all their ingredients from local farmers, who they have established great relationships with. However, this means their menu is completely dependent on what is “in season” or what they can get from their farmers that day/week/month. Obviously, costs are going to be higher for ingredients that are local, organic, or both, and it can be reflected in their slightly higher prices. However, they claim to offer top-notch service on top of great tasting food, so you get what you pay for.

I made a reservation for six people on a Monday night, but unfortunately, only three could make it. Before I had even taken off my coat, the waiter scolded me for not calling ahead of time to let them know our reduced party size. It wasn’t so much what he said that put me off, it was how he said it – as if I was a human being lacking in basic decency. Well, sorry if half my party decided not to show up at the last minute. Did that give him the right to scold me? Did that give him the right to ruin my meal before it had even begun? Was this the great service they prided themselves on?

I was quite miffed as I sat down, and wondered if he would have scolded another customer the same way if it had been a 50 year-old man as opposed to a 20 year-old girl. I decided to ignore it, since I had been looking forward to coming to The Only for quite some time. Besides, he wasn’t our server for the night, and our server turned out to be very nice, and even humoured us when we started talking about premium gins¹ by bringing some out.

Between the three of us, we ordered three appetizers, two intermediates, and one main. The serving sizes were quite reasonable, and the meal turned out to be more filling than we anticipated, so none of us had room for dessert by the end.

The artichoke soup was first to arrive.

I have never had artichoke soup before, so it is hard for me to judge the quality of this particular bowl of liquid cream. Other than the fact that it was very creamy and not too flavourful, the soup made no distinct impression on me (certainly not my favourite dish of the night).

Then came the winter vegetable salad. My friend ordered this because she was curious what would constitute a “winter vegetable” as opposed to a spring/summer/fall vegetable.

I was amused with the “really good Tuscan olive oil” description on the menu. I am not sure if this was the same olive oil that they used on the rest of the dishes, but I realized by the end of the night that I did not like this “really good Tuscan olive oil.” At the time though, the taste of the salad suited me just fine. Unfortunately, we could not identify most of the ingredients, other than winter cabbage, carrots, and radish.

My appetizer was a quail, which out to be more of an “intermediate” than an appetizer.

It was very well-seasoned, and the meat was not too tough even though the skin was toasted to a crisp. The “boneless” part was a lie, as you can obviously tell from the photo, but I actually prefer bone-in meats, because meat near bones tend to be more tender². Smoked capicolo is basically bacon, and it is actually not in this photo because the chefs forgot to put it on the dish when they first brought it out. Our waiter later brought me a few pieces, which was quite yum. And for a creative finish, the sour cherries were a delightful twist.

The first intermediate to arrive was my friend’s house-made gnocchi.

Naturally, this dish did not appeal to me because of the abundance of cheese. Nonetheless, I tried some, and discovered a surprisingly unhappy aftertaste, to which my immediate reaction was “nyech!”

While we tried to deduce what made me react negatively to the dish, I found that my own intermediate had the same unpleasant aftertaste.

Despite how I tried to enjoy my dish, I simply couldn’t. We finally pinned down my cause for displeasure: it was in the olive oil. Something in the olive oil did not agree with my palate. And as much as I enjoyed the raw trout and the tender potato chunks, I could not develop an appreciation for this “really good” olive oil.

Instead, I shared the rest of my friend’s duck entree, which was delicious.

Maybe things flavoured with sauce as opposed to olive oil agrees better with me (which would make sense considering my palate is accustomed to the strong flavours prevalent in Chinese dishes), or maybe the chefs here are just really good at game meats. Either way, the duck breast was tender and savoury with a crispy skin. The meat was medium rare and lightly seasoned, yet it was very xian³. The cabbage and peas tasted great in the calvados sauce. Like the sour cherries in my quail dish, the poached apricot gave this dish a sweet twist.

The restaurant is small, but the ambience was mixed. It wasn’t quite homey, but it wasn’t quite upper-class either. There was a sleek elegance to its understated wooden furnishings. The bar was very well-stocked with some premium liquors and a varied wine selection. I would say they delivered quality service if it wasn’t for the initial lecture I received. The servers were well-versed on the background of the restaurant, but you can tell the chefs are the one running the show (the servers could not withstand prolonged questioning on the ingredients of particular dishes).

Would I come back? Certainly, but not often at these prices. And next time, I’ll steer clear of anything infused with olive oil.

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1. She realized she had the bottle(s) we had been discussing, and brought them over to our table to show us, since we’d forgotten the name(s).
2. There are three reasons for this: 1) because it’s buried down inside the meat, the bone and its surroundings don’t get as hot and cook as fast as the outer parts do; 2) there are more tendons and connective tissue near bones, and the collagen protein in these tissues turn into gelatin when heated, and 3) sometimes, there is more fat near bones, and we all know how delicious animal fat is. Reference: What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke.
3. Xian is Chinese word to describe a particularly savoury taste, of which there is no English equivalent. In Japanese, it is called umami.

We were excited when the Neptune Salad arrived though, a heaping plateful of shrimp, scallop, and lobster. That is, until we realized the scallops again tasted funny, like the chemically-treated kind. Besides, premium scallops would never be heaped onto a $11 salad, so I guess we should have seen that coming.

The only perk? They have great coffee.
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What drew me to The Tasting Room initially was its large selection of appetizers, which came in large enough portions to constitute a small meal, or to share. Their Scallops Wrapped with Bacon are out of this world, but to be honest, so are most of their appetizers. Carribean Shrimp and Banana Curry is another unique appetizer that cannot be missed. The Calamari was a little on the bland side, but the Coconut Lobster Lollipops certainly made up for it. Prices for these appetizers are close to their entrees, but so are the sizes.

