Introducing: Parcae, a Québécois kitchen in the Templar Hotel

By Renée Suen | November 19, 2015

By Renée Suen | 11/19/2015

Name: Parcae
Neighbourhood: King West
Contact: 348 Adelaide St. W., 416-398-5335, parcae.ca, @parcae348
Owners: Reza Abedi (Wildflower), Dan Gunam (Via Vai) and Michael Motamedi, Danny Hassell and Joseph Awad
Chefs: Danny Hassell (Buca, Bar Buca) and sous chef Joseph Awad (Au Pied de Cochon, Sugar Shack)
Bar Manager: Kevin Harris (Portland Variety)

The food

Seasonal, meat-heavy sharing plates (horse carpaccio, lamb’s brains, braised octopus, duck ravioli) influenced by Hassell’s background in Mediterranean cooking and Awad’s experience in Québécois kitchens. Dishes are available à la carte, but nine- and 15-course tasting menus are available, too.

Salad made with three types of radishes, fennel, orange, Italian chilies, basil, fennel pollen and red wine vinegar. $9.

Romanesco, guanciale and a mustard sauce made using Hassel’s mom’s recipe. $12.

Uni topped with persimmon purée and garnished with a sturgeon cartilage chip (which is braised for 30 hours, dehydrated, frozen, sliced and fried). MP.

Braised octopus and bone marrow with beef tendon chips and purslane. $25.

Horse tenderloin carpaccio, duck egg yolk, pickled chanterelle mushrooms and pumpkin seeds. $18.

Clams, guanciale, tomato. $15.

Duck ravioli topped with torched whipped mascarpone, tomato, hazelnut and olive oil. $12.

Chicken leg, chicken skin, sausage wrapped in chicken skin and butternut squash. $14.

Deep fried lamb’s brains, chickory and mushrooms. $12.

Grilled branzino. $31.

Italian doughnuts stuffed with house-made raspberry preserves. Awad perfected this recipe when he staged at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana in Modena. $8

Pouding chômeur, topped with a quenelle of house-made vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of vanilla salt. $8.

The drinks

A short list of privately imported wine, a heavy focus on brown liquors (including whiskey from Toronto’s own Gooderham & Worts) and 15 classic and original cocktails.

The Templar: Bulleit rye, Luxardo Maraschino, maple syrup, cherry herring, lemon juice and Angostura bitters. $16.

Illuminati: Gordon’s Gin, sage and lime cordial, green chartreuse and lavender foam. $16.

Aphrodite: Chilean pisco, Pama pomegranate liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white. $14.

The space

On the main level of the two-level space, just off the hotel lobby, is the lounge. The dining room downstairs has its own bar, and one table in the kitchen puts four guests right in the middle of the action.