Platito (Brunch): Toronto, Canada

Name: Platito
Address: 35 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T 1L1, Canada
Website: Website
Phone: (647) 347-0135
Wifi: Yes
Tender: Debit, Credit, Cash
Neighbourhood: Baldwin Village
Type: Filipino/Asian

Platito is located in Toronto’s Baldwin Village neighborhood and serves what they affectionately refer to as Filipino soul food. The style of cooking is based on the owner’s own childhood which mimics the home cooked meals of his grandmother and aunt. With two levels of seating and a front patio the space is comfortable, warm, and beautiful with the walls covered in striking artwork. An enclosed back patio is currently under construction and will make for additional ample seating in both summer and winter.

 

It’s a hot summer day so start with a pitcher of sangria. Both red and white are available either by the glass (7 CDN + tax) or by the pitcher ($55 CDN + tax). It’s refreshing and full of fruit and a nice start to the meal.

On the weekends they serve brunch all day, even into their evening hours until closing. We start with the BBQ Pork Skewers (Sweet BBQ pork skewers), $7 CDN + tax and the Longsilog (Made in house sweet pork sausage, garlic fried rice, 2 fried eggs), $13 CDN + tax.

The BBQ pork skewers are marinated in a sweet bbq sauce, and then topped with pickled red onion and chopped scallion. They’re tender and flavorful and easily one of my favorite items of the evening. A definite must-try, my only criticism is that the skewer stick should be slightly longer to make it easier to eat.

We then try the Longsilog. The garlic fried rice is probably my favorite part of the dish and fried eggs make a welcome addition to any brunch meal. The pork sausages however I find to be incredibly rich and I wouldn’t be able to eat more than one in a single sitting. While the side of pickled vegetables helps to offset the richness of the sausages I’d pass on ordering this again. The dish might be better served with the sausages diced and mixed into the garlic fried rice with the eggs served on top.

 

Next is the Tortang Talong(Eggplant omelette, garlic fried rice, salsa), $12 CDN + tax. An eggplant omelette is served on top of a mountain of garlic fried rice and topped with salsa. The eggplant however is mostly contained to the center of the omelette and it would be better if it was more evenly dispersed throughout. Despite this, this dish is incredibly flavorful with a nice smokiness and is  one of the best dishes of the evening. I would definitely come back to have this again.

We then try the Bok Bok Chicken and Ube Waffles (fried chicken, purple yam waffles) , $16 CDN + tax. The chicken is drizzled with honey and served on  an eye-catching purple yam waffle with a side of maple butter. I found this dish to be overly sweet.  The chicken however was incredibly tender and fried perfectly with a nice crispy skin. Perhaps all that is needed is to omit the drizzle of honey on top as the dish would fare better if the chicken was more savory to help offset the sweetness of the waffle and the maple butter. The waffle could also be slightly more crisp.

We are then treated to some bbq pork sliders. Not on the menu they are currently a test item still in the works as a future offering. The pork is sliced thinly and served on a soft bun with chopped scallions and spicy aioli. They’re delicious and flavorful but a little large to be considered a slider. Smaller portion sizes would make this a perfect tapa offering.

We end the meal with dessert which includes the Waffle Ice cream and Macupuno (Ube waffle, ube ice cream, macupuno), $12 CDN + tax and the Ube Milkshake. You’d be hard pressed not to gawk at this dessert with the purple waffle that is served with a generous sized scoop of purple ube ice cream and then topped with macupuno (shavings of coconut with jelly-like texture) and ube rolled wafer sticks. Once again the waffle could be crispier, but the dessert overall is unique and incredibly tasty.

The Ube Milkshake is made up of ube icecream and then topped with a mountain of whipped cream and an ube rolled wafer. It is not on their menu but can be requested for special events (although I suspect if you ask really nicely you might be able to order it on a regular evening as well).

Overall the experience was enjoyable. The space is beautiful, yet relaxed, and with the dishes definitely evoking the soul food feel that they describe. They have plans to change the menu based on season with warming offerings like soups in winter and lighter offerings in summer. One change that I would like to see to the brunch menu is the addition of Adobo chicken. Although they do offer Adobo for lunch/dinner having it is an option for brunch with a side of fried eggs and garlic fried rice would be Filipino brunch heaven. With Filipino cuisine options being limited in Toronto, Platito is definitely a welcome addition to Toronto’s food scene.

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.