Following the great success of chains like CONGEE QUEEN and SUSHI LEGEND, the same people behind these establishments are onto something unique with their Taiwanese-Japanese Fusion stop, PETIT POTATO.
The cozy space with booth and table seating is located at Finch x Leslie on Ravel Rd. in North York. Frequently jam-packed due to tons of Social Media exposure of late, the Restaurant’s marquee item lies not in its main menu, but in its Desserts. If you’ve had Bubble Tea, at some point you may have eaten or at least witnessed Brick Toast. The thick-cut (about the height of three slices of Texas Toast) slice of soft, sweet white bread often is topped with anything from fruits to condensed milk to chocolate. PETIT POTATO‘s rendition of the snacktime favourite however, is next level. It is multi-tiered, enrobed in a creamy coat and ice cream, stacked somewhat like a gingerbread house with flavours like strawberry, cookies and creme to mango. A matcha green tea option we hear is coming soon. The novelty item is meant to be shared with a group of hungry friends and requires about 30 minutes’ notice. We tried the mango option and it was beyond decadent, while some of the middle toast pieces were dry, it is best to let them sop-up the cream for optimal enjoyment.
Make no mistake, PETIT POTATO isn’t a dessert shop. Their main fare is a hodgepodge of trends from Ramen to Japanese Omelettes and iron skillet rice dishes. Sprinkled throughout are the occasional nods to classic Taiwanese fare like Three-Cup Chicken (basil-ginger chicken… their boneless version is geared a little more to local tastes) and braised Pork Belly. The selections are unique and exactly what the Asian community of greater Toronto Area wants – variety and value. While a vast majority of diners were Asian, ranging from 20-something to parents looking to wow their kids with the Brick Toast Tower, there was a bit of diversity also. This is the power of word of mouth promotion which has taken Bubble Tea from the small shops of Taiwan to the shopping malls of North America. And yes, the still-trendy beverage is prominent on the PETIT POTATO menu, along with a variety of iced teas and slushes. We even saw durian-flavoured slush for the adventurous, the stinky fruit getting a huge profile boost thanks to its biggest fan in Hollywood, Jessica Chastain.
Our greatest thrill? We devoured a delightfully thick and savoury bowl of mock-Shark Fin Soup with a splash of red vinegar. We have been thinking about it all day literally. A must try.
Their Ramen is comparable to some of the trendy shops downtown while lacking the sophistication in flavour of greats like Momofuku, Kiton and Sansotei. Our biggest regret was not having tummy room for those rice-stuffed Japanese Omelettes which intigued us so much.
We hear a Seafood Boil is the group’s next enterprise.
Learn more about PETIT POTATO here. They are located at 10 Ravel Road.
Watch our PETIT POTATO experience:
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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