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| - This place is so popular, reservations are a recommended must. if you call them to book, give them your email, and within seconds receive an email confirmation! Saves me the trouble.
Once you find the corner property with the eclectic lit arrow sign pointing down to the door, prepare to salivate and enjoy yourself. The place is lively and loud as it is posh. And screaming of a character all its own--I have never dined at a place of this caliber that has so much personality built into the walls.
One must understand that Bent is the product of celebrity chef Susur Lee--a man considered by some to be amongst the best chefs in Canada or even the whole damned world--and his two sons. The family affair goes further than just ownership--the interior design is done by Susur's wife Brenda Bent. The sober contemporary and casual space becomes a gallery into the family's life at the back, where hundreds of small toys and other trinkets are neatly displayed in old lettertype trays. Prayer beads, cricket cages, vintage toys, Pokemon figures... all from the collections of Brenda and the boys. I love it; it is a unique approach to having art in a restaurant.
And if you think the gallery is neat, don't wait to go downstairs to visit the washrooms--another gallery!, of blown-up school photos. It all borders on nostalgic.
The cuisine is mainly what is typically called "Asian fusion." But BENT does Asian fusion like you have never had before. This is after all the restaurant of a man who from my vague layperson understanding, made his mark in Toronto and elsewhere over the decades combining French and Chinese cuisines in a very elevated way--which is to say this ain't your fast food or Spring Rolls garden variety cuisine. It will turn out to be a very wonderful experience. There is also a raw bar here. Something to try for everyone: most of the food is meant to be shared among your party, which makes eating here a fun experience for a small group and those not accustomed to eating "the Asian way" in a Western fine dining setting. The menu I understand changes regularly, with plenty of special food and tasting events to mix things up. Small portions though.
We went in when Bent had the Summerlicious program running, which they are a newcomer to this year (2013). Their offerings deviate from their 'sharing is caring' philosophy by reverting to an individual dining affair typical of Summerlicious/Winterlicious. 'Licious or not, the food is nonetheless great, even sublime, and I enjoyed every bite like I am squeezing every penny out of it.
The beef ravioli is a bloody big-ass dish of awesome stomach-filling tender pulled meat that nearly killed me--bigger than anything else I have seen served here. The desert sampler all had that sublime 'just right' level of sweetness that I never had before. It's hard to describe 'just right' sweetness--you just know it when you taste something that is not too sweet nor not sweet enough, it makes you realize there is such a thing as a 'Goldilocks' level of sweetness. Just perfect.
Deviating from Summerlicious (and watching the bill quickly outdo the rate of inflation), I also ordered the duck confit spring rolls ($14), getting a taste of Susur's brand of Asian fusion. This ain't my mama's spring rolls. The goat cheese can be overpowering, but does help to bring out the duck. Crazy. Crazier is trying to figure out how to eat a spring roll using a knife and fork.
We also had a couple other things, like the octopus ceviche ($14), which was chewy and firm and certainly not gross.
The service is more than expected and respectable. So attentive, it can be scary. I'd gladly would tip really big if I came back from the toilet (because, you know, to check out the school photos they plastered on the walls, no?) to find my napkin folded into an origami. Didn't happen, but why not? They are more than gleeful in making recommendations you haven't thought of, and working around our allergies, lactose intolerance and other such quirks.
Bent was certainly built to be a foodie paradise as much as it is an eclectic posh expression of a family business. To get here, take the 505 or 511 streetcar to Dundas/Bathurst, and haul ass westwards until you find that flashy arrow sign on Markham St.
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