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| - Tapas seem to be all the hype recently. And it's easy to see why. Not only does it allow you to try more things on the menu, but it's also perfect for when you're with a larger group. And that is just the reason why a couple of my friends and I headed to the Ossington area to try out Foxley, an Asian-Vietnamese inspired tapas house.
The restaurant ambiance doesn't mimic anything I typically associate with a traditional Vietnamese restaurant. It has a classier fine dining style of décor with ginger brick walls and soft lighting; it's a perfect romantic date spot. In fact, we saw lots of couples there that night all dining on a few plates and enjoying wine.
My friends and I decided to follow suit, so we split a bottle of red and ordered the most interesting dishes that caught our eyes on the menu. This however, was a task easier said than done. The menu comes on a single-sided laminated sheet, with no pictures. It was hard to distinguish where the descriptions of one dish started and the next one ended. It felt a little like reading an essay! But once you get over the poor formatting, you'll be amazed by the variety of dishes that they offer. There is no shortage of exotic meats and dishes, like frog legs and beef hearts. But if you're not feeling that adventurous, rest assured they also do have many good old reliable classics, like deep fried shrimps, steamed mussels, and spring rolls.
The first dish that came was the Lamb and Duck Prosciutto Dumplings" ($7). These were served hot,crunchy and with jam packed with minced lamb stuffing. They're tasty, but nothing too special..
Next came a Sea Bream Creviche with Yuzu and Shiso ($15). They're bite sizes pieces of thinly sliced sea bream sashimi, covered with coriander and some lime puree. I actually found them to be a little too citrusy for my liking, but it is undeniably fresh. It was paired well with the crunchy fried onions generously sprinkled on top.
After that, a whole slew of dishes came at the same time, and it was difficult to figure out which one to dig into first; they all looked and smelled so appetizing! The Grilled Marinated Beef Short Ribs ($14) came on a small plate with about 3-4 pieces. A little too chewy for my liking, but it was at least well marinated and flavourful. In comparison, the Grilled Side Ribs with Caramelized Shallot Glaze ($9.00) were delicious. They were made up of two long pork ribs covered in a savory sweet glaze, with meat that fell right off the bone. We literally demolished that dish in a couple of seconds!
If you're a big fan of pork belly as I am, then you'll be in for a real treat at Foxley. They serve a Slow-braised Pork Belly in Muscatel Reduction ($15) with nicely marbled fat and cooked in a delicious smokey barbeque sauce ;it just melts in your mouth!
And while all those dishes were great, my favourite of the night was the Grilled Beef Heart with Chili Lime Salsa ($8). We ordered it just to try something new, and it was the best decision of the night! It came nicely grilled on two skewers so that the hearts are slightly charred on the outside for flavour, and still tender on the inside. Don't be afraid to try this one, it actually doesn't taste as farfetched as it sounds!
To balance out all the meat we ordered, the chef recommended the Kale Salad with Pecorino Toscano and Lemon Dressing ($8). I love kale, so in my books this salad was definitely a good order. My only complaint was that the lemon vinaigrette was a bit too sour.
Upon finishing up the meal, the first thought I had was that Foxley is not as "Asian fusion" as I had anticipated. There are some influences, but not nearly enough for me to notice the Asian aspect of the menu. That does not go to say that I didn't enjoy my meal though. While I found it was a little on the pricier side, I did enjoy the food and the romantically sophisticated atmosphere. Keep Foxley in your books for either your next date night venue or for a quiet relaxing dinner out with friends.
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