Restaurants
Richmond Station
Richmond Station is the highly anticipated first restaurant from last season's Top Chef Canada winner, Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan of the well-loved West Side Beef. The duo, who both left their respective positions at Marben earlier this year, have refreshingly modest aspirations; to be the neighbourhood restaurant in a neighbourhood that needs one. "This is isn't fine dining" Heinrich tells me, "it's buying good food, cooking it properly and putting it on a plate."
The space, formerly occupied by Asian-fusion restaurant, Yulla looks totally new inside. The dining room is relatively unadorned letting dark woods contrast with prominent white subway tiles and off-white walls that display oversized prints from the Toronto Archives. Upstairs, in the smaller dining room, we claim front row seats at the kitchen-facing chef's rail and have the opportunity to watch the kitchen staff at work and to chat with Heinrich – who is clearly comfortable in front of an audience.
The pantry menu is divided into sharing plates, appetizers and mains consists of only 15 or so dishes, plus an ever changing chalkboard of specials that features the seasonal, ingredient driven plates that Heinrich gained recognition for on TV and as executive chef at Marben.
The Roasted Beet Salad ($13) arrives dressed in a maple vinaigrette, and is perfectly balanced with crunchy, toasted hazelnuts and a delicious creamy, labneh-like, goat cheese.
From tonight's specials, comes the cold Smoked Kolapore Springs Trout ($24, lead photo), served warm atop a dollop of creamy soybean hummus, roasted sunchokes and topped with antipasto and watercress.
For dessert the Iced Hay Terrine ($9) sounds a little weird, but as pastry chef Farzam Fallah suggests, evokes an autumn hayride. It turns out to be exceptionally tasty, featuring an alfalfa hay-steamed semifreddo, caramelized apples, pumpkin and almond "soil" and apple chip garnishes.
Heinrich wants to keep the atmosphere and dining experience easy and fun, he's hoping Richmond Station will become a place to drop in for a quick burger and a beer or a destination for a 3-course meal with cocktails and wine. Currently the restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday with talk of a lunch menu to be launched next month.
Photos by Jesse Milns
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They helped build that place from the douchy nightclub it was when they got there to what it was when they left: a great place with great food. The owner of Marben should thank them for his success and "Mark" should have the courage to admit who he is before accusing people.
Two of the most stand-up guys I know.
I was at Richmond Station the same night as the reviewer and it was great! I usually don't like going to a place less than a week after it opens, but they'd already worked out the kinks. The menu is super limited right now, though (which is probably why it's not online yet). They said the charcuterie plate, for instance, won't be available for a couple of weeks. But everything we had, we loved.
The ONLY area that could use some improvement, in my opinion, would be portion size. I had the burger and it was delicious! Cooked perfectly as well. However, it was quite small for the $21 price tag. I have had Carl's burger at Marben before and remember it being a bit bigger.
I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they are still working out the new restaurant kinks (re: portion size) and I will definitely be back to try some more items!
If reason and courtesy don't convince you to use discretion, perhaps the prospect of public humiliation and damage awards do.