Delux

With a week left before this place shutters its doors I doubt this review will make a difference. Anyway here goes after snagging a last minute reservation we made it here on a Friday.
I had looked at the menu already and sorta had an idea I was going to order. Here is a the verdict
1) Corn Cakes. Very good. Nice bold tastes with corn nibbles grilled to perfection.
2) Confit chicken wings. Hmm I haven’t had chicken done in a confit before though I do like duck confit. This one faltered and didn’t add much to the dish.
3) Duck Confit empanadas. I was looking forward to this dish but this was a sad jumble of odd tastes. Raisins and olives just didn’t gel well.
4) Grilled chicken. Very good though the portion is ridiculously small. Even though its sold as a main course I would say its half portion. The plantains served on the side were quite good pity they only had 3! A good dish marred by the portion size.
5) Grilled shrimps tostone. Decent dish with bold flavors.
6) Fresh doughnuts. Served warm so that was good thing as I am not a fan of traditional styled one’s.
Overall I would say 3 stars as some dishes were quite good.
The house beer didn’t do it for me though the cocktails looked decent.

Went here with a group of 5 girlfriends and we had a great meal. We ordered one of almost everything on the menu and shared it all. Everything was AMAZING although I had a particular affinity toward the pork belly. The texture was spectacular and flavor… Well… I actually licked my plate, but just a little, we sat right in the window afterall. Hahha.
They should really review their staffing though, we were there on a Sunday of a long weekend, all of Ossington was bananas but these guys only staffed one server. Joe was totally slammed and couldn’t keep up as everyone arrived in a big wave and we were all on the same schedule and the place was nearly full. We waited for 45 minutes with empty plates and wine glasses, and then another 15 after requesting our bill. There was also a long wait to order but the food came fast (meaning the kitchen was probably adequately staffed for the rush but not the front of house). Joe was great, super friendly and kept his cool the whole time but really needed some support. Poor guy was making drinks for everyone too! He was really really great, just a bad situation.
Ossington on the first long weekend of the year and only one FOH staff? Are you kidding me?! Lucky he was such a strong server or we probably would have walked out. That guy deserves a raise.

Great service but food wasn’t so good! If you want nice friendly and responsive service, this is the place. If you want a nice sit down restaurant with clean and open décor, this is the place. If you want unique flavorful food at fair prices then this is NOT the place!
Our waitress was nice friendly and all the staff was responsive. Awesome! Nice décor, comfortable and open, great place for a date or romantic dinner. However the food wasn’t that good and overpriced.
We ordered the:
Pressed Cubano ($ 10) — grilled cheese and ham sandwich, broke all my rules for a meal, bad carbs, processed diary, and process high sodium meat but it was really good like a grilled cheese sandwich to be.
Flat iron steak with chimichuri and crispy shallots ($ 19) — told that we should order from the middle section for the entrees but this was smaller portion than pressed sandwich. Was not falvorful at all and very chewy. Again, very small portions, more of an appetizer than an entrée.
Black Beans ($ 6) — spiced black beans. Wasn’t too bad but really, a side of black beans for $ 6? Beans are so cheap.
Lucky my girlfriend was eating on the drive here! This is probably just too much for one person but not enough for two hungry person. If they can just get the food from Oddseoul next door than it would be a perfect mix of great food, great service, and great ambiance. I don’t recall ever having Cuban food, other than the beans it doesn’t taste that different from food at other restaurants.
Food 2.0÷5
Service 4.7÷5
Ambiance 4.5÷5
Value 1.0÷5
=========
Overall 2.3÷5

We were out for a walk one day, not intending on stopping for food, and realized halfway through we wouldn’t make it home on empty stomachs. We were on Ossington, and one of the only restaurants we’d tried on this strip was the Golden Turtle, but we wanted a more hipster style brunch and walked into the first such place we saw.
We didn’t realize until after we were seated that it was Cuban food — one of our favourite cuisines. The coffee was delicious, the service was friendly, and the food was quite good. It was a little on the pricey side but that wasn’t unexpected. My biggest issue is that it was quite chilly inside the restaurant and I had to wear my coat throughout the meal.
I had the breakfast sandwich. It was a messy affair due to several slippery fillings, but tasted great and the bun was fantastic! My boyfriend had the Cuban breakfast which he quite enjoyed. We probably wouldn’t make a point of returning, but if we find ourselves in the area again I wouldn’t shy away.

