Dandylion - Toronto

Seasonal, fresh, simple, beautiful ingredients. This is what comes to mind when I think about my recent experience at Dandylion. This restaurant sandwiched between Parkdale and Trinity Bellwoods is quite small and well appreciated which has kept them firmly on my must do list over the years . At home on Canada 's 100 Best Restaurants since the list 's inception, they 've ranked every year; #100 in 2015, #6 in 2016 a massive jump! , #9 in 2017, #12 in 2018 and finally #18 in 2019. You 'll also find them at #22 on Toronto Life 's The City’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018 list. I was so excited to finally pay a visit on a Saturday evening! Reservations are a pretty good idea. <br/ <br/ The restaurant itself reflects the cuisine well. Fresh, bright and simple. I loved the garage style doors, opening the storefront to the sidewalk outside and letting in tons of glowing light and a calming breeze. The space has a bit of an industrial feel with a concrete floor, exposed air ducts, and tons of old timey brick. I loved all of the greenery and the fact that the open kitchen is just a part of the same room. You 'll only find about 30 seats in this place, which suits the overall vibe of refined simplicity. The number three is definitely a theme at Dandylion you 'll notice it over and over. Chef and co owner Jason Carter is behind this restaurant and has a reputation as being the least self promoting chef ever. I can certainly agree with this after noting the sparseness of their website and lack of an Instagram account entirely.<br/ <br/ The friendly and knowledgeable staff was pleasant during our entire visit. Upon being seated we were offered sparkling or still water, to which I opted for still. Our next order of business was beverages from their selection of red and white wine, bubbles, beer and cider. I noticed the absence of cocktails which is the direction that I normally lean, but was happy to order some wine and feel more 'adult. ' Our server was gracious in assisting me to choose the perfect glass amidst my questionable preference descriptions and I ordered the Foradori 'Lezèr ' 2018 from Dolomites, Italy $15.00 . Made from the Teroldego grape variety, this red was light and juicy, just the way that I like it. The vineyard that makes it specializes in 'raw wine, ' which means organic, unfined, unfiltered, low sulphite, and no temperature control. It sounds like a very grassroots operation and I enjoyed their product quite a lot.<br/ <br/ Next was a delivery of a warm, gorgeous rustic loaf of sourdough served in the best woven basket. Apparently this bread is baked with a starter that came to life practically a decade ago. Served with fresh fromage blanc with minced shallot on top, I loved the spreadable homemade cream cheese like aspect of it all. The bread was ultra crusty and caramelized on the outside and beautifully warm, dense and moist on the inside. One slice turned into two and then three very easily. Delicious!<br/ <br/ The menu is short; edited down just like what’s on the plate to what is best. There are three courses offered, three dishes each per course to choose from, with three primary ingredients listed per dish. The whole idea is to create simple dishes using the very best possible ingredients. Out of the three Starters, I was most drawn to the Lettuce, Tomato, Cucumber $22.00 , yes even over scallops and a pork terrine. It just seemed to me that something so simple has gotta be done well if they 're serving it. This salad was a bountiful serving that also included radishes and puffed grains. The grains were wonderful, adding a satisfying texture and crunch. The vinaigrette was light and zesty, well dressing the bright and fresh vegetables. The ingredients might have been simple but the beauty of this plate was exactly what I had hoped for. There is nothing better in the middle of summer than a stunning and ripe plate like this.<br/ <br/ Out of the three offerings for main Plates I was immediately drawn to the Tuna, White Bean, Fennel $30.00 . The stunning plating caught my eye and impressed me. Rose coloured slabs of Yellowfin laid across a bed of fennel, sitting in a delicate broth. The slices of tuna were essentially prepared sashimi style, never frozen, and tasted incredible. I loved the light treatment of the flavourful broth and bite from the beans. However, the component that surprised me the most was the fennel, a vegetable that I don 't typically seek out. The blubs were deliciously silky and tender, bathed in the broth the best preparation of fennel that I 've ever had. The aromatic seasoning on this dish was excellent and expertly done.<br/ <br/ Not willing to pass up on dessert, we decided to share a little something from the Finish section of the menu. The Lemon Tart, Fresh Blueberry $13.00 sounded perfectly seasonal. Not too sweet and deliciously tart, this was a hit. I loved the buttery pastry, zingy custard like lemon, and the beautiful blueberry compote on top. If this doesn 't scream 'Ontario summer ' I don 't know what does.<br/ <br/ I had a lovely time at Dandylion. The concept of 'less is more ' could not shine more true than it does at this restaurant. They are doing well at proving that this statement is accurate throughout their entire dining experience and I loved going on their simply beautiful journey.

Absolutely brilliant. Bright, fresh ingredients. Completely open view of the kitchen from the quaint dining area. I enjoyed every moment of my journey through 2 appetizers, two mains, and a desert. The use of large crystal salt paired with the wide range of herbs, and edible flowers was a highlight. The house made kombucha was a tad sweet and young for my taste, but was still enjoyed. Dandylion, like fine art is most likely misunderstood if reviewed poorly. That's how I feel anyway.

