There are so many delicious and beautiful restaurants in Toronto, making it hard to choose sometimes. If you want something truly unique and special, let me save you much time and googling; The Wicked Pot.
The Wicked Pot is an intimate secret dinner in Toronto that serves up magic and mystery as well as a plant based veritable feast. When I turned up to the secret location, my heart was stolen by how beautiful Chef Ivan has made the space. To quote from the menu for the evening, “eating should be treated like a ritual, a lifetime experience involving all your senses, a moment where you can appreciate the beauty of food itself.” If this was Ivan’s mission statement, he certainly achieved it.
Sat outdoors around a festive table, a log fire burning nearby, I got to know 10 other people alongside experiencing some incredible vegetable gastronomy.
The jicama and butternut squash carpaccio was a light and refreshing way to start the evening, but I also loved the slightly more indulgent salsa macha with blue corn tostadas. It was rich and spicy and the stuff of classy chips n’ dip dreams!
Of the savoury courses, my favourites were the green chorizo tostada and the hearty parsnip steak with chichilo mole. Holy mole it delicious, and I truly did feel a deep connection with my food!
In my opinion mastering plant based cheese is the final frontier for a successful transition into fully embracing the plant based, and Ivan’s Mexican queso fresco wrapped in patate was a great alternative, but definitely still an alternative in my soft, sad, guilty cheese loving heart.
What was as good if not better than any non plant based dessert in the city was Ivan’s incredible (I stress, INCREDIBLE) Chocolate Corunda with a banana mousse and Pinole ice cream. This was beautifully presented and boundlessly delicious! If that wasn’t enough – before we ate the dessert, we covered our hands in coarse, warm chocolate to gain a deeper connection with our food. If it wasn’t already, the ice was fully broken here as all dinner guests laughed and smiled with one another, displaying their chocolate hands!
Toasting a glass of Mexican mezcale, we ended the evening by chatting by the fire and it was truly the perfect end to a perfect night!
Wicked Pot Secret Dinners are $88 plus HST, and worth every penny. You can bring your own drinks too, which I greatly appreciate – the chef will send pairing suggestions ahead of the meal. For more information on the next dinner, visit www.veganartisan.com/the-wicked-pot