We came her for dinner on a Sunday because oddseoul was closed and this happened to be next door. What a great accident! We had the Sunday oyster special ($ 1 per oyster), corn cakes, squid, grilled chicken, cod, fries, chicken wings and the coffee crème brûlée, doughnuts and the dessert special of the day.
Fries and dessert special were ok. The rest were delicious, especially the corn cakes and the grilled chicken. The cocktails (mojito and Caesar) were also yummy.

Not often do I get to go for lunch downtown, had to find a place with a ‘lunch’ menu. This place is nice for lunch, it’s not too crowded but has people to not feel like I’ve taken over the place.
I had the lunch cubano, basically a cubana sandwich. As people say, it’s ham and cheese but it’s weird, it’s a pretty good ham and cheese sandwich. The toast haad texture of croutons.
The Cuban dinner is pork, rice+beans, plantains. They don’t skimp on the salt. But the plantains were delicious, pork though is a bit dry.
I’d say the service could be more attentive. Though it’s ossington, usually it’s laid back. But they usually show you they care. This place, just laid back.
I like the «art» that is on the wall, particular the alphabet signage. I was corrected (not at the restaurant, by someone who I was telling about it) that it’s «typefaces» not «fonts» that is the art. People in this area must like their «typefaces».

For a lunch place, this is definitely four stars.
We all had the pressed cubano sandwich with fries, which came with a crème-​brulee for dessert (it included a coke as well, but we opted for beer as it was a going away lunch and we were sad about the person going away).
In any event, all that for $ 15 was great.
The sandwich was great, (grainy mustard, barely-​noticeable-​except-​for-​their-​awesome-​tanginess sliced pickles, and the melty cheese (yumm)[yeah these are square brackets in a Unilocal review])).
I say melty cheese because there was nothing really different or compelling about the cheese by itself. The sandwich was a unit– a unit deliciousness. Deconstructing any of the ingredients separately would do it a disservice.
So I say to you, order the sandwich and you’re 90% likely to enjoy it (and opt for the salad for dinner).

We went here for desserts after going to our Burger Week’s restaurant. We got warm chocolate chip cookies and donuts. Both were warm and delicious and I absolutely loved both. I have to say that I love the donuts a bit more though! This is definitely a must try dessert when you visit this restaurant! (I believe each dessert was $ 5.)

My friend and I started off with the charcuterie plate… I love charcuterie so this was already a shoe-​in for me.
I had the pressed cubano sandwich, which came with fried plantain chips on the side. I loved the sandwich — from the tender pieces of meat to the crunch of the bread to the whole grain mustard that they used.
The restaurant itself is small and cozy, and the service is friendly and accommodating. Our server really took the time to explain to us what each dish was and he always kept my glass full! I always appreciate that because it seems pretty uncommon these days.

The Ossington strip has become quite the popular destination for foodies. With crowd-​pleasers such as Rock Lobster Food, The Saint and Yours Truly, Delux can be easily missed.
It doesn’t have an eye-​catching sign and is rather low-​key. The restaurant looks pedestrian but it belies an understanding of food that goes beyond its unassuming appearance.
Those in the know frequent Delux for the Pressed Cubano Sandwich, a duo of cider cured pork shoulder, ham, Gruyère, grainy mustard, cornichons, and red onion wedged between two immaculate, crunchy, slices of bread. One couldn’t ask for a more divine ham and cheese sandwich!
Having started with such a home-​run dish, they continued to wow with their White Bean Cassoulet with a trio of proteins (duck confit, pork belly and Toulousse sausage). This was a rich dish that probably shouldn’t be consumed on a daily basis as the salty duck confit would surely max you out on your daily sodium intake and while the Cannellini beans soaked up a lot of flavour, I couldn’t help but wish they were a tad softer than presented.
The Steak Frites topped with herbed marrow butter saw an evenly-​cooked-​throughout medium rare Wellington County with a uniformly-​charred border that rivals the neatness of a crustless afternoon tea sandwich. The fries are smooth even if a bit on the softer side which goes well with the creamy smoked paprika aioli.
To finish off the evening we opted for the baked-​to-​order Buttermilk Donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar served with a yin yang duo of vanilla-​packed Chantilly and dulce de leche. Part of the fun is licking your fingers from all the dulce de leche that you’ve smeared all over yourself from trying to get it to cling to these warm balls of delight!
If you haven’t had a chance to check out Delux, there’s no better time than now as they celebrate their five-​year anniversary with a discounted menu — appetizers for $ 10, entrées for $ 20 and desserts for $ 5 until the end of the month. The one caveat is that the drinks are a tad pricey, but there are plenty of cheap watering holes in the area for an after party or two post-​dinner. I’m already rallying up the troupes as an alternative to Winterlicious for round two!

