Swan Restaurant

Swan Restaurant (892 Queen Street West, Toronto)
(647) 258-7952

This retro-looking joint was pretty busy on the Sunday that I went. All of the four waiting chairs outside the restaurant were occupied and still there were more people standing. Must be a good sign.

The freshly squeezed orange juice is much larger than what I'm used to. It comes in a glass that's sized for cheap soft drinks. It's laden with pulp and the colour separation is near the top of the glass.

Soup of the day:

The soup of the day was carrot, sweet potato and ginger. The ginger taste was very prevalent and the whole thing reminded me a bit of butternut squash soup. The bowl was quite large, and I'm glad I split it with Berta. I think it could've been a meal on its own for one person. She enjoyed it much more after adding salt.

Berta's omelette of the day:

She thought it was weird that they put Chinese vegetables in the omelette. I tried a piece and though I agreed with her, I think they at least cooked the Chinese vegetables properly. Often times, people will cook them to unacceptable mushiness, but these vegetables had just the right crunch without being raw. 

My eggs benedict with caviar:

The eggs are perfectly oozing with yolk as I fork into them. The caviar adds a nice salty touch. The overall benedict part was great and Berta also preferred my meal over hers. 

We both agreed that the potatoes with cumin were delicious. It saves them from being regular old side potatoes. Some of the potatoes in the pictures may look a bit blackened, but it didn't look that dark in reality. Besides, I like much of my food to be a bit on the charred side anyway. Adds texture and flavour.

I enjoyed the side of fruit, but I was mildly jealous of the toast that came with the omelette. I appreciate the fact that the honey dew wasn't overly ripe.

Berta had recommended this restaurant, stating that their potato salad is awesome. Unfortunately, they don't serve that for brunch on Sundays. Regardless, I thought the food was great and the service was equally pleasant. It's diner type food with added details and care that make it special.

I like.

Total damage for me: $25.