Mott 32
My quest for the best Chinese food has been a mirage. I sought out sea cucumbers in Hong Kong, insisted that I wanted the salt cod fried rice (“Sir, I don’t think you will like it”), and ventured into the 1970’s murky backstreets of Limehouse, London all in vain. Yes, I have had wonderful food along the way but a casual conversation with the delightful erudite server Peony at Mott32 in the Shangri-La Hotel was a light bulb moment. It’s the philosophy, stupid. (She didn’t say that, of course, but that’s what hit me).
Fresh and everything that flows from it is what I had been seeking. In Cantonese, she seemed to pronounce it like ‘see-en’. It’s the foundation on which everything is built she told me. A philosophy of enhancing and contrasting flavours, balancing textures colours and aromas of the freshest ingredients. I now realize that seeking an elusive special menu written only in Chinese characters or looking for some unobtainable exotic foodstuff had me haplessly trying to unravel an imagined gastronomic sleight of hand. Fresh. It was always there in front of me.
Not that freshness implies simplicity in fact the opposite. The dim sum Hot and Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese soup dumpling I ordered as an appetizer destroyed that notion. Arriving in a traditional bamboo basket each jewel like dumpling was set in a miniature handled container so it would not rupture when moved. The explosion of flavours was astonishing. The mouth feel and textures from the dumpling to the rice vinegar broth that aimed a well-balanced spicy kick was exquisite. Like a fine wine there were primary, secondary and tertiary flavours. It reminded me of the famous dumpling restaurant Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong. But far better.
Chinese food has always been associated in my mind with the festive bonhomie of dining with friends and family where food was almost second fiddle. This is Chinese food subtle and delicate that demands your full attention.
And if things had not already got very strange there was the spectacular dining room and exceptional service. Under the careful gaze of suavely dressed Eric Kang a co-owner the service was as close to perfection as it gets. The staff pull off that hard to define respectful accessible friendliness that never crossed the line into intrusiveness. Somehow, they glide to your elbow when you need them and vanish into the ether when you don’t. Undecided? A gentle nudge with just enough information without going overboard with the genealogy of the ingredients.
Something to drink? I was delighted to find an old acquaintance Beck Chung, formerly the General Manager of a prestigious Japanese restaurant and now their Beverage Director. A perfectly chilled glass of unoaked Chablis in elegant stemware appeared and perfectly paired with the dim sum. Their wine list is extensive, and they offer stunning selections by the glass. Start with a crisp white or perhaps a Riesling with the dim sum and then move onto a red to match some of the main course dishes. There is a good selection of sake’s and cocktails including a lovely Margarita of Tequila Blanco, Cointreau, Lime Juice, and pear brandy. If you are torn between choices Beck is there.
Forget Spadina Avenue grunge or Markham banquet hall like restaurants that could double as an aquariums, Mott32 has space for every taste and occasion. At lunch I was taken by the light filled third floor atrium where window tables gaze out onto frenetic Avenue Road. But there are also lovely, curved banquettes set back a bit and in a gazebo like structure. There is also an intriguing intimate nook with a giant hand painted horse mural ideal for a cosy assignation or perhaps an A list celebrity. And off towards the back are tables in a invitingly low lit room where if you look closely there is a window where Mott’s wonderful extended dry aged Peking Ducks are roasting. The ambiance was perfectly rounded out by an audio of Jazz standards.
For special group events there are an intriguingly diverse choice of private rooms. A stylish board room like space faces onto University Avenue. Two smaller rooms, the Ceramics Room and the Metal Room that can be combined into one come equipped with round marble tables inset with motorised turntables to facilitate sharing. One wall in the Metal Room is hung with hundreds of individual copper tiles that give off a warm glow. Perhaps the most unusual and intimate is the Theatre Room where the lighting level and colour can be adjusted to individual taste.
There is also an urbane and elegant bar on the main floor ideal for perhaps dim sum and cocktails prior to a concert or a post work social gatherings.
