Ooh-la-la! It’s lovely Valentine’s Day. Another reason to skip cooking and head out. The Reluctant Chef and I used to have a tradition of just stopping into any restaurant that we fancied and seeing if we could get a table… our small way of defying this Hallmark holiday. But our approach can only be taken in a much larger city, as we discovered upon moving to Toronto. This town has many restaurants, but too many subscribe to the “special holiday menu” theory and serve only a prix-fixe. How sad.
In the back of my mind I had filed away Chiado. Somehow this venerable restaurant had escaped my radar. It’s simply incomprehensible to know how this is possible! In order to correct this oversight, I call them up on Monday and get a reservation for V-Day at prime dinner hour. I cannot believe my luck!
My luck also is in play when we are seated at the best table in the house. Let me assure you – this never, ever happens. But luck deserts us as we realize that, seated next to us are a group of shrieking, screeching youngsters. My ears hurt. I can't talk to my Reluctant Chef, who is now re-considering the cooking option and you can imagine how desperate he must be. We ask to be moved. I don’t know who Silvio is – the manager? the maitre d’? the owner? – but he is having a diva night. I understand that V-Day is stressful and the place is packed, but really! The Reluctant Chef overhears: “She has the best seat in the house! What’s wrong with her?” Well, dear Silvio, the best seat is only the best seat if surrounded by good company. So we are switched to a table near the stairs to the washroom, and you know what? Only two people walk past our table and down the stairs the entire night. We have great service and enough peace and quiet to enjoy the great food and intimate conversation.
The chef serves an amuse of fresh cow’s milk cheese with a small dollop of honey with rosemary and reduced balsamic. It bursts with fresh flavour and right away I know we are going to be well fed. The restaurant concentrates a great deal on fish, reflecting Portugal’s traditional sea-faring culture. We start with a tuna tartare and fluke seviche, as well as grouper carpaccio. The tuna is paired with chopped melon that gives it a lovely sweetness, followed with a hit of pepper: divine. The fluke is delicate, velvety. The grouper carpaccio has to be one of the best I’ve eaten, including Esca in New York. It is served with white asparagus, toasted pine nuts, mint and preserved lemon. I would return for this dish alone.
Mains are hard to choose. There is grouper again, and surprise, a pheasant as well. But we decide that one must have fish when at Chiado and there are plenty to choose from the daily catch. I have a fillet of espada, pan-fried, super flaky, moist and tender, served with beetroot risotto. The espada (pronounced esh’ pa da) is caught off the coast of Madeira and is also known as black scabbardfish. It is actually overfished in Ireland and Scotland, but Portugal has set up sustainable fishing so it’s okay to eat it. It is a terrifying-looking fish, and very long, presumably the reason it’s not served whole! The Reluctant Cook insists on having a whole grilled fish, and orders the John Dory, served with mixed roasted vegetables. He is hard to please when it comes to fish, but declares this delectable.
We are so full from dinner that we must share a dessert. We settle on a divine chocolate mousse served with alcohol-marinated raspberries. Wine is all-Portuguese, and since it’s not possible to learn anything about Portuguese wine by buying from the LCBO, the assured advice from our waiter is welcome.
In the end, Chiado is a fantastic experience. The team at this restaurant knows how to please and after so many years, they’ve got it down to a fine art. There is a reason it’s always ranked as one of Toronto’s best.
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