Pukka: Modern Indian on St. Clair West

Located at 778 St. Clair W., I was invited to Pukka's (pronounced "puck-a") media tasting a couple of weeks ago. Pukka (Twitter: @pukkatoronto, Facebook: Pukka Toronto) which opened in mid-October is the newest modern Indian restaurant to hit the city. Rather than serving traditional Indian cuisine that can oftentimes pack a bit too much heat (for most anyway) owners Harsh Chawla and Derek Valleau of Pukka aim to provide their diners with a twist on the traditional by focusing more on flavour instead of the fiery hot. Seasonal and local ingredients are used in Pukka's family-style menu with offerings that are generally much lighter, fresher and less "cream-heavy" than your classic Indian. Although the food is contemporary - ranging from Indian subcontinental to modern fusion - chefs at Pukka still make their own naan in an authentic clay tandoor oven as well as their own curries and chutneys.

Business partners Harsh Chawla (pictured left - a restaurant-industry consultant) and Derek Valleau (pictured right - former operations manager at Crush Wine Bar).

And as for the restaurant name...why "Pukka"? Pukka is actually a Hindi word literally meaning "cooked, ripe" and figuratively "fully formed", "solid" or "permanent". Valleau explained Pukka, popularized by chef Jamie Oliver, can also mean "genuine" or simply "very good".

The modern and industrial decor at Pukka aligns perfectly with its contemporary take on Indian cuisine. After all, have you seen white exposed brick and reclaimed barn wood at any other Indian restaurant before? Certainly not me.

Pukka boasts an impressive selection of wine - its current wine list consists of 25 international wines...which is much more than what you would typically find at an Indian restaurant. Pukka aims to triple / quadruple the number of labels down the road.

chococrêpe

Generally speaking, most people associate "crêpe" with "dessert". Fair, since there are numerous dessert spots that offer sweet crêpes on their menus alongside cakes, ice creams, waffles, etc.. However, the chances of one finding a savoury crêpe as an entrée at a restaurant is rather slim. Well, in comes chococrêpe (Twitter: @ChococrepeTO, Facebook: Choco Crepe), a creperie located on Queen West (620 Queen St. W). Owners Dewey Troung and wife Kim of chococrêpe are determined to change the popular perception of "crêpe = dessert" by concentrating on not just dessert crêpes but also on a variety of delicious savoury crêpes for lunch and dinner. The couple's inspiration for savoury crêpes came from vacationing in Montreal and Europe where they often indulged in crêpes as their main course.

As I mentioned previously, there are two types of crêpes at chococrêpe: 1) Savoury: currently with 12 savoury crêpes on their menu, chococrêpe uses buckwheat flour for these (which has a lighter texture and is slightly sweeter than their normal crepe batter) and 2) Sweet: 12 sweet crêpes made with regular crêpe batter (you can add a scoop of gelato or sorbet to any sweet crêpe).

My friend Audrey of Tasty Tours (@tasty_tours) and I had quite a crêpe tasting on our visit; we shared 3 savoury crêpes, a salad, and 2 sweet crêpes.

A Sneak Preview of Ten Restaurant's New Menu

Guinea pigs! That's what my friends Alysia (@blarkness), Mike (@openmiq) and I turned into a couple of weekends ago at Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar (@tenrestaurant) where we had the opportunity to take a sneak peek (well not just a peek, we ate too :D) of chef Nic Prong's (@NicCanCook) new menu. 

Ten Restaurant's updated menu, with its official launch being this weekend (or tomorrow) is almost a complete overhaul; close to 80% of the items have been entirely replaced with what chef Prong refers to as "modern comfort" dishes. No doubt a very gutsy move on their part, this whole menu rebuild, but since the three of us had nothing but praises with our preview tasting that night, I would say it is a move in the right direction. It was hands down the best meal I've had at Ten Restaurant yet!

Seated at Ten Restaurant's patio, the three of us had refreshing summer drinks along with a tasting menu prepared especially for us. Good times!!!

Raspberry & Mango Mojito

Parmesan Dusted Fries - Truffle oil, black garlic mayo

Bay of Fundy Lobster Rolls - Steamed & grilled pullman rolls (produced daily in limited quantities) 

Grazie Vaughan

I haven't been to Grazie in maybe, 5-7 years? I'm, of course, talking about the original Grazie location at Yonge & Eglinton. I remember that location was always so packed and crowded. I also remember I needed to yell just so that the person sitting across from me could hear me.  I guess I haven't been back because I hardly hang out in that neighbourhood anymore (I used to work close by) and it's also not the easiest to find street parking there (I know there's a Green P beside it but still). Basically, visiting Grazie again was never a priority for me especially now that I work in downtown.


