Farmhouse Tavern

I have always kept an eye at Farmhouse Tavern. They have been trending for a few months now but I find it hard to get to the west side lately. I finally found time this past week I was in company with my EyeCandyTO business partner, Abe. After such a long day, I thought I’ll put faith into the countless good reviews that I have read about Farmhouse Tavern and see if I would jump on the same bandwagon myself.

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Abe and I finished working late and we strolled in the restaurant close to 9pm. Famished and tired, luck was on our side when we immediately found a table. I half-expected there would be some kind of waiting involved so at this instance, it was definitely good to be wrong. Looking around, I noted well curated mix of antiques and knick-knacks. Somehow in the chaos of combining different elements, they have come up with something cozy and comfortable.

Designated driver of the night, I opted for apple cider to start. We also selected sunchoke spaetzle to share, pork belly for me and barnyard burger for Abe. Usually, I opt for non-pork dishes while dining with Abe so we can split everything but instinct told me I had to go for the piggy. My gut instinct had to be heard.

The moment the sunchoke spaetzle landed our table, we devoured it in a heartbeat. With the lighting so dim in the restaurant, I hardly can scrutinize what I was eating but it was so delicious! A mix of different textures and flavours danced in my mouth, I could have easily finished one whole dish by myself.

Our mains arrived next and my pork belly sure was a show-stopper. Quite a generous pork belly slab sat prettily on tiny soft and tart apple cubes and crunchy paper-thin strips of parsnips. As I sliced through the crispy skin, it cracked almost willingly and I was in total awe after tasting it. It was comparable to tasting what we call lechon de leche freshly roasted at a fire pit back home. Combining it with the apple sauce and the crunchy parsnip definitely elevated it even further. Definitely something to come back for over and over again.

Abe’s barnyard burger equally photogenic. The burger came with a perfectly fried egg sans the bacon, for a moment I wanted one myself. But that was up until I tasted another forkful of the crispy skin that came with my pork belly (*insert huge silly grin here*).

From the apple cider to the sunchoke spaetzle to our individual mains, I cannot decide which one was the best. So Abe and I decided we had to complete the meal with a dessert. Two choices were on the board, BFC (translated to Black Forest Cake pudding) and bread pudding. We opted for the warm bread pudding and we were right in splitting one dessert. I don’t think I can finish one by myself after all that I have already eaten.

I must say this is definitely one of those memorable meals where everything went right. So here I am now riding on their overflowing bandwagon of fans.