Ame is more performance art than a restaurant.
One of the most spectacularly designed restaurants in all of Toronto; Ame is a feast for the eyes. From the beautiful bar area to the unbelievable private dining room, Ame's décor is something to behold. Unfortunately, there seems to be a major disconnect between the design and the delivery. In other words, the food fails to impress.
I have to say that our party did give it a good shot at enjoying dinner and ordered almost everything on the menu. It was a good thing did too. Be warned, the portions at Ame are obviously meant for children! No average adult could possible be satisfied with the prospect of sharing a dish when their share is no more than a mouthful. Here is what we ordered:
- Spicy tuna roll - average at best
- Spicy king crab roll - at last minute addition but by far the best roll we had
- Watercress with yuzu and toasted pine nuts salad - I had one bite of this....way too small
- Tonkatsu pork belly - by far and away the BEST dish we had!!!
- Saikyo lobster tail - not very good at all
- Wagyu flatiron - boring......
- Japanese curry duck breast with mango - Ok...when compared to the other dishes we ordered
- Shrimp tempura - served on a bed of nails which was pretty cool...but otherwise pretty average
- Oyster mushroom tempura - same as above
- Liquid chocolate - apparently the house specialty...not very special
I could go on...but I think you get the point.
Oh yeah...before I forget, the wait staff really need to lighten up. Ame needs to hire less out of work method actors and more humans. It's just food people. Really, who give a shit that the tempura is made with mineral water. What I want to know is what's good and what I should take a pass on!
The one shinning light that almost saves Ame is the bartender, Moses. Christine C. hits the nail on the head in her review. How is it that it is a guy named Moses is this Japanese restaurant's saviour? This guy definitely has the chops. Not only is he a modest entertainer of the drinking arts, he has come up with some amazingly unique cocktails. I tried the Hot and Sour. The ingredients sound gross...but the end product is killer!
Overall, I would recommend eating at Ame once...just to say you did.