The Chase (Lunch) : Toronto, Canada

Name: The Chase
Address: 10 Temperance Street, Toronto, ON M5H 1Y4, Canada
Website: Website
Instagram: @thechaseto
Phone: (647) 348-7000
Wifi: No
Tender: Debit, Credit, Cash
Neighbourhood: Financial District, Toronto
Type: Seafood

The Chase is located in Toronto’s financial district on Temperance Street just off Yonge. Not to be confused with The Chase Fish & Oyster, The Chase is located on the 5th floor of the same heritage building. Whereas the The Chase Fish & Oyster has a decidedly more casual, nautical feel, The Chase is distinctly more formal and refined, but without being pretentious.

Upon entering you’re immediately greeted with light-filled marble walkway with their legendary rooftop patio to the right and their two-sided bar straight ahead, which extends both outdoors to the patio and indoors to the interior.

It’s spacious, and what’s interesting is that each area is sectioned off naturally with multiple types and styles of seating areas. From plush purple royal velvet banquettes, to clean bright modern booths and round table seats, what each area does have in common is the sweeping views of Toronto’s financial district as the entire space is completely flanked in floor to ceiling windows.

 

 

We start the lunch off with two cocktails, the Yorkville Tonic ($17 CDN + tax) and the High Park Sour ($15 CDN + tax).

The Yorkville Tonic contains a mix of elderflower, gin, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon, and fever tree tonic water. It’s tart and definitely citrusy. It becomes an immediate favorite of mine as it reminds me of a more sophisticated and complex lemonade with it’s notes of elderflower and slight hint of cinnamon. This is drink I can see myself enjoying again and again on their show stopping patio.

The High Park Sour consists of bourbon, doubonnet, cherry brandy, yellow chartreuse, and lemon. Despite being named High Park Sour I find this to be less sour than the Yorkville Tonic. It’s tasty and rich tasting though. Perfect for the business-minded clientele which The Chase is known for attracting.

We then move on to appetizers and decide on the Octopus ($24 CDN + tax) and the Beef Tartare ($18 CDN + tax).

The octopus has been roasted and then tossed with salsa verde, piquillo peppers, harissa, rapini, merguez sausage, and olives. I’m always wary of ordering octopus as it’s one of those dishes that can go bad real fast if not done right. I’ve been burned way too many times in the past from sampling rubbery tentacles of octopus across various places across the city. Being known for their seafood though it’s no surprise that the octopus here is executed flawlessly. Roasted perfectly with the right flavors to balance it the octopus is rich and flavorful. It’s one of the few places in Toronto where I can confidently order octopus without fear. In fact, it downright shines and is a must order for any seafood lover.

The beef tartare is served with a mix of  horseradish, quail egg, buttermilk, pickled chanterelles, and then topped with crispy shallots. Served on top of perfectly crisp slices of bread like a tartine the beef tartar is fresh and flavorful with bursts of whole grain mustard which go well to cut the richness of the tartare. It’s easily one of the best beef tartares in the city.

We then move on to mains and start with the Halibut, $38 CDN + tax. The halibut is roasted with wild mushrooms, creamed spinach, lindzer potatoes, and brown butter tartar sauce. I’m told that this is one of their signature dishes and it’s easy to see why after the first bite. The fish is cooked perfectly and flakes away easily with just the slightest pressure from my fork. The brown butter tartar sauce goes well to add depth and richness to the dish without overpowering the delicate flavors of the halibut, which basically melts in my mouth  because it’s so tender.

Next we try the King Crab Tagliatelle, $39 CDN + tax. The server asks if we’d like to split this dish as there’s quite a bit of food that’s been ordered and we definitely take her up on the suggestion as it was already on our minds to split this dish. When the dish arrives they serve it on two half-sized portions that are individually plated instead of as one standard sized dish with additional side plates for sharing.  Not only does this look stunning, but it’s a small but impactful detail that I appreciate as it eliminates the hassle of having to scoop saucy noodles onto a sharing plate. Attention to detail is clearly something that they excel at here.

