DINE IN STYLE THAT’S ‘ULTRA’ COOL
In the heart of Queen and Soho, lays concealed Toronto’s trendiest and darkest secrets. Behind its lipstick-red wooden doors, Ultra’s lavish interior incites passers by tempted in by its affluent design and sumptuous flavours.
Described on its website as an ‘informal playground for dining, cocktails and good times with friends’ the newly renovated spaces on trendy Queen St West re-invents the art of hob-nobbing. Re-designed, Ultra has become an after-work haven for those seeking a style, yet un-stuffy and social atmosphere in which to have a few drinks. Or for those who would prefer a sit-down experience, a chef with a penchant for fusing Japanese and Latin flavours will satisfy your craving for food.
We were seated in a maroon crocodile skin booth, under black patent leather ceiling slats, beside a sea of mirrors. The ornate and lavish décor obviously designed for its new ‘after-work’ clientele. Dividing the dining area from the trendy lounge stands a sheer black curtain printed with giant close-up shots of almost vicious looking red and white roosters. The roosters are a running theme for Ultra – the strutting cocks tying the dark and shiny decor, dance beats and extensive drink list to its unashamed and deliberate brazen, showy vibe.
Ultra’s food ambitiously combines Eastern flavours with Western influences. Chef Zielinkski was trained by Toronto/New York samurai, Susur Lee meaning the Asian influence is definitely strong and in most cases, very successful.
Nevertheless, adding to this social culinary arena, guests are invited to design their own feasts to share. However, leaving creativity in the hands of naïve customers can come with a few misses. And this was certainly the case with our Kobe Short-Rib Spring Roll. This strange combination of deep-frying Kobe beef in pastry certainly reminded us that certain foods should be left in their own original state, and not treated this way. The Tuna Tartarlets and Warm Shimiji Mushroom Salad were both excellent, and the Red Snapper Chips were tasty, if relying a little heavily on the deep fryer. The main courses of Miso Cod and Star Anise Scented Duck Breast were both decent, with the cod the tastier of the two. We sampled nearly all of the dessert offerings, including Mango Gyoza, Vanilla Custard, Lychee Tapioca, Mexican donuts called Churros, and Assorted Truffles. Lucky for us the prices were reasonable with dishes from $8 to $20 (£4 to £10 approximately).
At around 9:30pm, the lounge started to pick up speed as the DJ began turning the beats up several notches. On the opposite side of the poultry curtain, stands Ultra’s interesting and no doubt, exceptionally unique, centrepiece: a long solid oak table with 24 red lacquered chairs. Whilst drinks flowed freely around the aesthetically pleasing prop – which doubles as a catwalk runway – the whole affair seems rather communal for such a disclosed and purposefully pretentious bar. The juxtaposition of community in this cockerel-testosterone fest seemed somewhat unlikely. Again, although the summer rooftop patio and courtyard behind its oversized ornate red doors sits nicely secluded away from bustling Queen St., this element of spring-time sociability is rather strange against its dark, intense interior.
Maybe the cocks were a discreet sense of irony or maybe the theme simply does not work.
A variant array, and a unique Toronto restaurant, Ultra struggles to amalgamate innovative and quality cuisine with an opulent capricious bar, failing short of pleasing both expectant diners and thirty-something singles looking for a few drinks and someone to go home with for a few more.
Words: Jory Groberman
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