Ciao Dec/Jan 2016 number one hundred one | Page 54

ciao! reviews

Chosabi

Blind Tiger Kitchen + Bar

Máquè

Feast Café Bistro

52

ciao! / dec/jan / two thousand sixteen

An appetizer of grilled prawns
balances contemporary trends
with this throwback predilection,
pairing the shellfish with pickled
lettuce and sauce Americaine, a
misnomer historically served in
Provence. Alongside Francophone
favourites like escargot and
chicken livers, delicate devilled
eggs make an appearance on the
selection of appies, piped with
light as air yolk.
Old school French staples make
up the entrée selection, like bouillabaisse and niçoise salad. Several
steaks with pairings from bourguignon to sauce chasseur suggest
the presence of a saucier in the
narrow open kitchen.
Dips into bistro fare include
mountains of perfectly tender
mussels in classic preparations.
A Normandy-style rendition is
simmered in a creamy broth,
umami-laced from pops of bacon
and topped with tart matchsticks
of green apple. Thin and crispy
frites under a heap of funky
Parmesan are perfect for sopping
up broth.
Oversized pillows of Parisianstyle gnocchi underscore a
creative willingness to take influence from all areas of French
cuisine. The vegetarian dish gets
protein and heft from meaty
oyster mushrooms, tossed in a
pistou redolent of fresh basil.
Service is without pretension,
blending airs of fine dining and
a comfortable neighbourhood
haunt. In keeping with the tribute
to classic French cuisine, a glassy,
smooth crème brûlée is in order.
Despite a concept based around
secrecy, the recent removal of the
window blinds reveals a lively
room, an invitation to settle in
over another cocktail or dessert.
Blind Tiger is open Mon-Thu
11:30 am-12 am, Fri 11:30 am-1 am,
Sat 5 pm-1 am, Sun 5 pm-12 am.

CHOSABI
Neighbourhood . . . . . Exchange
Address. . . . . . . . . 100 King St
Phone . . . . . . . . 204-615-8338
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . . $10-$15
The fast casual trend hit in full
force this year. Fresh, healthy, and
adventurous food delivered at sleek
order-at-the-counter spots has
flipped the script on fast food and
proven as versatile as convenient,
with countless variations of quick
eats spanning global cuisines and
dietary styles.
Of the many new concepts that
have appeared, Chosabi is the cream
of the crop. This small but mighty
eatery, the brainchild of Wasabi's
Cho Vengavongsa, has re-engineered
sushi into grab n' go eats, and introduced flavours from Korea, the
Philippines, and Hawaii within the
span of a handful of menu items.
What's more, the new venture
has already opened a second location mere months after the launch
of the original Exchange District
spot. Inviting rooms, sprinkled with
jabs of colour (red in the Exchange,
yellow on Pembina) are effortlessly
sleek, with clean lines and a modern
mix of steel and wood textures.
Stretching powerfully across a wall,
a stylized mural of a fish, painted by
local artist Pat Lazo, gives these clean
spaces an edge.
The sushi burrito (aka Chorito),
a hefty hand roll that turns delicate
maki snacking into a two-handed
affair, is the signature here. The
Wasabi pedigree shows through in
perfectly seasoned rice, fresh fish,
and creative ingredient combinations. An amped up California
roll and a blend of tempura-fried
shrimp, fresh cubes of mango, and
spicy aioli are go-to varieties. Others