Bungalow Cafe - 934 King Street West - Toronto

Graham: Walking east from the King/Strachan intersection, on the north side of King is the newly opened Bungalow Cafe. The outside of the restaurant is very inconspicuous and it's easy to walk by without noticing it.


When we arrived, just after 7pm, we found the place pretty empty. There were two people at the bar, and no-one was eating. It wasn't clear whether or not they served dinner, as it looks like it might just be a drinks/snacks kind of place. I really liked the interior, painted dark red with ambient light and candles on each of the dark wooden tables.

The waiter, a young friendly guy, took our coats and seated us near the bar.



Before giving us the menus, the waiter explained that this was just their second night open. He said that things were still getting off the ground with the restaurant and that the selection would be limited. This kind of putt me a little on guard, and I wasn't sure what to expect. He probably shouldn't have said anything at all because I actually prefer a simple one page menu to a ten page book. The one thing that was a bit unusual on the menu however was the lack of prices.


I chose to get the Fried Squid to start and the Rack of Lamb for my entree. Elizabeth chose the Pistachio encrusted Goats Cheese as her main course.

The waiter brought out some bread with chick-pea spread for us to try while we were waiting. The bread was nothing special, but the spread was tasty.

Elizabeth: Sorry Graham, I would have to disagree. I'm used to restaurants serving Italian bread with whipped butter. Bungalow Cafe however chose to serve whole grain bread with garlicky humus spread. A more sensible and healthier choice. I award them ****/5


Next came the fried squid. Usually when I get fried squid at a restaurant, it's pretty greasy and very chewy. This squid however was very juicy and not greasy at all. It was presented on a large plate wrapped in a piece of cucumber with some dipping sauce on the side. The big chunks of calamari were filled with some butter and lightly breaded before being fried. The dipping sauce, made from green apples, complimented the squid perfectly. I've never had squid like this before, and this was definitely better than what I'm used to.

I agree about the squid. It almost felt like a butter melting in my mouth. The supple sourness of the green apple sauce toned down the greasiness I often taste in fried squid. Excellent choice for the sauce! Once again I award this meal ****/5

After finishing the squid, I observed the restaurant a bit while waiting for the main course. A small group of people had come in to sit at the bar. It looked as if they were friends with the owners. The music really did not fit the atmosphere, Bad Company's "Feel like making love" was playing pretty loud, followed by some old Neil Young. One of the owners was sitting at the front window scraping at something along the edge, while the two others were discussing how the napkins should be folded on the tables. You could definitely see that they were still working things out.

Yeah, the music choice struck me as odd. The color choices: deep dark reds and browns call for a more jazzy type music. It felt as if music catered more to the bar than dining crowd. On the other hand it creates a sense of personality and uniqueness, especially if you notice crooked frames on the wall leading to the bathroom.

The main courses arrived, and like the squid, were presented very nicely. The rack of lamb was served on a bed of potatoes, with some green vegetables on the side, and a red wine sauce. The lamb was rare, which was perfect for me, but probably not for everyone. Everything tasted fantastic, the lamb was very juicy and the potatoes were perfect.


Liz talk about your cheese

Mmmmmm....I loved my dish! Pistachio crusted goat cheese. Cheese was just the right zestiness. The crust was easy to break with the fork so the cheese didn't get squished as I ate it. The inside was warm and creamy.
I never had roasted beets before. I do like pickled beets though and roasted beets had a similar taste. As for the baby greens..... what can I say not a baby greens fan. As a matter of the fact it's one of my least favorite foods, but I did manage to take two bites.
Just for the goat cheese I rate this dish a perfect *****/5


Since there were no prices on the menu, we decided to try and guess what the total bill was going to be. Along with my 2 pints of Kronenbourg and Elizabeth's cappucino, we guessed about $80 before tax. We were pretty close.


One weird thing.. there was no tax on the bill. Not that I'm complaining.

At the end, despite the strange selection in music and the kinks that are still being worked out, this place has exceptional food, and I think it holds alot of potential. I will definitely eat here again.

Same here. I definitely recommend this place to people who are looking for good quality food, and are tired of yuppie catering atmosphere. I think this restaurant is perfect for tourists.


Summary
Bungalow Cafe
934 King Street West
Price: 80$ for 2 people
Rating: 4/5