The third dining strike in Toronto was at ONE Restaurant at the Hazelton Hotel. First, the dining room and atmosphere is beautiful. Modern and buzzing. The problem is with the menu. There is no focus or theme. Its all over the place from Asian to Chicken Noodle Soup to Steaks. I get it. Its a “hotel restaurant” and they probably have to cater to many different tastes, but it still could use some refinement, especially in such a nice hotel.
I started with a Caesar salad which was ok.
…and a burger that was actually pretty good, especially since they cooked it medium rare which is not common in Canada.
The people I was dining with had mixed experiences from just OK, to an overcooked Wagyu steak which was sent back. Although it was not a Japanese Wagyu, we were still not sure if what came back was Wagyu of any type. It lacked marbling.
Overall service was ok, but this is a place you come to for the scene and drinks. I would not come if your primary focus food. The food is good, but the menu lacks focus and its more of a fast casual menu that doesn’t really suit the surroundings (other than the fact that there is a Dover Sole on the menu which may be the only place in the world where this item appears on the same menu as Korean Chicken Tacos).
Big strike 3! Wagyu should be well marbled and is a distinct bite. A good hotel restaurant knows that it is also its own destination and should not be all over the place. Thanks for the reviews! So easy to waste time and money in Toronto. One of the themes from strike 1 thru 3 is a wanting of culinary integrity. Too bad Toronto has been getting away with this