Hudson Kitchen #HKPatio now open!

Update:  Hudson Kitchen has closed :(

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure to come back to Hudson Kitchen. For the night, they are finally starting that much long awaited patio season. Warmer weather is finally on the onset and now is the time to finally come out and enjoy this fickle sunny weather. After that long winter, I am very much ready to take on patio season :) .

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I like that the place is easy to reach by taking the Bathurst St car from the Bloor line and then its just a few steps away from Bathurst and Dundas. With their ample patio space situated on Palmerston Avenue, it saves diners from all the commotion of Dundas St. West. When Abe and I arrived, the party has already started and of course we gravitated to the bar. For the night,they were featuring Rhu The Day and Maxed Out Rhum and Coke. If you know me better and my addiction for Diet Coke, I opted for the Rhum and Coke and Abe went for Rhu of the day, a concoction of gin, rhubarb liquer, Luxardo, tarragon, maraschino and lime. After we settled on one of the tables, food started arriving and we were treated with Hudson’s sampling of its new summer menu. Here is a list of the food we enjoyed:

Green tostadas with goat cheese
Squid ink croquettas
Adobo chicken sliders
Roasted cauliflower with capers
Tuna conserva with orange, fennel and roasted bell pepper
Lettuce wraps with kimchi short ribs

Abe and I have different opinions of what was the best of the food that we ate. While everything I tasted have their own merits, I was raving about the squid ink croquettas and Abe was definitely in love with the Adobo chicken sliders. I love the squid ink croquettas as it was perfect in every way. Good balance of crispiness of its breading on the outside, warm and gooey béchamel mixed with squid and squid ink on the inside. To tie it all together, there was a dollop of lime gel on its top and some strands of dill. I was literally smiling each time that food tray came my way. So good! Abe meanwhile can’t get enough of the Adobo Chicken sliders as he says it was perfectly marinated and seasoned. It follows the traditional Filipino marinade recipe for Adobo of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaf.

Before leaving, I made a quick stop at the kitchen to talk to Chef Robbie Hojilla. I told him that his squid croquettas were my favourite of the night. Thank you so much for the invitation! It is indeed a great start to my summer patio season!