FLAMING BULL – CLOSED

It feels like over the past few years, many of the restaurants in The Annex have turned over. One of the more recent arrivals is Flaming Bull, a new restaurant featuring Taiwanese fusion cuisine. I was invited to enjoy a romantic evening at the stylish restaurant and experience an intimate dining experience with shareable dishes, live music and plenty of candlelight. With The Hubs traveling, my special someone for the evening was a fellow blogger, the perfect date to pose for photos and willing to wait before eating.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Flaming Bull’s decor was a combination of traditional Asian aesthetic and modern minimalism. Dark wood furniture, surrounded by dark walls were separated by tall geometric dividers, which created cozy, private tables. Before the 10 course feast began, we had the chance to try 5 of Flaming Bull’s colourful signature cocktails. This included a spiked bubble tea which looked deceptively non-alcoholic and 4 fruity creations. My favourite was the Peach Perfect with rum, peach juice, fresh peach slices, blueberry and soda. All of the peach ingredients used were incredibly fragrant, which translated to the flavour of the drink. Throughout dinner, our table maintained a continuous flow of cocktails.

Dinner began with a appetizer platter of traditional Taiwanese snacks like dried bean curd and sliced braised beef shank. I liked the familiar flavours and seasoning in the dish like five spice and anise. In general, I far prefered the menu items that were more traditional over the fusion dishes. Some of the entrees were playful and ambitious, but I wasn’t sold on their taste and value. A good example of this was the Shake and Shake salad. Iceberg lettuce was served in a large beaker and various toppings and dressing was served alongside in test tubes. Guests could pick which toppings to add to their salad, how much dressing they wanted, and then shake it all together. A fun concept, but without being able to choose the selection of toppings, the $8 salad felt like a gimmick.

One fusion dish that I did enjoy was the Cheese Mapo Tofu, a block of silken tofu covered with Sichuan pepper, green onion, soy sauce, Sichuan broad beans and melted cheese. This was a brilliant combination. The creamy cheese was a perfect match for the numbing Sichuan pepper and touch of spice. We also tried a Taiwanese Style Poutine, which was good.

My favourite dishes of the night were the noodles. A bowl of Sichuan Style Beef Noodles was served with Beef Shank, torched tableside, in a beef stock with Sichuan style broad bean paste. The noodles were chewy and the beef was AAA quality. I really enjoyed how flavourful the clear broth was and the strong asian seasoning. Next up was the Spicy Beef Tossed noodle, that was delicious. Again, the texture of the noodle was bang on and the flavours hit home. I would happily order this dish again.