| Product: |
Eggspectation (Toronto) |
| Date: |
29.07.06 (768 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: good speciality breakfast dishes, generous drink sizes
Disadvantages: slow service during busy times, ambience and decor
You would be forgiven for overlooking Eggspectation, although it is rather large and located on Yonge Street near the Eaton Centre, pretty much in the heart of downtown Toronto. With its tinted windows, a passer-by would easily think that the establishment was closed - and all the more so given its confusing display of opening times using merely the first letters of the days of the week and numbers. Someone should tell them that there are two days in the week that start with the letter "T" and two days in the week that start with the letter "S". Overlooking this lovely breakfast and lunch establishment, however, would be a grand mistake given some of the unusual and "eggciting" items on the menu.
***Ambience and décor***
The place is not exactly the most inviting - as you finally make a decision to enter the doors to have a meal, you find yourself in a space that resembles a slightly upper-class canteen. You are supposed to wait for someone to show you to a table, but as the place is rather large, you are sometimes overlooked by the waiters and it can take a little while before you are seated.
All seats are wooden benches or chairs - whether you are lucky enough to receive a place in one of their few booths or unlucky enough to be seated at one of their awkwardly designed tables, where your dining partner will be slightly too far away to have an intimate conversation.
One of the reasons we had opted to eat here was the fact that Eggspectation does have a television (although a tiny one) on display - and during World Cup season, we were hoping to catch a few glimpses of the action. However, you would have to be seated in a very specific section to be able to decipher anything on the screen.
Does not sound inviting? Then I ask you not to look at the ceiling, as this may put you off slightly more. In one of the sections, you can clearly see a large silver ventilation pipe running along the wall - and grey ugly foam decorates the ceiling to either side of the pipe. The place could really do with closing for a day or two to take care of the ambience issue.
So why am I recommending this place, you will ask.
***The menu***
The menu at Eggspectation resembles more of a book than a selection of meals - and as such it is not the best place to eat for the indecisive. However, if you are travelling with a large group of people that all want something else, then this is exactly the place you want to go to. It is the kind of place where Gordon Ramsay would walk in and compliment the food, but turn to the chef and recommend a reduction in the size of the menu - and probably to specialise on something that holds true to the name of the establishment: dishes containing eggs.
While it is true that most of the menu does indeed consist of eggs in every form imaginable with all side dishes your heart may desire, egg-based treats such as waffles, French toast and pancakes accompanied by both sweet and savoury side orders, Eggspectation goes one step beyond and offers the likes of sandwiches, burgers, pastas, chicken and fish dishes and salads. In other words, good American cuisine. What makes the place special, however, are some of its house dishes - all named in some funky way with the word "Egg" prefixed to it, which you can find under the "Signature Eggspectation" menu.
***Our experience***
We went to Eggspectation twice during our stay - and in fact each of our experiences was very different in nature.
Having had mostly sweet breakfasts during our first few days, I suddenly felt like I wanted some nicely prepared eggs - and so it was of no surprise that Eggspectation came to mind. Certainly, the place can be complimented for very effective branding.
By the time we reached the establishment, I was starving. It took us a few minutes before we were seated - and despite the fact that the place was absolutely buzzing, there was still a nice booth available for us. We were handed a menu - and this is where the trouble began, we simply did not know what to choose. After much deliberation, I opted for two scrambled eggs with bacon and my other half ordered the pancakes with strawberries. I had the Tropical Teaser - a fruit juice made of mangoes, bananas, pineapple and orange juice and my fiancé had the Banango, a juice with bananas, mangoes and orange juice.
The juices arrived pretty swiftly - and where much to our satisfaction, huge. Imagine 3 bottles of Innocent fruit smoothies in one glass - only with the added bonus that it will only cost you the price of one bottle. And the fruit juice is truly freshly made.
Sadly, after the swift arrival of the fruit juices, we settled into a waiting period of approximately 45 minutes, during which time we were mostly ignored by the waiters. About ten minutes before the arrival of our brunches, a basket of toast arrived at our table, which I rightly assumed was to accompany my scrambled eggs - and I devoured almost half of it instantly, filling the massive hole in my stomach.
