I’m positive that most are familiar with Black Hoof already, considering how much praise they’ve received since opening their doors. Unless you arrive early for the dinner service (they open at 6pm), you’re bound to wait in line as reservations are not accepted. I guess it’s surprising that I’m reviewing Black Hoof now, but I’m certain that everyone already knows how phenomenal their food is ;)
Black Hoof is known for their focus in meat, charcuterie and cocktails. I would never bring a Vegetarian or Vegan friend here because well, even if there are other options for them, they wouldn’t be able to experience what Black Hoof is truly about.
Ordered a Tall Rum Sour; aged and spiced rum, orange, lemon, bitters, splash soda ($11) while waiting for my friend Adora. I can’t remember which drink she ordered after :)
We began with an Albacore Tuna Crudo ($14) that was both fresh and delicious. Loved the texture of the tuna as it was not cooked all the way through, but cooked to perfection. The grapefruit segments, pine nut granola, and fennel dill sour cream all went together beautifully. What an amazing start to our dinner!
A huge fan of anything tartare, this Spicy Horse Tartare ($16) did not disappoint. They’re experts when it comes to balancing flavours and textures. The hollandaise and crispy potato underneath were a great combination and the herbs ended each bite with an aromatic note. This was one spectacular dish.
A set of Pork Carnitas Tacos ($11) – pure pork goodness, enough said. Okay fine, I’ll say a bit more. The pork was tender and not dry, and the avocado & lime only made these tacos taste even better.
The Pork Belly & Nori ($16) was an interesting combination, but not the most eccentric of the night (close though). As a huge fan of both pork belly and nori, I knew I had to order this dish. It wasn’t as melt-in-your-mouth, but full of flavour and very satisfying. The shimeji mushrooms, rice, and raw shallots were tasty and didn’t steal the spotlight. As for the sauce? It was ridiculously good.
And onto the highlight of the evening: Foie & Nutella ($25). This has got to be one of the most interesting dishes ever. Foie & Nutella; who would’ve thought? When our waiter placed it in front of me, I couldn’t help but to chuckle. It’s just so bizarre. Although my head was full of question marks, I had a feeling that I would love this dish to pieces.. and turned out I did. Soft, mushy, sweet, and extremely rich, the combination of foie, plantain & nutella just totally works. Although everything we had that evening was memorable, this, without a doubt, was the most outstanding.
How could we leave Black Hoof without indulging in one of their decadent desserts (as if we haven’t consumed enough calories yet)? This delicate dessert consisted of an Olive oil cake, raspberry grapefruit marmalade, freeze dried raspberry and a Meyer lemon foam on top. The cake was moist and the olive oil was prominent. Tart and tangy, I enjoyed this dessert more than I expected.
In a way it was sort of pointless for me to review Black Hoof since most of us have been one too many times before, but I have to say Black Hoof is absolutely worthy of the hype.
Address
928 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6J 1W3
(416) 551-8854
