Name: Punch
Contact: Hotel Le Germain, 30 Mercer St., punchtoronto.com Neighbourhood: Entertainment District
Previously: Victor
Chef: Mandar Kulkarni
Owners: Le Germain Family
Accessibility: Fully accessible
Hotel Le Germain Toronto and its former restaurant, Victor, were once the only reason to wander down the quiet stretch of Mercer Street. But, since Nobu’s arrival, the block has found new life. Rather than viewing the buzz as competition, the Germain family welcomed it.
“We wanted to open a restaurant that could add value to a growing community,” says GM Jean-Philip Dupré. “There was nothing wrong with Victor—it could have kept going—but it was a classic French bistro. We wanted to create something that made an impact.”
Executive chef Mandar Kulkarni
Enter Punch, an Indo-British spot with bold flavours, playful energy and just the right amount of swagger. “We searched the globe to see what Toronto was missing,” Dupré says. “And then we created it.”
And while the elegant room—equal parts Polo Club and Nani or Dadi’s sitting room—sets the tone, the restaurant’s true statement comes from the kitchen, led by Mandar Kulkarni, a 32-year-old Indian-born chef who cut his teeth at Toronto’s Michelin-starred Don Alfonso.
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The Food
Familiar UK classics, like pot pies and beef Wellington, are given lively, spice-forward makeovers that bridge London and Mumbai. Scotch eggs, for instance, are punched up with kebab-spiced sausage. At the same time, classic Indian street food dishes, like the chaat slaw, become elegant statement pieces.
Kulkarni’s elevated take on chaat is a julienned Technicolor Dreamcoat of beets, radishes, cucumber, carrot, onion and mung beans. For crunch, tiny chickpea fritters (boondi) are scattered throughout, while a pile of potato-and-leek “hay” crowns the top. To finish, the whole mélange is tossed tableside in a tamarind-yogurt emulsion and piled over a bright coriander chutney. $24
Kulkarni’s spin on the classic scotch egg swaps the traditional sausage for Berkshire pork mixed with sautéed onion, garlic and ginger, plus—for some traditional kebab flavour—a heady blend of green cardamom, black cardamom, mace, nutmeg and cumin. The mixture is panko-coated, deep-fried and served with a curried ketchup. $19 Photo by Nicole and Bagol
Fresh from Japan (or New Zealand, depending), the madai crudo layers sweet and firm slices of the fish with a tangy emulsion of coconut water, tamarind, ginger, garlic, jaggery and chive oil, which is poured tableside. Jewel-toned bites of pear, kohlrabi, watermelon radish and grapefruit add brightness, while mustard greens deliver some punch. $22
Indian and English childhoods meet in Kulkarni’s butter chicken pot pie. He swaps out white wine and thyme for smoky tandoori chicken steeped in yogurt and spices. It’s all tucked into a buttery shortcrust sprinkled with nigella, onion and cumin seeds, then baked until golden. $28
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Kulkarni’s chicken biryani layers par-cooked basmati rice with boneless chicken thighs marinated in yogurt, fried onions and mint. It’s sealed inside a traditional mini clay pot beneath a shortcrust lid, baked until fragrant, then opened tableside to a dramatic curtain of spiced steam. On the side: a bright raita of yogurt, cucumber, tomato, onions, Kashmiri chili powder, roasted cumin and purple mint. $25
The Mishkaki Canadian Prime strip loin kebabs start with an overnight marinade of green papaya, ginger, garlic and green chili paste. They’re finished with tomato paste, garam masala and yogurt, then grilled over charcoal. For a touch of theatre, they arrive on a mini copper grill over still-smoking binchotan coals. $45
For his take on beef Wellington, Kulkarni cooks Canadian Prime tenderloin to a perfect medium-rare inside a wrap of swiss chard, prosciutto and spice-layered mushroom duxelles. The whole parcel is encased in puff pastry that’s dusted with onion, fennel, cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds. It’s plated with a velvety green-cardamom-inflected sunchoke purée and finished with a glossy rogan josh jus. $58
A refined take on the traditional Eton Mess, this trifle layers lemon- and white-chocolate namelaka, pistachio sponge, raspberry cream, cassis pâte de fruits, airy meringue dollops, fresh berries, bright sorbet and a sprinkle of mint. $16
Here we have a playful reimagining of gulab jamun. Deep-fried milk solids soaked in fragrant syrup are encased in a sphere of chocolate caramel, topped with whipped saffron ganache and crowned with a delicate honey tuile. $16
The Drinks
Warm spices and tropical fruits find their way into a cocktail card that happily loses its fight to keep things classic. Here, Pimm’s Cups are remixed with vodka and laced with passion fruit liqueur, coconut and jasmine tea; dark rum punch is brightened with mango, pineapple and ginger; and gin sours are reinvigorated with fresh lemon, pistachio orgeat, cardamom and orange blossom.
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The Crown Jewel is a meandering yet balanced take on a martini that blends gin, white vermouth, fresh lemon, Darjeeling tea and pineapple-anise bitters. It’s served with a twist of lemon. $19
Annika No. 5 is a tropical blend of tequila blanco, lychee, dragon fruit, fresh lime juice and egg white. The peony-hued potable is shaken twice and strained into a coupe. $19
The Punch Panch (which means “five” in Sanskrit) is a harmonious blend of five bold ingredients: dark rum, mango, pineapple, fresh lime and ginger. It’s like a boozy Five Alive. $16
The Space
Autumn tones, leather banquettes, Indian textiles and plenty of millwork carve out a space that is both homey and elegant, foreign and familiar, and ultimately as inviting as the food itself.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
