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| - In searching for an evening out for Tapas, discovered the Hola Cafe, which as it turns out was literally five minutes away. From the outside, the place does not appear that inviting but once inside, Chef Casar Penalver was most ingratiating.
The atmosphere is casual and cozy with a grouping of small tables and a large red tile top bar, where we chose to sit and watch the chef at work.
In reading some of the reviews on Yelp about portion size, a reminder, this is a tapas bar or small plates. It is not about size but about flavor. The small plates presented by Chef Casar were nothing short of pure genius, making Hola Cafe a rare gem worthy of this 5 star rating. Casar has managed to elevate traditional tapas with his own take using molecular gastronomy and a few other techniques to enhance and coax incredible flavors and textures from his ingredients.
We started the meal with "Olivas", olives which has been pureed and then reconstituted to take their original shape served on a spoon with a touch of olive oil and a hint of rosemary. ($12). Casar encourages you to eat them as you would an oyster. The flavor and oil was subtle and a most remarkable start to the meal.
The Croquetas de Bacalao ($10) were small fried balls of heaven filled with cod sofrito and accompanying red pepper aioli. Crunchy on the outside and packed with layers of flavor on the inside. These were perfectly fried and not at all greasy.
The Queso Frito ($10) was unlike any other I have had. Beautifully sculpted and layered on the plate was a seared Haloumi cheese, a touch of ratatouille and topped with an olive tapenade, all accompanied by small fried onions for texture.
Perhaps my favorite of the night was Bombones De Alcachofa. ($10) These were literally small bonbons of artichoke served on top of a whipped brie cheese "salsa" and topped with a truffle caviar. Each flavor was distinct, subtle and yet melded in a way to present a cohesive dish like no other. Truly exceptional.
Other highlights of the evening were ... warmed prosciutto wrapped around a date ($9) with a catelope gel puree with black peppercorn which presented a perfect balance of sweet and savory in one bite; a live rose filled with a gel of rosewater and honey in which smell and taste were intertwined for a sensory delight; and a reconstructed capresa with house dehydrated tomatoes, burata cheese and fresh basil ($14). Chef Casar explained that he could not find tomatoes with the flavor desired, but by using a dehydrator he was more than able to restore the intensity of flavor one looks for in a capresa.
Topping off the evening for a desert was Espuma De Crema Catalana ($14), a whipped cream or infused milk foam with orange and lime zest and cookie crumble with a hint of cinnamon. This was seriously so light and delicate and o so good!
The sign of a good meal is when the flavors still resonate on your palate long after the meal has concluded. My visit to Hola Cafe was one of the better meals I have had in Toronto and I will be back for more!
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