472 Queen Street West / (416) 868-4800 / http://www.barcheftoronto.com
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★ ★ 1/2 out of 5
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"I enjoyed The Expendables more."
After dinner at the predictable but consistently enjoyable Jack Astor's and watching a movie where the best dialogue / moment was along the lines of "He just wants to be President" in response to a grumpy Arnold cameo, a couple of friends and I decided to try something different. Walking past Ultra on Queen Street, we decided to try Barchef at 472 Queen Street West. You could walk right past it if you weren't careful. One friend had been going on non-stop about how great (and unique) it was.
The inside decor was nice - a typical lounge look. However, the bar space looked like it belonged more in a Harry Potter movie or an alchemist's labratory. There were oranges and other things (I say things because they weren't readily identifiable) infusing their flavours into water.
It was relatively quiet inside - no more than 8 patrons including our pack of three which is probably typical for a Tuesday night.
Barchef is one of a new breed of bars opening up across North America and the world which is trying to infuse new and sometimes unique flavours into (alcoholic) drinks. An offshoot of molecular gastronomy, Barchef notes that it is "North America's most culinary inspired drinks menu".
I will profess that I may not have the most sophisticated of palates but I enjoy drinking and I enjoy trying new things. However, I know what I like and what I don't like.
I tried three drinks that night:
- The "Professor" - vodka, in house bitters, lavendar essence, mint syrup, fresh lemon ($10)
- Symphony No. 5 - (unknown because it is not listed on their website but contains gin) (~$12)
- Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan - Crown Royal Extra Rare, fresh lemon, in-house cherry vanilla bitter, hickory smoked syrup, vanilla cognac, smoked hickory and vanilla ($45)
Each drink left my taste buds confused - which in itself is not a bad thing - and the tastes were definitely unique. However, The "Professor" left an after-taste that was reminiscent of Jager (of which I am not a huge fan). Similarly, Symphony No. 5 was interesting and hard to characterize but not a drink I would order again on a night out.
The Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan is the signature drink of Barchef. Supposedly, it is the pinnacle of what Barchef does. It starts with hickory being burnt in front of you, ice being chipped and then a drink glass being smoked under a bell jar.
Hickory Being Burnt (My Apologies For The Low Quality - It Was Taken On A Cellphone)
James Chatto from Toronto Life says that "it smells like a campfire and tastes like heaven." I agree that it smells like a campfire but would argue that it tasted likewise. The smokey flavours made it a good drink but I was not knocked off my feet (as I was expecting). Sadly, the performance art in the creation of the drink is its most endearing quality.
Apparently, only 2 out of a thousand people have not liked the Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan - Chris Bosh and some other guy. While I won't be counted among those two, I don't think I will be ordering another.
Mixologists need to realize that there is a big difference between novelty and innovation. I view novelty as something that is new for the sake of being new. Innovation takes something and makes it better. Alas, Barchef falls into the former category.
Maybe my taste buds are too pedestrian but I think classic drinks are classics for a reason. I would rather have a classic drink done well with premium spirits or fresh ingredients than a novel drink done poorly. Barchef has lots of great ingredients and lots of hype (not unlike a movie we saw earlier on in the night) but as one of my friends put it as he tasted his drink, "I enjoyed The Expendables more."
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The Bottom Line
Is it worth trying? Yes, maybe your palate is more sophisticated than mine.
Will I be going back? Not likely anytime soon.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 06:43PM 
