Planta Yorkville

1221 Bay St,
Toronto, ON M5R 3P5
About the Restaurant

Restaurateur and CEO of the Chase Hospitality Group, Steven Salm, has heard your pleas with the groupโ€™s newest addition, Planta Yorkville. It has found a new home in the former spot that was Pangaea at Bay and Cumberland.

โ€œThe world is your oysterโ€ is a dining cliche that only applies if youโ€™re an omnivore. Being vegetarian, for most, is a lifestyle choice, though staring at restaurant menus where vegetarian options are limited to a $24 plate of grilled vegetables or a salad makes bacon sound pretty good, right?

Planta Yorkville
Steven Salm, Chase Hospitality Group CEO (IMAGE: YVONNE TSUI)

And for those of you thinking that this is all a gimmick, heโ€™s leading by example. Since January of this year, Salm himself has been committed to veganism. When asked why he decided to make the plunge, he said that it was โ€œoriginally to kickstart a new way of living.โ€

But for Salm this Planta venture has a more philosophical meaning. โ€œItโ€™s my answer to helping [the environment],โ€ since as a restaurateur he has seen firsthand how devastating agricultural production is to the environment.

He cites a statistic that it takes three months worth of shower water to produce one pound of livestock. Chew on that the next time youโ€™re scarfing down a steak.

Planta Yorkville
The carrot hot dog with all the trimmings (IMAGE: YVONNE TSUI)

โ€œWe live in such a crazed, consumption-based society,โ€ he says, โ€œif I can make that socially acceptable, cool and tasty then thatโ€™s my answer.โ€

He has recruited one of Torontoโ€™s top chefs, David Lee (Nota Bene) to pilot this revolution. Chef Lee first got on to cooking plant-based menus a year ago for a particular client of his and like a method actor, started incorporating plant-based foods into his own diet. It was his way of forcing himself to participate in the search for the right umami to craft his menu.

When asked about cooking without animal protein he states โ€œIt was a challenge, but a good one,โ€ such as not having to use a ton of dairy to make things rich and delicious. But if there is two things that chef Lee uses a lot of on his Planta Yorkville menu, itโ€™s cashews and a lot of the smoking techniques he put to use during his time at Carbon Bar.

Queso dip with tortilla chips (IMAGE: YVONNE TSUI)

Those who donโ€™t eat meat will be pleased to find a selection of hot and cold menu options that arenโ€™t just salads and soups at Planta Yorkville. Like the Watermelon Kombu Tartar with smashed avocado, nori chips and citrus soya or the Crab Cakes made with hearts of palm, warm spices and an herb salad. The Queso Dip swaps cheese with cashew crema which maintains the richness of the original dish from which this was inspired and doesnโ€™t compromise on flavor either.

For us carnivores who seek that โ€œmeatyโ€ flavor, Planta Yorkville has Caesar salad with mock bacon that is made with portobello mushrooms that goes through a tedious roasting, smoking and shallow-frying process. You may find it hard to believe, but you wonโ€™t miss the bacon (too much). The Carrot Hot Dogs, a dish that Leeโ€™s daughter loves, smells, looks and eats like a hot dog served with a side of fries that tastes like a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

Chocolate Terranium (IMAGE: YVONNE TSUI)

If you think youโ€™ll be hungry in the absence of meaty proteins, youโ€™re in for a surprise. But in the event that you do have room for dessert, you can dig into the Chocolate Terrarium; an edible โ€œgardenโ€ of chocolate mousse, peanut butter cream, chocolate cake, peanut butter salted caramel and frozen raspberries. On the non-cocoa side thereโ€™s the Young Thai Coconut; a coconut-basil and chai seed pudding with passion fruit sorbet and coconut chips.

Published: Oct 4, 2016