Being a big fan of the Food Dudes (@TheFoodDudesTO), I couldn’t wait to check out their new restaurant, Rasa. Located on Harbord, a couple blocks west of Spadina, Executive Chef Adrian Niman will take you on a journey around the world with their globally-inspired menu.
The space is slightly below-grade which gives it a dark, basement-like feel to it. It features an open kitchen, a bar and two dining areas. Rasa also has a large patio which will come in handy once the weather warms up in the spring.
The bartender in charge here is Chanel Woods (previously of Cold Tea) and you’ll definitely be in good hands. Mike and I dropped by for drinks on a separate occasion and really enjoyed their offerings.
The food menu offers a bit of everything – comfort food, pastas, meats. Dishes are severed tapas-style which makes it very conducive to sharing. It’s a large menu so coming with a group of six allowed us to make a nice dent in it.
They dropped off some complimentary Mini Muffins – spiced pumpkin, spaghetti squash, salted caramel butter for us to start with. Not being a fan of pumpkin, I didn’t find these muffins to be anything special. Even though Mike loves pumpkin, he had the same sentiments. A couple weeks ago when we were here for drinks, we noticed they were serving cornbread muffins which I would’ve preferred.
Next up was The Chopped Salad – vegetables, quinoa, Macedonian feta, crispy garbanzos, sumac ($13). This was the one menu item which didn’t catch my eye – I’m a huge carnivore, after all. However, it came so highly recommended from our server that we had to order it. Thankfully we listened since it turned out to be one of my favourite dishes of the evening. The salad had so many delicious components that married together wonderfully. Even if you’re not a salad person, this is one thing you’ve gotta order.
Up next were the Jalapeno Poppers – Serrano ham, goat cheddar, lime crema, pico de gallo ($12). It was a fun take on the bar snack with the serrano wrapped jalapeños and goat cheddar. A solid popper but nothing particularly memorable.
One dish I really didn’t enjoy was the Po Boy Bites – shrimp tempura, yuzu chili, ponzu glaze, wakame slaw, squid ink brioche ($14). It was unanimous around the table – nobody enjoyed it. There was just too much going on in the sandwich which masked the flavour of the shrimp. I also found the squid ink brioche to be on the dry side. Our server did mention that it was a new dish that evening. They’d have to do some major tweaking to this dish before I’d consider ordering it again.
The next dish that arrived was the Rasa Fish Board (market price). Today’s board consisted of apple cured salmon, Japanese scallops and caprese-style albacore tuna. My favourite component was their take on a caprese salad – the mixture of the tuna, cherry tomatoes and crunch from the parmesan crisps worked really well.
Following the fish board was the Cauliflower Fritters – bulgur, table, yogurt, harissa sauce, pickled jicama ($12). I love fried cauliflower but unfortunately this wasn’t one of the better versions I’ve eaten. And the price was a on the high side for the portion. Needless to say, I’d skip out on this dish.
A dish that came highly recommended from our server was the Cheese Steak – beef tongue, provolone, hot pepper relish, iceberg, caesar aioli, cheddar focaccia ($16) which the kitchen was nice enough to cut it into 6 pieces for us. I loved the fatty beef tongue which was covered in a delicious mixture of cheese and caesar aioli. Heavy, rich and just all-around a killer sandwich.
Up next was the Truffle Gnudi – wild mushrooms, Portobello soil, pickled shimenji, pesto, mushroom emulsion ($18). While I enjoyed the mushroom elements of the dish (super earthy!), I wasn’t in love with the gnudi which I found a little too soft and mushy.
Another Italian-inspired dish we ordered was the Beef Cheek Ragu – egg yolk noodles, crispy pork bits, fermented chili, herb salad, pecorino ($18). It was a decent bowl of pasta but it just wasn’t very memorable. With so many restaurants in the city serving up incredible pasta dishes, it takes a lot more to impress these days. But like I said, it wasn’t a bad bowl pasta. Just nothing mind-blowing.
We also ordered the Grilled Octopus – glazed pork belly, parsnip puree, apple + kale salad, potato chips ($25). It consisted of large, tender octopus tentacles paired with a fatty piece of pork belly. It’s a classic pairing but if it’s always done this well, I won’t get sick of it. Delish!
Our final savoury dish was the Meat & Potato – dry aged rib eye (18oz), balsamic butter, loaded croquettes, fall veg, chimichurri ($65). It was the perfect way to end. I love a good ribeye and this was no exception. Cooked to a nice medium rare, the steak was seasoned to perfection. It was also served with a side of chimichurri which added an extra flavour punch to the meat. Definitely a great sharing steak!
The “potato” portion of the dish consisted of loaded croquettes which were reminiscent of tater tots. They were perfectly crispy with a light, whipped potato filling. Super addictive.
We ended the meal with a Sticky Bun – candied bacon, walnut praline, cream cheese anglaise ($10). Hot, sticky, sweet and soft with a bit of saltiness from the bacon and crunch from the walnuts. Perfection!
Since I’m a big fan of the Food Dudes, I so badly wanted to love Rasa. But the food was just a little too hit and miss for me. Overall, we had a decent meal here but nothing rave-worthy. Our server mentioned that we had arrived on the first day of their new menu, so perhaps they still had some tweaking to do. In the meantime, you’ll probably find me back here for a drink but I’m not in a rush to go back for the food.
At a glance:
- From the team behind the Food Dudes
- Globally-inspired menu
- Located on Harbord, just west of Spadina
- Great spot to grab a drink; excellent cocktails
- Dishes were hit and miss; overall a decent meal but nothing rave-worthy
- Must-orders: the chopped salad, cheese steak, sticky bun
Ratings (out of 5):
- Food: 2.5 stars
- Service: 3 stars
- Atmosphere: 3 stars
Woah! It’s weird reading a restaurant review when the restaurant has my name. Pity it was so inconsistent.
A real pity… I so badly wanted to love it!