Back in the summer, I had a chance to try Delux’s Cuban lunch (though I thought of it as more of a brunch!)
We started off with a plate of conch fritters ($ 8) served with a delicious and addictive mayo-​based dip. At first, we were confused because the conch was nowhere to be found. Upon inquiry, we learned that the conch was actually finely diced and incorporated into the batter. On the whole, we really enjoyed the crispy fritters, particularly the doughy texture. I would order this again in a heartbeat.
Couldn’t eat at Delux and not try their famous Pressed Cubano ($ 10). I haven’t had a lot of Cuban sandwiches in my life, but this one was, hands-​down, the best I’ve ever had. I absolutely loved the crunch of the bread and the mustard was awesome! I have nothing but praise!
My friend tried the Cuban Medianoche ($ 8) with cider cured pork shoulder, ham and gruyère on a fresh baked soft bun. This sandwich was also very enjoyable with a softer overall texture. The gruyère melted beautifully into a gooey mess over the pile of savoury ham.
Another friend also ordered a sandwich with achiote and lime chicken, avocado, tomato, aioli on fresh baked bread ($ 9). For me, this sandwich, while tasty, was the weakest one of the three. We wished that the bread had been toasted.
All in all, we had a fantastic lunch at Delux. The sandwiches here are wonderful (especially the Pressed Cubano), and I look forward to coming back to try their famous steak frites for dinner!

3.5 stars out of 5 (really wish Unilocal would let us give half stars)
My friends and I went to Delux on Saturday with the intention of having lunch, but were slightly disappointed to find out they only had brunch on Sundays. I guess we should have paid a bit more attention to their website, but I figured brunch was a universal weekend thing.
Nonetheless, we stayed for lunch and had a great time. The décor is comfy and relaxed and the staff are knowledgeable and kind. I ordered the chicken sandwich with a side of conch fritters. When I visited the Bahamas, I remember having the best conch fritters, so I was excited to see this on the menu. These fritters lacked the seafood taste I was looking for, and was on the bland side. The chicken sandwich, on the other hand was amazing. The bread was nice and soft and the tomato and avocado gave it a great fresh flavour. The chicken was also well seasoned and moist. I always worry that chicken will be dried out, so I always order it with a bit of apprehension, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Overall it’s a great spot. I hear they do a great dinner as well, so I’m sure I’ll be back.

Delux has been on our brunch list for a while. If I had known how amazing their brunch was, I would have made an effort to drop by sooner!
What we tried:
Donuts ($ 5) — These little buttermilk donuts were coated with cinnamon sugar and had a nice crisp outside with a dense, moist interior. They also came with a side of dulce de leche Chantilly cream which paired perfectly with the donuts. A must order!
Duck Confit Picadillo Hash ($ 12) — with tostones and two sunny side up eggs. This dish certainly lived up to all the hype! The hash consisted of red peppers, raisins, capers, olives, chunky potatoes and of course, pieces of duck confit. The combination of the flavours went together perfectly. I particularly liked the addition of the raisins which added a nice bit of sweetness to the dish.
Pressed Cubano Sandwich ($ 10) — cheese, slices of pork, ham, cornichons and grainy mustard. It pretty much looked like a grilled cheese with ham in it and the price was a little on the high side given that it didn’t come with any sides, but boy did it taste amazing. A fantastic sandwich!
A perfect brunch!

Ossington street is booming with trendy restaurants. This is one of the good ones…

The most DEE-​LICIOUS BRUNCH I have had in ages!
Delux does Cuban brunch on Sundays (yes, only Sundays) from 11am-​3pm.
My fab femmes and I visited here and were blown away by the scrumptious food. I had the duck confit hash with rice & beans, salad, tostanos (fried plantain) topped with two sunny side up eggs. My dining companions had the breakfast sandwiches and the Cuban breakfast.
Complete silence ensued once the food arrived — it was so good we had to stop the small talk for awhile.
Brunch is reasonably priced from $ 8-​$ 14. Booze (mimosas, mijitos) were $ 8 each. Cuban coffee, americanos and café con leches were also available. Homemade in-​house donuts and fritters available for $ 5 a plate.
We were seated in a comfy little booth, but there were some regular tables too. Nice décor and friendly hipster-​ish staff.
I’m not sure I would return here for dinner, but I will definitely back for brunch. A new favourite for sure.