Their daily soup has also been consistently satisfactory. The daily soup is not on their menu, but I recall enjoying an excellent Black Bean Soup on two different occasions. I have not tried their entrees, as I am always full after the appetizers, but I have it on good authority that their seafood pasta is well-stocked for a $13 entree (lunch, $19 dinner).

They also have a very reasonable wine flight for anyone interested in a little wine tasting. Their servers are knowledgable, friendly, and always provide impeccable service. My only complaint is that their washroom facilities are far too small, but the rest of the restaurant is stylishly decorated.
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I started with their “Fresh from Ontario Garden Salad,” which was easily forgettable. In fact, I didn’t even take a picture of it because it was so unimpressive. It was a quarter of uncut iceberg lettuce, and some steamed rhubarb and scallion halves on the side. The miso carrot vinaigrette was the only redeeming quality of the dish, but I spent most of the appetizer portion of the meal brooding over the fact that I had to cut my own salad leaves. “Why aren’t you taking a picture of it?” My friends asked, knowing I’d be reviewing the restaurant later. “It’s a salad. It’s a boring salad at that. What can I say? The picture won’t be worth a thousand words. It won’t even be worth a hundred.”

My entree was Wild Alaskan Copper River Salmon Fillet with Maple Soy Glaze, Warm Field Cucumber and Wasabi Salad. What they didn’t mention on the menu was actually the part of the meal I enjoyed the most, a fried spelt cake. The spelt was crunchy, and the cake was crispy while expertly foregoing the taste of deep-fry batter. It was delicious. Possibly because I have an irrepressible desire for all things deep-fried, but this cake scored points even for originality. I mean, a hardy wheat in a deep-fried cake? Who would’ve thought?

The presentation of the salmon was slightly better than the salad, and I had high hopes for it after I had tasted the fried spelt cake. However, I nearly spit out my first forkful of salmon. Now, let me preface this by saying that I am not a seafood lover¹. It takes a lot of skill – and I mean a lot – for me to be able to enjoy a seafood dish. Steamed fish fillet with a salt and pepper rub and some lemon is not going to do it for me. In this case, it was salmon fillet with a soy glaze. Sorry, but yuck. I almost felt bad for being so utterly turned off by the salmon fillet, since the restaurant had a nice atmosphere, the service was attentive, and the wine was outstanding. But even after taking a gulp of the wine and tackling the salmon again, I simply could not swallow it. The slices had noticeable layers of fat in between and all I could really taste were salmon lipids. The fillet was slightly seasoned but no amount of seasoning could cover up the unmistakable smell of fish – the kind of smell that develops if the fish was dead before it was cooked. Yes, I know it’s salmon, and yes, I know Toronto isn’t exactly a fishing village, but I can’t compromise my taste buds, now can I? I find it nearly impossible to enjoy seafood that is not fresh. The times I have enjoyed eating fish have always been when the fish was alive right up to the point it was prepared for cooking².

Some of my friends ordered the steak, which they seemed to find more agreeable.

For dessert, I had originally ordered the Pudding Chômeur, but my friend and I switched after she had a taste of mine and loved it. The pudding chômeur was rather good, although a little sour.

I ended up having the rest of her Chantilly, which was decent. It tasted basically like chocolate mousse, not nearly as light and “whipped” as it should have been.

Overall, I was not impressed with the food or the presentation of Reds Bistro (still not over the fact that the salad was just a quarter slice of a head of lettuce). Perhaps I’ll come back on a day when all I want is a nice glass of wine (a day when their bar is actually open), but for all the other days of the year, I’ll take my money elsewhere.

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1. This does not apply to sushi. I love sushi.
2. In case you’re curious, yes, sometimes I do catch my own fish. Fresh perch tastes delicious. Am I a food snob or what?

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730 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
(416) 928-0021
Website

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24 Bellair St.
Toronto, ON M5R 2C7
(416) 927-0077

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120 Cumberland St.
Toronto, ON
(416) 923-9992

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4920 Tomken Rd. Unit 5
Mississauga, ON
(905) 212-9998

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Downtown Location
418 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON
(416) 977-3909

The Commerce Gate branch in Thornhill is a much better dining experience than the downtown location in every way. Although situated a little out of the way for some, the trip is definitely worth it for those willing to drive north of the city. After two trips to the restaurant on very different nights, I have discovered that the cooking here is infinitely better than what I remember of the downtown location. From the sizzling beef on hot plate to the tantalizing tofu and vegetable stir-fry, I can’t remember the last time I had such a satisfying Chinese meal in Canada. The luxurious flavours of northern Chinese cooking oozes out of every dish, and I am reminded of my trip to Beijing with every bite. The Northern Dim Sum are a delicious surprise, particularly the perfectly steamed dumplings with juicy pork and soup that requires some expertise to eat without leaking the soup everywhere. The Cantonese Chow Mein is also particularly savoury on a bed of golden, crisp fried noodles. The ambiance and the clean washrooms also make this a great location to bring your date, friends, and family! Just be wary: on most evenings, there is a small line-up, so get there early or make a reservation. For larger gatherings, there are bigger rooms in the back, but I prefer the small tables next to the floor to ceiling glass walls in the front room. I must say, dividing the restaurant up into a beautiful front room with bigger rooms in the back was an excellent architectural choice. I, for one, am definitely going back for another taste! Perhaps this time I will go for dim sum, which I heard is excellent.

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Commerce Gate Location
505 Hwy 7 E. #77-79
Thornhill, ON
(905)763-8211

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One Up
130 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON
(416) 340-6349