The Chase Fish and Oyster (Summerlicious Lunch 2016): Toronto, Canada

Name: The Chase Fish and Oyster
Address: 10 Temperance St, Toronto, ON M5H 1Y4, Canada
Website: Website
Phone: (647) 348-7000
Wifi: Yes
Tender: Debit, Credit, Cash
Neighbourhood: Financial District
Type: Seafood

The Chase Fish and Oyster is located in Toronto’s financial disctrict and is part of the Chase Hospitality Group which owns and operates The Chase, The Chase Fish and Oyster, Little Fin, Colette, and Kasa Moto.  Known for their breathtaking interiors The Chase Fish and Oyster has more of relaxed nautical feel with blue accents and boat sails that hang from the high ceilings.

I originally came in to try out their brunch menu but was told that brunch was unavailable during the summerlicious period and would not be back until two weeks time when the event was over. The manager was incredibly apologetic that this wasn’t communicated to me when the reservation had been made, and truthfully I was disappointed because I’m not the biggest fan of Summerlicious/Winterlicious. Yes, you heard me (or rather read me), I’m not a fan of the popular Summerlicious/Winterlicious event. While a good proportion of people look at it as an opportunity to dine at restaurants at an exceptional value I find that more often than not the quality of the menu provided at majority of the participating restaurants, even the ones that are normally exceptional, are lack lustre (to put it mildly). I also find that they’re not an accurate representation of the restaurant’s true menu. That being said, I avoid trying any Summerlicious/Winterlicious menu and haven’t participated in the event in years.

Despite the fact I harbor complete disdain for ‘licious events I stayed to try it out anyways. Mostly because I was already there and trying to get into another brunch spot at 11am on a Sunday in Toronto is pretty much next to impossible.

We started off with 2 appetizers, the Crispy Oysters (sesame tartar, spicy cabbage cocktail sauce) and the Avocado Toast (pumpkin seeds, breakfast radish, lime, Anaheim chile).

Both the Crispy Oyster and the Avocado Toast are incredible. The oyster is fried perfectly and pairs nicely with the sesame tartar, and spicy cabbage cocktail sauce, while the Avocado Toast is flavorful, light and refreshing.

For the mains we try the Grilled Albacore Tacos (charred tomato salsa, coriander cream, re-fried beans) and the Sweet Corn Orecchiette (succotash, basil, cherry tomato, toasted almond).

The tuna is fresh and tender and the sweet corn orecchiette has the perfect blend of diced seasonal vegetables. Both these dishes look and tasted like the perfect summer day by the sea.

Finally for dessert we try the Blueberry Crumble (blueberries, cinnamon oat crumble, vanilla ice cream, lime zest) and the Chocolate Cherry Sundae (chocolate sorbet, brownie, chou chou pistachios, cherry compote).

I enjoy the rustic presentation of the blueberry crumble and the flavors of the blueberries, cinnamon oat crumble, and vanilla ice cream pair well together. I did find the crumble to be too large though. Smaller pieces of crumble would have made the dish more enjoyable so that a little bit of crumble could be part of each bite.

The Chocoalte Cherry Sundae also has a nice homemade appeal to it. Served in a small mason jar and topped with shaved chocolate and a fresh cherry it looks like the type of dessert you could carry with you and enjoy as you stroll along a beach or boating dock. While the dessert is delicious I do find the jar to be a bit small though, which makes it challenging to eat. A slightly larger jar would allow me to mix all the ingredients together more easily so I could get a little bit of each flavor in every bite.

 

 

Overall, I would say my experience with the Summerlicious menu here was exceptional. Truthfully, I’m shocked at how much I enjoyed it considering my strong dislike for the ‘licious event. I found the quality of the food to still be high and the flavor pairings to be well thought out, something which I haven’t experienced in a ‘licious menu in a long time. Service was also friendly and attentive, something which is always equally as important (if not more important) than a tasty meal.

Did it change my mind and make me want to give ‘licious another chance? Maybe not entirely, but I definitely wouldn’t necessarily write it off completely like I would have before this experience.

For reference, summerlicious lunch menu here is $23 CDN/person  + tax and dinner is $38 CDN/person + tax.

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored, however the meal was complimentary. All opinions expressed are my own. All menu offerings and prices are accurate as of time of posting, please refer to restaurant/shop for most up to date information.

*All images are copyrighted Allons.Y Styling & Photography. Please do not use or re-post without written consent and provide credit where applicable.