Just another day after work in November wandering around the Eaton Centre, my sister and I were eager to try out a new restaurant. Good thing we recalled that Bannock was just at the Hudson Bay Centre at Bay St. and Queen St. They had exactly what we were looking for, some good ol’ Canadian comfort food. As this was part of the Oliver and Bonacini group, with Canoe being one of my top restaurants in Toronto, I had high expectations.
Once I got in, I noticed the Canadian décor (wood and earth tones). On the right side of the restaurant, it was a perfect hang out spot for a quick bite or to chat over coffee or tea. This was a great alternative to Starbucks, which was across the street.
After looking at Bannock’s menu, we end up ordering the “Pickeral taco+ cucumber salad” on a steam bun ($13), as well as the veggie bannock ($15), with portabello mushrooms, marinated peppers, and roma eggplant.
Now, the verdict.
“Pickeral in a bun”- A must try, at least once. Ask if you can substitute the salad. It was beautifully presented, the fish was cooked perfectly, and the aioli sauce was sweet and complimenting. The bamboo shoot garnish added an Asian flair. The downfall was that the bottom of the bun was soggy and very oily. The side salad was a disappointment, as the apples and cucumbers were soft and was not crunchy, and the sliced coconut slivers were bland.
“Veggie Bannock”.-Tasty sandwich and worth the visit. Once again, you might as well skip the side. The roasted veggies were flavourul, and the sandwich had just the right amount of sauce to keep it moist but not soggy or dripping. The taro chips that accompanied the sandwich was very hard to break off with my teeth. Good thing I had my caesar to help wash it down.
Bannocks Pickeral in a bun with a cucumber salad
Veggie Bannock with taro chips
Despite a mixed review, I would give Bannock another try. This is a great restaurant for a casual lunch or dinner, or for a quick ‘grab and go’, especially for their sandwiches. It has a comfortable, earthy decor, perfect for catching up with friends over coffee and food without blowing your budget.
Also, I need to try their ’roast duck poutine Pizza’. I mean, how can you go wrong with roast duck+poutine+pizza?! Just ignore the nutritional content when you are eating it.
I will let you know how it turns out.
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I was just at Bannock today… I didn’t love it (my favourite O&B restaurant is still Auberge), but it was okay. My friend and I had the duck poutine pizza (it was super filling… we took half of it home), the salted cod donuts, and the Bannock caesar salad
I’d also probably give the place another try, just to try something different on the menu!
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* Thank you anonymous! *April, I agree with you. If there is something that is worth getting there on your second try, let me know.