[Canadian] Marben
Restaurant: Marben
Cuisine: International/Canadian
Location: King West
Address: 488 Wellington St W
Price Range: $15~25
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 5
Extra information:
* Open for brunch on the weekend
* Open for lunch/dinner everyday
* Monthly pigroast every last sunday
* Menu changes constantly
* Patio open during summer
* Avail on diningdatenight.com
My review for Marben is long over-due. My first visit was back in winter of 2011 and I just didn't bother blogging about it because the photos I took then- with my iphone was just horrible. Personally I feel like Marben deserved a legit blog post since it is one of my favorite restaurants in Toronto so far. So I've been meaning to go back ever since so I can take proper photos and the time came when me and my sister decided to take our mom for mother's day dinner.
To start off we were given some bread with a dip made with soy bean oil and maple infused balsamic vinegar. We ordered couple things off the menu and keep in mind that their dishes are meant to be shared between few people- like tapas style.
Ordered: Ruth's Cheese Trio 5/5
* Chutney, blueberry apple jam, toasted multigrain, candied walnuts served with 3 types of cheese for $12
* This was a good appetizer to order
* Came with 2 cow cheese and 1 goat cheese
* Condiments provided on the side accompanied the cheese very well
Ordered: Phil's Beet & Endive Salad 5/5
* Candied walnuts, arugula, goats cheese yogurt, apples and oranges for $10
* This was very refreshing and light salad
* Goat cheese yogurt on the bottom was rich yet soft in flavor
* tartness of green apple and sweetness of blood oranges worked together
Ordered: John's Burger 4/5
* 6oz burger served with branston pickle, braised ribs, aged cheddar and coleslaw for $17
* Marben is well known for this specific burger made with braised rib
* It is very small in portion and it's cut into 2~4 pieces to share
* Beef is so tender and it just melts in your mouth
* Burger bun is made in house
* Their fries actually reminded me of the ones I had at Holy Chuck Burger
* It was served with truffle aioli and home made ketchup
* Overall, it is a good burger but I probably mentioned this before, I don't like it when my burger has mushy consistency
Ordered: Matty's Trout Nicoise 5/5
* Field greens, shallots, tomatoes, fingerlings, green beans, kalamata olives, pickled ramps and anchovy dressing for $18
* This was the most soft, tender trout I've ever had in my life
* The fish just melts in your mouth, it was cooked perfectly
* I didn't even really notice the anchovy dressing
* Diced tomatoes and kalamata olives added nice flavor
Ordered: Tony's BBQ Pork Platter 3/5
* Grilled pork loin, slow roasted pork back ribs, pulled pork fritter, sweet potato, grilled vegetables with house BBQ sauce for $25
* This was probably my least favorite dish of the night
* Pork was really salty and I didn't see anything special about it
* Pulled pork fritter was soft and it was good with the sweet potato puree
* Now that I re-read the menu, did we not get the pork back ribs!?!?
Summary: I love Marben- their food is just amazing and they do it so well. It is somewhat fancy and on the pricier side but at least they make it so that you know what you are eating. It is one of the restaurants that I would take my friends to if they were ever visiting me in Toronto. The first time I went, Donny was our server and he was one of the friendliest servers I've ever met. He was helpful and super nice! I would go back to Marben in the heartbeat :) 
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