As for the pasta itself, thick pieces of king crab are poached in carrot butter with basil, slow roasted garlic, and then tossed with tagliatelle pasta. This is a rich tasting and incredibly flavorful dish. The tagliatelle has been cooked perfectly and the micro basil goes well to add not only color but freshness to dish.

For the final main we try the Cornish Hen, $27 CDN + tax. The cornish hen is roasted and stuffed with foie gras. Roasted apples and pecans served with bacon and stewed lentils accompany the dish. It’s incredibly tender, and there’s something very satisfying and comforting about this dish the stuffed hen is reminiscent of a holiday turkey dinner, albeit definitely heightened and much more worldly and cultivated being stuffed with foie gras. It’s the perfect option for those that aren’t necessarily keen on dishes featuring anything that swims.

Of course a trip to The Chase isn’t complete without a side order of their Truffle Fries, $8 CDN + tax. Crisp fries are topped with pecorino, truffle, and served with a side of herb aioli. I still maintain that these are my absolute favorite French fries in the city. Let me just say that while they appear to be a seemingly simple item I’ve had French fries that are all over the spectrum. From quick-service eateries to ultra svelte high end establishments I’ve had fries that are soggy, overly greasy, burnt, you name it.  It’s actually quite shocking how many places do not know how to cook them. It’s never the case here though as the fries are always cooked perfectly and they add just the right amount of seasonings. The truffle is also distinct without being overpowering. I could honestly come here just to eat a mountain of these fries and nothing else and still leave completely satisfied knowing that it was a visit well spent.

Finally, we finish of with some dessert including Chocolate dessert ($12 CDN + tax) and the Lime dessert, $11 CDN + tax.

The chocolate dessert is composed of chocolate chip brownie, milk chocolate Chantilly, dark chocolate cream, and salted peanut butter caramel. When it arrives the presentation is definitely beautiful, but unexpected. A thin layer of cookie/wafer envelops a generous topping of Chantilly that sits on top of thick chunks of brownie. Everything is topped with flecks of dark chocolate and the dish is dotted with the salted peanut butter caramel. It’s the perfect balance between the sweetness of the brownie and Chantilly and the saltiness of peanut butter caramel.

The lime dessert is even more stunning than the chocolate one. Layers of curd in an angel food cake are served  with coconut cream and toasted marshmallow icing. The first thing I notice about this when it arrives is how perfectly toasted the marshmallow icing is. An even shade of caramel brown surrounds the perimeter and the top has also been expertly toasted into the perfect shape of the swirl of the icing. This is not your campfire toasted marshmallow but I definitely would love to have this at my next beach bonfire. The cake itself is smooth and velvety and the curd has just the right amount of tartness from the lime. It’s the ultimate way to end any meal.

This was not my first visit to The Chase. If I’m being perfectly honest though the first time I did visit here it was somewhat against my will.  Being located in the financial district the clientele here is predominantly that of the business set and The Chase certainly has a reputation as the place to go if you own $5000 business suit, wear cufflinks, and have a company expense account to burn through. That being said I was convinced that this was the type of place that was most likely all show without substance, even though I had never actually been before. I did end up visiting after a friend insisted that it was incredible and that I should at least try it before judging, which is certainly a more than valid point. As much as I hate to admit to being petty I was also looking forward to proving her wrong and being able to say “I told you so!”

My first visit here several years ago ended up being like every other visit I’ve had here since then. While the price points are definitely on the higher end of the scales everything was spot on from start to finish and is one of the few places where the stunning interior is equally matched by the exceptional quality of their food and service. It is one of the rare cases where you really do get what you pay for, and then some. Also, despite the fact that I do not own a $5000 business suit and have more often than not shown up in my converse sneakers and casual t-shirts, service here has always been friendly and attentive. They’ve always made me feel like my Chuck Taylor’s were designer and from Harry Rosen.

In short, my first visit here (and every other visit since then) proved that my friend was right and that I was wrong. That’s definitely not something that’s easy for me admit. Because as much as I love to eat, if there’s one thing I don’t like to eat it’s my own words.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This post was done in collaboration with The Chase Hospitality Group. 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