JOEY Eaton Centre

Went to JOEY for dinner before TIFF in the park on a lovely Wednesday evening. This was not my first time going to a JOEY restaurant. I previously visited the one at Shops at Don Mills for lunch and just ordered the Ahi Tuna Tacos which I adored. At that time, my friend  (AC, who has yet to make a post!) ordered the Lobster Grill Cheese (highly recommended by the table beside us) that left us very disappointed as it was very oily, so oily that we felt sick after 2 bites. 

To start, my alcoholic company whom denies his alcoholic behaviour picked the MEGALOMANIAC off the WHITE WINE - AROMATIC & OFF DRY list. The description from the menu was "NARCISSIST RIESLING, NIAGARA." I thought the "narcissist" description of the wine was interesting. I'm not much of a wine drinker because I find sipping wine is hard down my throat. I was quiet worried about the wine being "dry" to the palate, but luckily that was not the case. It was fruity and sweet, within my level of wine tolerance. 

 AHI TUNA TACOS seared rare, toasted sesame,ginger coleslaw, wasabi aioli 11.99

I had to order this again because I remember how light and refreshing this dish was the last time I had it. The ahi tuna was lightly seared to perfection on the outside and it was fresh. The crunchiness of the taco shell pair with the coleslaw was perfect match for each other. A touch of the wasabi aioli completed this symphony of texture in your mouth.  

 PESTO SHRIMP FLATBREAD whole milk mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, chipotle aioli & fresh basil 14.49

I enjoyed this flatbread dish aside from the slightly oily crust. The chipotle aioli gave it a nice kick at the end of your bite. Very flavour, a contrast to the ahi tuna taco that was light and refreshing, 

 BLACKENED BASA with tomato pickled ginger salsa, aromatic rice & seasonal vegetables 19.49

This was my least favorite dish of the night. The basa was overly season and I felt the fish was undercooked. The texture of the fish tasted rubbery to me. The bed of rice underneath tasted like something from Uncle Ben, but the sad part was I think in comparison Uncle Ben tasted better. This dish was a big disappointment and left unfinished. 

 MARKET CHICKEN SALAD shaved vegetables, feta, whole almonds, wild rice, avocado, goddess herb vinaigrette 16.99

Yes, that whole big ribbon of orange is carrot. Did I eat it if you asked? No. I don't have much comment on this salad. It was errr... no comment. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either, so I will just leave it at that.
I will take this time to comment on the service. I was impressed by the fact that they actually separated our main for us into two separate plates. That was a first in my dining experiences. However, I do have to comment that it took them FOREVER to bring me my glass of water. In fact, we had to ask TWICE.

 MOLTEN LAVA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ raspberry coulis & vanilla bean ice cream 7.99

To end of the end, we share the above dessert and it was very delicious dark chocolate lava souffle pair with fresh raspberry and ice cream was just divine. They all complimented each other by having sweet, bitter and sour all in one bite. It was a lovely ending to that night's dinner. 

Final Verdict: Slightly Above Par

I would say this is one of the better franchise restaurants that is currently in market. Good atmosphere, food can be a hit or a miss, overall a good experience minus the water. Haha~ I would like to try P.F. Chang next.