Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Mira, Toronto

By jewree Wednesday, November 24, 2021 canada, dessert, dinner, ice cream, pudding, reviews, scallops, travel

Today's review is going to be a first. You see, I visited Mira, a Peruvian restaurant in Toronto, with a group, during a business trip. I tried a slew of dishes. I took copious notes. I took mediocre photos. And then ... I got busy with the rest of the conference, flew back home, and ... somehow lost those precious notes.

Usually I just discard content when I have this happen (it does happen, fairly frequently, when I'm traveling for work and don't have time to write up posts). But this time, instead, you'll just get a pictorial view.

Peruvian Feast.

I dined with a group of ... 7? or so. Everything was served family style, so we got to try a variety of the menu.

Is Toronto known for its Peruvian food? Um, no. But we were able to make a large group reservation with short notice, it did get great reviews, and I was drawn in by the menu. So, Peruvian feast it was.

I remember being quite fond of the many sauces, and textural elements on the dishes, and eating far more than my share of the desserts. I think that means a successful meal?

Setting

Hard to find entrance.

One thing I don't require notes to remember ... how hard it was to find the entrance! My group circled around the neighborhood unable to find it, until we finally discovered the back entrance.

Seating.

"The bar, with its smoky mirrors and dim lights sets the tone for a unique pisco cocktail list that stays true to its Latin American roots while providing familiarity through a classic cocktail lens. A true feast for the senses. Escape to Mira for the evening, tucked away in the heart of Toronto’s King West."

My group was seated at this vantage point, looking down over the rest of the dining room. We were a fairly last minute reservation, and thus ... clearly got the worst seat in the house, located up a level from everyone else, adjacent to the door that was constantly opening with guests coming and going. It was not warm outside, and the constant gusts of cold air were not exactly pleasant.

Open Kitchen.

We did have a decent view of the open kitchen, located on the same level as us.

Artwork.

The stairwell to get inside was dimly lit, but at least it had cool artwork?

Bathrooms.

I liked the ambiance on the bathroom level.

Food & Drink

"Mira finds its inspiration from the bold flavours of Peru’s culinary culture. The menu offers a creative and contemporary take on authentic dishes with wide selections of the freshest seafood and meats made into a variety of ceviches, tiraditos and anticuchos."

Menu.

The menu was broken down into Aperitivos, Ceviches, Antichuchos, Carne & Mar, and Acompanamientos. We selected from most categories, but for those who don't want to make choices, a tasting menu is also available.

While I don't eat peruvian food often, I was pretty drawn in by many ingredients on the menu: purple corn. octopus. mango. fluke. yuzu kosho. truffle. rocoto. furikake. cassava. plantains. huitlacoche. And much much more, all ingredients I am fond of. Many of my dining companions had no idea how to interpret the menu, being unfamiliar with most of it, so I ordered for us.