We ate at Delux over the weekend. Great meal!
Dinner dining seems more focused to French style food than Cuban although they had a cubano sandwich as an appetizer.
The lunch menu on the wall leads me to believe that it is very Cuban focused for the noon-​crowd.
As for dinner — things to love:
— STEAK FRITES — my hubby had these and they looked good and tasted good. Meat was cooked perfectly, frites were crispy on the outside.
— CHARCUTERIE PLATE — OMG — was so good, three different options, and way to much to eat alone unless you are very hungry — so perfect for sharing. Came with lots of toast points. We had chicken liver mouse, another soft pâté and a coarse country pâté — pickled raisins and cournichons on the side.
— DUCK CONFIT — I had this and it was good. It is a smaller helping than the steak/​frites but I was good with that. Crispy skin, moist meat and on top of grilled eggplant and some greens. Had some kind of «jus» that just made it wonderful.
They had good selection of wines — some at good price point. The Crianza we picked went well with our food.
DESSERT — you must try the doughnut holes with chantilly cream. They came warm — sooooo good.
SEATING — ATMOSPHERE —
In the front — note that the booths are tight seating and also the side seating is close (right on top of your neighbour!)
In the back — much more room (no booths) and very comfortable. We sat back here and enjoyed it very much.
PARKING — street parking only
Not a huge space so if you can reserve or go early — do so – place fills up quickly.
Enjoy!

They have duck on the menu! If there’s duck at a restaurant, I must try it, and here, I’m super glad that I did! This is a low key, dark restaurant with some seriously tasty food. I came here with Catherine L for the Telus Tuesday Special, which by the way, was an amazing deal.
We started with the oysters and charcuterie plate. Delicious! The oysters were so fresh and the charcuterie was the right amount of saltiness and quantity to make for a light and appealing appetizer.
The aforementioned duck was crispy, juicy and all round awesome. The black cod with mussels was meaty and perfectly done.
For dessert, we both had the crème brûlée which tasted like it should.
If it wasn’t for the deal, the bill would have added up quite a bit. Also, it’s not the place for big eaters to come and expect to be full. I was pretty satisfied, but I know bigger eaters than me certainly wouldn’t be with our choice of the menu.
The service was good. The bathroom is located down a steep flight of stairs with single self-​contained stalls. The restaurant is bigger than it looks on the outside because there’s an entire back area that is separated from the front of the restaurant by the kitchen.
The only complaint I have really had nothing to do with the restaurant, rather the difficulty I had getting here via public transportation. The Queen Street West streetcar is notoriously unreliable. On the way back, we waited over half an hour even though the ttc text system said it would take 10 minutes. A better alternative is to take the Ossington Bus which starts at the Ossington Subway Station and goes through to Liberty Village and back.

Telus Tuesday Specials Restaurant #2
I wish Delux will keep its Cuban flare for their dinner menu… I tried really hard to find anything remotely Cuban… aside from the Pressed cubano Sandwich…
I asked my waiter which items on their menu that is close to Cuban cuisine… and he went hmmmmmm … and said just try the chicken. since the chef used Achiote and lime as marinade…
Oysters on half Shell ($ 15)
— great oyster flavour and fresh. that hint of crisp apple migonette did enhanced the flavour…
— I finished that in record speed… and I want more more oysters!
Salt Roasted Pear ($ 11)
— I don’t know why I enjoy what my date vegetarian option more… maybe I am slowly converted…
Achiote and Lime Roasted Chicken ($ 21)
— The chicken was surprising juicy… even the breast area which usually dry turned out to be nice and tender…
— A-​OK! But did not Wow me…
Cuban Coffee Crème Brulee ($ 7)
— Now. I discover this ongoing pattern. what your date ordered is always more tasty!
— Not the best crème brûlée I have, but rich and creamy… and yes I was glad that someone nice shared it with me!
— The coffee taste was not really strong… just a hint…
Buttermilk Doughnuts with Chantilly Cream ($ 7)
— Fresh and Hot Doughnuts… crispy and crunchy on the outside. soft and warm inside…
— Good tasting as doughnuts. but they don’t really satisfy my sweet tooth
The drinks! $ 11 for a Mojito and other cocktails are a little pricey… I am not surprise when no other tables around us ordered any cocktails, most of them either drink beer or wine…
Will I come back? Maybe for lunch… but I found the dinner menu uninspiring… but I am glad that I came for the Telus Offers!
BTW, my date was still hungry after eating here with the 3 course meals… maybe Delux knows she wants to be on a diet?

