"9"^^ . "2013-10-18T00:00:00"^^ . . "4"^^ . "VICTOR Restaurant + Bar is located inside the chic Hotel Le Germain; tucked away on Mercer Street, it is literally a \"hidden gem.\" I imagine many celebrities who want some privacy would love to dine here; I just enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, attentive service and delicious food that former Top Chef Canada competitor David Chrystian churns out of the kitchen. While he didn't ultimately take home the prize - his dishes are winners for me.\n\nThe ambiance is laid back but sophisticated as giant \"lampshade\" fixtures loom over each table and large windows with tucked draping makes for great people watching. \n\nChrystian's tasting menu pays hommage to the many ethnic neighbourhoods and streets that call Toronto home. Each dish on the tasting menu is $14 which is a bargain for the top notch dishes offered. There are no preset number of courses, which makes this one of the most versatile tasting menus in Toronto (it's pretty much \u00E0 la carte dining if you ask me, except dishes are tasting menu sizes which allows you to try more without overindulging). There is also a regular dinner menu available which include offerings such as lobster bisque, Berkshire pork loin and \u00E0 la carte sides.\n\nMy best friend and I end up choosing to go the tasting menu route and we had no regrets!\n\nLITTLE ITALY, COLLEGE AND CLINTON, roasted squash + gnocchi - This dish was absolutely delicious! The cubes of roasted butternut squash were nicely seared on the outside, but perfectly soft on the inside which actually also mimicked the texture and flavor of the gnocchi as well. Think of the texture of a really good pan fried taro cake - that's what this dish was like. I daresay this is my favorite plate of gnocchi in the city at the moment!\n\nLITTLE PORTUGAL, DUNDAS AND BROCK, Lobster + Chicken Cataplana - This Portuguese equivalent to the Spanish Paella was a blast of flavor. The Chorizo was not in its familiar sausage format, but were what I would call cured cubes. The lobster was chunky and tender and the kale chip was a nice touch. The dish was slightly tangy which no doubt helped cut some of the usual richness inherent in a Cataplana.\n\nLES MISERABLES, THE PRINCESS OF WALES THEATRE, Duck Breast \"A l'Orange\" - The \"orange\" part of the dish is subtly incorporated into the veal jus in the form of marmalade which made for a nice glaze and intensified flavor. The duck breast was scored perfectly and its crispiness was akin to that of biting into a piece of roast pork. The only thing I wasn't really fond of were the turnips in this dish as I felt it didn't really go with the other components of the dish, but that's just me. I don't think I've had duck breast with a crispy skin quite as addictive as this one!\n\nLITTLE POLAND, RONCESVALLES, Cabbage Roll - This is Chrystian's take on a family recipe and is probably the freshest cabbage roll you'll ever taste. The piece of beef tenderloin is delicate, tender and cooked perfectly. But while the cabbage roll is delicious, the beetroot horseradish definitely steals the show!\n\nKENSINGTON MARKET, AUGUSTA AND ST. ANDREW, Moroccan Lamb - Of all the dishes from the tasting menu, this one was the winner! I guess that's why they say \"save the best for last?\" The lamb sausage was succulent without being greasy, and the spices definitely made it pop. The chickpeas were to-die-for - it hits up the sour, sweet and salty profiles with precise proportions of each. This is haute comfort food at its best!\n\nFor desserts we decide to opt out of the Fall Tasting Platter (in essence, a sampler of the four desserts offered) and end up opting for full-sized portions of:\n\nLittle Jamaica (Eglinton and Oakwood) \"lemon tart\" $10 - Whoa Nelly! You can never go wrong with coconut but I loved this dessert. The lime curd was just the right amount of tang, and the shortbread was light, crisp, and airy (thank God as the traditional kind would've sent me into a coma). But the simplest things in life are often the best; case in point the caramelized pineapple was the star of this dish.\n\nThe Parkdale (Queen and Ossington) chocolate tart ($10) - The tart base was divine; not too heavy. The chocolate filling was also good - not overly sweet nor heavy. The cherries were definitely intensified with the addition of booze and the Chantilly made every bite a perfect spoonful.\n\nVICTOR definitely makes the rotation. Chrystian does a really good job at highlighting the many ethnic communities of Toronto. He's not shy on flavor as each dish is well-seasoned and delicious; it's not just a bunch of sloppily thrown together dishes using iconic neighbourhoods and ethnic ingredients to reel you in only to be disappointed with medicore, pseudo ethnic dishes. \n\nYou even get a little take-home treat; I'm just glad it's not the usual tacky fortune cookie you get in Chinatown ;) And while my philosophy that restaurants attached to hotels generally are pitfalls to avoid - VICTOR is definitely an exception to the rule."^^ . "6"^^ . "4"^^ . . .