Wild Chicory — Restaurant in Toronto

The flavours of the Seoul chicken ($16) were decent – a combination of sweet, sour, and spicy – but could use more gochujang for heat and less rice vinegar as it was a tad tart for my taste. Crispy and juicy, these would have been even better if it arrived hotter.

My husband hypothesized that the chicken likely got cold as they were waiting on the rice nuggets in the crispy pork belly ($17). Indeed, they were searingly hot, very crunchy and addicting – the best part of the dish. Disappointingly, the pork belly wasn’t actually crispy. Perhaps it’s because the big chunks of meat are difficult to render and the dish would be better served as slices so there’s a larger surface area. More likely, there could just be too much hoisin sauce covering everything, which I did find overpowering and would have worked better smeared on the plate so diners can adjust the amount they want on the pork.

The problem with such strong-tasting starters is that the mains feel bland in comparison. A special that evening was the beef rib ($28) that was prepared to tender but not too soft. However, a thick piece of beef needs liberal seasoning to permeate into the meat. When I was having it au natural, it tasted plain. Luckily, the dish did come with a creamy sweet corn bisque and barbeque sauce, two things to dunk the beef into. What impressed me most were the sides, a light creamy potato salad that was bursting with flavours and a crispy and fresh coleslaw.

In the coast to coast ($38), only the scallops were seasoned perfectly, the bit of salt enhancing the beautifully crusted seafood that arrive just cooked through. The salmon was okay, not overly flavourful but at least had a lovely crispy skin. If it was done a touch less it’d be even better since the dish doesn’t come with a sauce and the fish tends to dry out quickly. Meanwhile, the leek and pea barley was too mild and so over powered by the lemon foam that it started having a bitter undertone. Perhaps, it could have been saved with salt.

Maybe I was lucky I didn’t finish the barley as it left me room to share Wild Chicory’s tiramisu ($12), it was delicious… the perfect balance of soaked lady fingers and mascarpone laced cream. Shaving chocolate on top was a nice touch, but I’d still add a touch of cocoa powder as its bitterness would better balance the dessert. Consequently, the tiramisu’s sweetness did go particularly well with an espresso martini ($17), which had a slight bitterness that diluted...

Wild Chicory is representative of Toronto's best dining era during my life here: the early 2010's. Life was good, restaurants served interesting and well prepared food, hipster-level care and thought were revamping every part of the industry, and being cozy and homey was in style. It really does bring all of these together.

The setting is quiet, romantic, and soothing. The service is always superb and friendly; it's like being at a friend's for dinner. The food is comforting and satisfying but, perhaps most importantly, well constructed. It's fine dining without the pretension.

Even the names of dishes are, honestly, understated. "Sourdough bread," but it's a beautiful, still-warm, fresh loaf served with truffle butter. "Beef cheek," but it's a large chunk of incredibly tender, pull-apart beef, with well-selected accompaniments that accentuate the flavour. Almost every dish I've had here is not what I originally envisioned and ultimately better than what I expected.

It's actually surprising that a place like this exists right here. We've lived in the neighborhood for 15+ years, and generally speaking, a lot of the restaurants are overrated. We've done the Michelin star, the old establishment that a previous CEO said was his favorite spot, the trendy "hotspots," etc., but they never live up. Wild Chicory is probably the only truly great restaurant in the hood.

It's a fantastic dining experience, and exactly what you want when you're looking for good food and a nice evening out. You'll absolutely leave happy...

I went to Wild Chicory on the first weekend it opened and it was an absolutely wonderful experience from the service to the vibe and especially the food. The décor is rustic but contemporary and the space has a cozy feel. We were immediately greeted by staff and had great service from our server and the bartender. The cocktails were all great, but the Smoked Manhattan was a total showstopper! They also have a great beer and wine selection.

I can't express how delicious and beautifully plated the food was! The four of us ordered a couple different starters including the beef cheek and freshly baked bread with homemade compound butter - yum! The caesar salad was amazing and a good portion too. I had the Wild Chicory Burger, which is ground in-house and had great flavor. I loved the attention to detail with the lightly grilled brioche bun that still had crunch when I bit into the burger. It came with fries that were lightly crispy and still hot! The steaks we ordered were cooked perfectly and the fish was flaky and fresh.

We thought we might be too full, but I'm so glad we got dessert! The sticky toffee pudding had great flavor and my favourite of the night was the creme brulee with blackberry compote.

I could go on, but I'll finish by saying that I'll definitely be back again and highly recommend this new gem in the midtown...