Victor Restaurant and Bar

Seen through the eyes of someone with a great appreciation for clean aesthetic lines, Victor

Restaurant and Bar could pose as a stand in for a movie set evoking a timeless and classic

look, featuring the best of functional style, while retaining an open and intimate atmosphere.

Opened in September 2006 to much acclaim under the auspices of the Hôtel Le Germain (one

of Toronto’s best known boutique establishments), Victor offers diners a canvas of truly

Canadian inspired dishes that highlight the very best that Toronto has to offer.

Under the creative direction of Chef David Chrystian, himself a well known and respected

force in the Toronto culinary tradition, Victor has earned a reputation for the care and

approach taken to serving the freshest Ontario produce in high season, while retaining an

appreciation for local stewardship and sustainability. DSM sat down with Chef Chrystian to

inquire about his approach gather some input about what Toronto diners can expect as we

kick off the New Year 2010.

With more than ten years of experience in steering some of Toronto’s best known restaurants

to success, Chef Chrystian was forthright and frank in describing the vision behind Victor.

“We are already well known because of our location and being at the Germain has given us a

lot of visibility to do what we do. We did change the menu recently, and the approach we

took in re-designing it was to truly think of the diner and potential first time visitor to

Toronto. From this perspective, we thought, if a visitor only had a short time in Canada,

they would be expected to visit certain cities and landmarks and using this approach helped 

me map out what a gastronomic tour of Canada should include, and I really feel this is now 

reflected in the menu.” He doesn’t mince words. From east coast shellfish to Ontario fruits

and vegetables and prime prairie meat – Victor’s menu encompasses a broad ethnic mosaic

with a road-show of Canada’s very best.

With a reputation built around a strong sense of moral obligation to stewardship and steering

the dining experience towards a greater understanding and awareness of the journey from

garden to table, Chef Chrystian has played a valuable role in shaping Victor’s philosophy. “I

 grew up on a fruit farm in the Niagara area and developed a real appreciation and respect

 for where food came from by watching and learning what my grandparents (and their 

ancestors before them) had done in terms of harvesting food, especially with respect to

raising fruits and vegetables in season. So this really had me question why as chefs and 

buyers we were seeing things such as asparagus being readily available 365 days a year. This

was just not something I had seen practiced and my grandparents had so I did begin to

question these habits. At the same time, I came to Toronto with an idea about how to

 preserve some of the traditions I had grown up with and I can tell you that at Victor I do

 preserve produce in much the same way as my grandparents did. We pickle 600 litres of dill

 pickles on the premise as well as peas, peaches, beans and asparagus. This is fresh, Ontario

 produce at its very best and pickling allows us to seal the taste while it is still in season and 

I infuse these vegetables into most of the dishes on the menu. I use the same approach with

meats and poultry and I’m a firm believer in establishing relationships with the people who

 grow my food. We recently started a chicken tasting event for diners and I worked closely 

 

on this concept with Mark Trealout (whose 100-acre property near Lake Simcoe’s eastern

shore produces meats that have become some of the city’s most sought-after ingredients,

with local chefs clamoring for as much as they can get) who is a tremendous force and a

 proponent of much of what I believe in as well.

Inspired by luminaries such as Jamie Kennedy, Mark Stadtlander and Brad Long, Chef

Chrystian explained that many of his beliefs follow in the footsteps and best practices laid out

by his peers. “It’s the idea of cooking for our country and being part of the momentum right

here in Toronto that is really fantastic. When I watch others, especially someone like Brad 

Long who is a true spokesperson and advocate for this move back to the basics and 

simplicity, I really feel this sense that we have come full circle in terms of where we came

 from and where we are now, “ explained Chef Chrystian.

