There’s
a cheekiness to Té that I enjoy. The French flair added to “tea” to form their
name, the unexpected breezy décor that flies in the face of traditional Korean
restaurants, or even the silent black and white Sailor Moon that graces the
television in their bar area. Té is different and certainly won’t please
everyone.
Starting with
the rustic look of their kimchi devilled eggs ($7 for 3). The yolks are mixed
with sesame oil and kimchi paste, instead of creamy mayonnaise, creating a
stiffer paste to pipe back into the egg white. I could certainly taste the nutty
oil that always makes my taste buds sing, but would have liked more of the gochujong
as there wasn’t much heat to the egg. In fact, aside from the sesame oil these
tasted like any other deviled egg. Swapping the bacon bits for chopped kimchi
may give it that element it’s missing and make the dish vegetarian-friendly to
boot.
Similarly, the
kimchi was lost within the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan mixture in the
toasted kimchi ravioli ($13). Chances are any ingredient wouldn’t be able to
hold up against the swiggle of honey wasabi pesto piped on top of the crispy
ravioli as the wasabi was so pungent and overpowering. Some reviewers rave
about this dish, but I found the panko crust made it too dry and the pasta was
overly chewy. It’s not one I’d order again.
The bulgogi sliders
($15) were good with a pile of thinly sliced sweet-soy marinated sirloin
topped adorned with a perfectly cooked quail egg, which is runny so makes for a
messy first bite. The sliders would be even better if there wasn’t wasabi in
the mayo (Té’s chef certainly loves wasabi) and the buns were warm and toasted.
If you really
want to try the bulgogi I’d opt for one of the main dishes instead. Té’s
bi bim bap ($17) follows a traditional recipe where the beef is accompanied
by cold sesame-marinated vegetables and a fried egg. They swap out the white
rice for nuttier purple rice instead and Té’s sweet chili sauce is thicker and
spicier than other ones I’ve tried.
Sadly, the bi
bim bap wasn’t presented in the typical hot stone bowl. That vessel is so
important as it creates the crust on the bottom of the rice and the heat warms
up the cold garnishes and sauce so that once everything is mixed together the flavours
really melt and meld together.
There’s plenty
of bulgogi on top of their mac and cheese ($18) and the pasta was
excellent as well. I enjoyed the creamy gooey cheese sauce and the parmesan
panko crisp on top adds a lovely textured crunch for those who want an extra
pop of flavour.
Other stand-out
dishes were the following small plates. The braised pork crostini ($14)
features a juicy hunk of five spice-soy marinated pork belly that seeps into
the crusty toasted bread. It’s simple but such a lovely bite.
The pork belly
and kimchi lettuce wrap ($14) was also a hit. In this dish, the pork
belly is thinner and grilled to give it a lovely caramelized crust. Sitting on
a layer of kimchi, pickled daikon, and crispy lettuce with a
sweet garlicky chili paste the wrap is a lovely balanced bite and one of the
better ssam I’ve had.
And you really
can’t go wrong with freshly fried chicken ($9 for 2 pieces of $16 for 4 pieces)
that arrives steaming hot and begging to be eaten. I’m glad Té left off the
typical sweet, sour, and spicy red sauce and kept the chicken lightly dusted
with five spice seasoned flour. It keeps the skin crispy and the chicken was juicy
enough to not require any sauce.
It’s remarkable
how much they create in-house, including a handful of baked goods. The
butterscotch caramel cheesecake ($6) wouldn’t have been my first choice for
dessert, but I’m glad we went with our server’s suggestion as it was a nice blend
of sweet and gentle saltiness, and smooth cake with a bit of crunch from the toffee
bits.
For those who’d
rather drink their dessert, Té has plenty of cocktails to choose from at $14.50
each. The mango black Té is their play on a mango bubble tea except spiked with
Scotch for a boozy adult take on the classic drink. It’s a tad gimmicky as the
drink isn’t executed well given the mini tapioca pearls are rather hard and the
straw not thick enough to actually allow them to pass with the tea.
The bobaless
drinks were more my style, having sampled a lovely vivid-pink strawberry with Proescco
cocktail that really hit the spot and their seasonal feature drink that is almost
like a mojito incorporating lemonade so that it’s extra refreshing.
As a warning, service can be a tad slow, for drinks and food, as everything is freshly made - I wouldn’t dine there if you’re in a hurry or starving. Té should consider creating a banchan platter for the table, which they could split in advance into little dishes stacked on top of one another allowing servers to just grab-and-go. Patrons may be a little pissed that they’ll be charged for it (banchan is normally complementary at Korean restaurants), but at least it will help ease the wait and can even double as a “bar snack” for cocktails. They could even add their flair to the name… parTé platter perhaps?
Address: 70 Ossington Avenue
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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