Ada L.
Yelp
Henry's, located near Queen St W and Shaw, is a casual fine dining restaurant where they specialize in global dishes with an extensive wine list (and bottle shop next door!). The space is minimalist where the focal point when you enter is the bar at the front of the restaurant. The majority of the seating is in the dining room area in the back area of the restaurant. The kitchen is also an open kitchen concept where you can see the chefs cooking and preparing your dishes.
I had heard about Henry's ever since they first opened and was excited to try this place for dinner. I made reservations several weeks in advance to dine on a Sat night.
My partner and I arrived at the restaurant early on Saturday but was not able to be seated right away as our table was still occupied by the previous party. The hostess led us to the bar area to wait for our actual table. We didn't have to wait long and we were led to our table.
Food wise, we ordered the following items:
- Confit duck basteeya (+ spiced yogurt and herbs)
- Beef tartare tart (pho gelee, picked onion, and nashi pear)
- Shrimp toast (lemongrass aioli + hot mustard)
- Picanha steak (suya, blistered Ontario sweet peppers)
- Dry aged duck breast (mole negro + sorrel)
- For dessert: sticky toffee (koji caramel, toasted rice and yogurt chantilly)
In terms of the food, favourites were the beef tartare tart, shrimp toast, picanha steak and the sticky toffee. The beef tartare tart is small (but shareable) and it did taste like pho which was surprising and unique. The picked onion worked well and the tart was a great vessel to hold the tartare. The shrimp toast is a classic on the Henry's menu. The fried bread with the shrimp inside, extremely crispy and somewhat heavy at the same time. The aioli didn't add much for me but the overall dish was tasty. Lastly, the picanha steak included these pickled onions which worked extremely well with the dish when all components were eaten together. We enjoyed this main as well. Lastly, the sticky toffee was a great ending to our meal. The toasted rice added texture and contrast to the dish and the yogurt chantilly cut the sweetness of the caramel.
The confit duck basteeya was light and the pastry was cripsy, however I didn't taste much spiced yogurt. The duck breast was also tasty but the portion for the price was not worth it.
Service wise, the staff were extremely attentive and our water glasses were always filled. They made sure that we had an enjoyable experience and changed our plates during the different dishes we had. Great service, definitely a highlight of the meal from beginning to end.
Overall, Henry's is a great place for date night or a night out. There were some good dishes and the wine list is definitely extensive (and can be intimidating but the staff can definitely give you recommendations) but food wasn't a huge wow for me. Service was definitely great!