I was happy when I found out Grazie opened another location at Vaughan Mills awhile back. Although I wanted to go try it out I never got around to it. Long story short, I finally went to Grazie Vaughan on Tuesday because my friend Dan (@deguzzi) organized a dinner there.


Dan really likes Grazie Vaughan (he is currently the mayor on foursquare) and I think it's safe to say that all 9 of us who were there on Tuesday really liked the food too.


The long table there was reserved for us.

I was overwhelmed by their huge menu. So many choices...

Zenato Ripassa - Full bodied dry with rich & velvety fruit flavour ($55)

Several people had wine while I had my extra spicy Caesar.

A basket full of bread for our 10 hungry stomachs.

Chili oil for dipping.

As usual, I can only comment on what I had and show you pictures of what other people had.

APPETIZER

Bruschetta Pizza - Olive oil, fresh garlic, mozzarella, parmigiano cheese, fresh tomato, garlic & fine herbs ($10.75)

We all shared this appetizer. I've never bruschetta pizza before but I thought this tasted just okay; I would've liked a bit more herbs and cheese. I also prefer the traditional bruschetta on open slices of grilled bread because the toppings-to-bread ratio is better this toppings-to-pizza ratio (i.e. too much pizza for the amount of toppings).

Baked Goat Cheese Salad - Goat cheese, roasted peppers & grilled eggplant wrapped in phyllo pastry served with an arugula salad in a sherry vinaigrette ($12)

Graham (@beachrockinc) had this salad all by himself. He really liked it and polished it off within within minutes. The presentation was beautiful; each slice of tomato was cut exactly the same and lined up perfectly.

Viva Frida!

It's Tweetup timeeee! ^_^  I've heard so much about Frida Restaurant (@FridaRestaurant) on Twitter that I knew it was just a matter of time that I went and got myself some Mexican deliciousness. So last month when Mack (@M3foods) and I were brainstorming on our next possible Tweetup location (we take turns organizing hehe) I suggested Frida. And one thing led to another, the next thing I knew I was sitting with 10 others at Frida last Tuesday, having a great meal along with non-stop conversation, thanks to Troy (@OakleyInc) (sorry I had to add that hehe).


OK guys, Frida is not Burrito Boyz. Nothing against Burrito Boyz of course, just trying to make a point that Frida is not a fast food Mexican joint, far from it actually. First of all, Frida is located in Forest Hill and is a more upscale Mexican restaurant. It is small; the decor is very contemporary, mellow, and relaxed yet elegant as well. I personally really like the modern feel of the red accent seating and the blue and white tiled wall. 


There's Alfonso (@msgfonz) and Ed (@phoenixrageZERO) on their phones :)

I also like the black and white photographs by the entrance; it ties in really well with the black tables and chairs and the white napkins.

Secondly, besides the decor, Frida is different in that it offers more of a refined and modern take on Mexican food but still keeping it authentic. It is upscale and sophisticated unlike that of a taco parlour for sure.

A Tongue and Rabbit Brunch at The Hoof Café

I went to The Hoof Café with Cindy back in January. It's been, what? 4 months now? Geez, how time flies. Anyway, since it's been so long, please don't mind my lack of details in this post. Maybe just enjoy the pictures? There are a few things I remember about The Hoof Café: 1) the place is tiny 2) the food is awesome 3) I want to go back. 


I went there on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. In case you didn't know, I love brunch. Also, if you have read about my experience at The Black Hoof (The Hoof Café's sister restaurant across the street), you would know I am quite carnivorous in nature, and I dig food that is out-of-the-ordinary (especially the artery clogging kinds!). The Hoof Café, originally opened so that people waiting for a table at The Black Hoof has a place to go, combines my love for brunch and unique foods in one place. FYI, The Hoof Café doesn't only serve brunch, it turns into a bar with a snack menu at night, with a cool offering of dishes like crispy beans and grilled beef heart.


Cindy and I didn't get table right away. I had to leave my name and phone number, and the lady suggested we go get a coffee around the corner until she calls. We walked around for maybe 15-20 minutes and got a call back. We sat at the bar (my favorite!)


The decor is pretty simple but artsy. It gives a bit of a farmhouse feel due to the wooden bar, but yet it has a cool tin ceiling, whitewash cupboards (old windows as cabinet doors), and a stainless steel counter. All this gives a modern yet rustic feel (I notice I'm using a lot of juxtapositions here).