An Epic Dinner at Richmond Station - Toronto, ON

The highlight of our trip to Toronto was a dinner at Richmond Station. W and I have been looking forward to this day ever since we found out that Chef Carl Heinrich was going to open his own restaurant. For those who don't know, Chef Carl Heinrich was the winner of Top Chef Canada, Season 2 and he also came from BC! We were so happy to find out that his restaurant would be open by the time we would be in Toronto!

Richmond station is located at 1 Richmond St W, basically right across from Eaton Centre!

The main seating area.

We were brought up to the dining area where the Chef's table was, where there is an open window looking into the kitchen.

The Chef's table is right along the wall under the kitchen window. It was full by the time we reserved so we were seated at a smaller table but still right beside the kitchen.

Their menu is written daily on a chalkboard on the wall. The waiter will also come by and tell you what is featured for the day.

We finally spotted the amazing chef himself! Chef Carl Heinrich, preparing some kind of meat in the kitchen. He is very familiar with farm-to-table, nose-to-tail cooking and he procures his ingredients from local farms and isn't afraid to use the whole animal. He brought out a gigantic piece of meat at one point. I think it was the ribs of a cow but I didn't get a good photo of it though.

Ok, here is where this dinner gets exciting! As we were just settling down and I was doing my usual paparazzi photo shots of the kitchen, I heard a voice: "So what, you're stalking me now?" And I turned to see, who else, but CHEF TREVOR BIRD! Those of you who have read my previous posts may know that I met him at the Tweetup at his restaurant Fable in Vancouver (where in I may have sent some creepy tweets), and again at the Samsung Passion for Fresh Challenge at the Vancouver Home + Design Show. I was SO surprised! It was a total coincidence!

AND not only Trevor, who was the runner up of Top Chef Canada, Season 2, but Trista Sheen and Jonathan Korecki, two of the top five were also there! Above was Jonathan Korecki posing with Trevor.

The four of them were having a dinner and were going to cook for a private function the next day for Visa Infinite. Too bad we were leaving for Montreal the next day, otherwise, we'd do some more stalking. LOL

 The logo of Richmond Station on the water bottle

 Ok, on to the food!

Polenta Fries ($8) - spicy aioli, marinara

We decided to start with Polenta Fries. Tasty, light and crispy. It also came with ketchcup made in house. So yummy, I wanted more!

Beef Tartare ($13) - hickory sticks, green beans, fried egg

W and I also shared the Beef Tartare. We really enjoyed this dish, too. The crunchy hickory sticks and egg together with the beef was the perfect combo. It tastes great!

Ah! This was a surprise! Suddenly, our waitress came by with two glasses of champagne! Courtesy of Trevor, she said! Of course, that was an excuse to go talk to him some more hahaha!

Tasting Plate: Mushroom Ravioli with braised swiss chard & kale, caper vinaigrette, and butter cream sauce

After we finished our appetizers, we were brought a tasting plate of mushroom ravioli. How nice! Even though it was just a small tasting plate, it was still beautifully plated. Mmm! It tasted amazing as well. This would be my next choice if I ever get the chance to go back there again.

6 oz. Sirloin ($26) - on bed of parsnip puree, yellow sweet potato, califlower, arugula + caper vinegrette, salsa verde

Chef Carl Heinrick loves his meat so of course I had to order the sirloin for my main! W had the same idea too. And you know what? It was delicious. Cooked to perfection! Juicy and tender, full of flavour. Everything on the plate just works.

Carl popped out at one point to ask how everything was. =)

Station S'mores ($9) - raspberry red wine sauce, candied hazelnuts, chocolate torte, graham cracker, melted marshmallow

We finished off our dinner with the delicious Station S'mores. Mmm-mm-mm! Very sweet but the tartness of the raspberry sauce balanced it out and the hazelnuts were a nice added flavour. 

Quinoa Salad ($11) - zucchini, radish, sunflower seeds, red wine vinaigrette

We also took a Quinoa Salad to go. We were supposed to dine with the friend we were staying with but she unfortunately got pulled away at the last minute so we decided to order the dish she wanted for her. She commented on it later on and said it tasted really good and very fresh.  

It was also nice that these little pumpkin cakes came with the bill. Ending on a sweet note. Loved it.

Our meal was amazing and what happened there was an added bonus! It was an awesome experience that ended our visit to Toronto on an ultimate high. I'd recommend trying out Richmond Station if you haven't yet. I'd totally go back if I ever visit Toronto again!