As you know I love to brunch. Who doesn’t? It’s the best time of the week! I love it so much I created The Brunch Collection. If you have been following along I am on a Brunch Tour, you will know that we started in the city that never ever sleeps, New York. Right now we are in Toronto, first stop The Chase Fish & Oyster.
This past weekend my sister and I had brunch at The Chase Fish & Oyster located at Yonge and Temperance in Toronto’s financial district. I have been to The Chase, their sister restaurant upstairs and loved it so I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.
For those who love seafood, The Chase Fish & Oyster is a great choice since it is inspired by the Maritimes and “all things seafood”. The nautical decor made me feel like I was at a beach house in the Hamptons and thoughts of how cold it currently is outside in the city immediately slipped away once we sat down.
We couldn’t decide what to order so we got a few items off the menu to share. We started with the Warm Cheddar Biscuits complimented with honey. They were warm and fluffy. The honey added a nice sweetness to the salt from the sharp cheddar. We sipped artisanal jasmine green tea by Sloane Tea Company instead of one of their delicious cocktails. Next time I am there I will try the Temperance Juice Co, a virgin cocktail that’s made with strawberry and basil, guava or tropical mint punch. I will also try the O’Shandy made with gin, pineapple, orgeat and IPA float.
Next, we tried the Buckwheat & Apple Pancakes topped with rolled oats, apple, cranberry, grain crumble and whipped cream. Buckwheat flour is one of my favourite wheat-free/gluten-free flours to use when baking. Buckwheat is a fruit seed that doesn’t contain any wheat although its name might make you think otherwise. Buckwheat flour cuts through the sweetness of sweeter dishes like this one. The sweetness of the apples and tartness of the cranberries worked perfectly. It was nice to see a healthier approach to pancakes. You have to try this dish for brunch on your next visit to The Chase Fish & Oyster.
Believe or not, we had more food coming! I mean it is brunch after all and we shared. Next up, the Cheddar Burger made with Ontario cheddar, pickled jalapenos and herb aioli. In my sister’s world, no meal is complete without a burger. It’s safe to say that our taste buds experienced complete happiness at first bite. The jalapenos gave this burger a nice spicy kick and the herb aioli cut through the heat of the jalapenos and sharpness of the cheddar quite nicely.
I am in love with the decor. It’s an upscale yet laid back atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to host a party.
I definitely plan to go back again for lunch or dinner. I can’t wait to try their Fish and Chips, Lobster Roll, Cod Tacos and Haidacore Tuna “Nachos”.
I hope you get a chance to try their brunch. Please let me know what you ordered!
Images Courtesy.
