Posted by Melissa Bell in asian, fusion, restaurant review on May 29, 2008 at 7:57 am
Spice Route
499 King Street West
416-849-1808
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $135
The newest venture from Liberty Group's Nick Di Donato and Charles Khabouth of INK opened earlier this month with much hype and ballyhoo. Or perhaps, given its Asian-y everything, I should say Bali-hoo.
Appearing on the surface to be a bit more club/lounge/bar than restaurant, at 8,000 sq. ft. it's a massive and dramatically designed space. But it's also warm and engaging with rich natural textures, and live elements of fire and flowing water. Buddhas are placed here and there - sometimes front and centre, at other times tucked away in little wall niches. The central bar features a waterwall, a private lounging area surprises with a huge central table bedecked (yes, bedecked) with rose petals, and the booth seating (if one may call these enormous seating areas "booths") offers a chic set-up for larger groups sharing several dishes. Overall, it’s a scene of tastefully restrained opulence – it's smartly sexy, but very user friendly.
Case in point: We unwrap our napkin rolls and discover a pair of dark wood chopsticks and a standard knife and fork. Nice.
The beverage menu is an intriguing read. In addition to listing various wines and international brews, it also includes numerous teas – chilled, hot, and spiked – which may be ordered by the glass or the pitcher/pot, and a colourful selection of Eastern-inspired cocktails. Fellow diner and I choose an Asian apple martini and a Red Dragon (each $9) – delightfully fresh and fruity, I look forward to making a return visit and enjoying one or two of these on The Spice Route's expansive patio once the weather warms up a little.
An amuse of a flaky sweet bun and tomato chutney suggests exciting things to come, and we aren't disappointed. Kobe beef carpaccio ($15) is a pretty presentation of mild beef slices and a yuzu-soy dipping sauce. Thai crab cakes with purple basil aioli ($10) are small, but delightfully crabby, and a nice change from the usual breadcrumbed stodge often encountered elsewhere.
Crispy duck breast with star anise ($21) is served on the rare side atop a large mound of tender seasoned green beans. The duck is incredibly good – succulent and beautifully flavoured. But if one prefers their fowl flesh a little further away from the edge of bleeding, perhaps try the roast Indian chicken ($20); a minor blip in service brings this to our table in error and I have to decline it - a bit of challenge as it looks wonderful and smells incredible. Whole red snapper ($22) is a gorgeous plateful of simply prepared fish, moist and sweet, and served sizzling with julienned ginger and scallions.
The tempura onion rings ($5) and too-hot dip are a minor disappointment – the onion slices are too broad and thick to cook all the way through, and the tempura batter is just so-so. But it's certainly not the worst five bucks I've ever spent.
Desserts are very fine creations indeed. The cheesecake lollipop ($6) is a baseball-sized sphere of cheesecake, coated in white chocolate, and rolled in a coconut crunch. The sophisticated raspberry brownie ($7) is topped with caramelized mandarins and tangerine cream, dusted with gold leaf, and studded with thin shards of dark chocolate.
Executive Chef Winlai Wong’s 77-item menu offers other tempting and inventive dishes including a fresh take on surf and turf – two kobe beef and two soft shell crab mini burgers ($18), and Viet rack of lamb with mint and lemongrass ($25). The novel interpretations of classic Asian soups, salads, rice, and noodles demand a second and probably a third visit.
Service is thoughtful, informed, and attentive, and while we are gently warned that food doesn't necessarily arrive in the order it's requested, dishes do show up one at a time and at a reasonable and relaxed pace. The place is busy – 6:30ish on a mid-week evening, about three-quarters of the tables are occupied and there's a nice-sized crowd gathering at the bar - but my guest and I are well looked after by our server.
And whether one needs to use them or not, the washrooms are worth checking out. Individual spacious WCs with floor-to-ceiling windows provide a full view of the garden/patio outside. Don't worry – the glass is one-way only (so we're told).
From start to finish, The Spice Route experience is a road worth traveling.