In terms of sustainability, Chef Chrystian pointed out that he would like to see a return to a

more grass-roots approach in terms of ‘garden-to-table practices’ in 2010. This would ideally

place greater social responsibility on the middle tier in ensuring that Canadian produce is

given first priority in terms of the pecking order that drives decision making in the food

industry. “What it boils down to is that supply chain should really try to stick to the idea

that Chef’s remain in the kitchen to cook and prepare the food and Farmers grow the food 

and remain stewards of the earth. To get produce to the market is the domain of the

middleman, and I’m a huge believer in the power of the middleman in shaping this process

and ensuring quality produce. Of course I will serve pears from Chile if it’s absolutely 

determined that we are out of Niagara and Ontario pear, but my preference is to offer 

diners fresh produce that doesn’t take a long time to reach the table and that I can vouch

 for in terms of an established relationship with the farmer. This to me shows a respect for 

stewardship and accountability to our diners.”

I sat down to sample two dishes from the recently revamped menu that featured the

preserved vegetables Chef Chrystian had pickled and stored and was delighted to taste

produce representing the labour of our local farmers. The first dish on the table was Rhode

Island Red Chicken (or heritage chicken as it is better known), which is extremely popular

with Victor’s diners. Once considered a bird that took too long to rear, Chef Chrystian once

again impressed with his desire to resurrect a timeless Ontario classic by purchasing this

heirloom non-organic bird from Elora, Ontario based Mennonite farmers and offering it on the

menu. Served with black trumpet mushrooms, sautéed chickpeas and compressed apple and

feta cheese, the small breast was tender, succulent and perfectly garnished, making it

perfect for cold wintry days when the palette requires more stimulation.

This was followed by another timeless classic - Bison Tartare with a ‘sexy breaded poached

egg’ served on top. The egg was poached only to a point, to ensure a soft yolk inside and was

served with crème fresh and house pickled vegetables and French fries. A violet mustard

(mustard seed marinated in grape must and residual grapes) gave steam and provided a

distinct wine flavor. The trick to infusing the flavor lay in slicing the egg with precision during

the first cut, so as to allow the yolk to seep out gently into the Bison tartare. The egg was

soft and rich and the Bison meat blended perfectly to allow a raw, refined paste reminiscent

 

the finest Kibbeh. In line with other practices, Victor prides itself on relying on naturally

raised chicken, bison, beef and pork and Chef Chrystian pointed out that these proteins cook

much quicker and do not require a lot of preparation to seal in the natural flavors as do the

hormone raised variety.

With 2010 under way, Victor will continue with an initiative started last year - Social Dining

52. This four-course meal served in large casserole platters re-creates the tradition of Sunday

Supper and provides a more relaxed dining experience. Victor will also push through its new

menu featuring a daily ‘theme’ centered around dishes that showcase Toronto’s ethnic

mosaic by district (ex: think Roncesvalles = Polish; Bloor West Village = Eastern European;

Ossington = Portugal, etc.).

On a personal level, Chef Chrystian would like to leverage his experiences and best practices

by educating others about the gastronomic belief system he grew up with and ensuring that

Victor remains true to its core values. Other ideas include a cookbook that focuses on what it

takes to be successful in the restaurant business and there is also a possibility of starting a

Hot Sauce company in the Kawartha’s with Mark Trealout’s assistance.

With bookings for Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year celebrations just around the corner

(both fall on the same day and the year of the Tiger is a prediction of growth), Chef Chrystian

reminds DSM readers to book their reservations well in advance. The gloom and doom of 2009

is over and things are expected to pick up full-steam in 2010. “Just looking at how busy we

are in preparing our special event schedule for this year, I can tell you that 2010 is going to

be a banner year for the Toronto restaurant scene,” said Chef Chrystian. DSM is in full

agreement and wishes all its readers a very Happy New Year and a gluttonous 2010!

Victor Restaurant & Bar is located on the first floor of the Hôtel Le Germain at 30 Mercer Street, Toronto, ON M5V-1H3.Tel: 416-883-3431 and Fax: 416-345-9501. E-mail: info@victorrestaurant.com and www. The restaurant is open for Lunchexclusively for private functions and Dinner is served Monday to Sunday from 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm. Victor Bar is openSunday to Thursday from 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm to midnight.