This is largely Cantonese, a cuisine most of us in North America are familiar with but as Chinese food historian Fuschia Dunlop noted “Chinese food was a victim of his own success” a journey from obscurity to ubiquity. Cast aside any preconceptions based on deep-fried, sweet and inexpensive take-out. Mott32 arcs back to the one of the world’s grandest most diverse and most sophisticated cuisines. Here is labour intensive, incredibly light and delicate cooking that emphasizes balance and harmony.
Almost every mall food court today has dim sum with Barbeque Pork Buns, Har Gow and Sui Mai. But after tasting Mott32’s Sui Mai it will never be the same for me. The Iberico pork rolls topped with black truffle and prawn surreptitiously envelop a whole soft yolk quail egg. The layers of flavour from the richness of the pork to the creaminess of the quail egg with underpinnings of earthiness from the black truffle had me in a sort of gastronomic trance.
Nudged toward a dish I probably would not have ordered, the Marinated Jellyfish maw with baby Japanese Black Fungus and diced Japanese cucumber with aged black vinegar and garlic had me going back and forth sampling its astonishing range of mouth feel, flavours and textures.
The Marinated cucumber with Pomelo belied its simplicity with a palate enlivening dish of crispy chunks of cucumber offset with acidity of the pomelo and a vinegary smoky broth. I could turn vegetarian for this.
Not to be overlooked was a dim sum crispy prawn rice noodle roll with a sweet and sour sauce. Another stunning starter was the Stir-fried Wild Mushroom in a lettuce cup topped with shaved black truffle. The remarkable depth of flavours emerged from a mix of king oyster, and enoki mushrooms mixed with earthy black truffle.
My quest has ended. This is food of great subtleness and freshness exquisitely prepared and presented.
Cheong at Phil’s Place
On the lower level of St. Lawrence Market look for a rare find if you’re a lover of Korean food: Phil’s Place. At first blush, it’s a greengrocer but a closer look reveals an intriguing range of Korean foods. Amongst the unusual branded foods such as fruit jelly drinks and cinnamon punch are some lovely homemade items. Kimchi the now trendy (and healthy) fermented food features a selection from cucumber, cabbage, radish, green onion and carrot. There are also a variety of interesting pickles. But what has become a weekly purchase for me is their homemade traditional cheong.
Cheong, now a popular drink in Korea, has its origins as far back as 2,000 years ago during the Three Kingdoms period when it was both an integral part of traditional Korean medicine and a way to preserve fruits and medicinal herbs for long periods.
Phil’s sells cheong in Lemon, Lemon Hibiscus, Ginger and Ginger Hibiscus flavours. Lemon has become my favourite. This simple natural syrup of freshly sliced lemons with lots of honey and a little sugar is amazingly versatile. Hot tea, a cocktail mixer, iced tea or, as I like it, with plain or carbonated water. Delicious.
stlawrencemarket.com/vendors/vendor_detail/88
Bowmore
Whisky and Whiskey is funny stuff. There are times I yearn for an assertive peaty Scotch, a sublimely smooth Japanese tipple or the richness of Bourbon.
Bowmore despite sniffy reviews from some scotch nosers has always been one of my go-to brands. I even dropped by the distillery on the Isle of Islay a few years ago to indulge in some extensive (ahem) personal research. Recently Bowmore released their Sherry Oak Cask collection of 12, 15, 18 and 21 year old whisky’s. As the name implies these were long matured in fine European Oak.
Exhibiting the Scottish trope of parsimoniousness, in the face of escalating price inflation, I opted for the more affordable 15-year-old ($170 at the LCBO). This single malt is matured in first-fill Oloroso casks which imparts haunting smoke, frisky mineral elements which evolve into a medium length lightly brooding but sweet finish. It’s the ideal flavourful tipple should you want an approachable scotch that’ you’d happily share with aficionado friends.
