Petit Potato : North York, Ontario

Name: Petit Potato
Address: 10 Ravel Rd #1-2, North York, ON M2H 1S8, Canada
Website: Website
Phone: (416) 756-3311
Wifi: No
Tender: Debit, Credit, Cash
Neighbourhood: North York, Ontario
Type: Asian/Taiwanese-Japanese

Petit Potato is a Tawanese/Japanese restaraunt in North York located just a 30 minute drive North of the downtown Toronto core at the corner Finch Avenue East and Leslie Street.

Like most spaces that are outside the city core Petit Potato is spacious and the parking is free. Bonus!

The interior of Petit Potato is bright and modern and seats anywhere from 60-70 people.

We start the meal with drinks. A wide variety of beverages are available and the selection rivals that of the food portion of the menu.

I settle on the Oreo Milk Tea, $5.45 CDN + tax. From the photo on the menu the Oreo Milk Tea is supposed to come with a black milk tea topped with oreo crumbs and a sprig of mint made to resemble that of a plant growing out of a pot (with the oreo crumbs acting as the soil). When it arrives at the table though I’m a little disappointed as I’m told they have run out of mint  and have replaced it with mini m&ms instead. Without the mint leaf the charm of a ‘potted plant’ presentation is lost and the tea itself is pretty standard.

In additon I try a selection of their Creama Drinks including Grapefruit, Cocoa, and Matcha, $5.45 CDN + tax each. Each one is served cold and consists of drink base that is topped with a thick layer of frothy cream. The grapefruit is very refreshing but tastes more like a jasmine tea than a grapefruit, while the cocoa and matcha taste milky and light with just the right touch of sweetness.

We then try a selection of their appetizers including Shark Fin Soup ($5.99 CDN + tax), Popcorn Chicken ($7.75 CDN + tax), and Takoyaki Octopus Balls ($6.99 CDN + tax).

The popcorn chicken is fried Taiwanese style, with a crunchy coating flavored with various spices. It’s good, with the chicken being tender and the coating being flavorful and crisp. I do wish that it had been served with some type of sauce though for dipping but the chicken itself is still very good nonetheless.

The Shark Fin Soup comes as a single serving size. At a price of $5.99 CDN + tax it’s to be well expected that this is imitation shark fin soup which is a popular item that is sold amongst street vendors across Asia. It’s also vegetarian with the “shark fin” actually being made of bean curd strands suspended in a thick soup.  I found this to be a little to thick and it would be better if the soup base was thinned out a little.

The Takoyaki Octopus Balls are served as a set of 5 Octopus balls on a skewer and topped  with seaweed strands and dried shaved bonito flakes. The takoyaki itself is made up of a wheat/potato base with diced octopus, scallions, ginger, and is then grilled until it is slightly crisp on the outside while still being slightly tender and chewy on the inside.

 

Next we try their Chicken Wings with Grapefruit Sauce ($7.99 CDN + tax), a selection of their Bimbambap bolws ($12.95 CDN + tax each), and their Seafood Ramen ($12.95 CDN + tax)

The Chicken Wings with Grapefruit Sauce are served on a long platter and then topped with fried basil leaves and then drizzled with a grapefruit sauce. The chicken itself has been fried perfectly with the skin being especially crispy and the chicken being tender. The grapefruit sauce, while interesting, doesn’t quite complement the chicken wings. I would prefer this dish without the grapefruit sauce or perhaps with a different sauce. The chicken itself is delicious though which makes it a perfect base to play around with various flavor toppings and sauces.

Several Bimbambap bowls are available and we select the Spicy Seafood Bimbambap, Spicy Grilled Eel Bimbambap, and Spicy Minced Pork Bimbambap. Served in a hot stone bowl the bimbambap consists of rice topped with a fried egg, broccoli, seaweed strands, kimchi, and their respective topping options. A side of hot chilli sauce is provided in a smaller dish to allow you to mix into your bimbambap. Personally, I’m not one that can handle spicy food so I’m thankful that the chilli sauce provided is quite mild and not overly spicy. If you’re one to seek heat though you may want to ask for some additional chillies or another type of hot sauce like sriracha to mix in. The toppings are good and of course a nice runny egg yolk mixed into the rice with all the toppings always makes for a nice welcomed addition. I did find the bimbambap bowls to be a little rice heavy though. A better balance of rice and toppings would make this dish more enjoyable.

Finally, there was the Seafood ramen which was served with a soft boiled egg, seafood, corn, mussels, fake crab, shrimp, squid, scallions, and sesame seeds. The broth is certainly lighter in comparison to the rich fatty pork based broth typically found at Japanese ramen houses but it still makes for a nice meal and the soft boiled egg has been cooked to perfection.

 

Lastly, we try what is definitely Petit Potato’s most famous dish the Special Golden Toast in both Mango and Oreo flavors, $14.99 CDN + tax each. The Mango flavor is topped with vanilla ice cream, fresh pieces of mango, whipped cream, and a sweet mango sauce. The Oreo flavor is topped with cookies and cream ice cream, small colored marshmallows, whipped cream, and oreo sandwich cookies. The slices of bread have actually been hollowed out and the center piece of each has been chopped into small pieces and fried in butter to give nice crispy toast bites which can then be used to dip in the ice cream and toppings. It’s incredibly tasty, but definitely decadent. Standing at 10″ tall this monster sized dessert is definitely an undertaking that only those with a serious sweet tooth should attempt to take on. It is in fact though, the perfect indulgent treat for sharing with several friends. In addition to mango and Oreo the Special Golden Toast is also available in Strawberry, Blueberry, and soon to be offered in Kiwi and Red Bean Matcha flavors. A word of warning though that this dessert actually takes 30 minutes to make so it’s best to order early enough before the end of your meal so you don’t have to wait too long for dessert.

Overall the experience at Petit Potato was enjoyable. The atmosphere is modern and large banquets and spacious seating make for a comfortable dining experience. Service was a little bit slow, but friendly and the menu options are wide and varied making it easy for anyone to find at least a few dishes they would enjoy.

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored, however the meal/items were 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