Restaurant: Trevor Kitchen and Bar
Location: 38 Wellington St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C7
Price Range: $$$
Overall: 4.5/5
Note: This review is only for Winterlicious 2015 Dinner, it does not reflect the normal service. In addition, part of this review is written by my friend who accompanied me to the dinner.
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My final Winterlicious dinner was at Trevor Kitchen and Bar and they only offered a 3 course prix fixe dinner menu at $35. The decor and overall feel of this place was very nice and intimate. They had 2 sections, one for the bar and one for dinning. The service was superb, our waitress was incredibly nice and friendly, I must also note that this was the only time I have tipped a waiter/waitress 18%!
My friend and I shared a poutine together as it sounded so good… we couldn’t resist.
The poutine was not part of the Winterlicious menu and it was $12, a bit pricey but it was worth it in my opinion. I wished there was more cheese though. As you can see there was barely any cheese, but the beef cheek just melted in your mouth like butter… The fries were good, not too salty and the gravy was very rich and smooth.
Below are my friend’s courses:
This dish was really good! The taro chips were crispy and flavorful, it wasn’t too soggy nor stale. The Spicy wagyu tartar was amazing. Firstly the portion was very generous; I was able to finish all the chips with some leftover. The tartar itself was a little spicy which I enjoyed. The dressing was amazing because it helped mask some of the raw taste of the beef yet wasn’t overpowering, the lime taste at the end provided a refreshing aftertaste.
I actually hate vegetables, however this place was doing a great job with every order so I felt obligated to at least try the veggies! There was no dressing for the vegetables and it wasn’t needed. The juices from the tomato as well as the fish itself provided a nice flavor to the vegetables it was sitting upon. The tomatoes were a little sweet which was a huge plus. The fish was cooked really well, it was moist yet they were able to make the skin crispy!
Lastly, the dessert! I actually let my friend who hates sweet stuff try some. To her surprise it wasn’t overly sweet which one would expect from a crumble. I on the other hand enjoy sweets and for that matter the sweeter the better! Having said that, I still enjoyed this dessert because with each bite you get to taste hints of honey. The honey never took away from the dessert itself and you were able to still taste the raspberry.
And below are mine!
This is probably the first time for me to say this, but I really enjoyed this salad. It was really refreshing and light, a great way to start off the meal! The shrimps were cooked just right, not too rubbery (I wish they gave me a few more shrimps though :p but that’s because I love seafood). The chorizo was a tad spicy, but the queso fresco helped to cut down the spiciness and gave the salad a salty-sour kick.
The steak was excellent, perfect medium rare and it was seasoned nicely with salt and pepper. They were very generous with the portion too! The winter truffle mashed potatoes was not grainy, very creamy and the truffle added just a light touch of earthiness to the mash. The brussel sprouts were okay, it didn’t have much flavor. I wish they roasted it longer (more caramelization) or perhaps cook it with the bacon a bit longer?
Just a small complain, my steak and the vegetables were lukewarm, but the plate was piping hot. My assumption is that they finished cooking the steak while I was still trying to finish my appetizer, and left the plate on a hot surface to keep it warm.
LOVE LOVE this dessert. The mousse itself is not sweet, the texture was really creamy and light. I can definitely taste the espresso in here, not so much the bourbon though, but the caramel added a nice touch of sweetness, and the sour strawberries helped balance the dish.
The bill came with a huge white fluffy ball of cotton candy :D. You can tell it was made fresh in house, not sticky at all.
I really enjoyed my dinner at Trevor, probably the best dinner along with Cluny Bistro. $35 for a 3 course meal is worth it and I strongly recommend this place for Winterlicious, or any other event (if you can afford the normal dinner price :p).