The meals were certainly nicely presented, although I could not say that there was much in terms of food on my plate. The eggs were delicious, warm and just of the right consistency - nor too runny to cause worries of salmonella, not to overcooked to feel like you are eating a hardboiled egg. The eggs were accompanied by sliced grilled potatoes, probably the best potatoes I had during my stay in Toronto.
By contrast, my other half's plate was bursting to the seams with three large American style pancakes, which he was absolutely pleased about and simply could not finish. The only minor complaint he had was in relation to the amount of strawberries topping the delightful amount of dough - after having experienced the mountains of fruit served at Cora's, it simply did not live up to our "eggspectations".
On our second visit to Eggspectation, we were seated much quicker and found the place to be a lot more empty. This time, I ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice and my other half had the apple juice, which arrived while we were deciding on our meals. Both juices were again served in huge glasses filled to the brim. I loved my orange juice, in texture and coldness, but did not like the presentation of my other half's apple juice, which looked grey and cloudy - but he assures me was absolutely amazing. At least the natural state of the juice confirms that it was in all likelihood freshly pressed and very natural.
This time we turned to the speciality menus, in particular the section entitled "Signature Eggspectations" to examine the various dishes on offer that were lovingly termed "Eggspectation", "Eggcitement", "Eggstreme", "Uneggspected", "Eggsilaration"and "Eggstravaganza", to name just a few.
We both opted for "Eggcitement", which essentially was described as flambé French Toast with cinnamon, brown sugar and orange liqueur - served with either bananas or strawberries. We decided on the banana version. Unlike with our previous experience, we were amazed how quickly the plates were brought out, probably a combination of having made their lives easier by ordering the same thing and by the fact that there were a lot less guests present this time.
A first reaction to Eggcitement will be misleading. First of all, although the toast slices are very large, two of them simply do not appear to be enough. Secondly, the brown gunk of sticky toast and flambéed bananas is not exactly attractive to look at - it kind of has an cinnamon apple pie colour to it, but looks a lot less well presented.
Be forewarned that your first few bites may be very hot - especially the flambéed bananas - but you can guarantee that the adventure is all worth it. There is simply an explosion of cinnamon, toast, banana, orange, egg, butter and sticky sweetness on your tongue, which makes you immediately aware of the fact that you are eating something very unhealthy. And one thing does remain true - the portion is not nearly enough for your tastebuds, which instantly become addicted to this fat and sugar injection.
One of the things that we did notice on both occasions is that the cooks in this place appear to be in something resembling "Hell's Kitchen". You can see them at work towards the back of the restaurant - and they constantly look stressed, flitting about, trying to bring out the meals while being pressurised by the waiters. It certainly does not make for a relaxing atmosphere - and may confirm our initial impressions that the menu would benefit from specialisation and a reduction in size.
Service at Eggspectation on the whole is okay - but certainly nothing to write home about.
***Other tips***
I rarely recommend visiting a washroom at restaurants, but I found them rather cute at Eggspectation. Going down the stairs, customers are initially confused as to where to go - as the ladies' is merely marked with a picture of a feminine looking light pink egg with an adorable face and the men's room is marked with a masculine looking light blue egg. The door handles are probably the best thing in terms of décor - they are actually large whisks, a very appropriate design.
***Prices***
On each occasion, we paid around CAD$35 (approximately £17.50) for two meals and juices/smoothies, including the tip, which is indeed a reasonable price. Juices cost around CAD$4 (approximately £2) and most breakfast/ brunch dishes will not exceed CAD$12 (approximately £6). Dishes of a non-egg variety may come in slightly more expensive.
***The verdict***
Overall, I would recommend at least one visit to Eggspectation, purely because their speciality dishes (and their ordinary breakfast dishes such as pancakes) are definitely worth a try. I think the key is not to expect too much from either ambience, décor or service - and then you are guaranteed an enjoyable experience. If you are still trying to make up your mind, why not browse their online menu? A quick look at this little "booklet" of treats tells me that I will certainly return to try some more of their specialities when next visit Toronto. The specialities are simply "eggstraordinary".
***Further information***
Toronto Eaton Centre
220 Yonge Street (corner Shutter)
Toronto, Ontario M5B 2H1
Tel.:(416) 977-3380
www.eggspectation.ca
Eggspectation is a chain of restaurants, with branches in:
Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Vaughan Mills)
United States (Maine, Maryland)
India (New Delhi)
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Summary: Lunch and brunch for those who love eggs.
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