Highlights included the delicious starters, particularly the raw beef dish which was essentially a tartare. The lamb and fish dishes were also tasty, and the cheese plate was wonderful. On the downside, the restaurant felt too intimate with tables close together, giving little breathing room. The terrine was disappointing, being too salty, and the smell of clams was overwhelming. Additionally, there was an excessive use of acidic elements in the dishes. In conclusion, the restaurant is good with a decent menu, but with some improvements, it could potentially be great.

The “Lentils, Tomato Jam, Cauliflower” was a surprising hit. The lentils were so infused with flavour that it almost tasted like meat (this was a vegetable dish). The slight drizzling of tomato jam around the lentils and the soft cauliflower made for such a unique dish and subtle pop of flavour. It was really a surprising vegan dish!

Three starters, three mains, three desserts. A total of nine dishes make up the entire menu at Dandylion. Short and sweet. This is perfect because it has never been about quantity with me; actually the more options there are on a menu the more indecisive I get I believe this applies most things in life though . In any case, what 's more important is quality and no word of a lie, Dandylion has completely won me over and in doing so, it has now become one of my favourite restaurants in the city. Yep. it 's that good.<br <br Just like its menu, Dandylion on 1198 Queen St. West is small, intimate and comfortable. <br <br The 30 seat restaurant is casual and welcoming. The potted plants are such a lovely touch. <br <br Opened in November of last year, chef owner Jay Carter who worked under Susur Lee for 10 years Susur, Lee, Madeline 's and was exec chef at the now closed Centro focuses on vegetables at his restaurant; he treats them not as a complement but rather the star of his dishes. But don 't worry, carnivores, Dandylion is not a vegetarian spot! It 's just that there won 't any huge slabs of meat there anytime soon...or ever. <br <br The bar menu features whites, reds and beer. There 's no cocktail program.<br <br MUSCAT OF ALEXANDRIA, TERRA LEMNIA 2012. LIMNOS, GREECE $48 <br <br HOUSE BAKED WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH, FROMAGE BLANC WITH CHOPPED SHALLOTS AND BLACK PEPPER complimentary  <br <br My five friends and I could only think of one way to dine at Dandylion: order two of everything. It 's kinda scary how much food six Asians can eat... <br <br STUFFED BACON, POTATO, GREEN POTATO $15 <br <br RAW TUNA, AVOCADO, CHILLIES $18  <br <br CITRUS, GOLD BEET, YOGURT $14  <br <br COD, CHARRED BEANS, BONITO SAUCE $24  <br <br ROAST STRIPLOIN, CORN, SHRIMP BUTTER $26  <br <br EGG, MUSHROOM, SAVOURY GRANOLA $21  <br <br PORK, APPLES, BACON JAM off menu special  <br <br CHEESE, SEEDED BROWN RICE CRACKER, DRIED FRUIT $12  <br <br PLUM TART, ALMOND, BUCKWHEAT ICE $9  <br <br YOGURT SORBET, RHUBARB, PINK PEPPERCORN $9  <br <br Dinner at Dandylion is exhilarating and so very refreshing. I loved my meal there and I 'll do my best to explain why. <br <br Dandylion 's menu is not tapas style, family style, or in any way 'meant for sharing '. You can definitely share we certainly did 'cause all six of us are huge foodies and wanted to try everything but honestly I could 've easily and be totally content with ordering one app, one entree, and one dessert for myself, with absolutely no intention or desire to share. Is this selfish of me? Maybe. But seriously am I the only one that 's somewhat getting tired of this whole sharing business? I 'm not hatin ' or anything after all I 'm Chinese and I grew up eating family style but nowadays it is so nice to see a restaurant menu in Toronto that actually has 'Starters ', 'Mains ' and 'Desserts ' headings. Classic dining style, you know? Also, I 'm sorry but I 'm getting kinda tired of being told by my server that with 'X number of people we recommend Y number of dishes to share ' it has gotten to the point where I want to scream when I hear that . And as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the fact that Dandylion 's menu is small and concise tells me that there will be way more hits than misses since the kitchen is concentrating on a small number of dishes it 's simple statistics, guys! Okay, rant over point made. Another reason why I really enjoyed Dandylion is that its menu is casual yet sophisticated, but not over the top. It 's not casual, and it doesn 't have your 'usual suspects ' like fried chicken, pork belly, or cauliflower *yawn* yet the spot still offers ingredients that are approachable and familiar to the average diner without serving what every other restaurant in the city is serving. Basically, the plates at Dandylion are not haphazardly executed by throwing whatever 's trendy at the moment together. Instead, chef Carter uses beautiful, seasonal ingredients and combines them with clean, delicate flavours and textures that are simply delicious and stimulating to the palette. Presentation is kept simple yet elegant with no fuss or any gimmicky stuff. I do realize that the menu descriptions at Dandylion give diners zero clue as to what to expect but I personally like that element of surprise....much more than dishes with descriptions that may read well but end up missing the mark. Last, and certainly not least, I absolutely love the fact that I can have a decent conversation with a friend sitting across from me at Dandylion without losing my voice!