Dining Experience: Dinner
Specialty: Québécois/​Cuban Fusion
Menu items: Pressed Cubano Sandwich, Black Cod & Steamed PEI Mussels and Steak Frites
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Beaune-​Burgundy.
It’s quite a delight to find restaurants that truly give you a run for your taste buds. It’s even more interesting when those same restaurants explore with different types of cuisines, without being afraid to be boxed into a «specialty». I say Delux is one of them. Some people think of it as French inspired; others say it has Cuban influence… I say, who cares? In my mind, when it comes to Cuban and French, it just doesn’t get better than that (ok, maybe if you add some Italian to that mix).
I fell in like with Delux from the moment the fresh Pressed Cubano Sandwich landed on my table.
To the naked eye, the sandwich looks like your typical grilled ham and cheese. However, this is way more than a sandwich, its a «deluxury». Cider cured pork shoulder (lamb shoulder could’ve also worked here), ham, gruyère cheese, grainy mustard, cornichons (aka pickled cucumbers) and red onions, are definitely not the typical ingredients one finds in a grilled sandwich.
The acidity of the cornichons mixed with the nuttiness of the gruyère and the strong flavour of the pork created that je né sais quoi I was hoping for.
Moving from the Cuban inspired to the French influence, we are now on to the Black Cod and Steamed PEI Mussels on a Bouillabaisse broth.
Having previously found Julia’s Boeuf Bourguignon at a Toronto spot, I was extremely happy to see yet another place showing off with a great execution of her recipes. Bouillabaisse is a seafood soup originating from the south of France made with various kinds of cooked fish, shellfish and vegetables. The soup is flavored with a variety of herbs and spices such as garlic, orange peel, basil, bay leafs, fennel and saffron.
Delux managed to make the broth with two of my favourite aquatic animals — Black Cod and Mussels. The cod was soft and buttery and topped with a crunchy and perfectly fried skin; the mussels were fresh, chunky and tasty. All in all a great Julia experience.
Fully aware that Delux was known for its Steak Frites; the decision was made to go with this recommend. It didn’t disappoint.
Deluxe’s Wellington County Flat Iron Steak has been named one of the top 5 Steak Frites to eat in Toronto by Toronto Life. Next to Jacob’s and CO steak frites, their stake offers a unique earthy mouth-​watering flavour. I am sure the fact that the meat is grass-​fed has a lot do with its taste, as well the way in which they cook it. Paired with some well done French fries, this was certainly the way to end a meal at Delux. Ok, I take that back… dessert would have been awesome, but unfortunately this Foodie can’t over do it. Like my fellow Colombian said, my hips don’t lie.
Until next time Foodies.
Buen Provecho,
Viviana.

Got the cubano lunch combo.
14 $ for fries, a coke, and a sandwich. Sort of steep for what you get — but the restaurant décor is nice enough to command that price I guess.
The sandwich was OK. A pressed panini with porcetta, ham, some mustard, and cheese. Didn’t wow me. Fries were nicely salted and fresh, though.
Totally empty @ mid-​week lunch. Cool design inside, comfortable booths (although a little tight).
If you have someone with bad knees or are really old — don’t let them go to the bathroom. The stairs to the basement are like a foot and half apart. All I could think about was trying to get down them drunk.
Bay of pigs.

Strolled into Delux on a lazy Saturday afternoon around 2pm. The place was mostly empty so we grabbed a quiet corner booth. Loathe as I am to use a word like «chill» this place does have a chill vibe, with slate grey booths, whitewashed walls, and ashen hardwood floors. The natural light courtesy the Ossington-​facing window does much to illuminate this marvellous but small space. Well placed mirrors don’t hurt either.
Service is spot on. We were immediately greeted with menus and gender-​coded napkins, and presented with beautiful menus clipped to non-​standard sized clipboards. Neat. Only in for an afternoon snack I opted for the most Canadian of snacks from this Cuban-​themed menu: donuts and coffee. Bueno. They serve a Cuban brunch on Sundays from 10:30 to 15:00. I shall return for a heartier serving and report back.
Obligatory Title Pun: Power up your DELUX capacitors and travel back to brunch time.
Menu Readability: Revolutionary typeface on natural kraft paper. Drool.
Need to mention: Closed on Mondays.
What this place teaches me about myself: If I owned a time machine, I’d travel back to brunch time.