Schnitzel Hub

Was around Yonge and St Clair trying to chose a restaurant and we decided to g to Schnitzel Hub. We ordered te potato and cheese perogies and the weiner schnitzel and spaetzle. The perogies were served with onions and sour cream. Good but i dont think they are house made they just taste like the frozen ones. The veal was a tiny bit greasy and the breading didn't stick to it. Not the best i have ever ad but average. The spaetzle were a bit bkand. Overall ok but not the best i have ever had.

Schnitzel Hub has opened a second location in a decidedly swanky part of town at 1415 Yonge Street, just south of St. Clair Avenue. I was invited to review the menu, along with a guest, on December 3, 2014. The Schnitzel Hub on Yonge Street does not

Meatlover's Paradise. Don't let the polished, almost club-like atmosphere intimidate you from trying this superb new outpost of the Schnitzel Hub empire. Our party of four markedly unfashionable guys were treated like gold by the staff, who served up some of the very best German/Tyrolean style schnitzel I've ever tasted in my life. Portions are enormous, so plan for leftovers or colonic irrigation. We went just a few days after they'd been open, so the bar wasn't quite up to snuff and they seemed quite unable to figure out how cocktails might be made, but we weren't charged for any of their mistakes, and I expect that matter to be resolved shortly with the introduction of a professional craft cocktail program, something sorely lacking in Toronto. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, given the high food quality and the upscale setting. Be sure and try the oven-roasted seasonal vegetables -- everyone at our table agreed they were outstanding.

Husband and wife team, Yan and Rita Khalfon - owners of Schnitzel HUB, opened their second location a few weeks ago in the heart of midtown, right at Yonge and St. Clair. With a focus on Eastern European delights - their focus is on inviting guests into the Khalfon family kitchen for some home-cooked goodness. With antique touches and exposed brick - you feel at home at Schnitzel HUB. It was a warm, comforting space to walk into on the cold night I went in!

Chef Yan Khalfon focuses on classic Eastern European dishes, sometimes adding a Canadian twist. The menu is bursting with flavours from dishes such as home-made pierogies, herring potatoes, cabbage rolls, schnitzel, and so much more!  

FUN FACT: Chef Yan Khalfon trained at Le Cordon Bleu and has spent time in kitchens for both fine dining and casual restaurants and hotels all over Europe.

I was invited to the media preview for Schnitzel HUB's newest location in midtown. I braved the freezing cold temperatures and snow storm and trekked my way up to Yonge and St. Clair. Who am I kidding, I work at Yonge and Bloor - so it literally took me 5 minutes on the subway. LOL But...just...play along, ok?!  

Walking into Schnitzel HUB I was greeted warmly by owner Rita and the team who ushered me in, showed me my seat and fed me glasses of champagne.

So - basically - I was in heaven.

Then...well, then I drawn to the bar. Obvs. But not on account of being thirsty - I was drawn to the bar because it was lined with their in-house infused flavoured vodkas! HELLO!

The bar has an extensive menu of beers from Germany, Belgium and Austria and wines from all over Europe but the house-infused vodkas is what I was most interested in! Some flavours take up to three months to complete, but Schnitzel HUB uses triple distilled vodka and all natural, organic ingredients to infuse their vodkas. I've never seen anything like this! We tried too many to remember a few different flavoured vodka shots including "Candy", "Horseradish", "Strawberry Mint", and even "Lemon Ginger". They even have a "Smoked Bacon" flavour, possibly the most popular - that is infused with real Canadian bacon.

After my champagne and some vodka, I thought it'd be best to sit down and maybe put a little food in my belly. LOL I looked over the media preview dinner menu and immediately thought to myself, "Holy smokes, this is a lot of food". I thought they would bring out sample sizes for some dishes, but nope - full servings! Perfect - #FeedJennJenn!

We started with the pierogies. Two different varieties were presented - the sauerkraut mushroom, and the potato cheddar. I couldn't get enough of these! The dough was made in house, and the pierogies were perfectly cooked. I honestly think I devoured at least 4 or 5 of the potato cheddar ones. LOL

Next up was the Beet and Butternut Squash salad. The colours of this salad popped off the plate! The presentation was beautiful. I personally didn't try the salad, but everyone who I spoke to did and they were raving all about it!

Ahh, goulash. What more could you want on a cold, snowy night than some good old fashioned comfort food? Served nice and hot, the goulash was one of my favourite dished from the evening. Filled with root vegetables and meat - this dish is a fall/winter staple.  

When the Oktoberfest Sausage Board came out I was excited to dig in. Served with saurkraut - there were two different types of sausages, both made in house. Both equally delicious. Especially with the spicy mustard!

Now...what we were all waiting for...the schnitzel! The star of the night came out served spatzle, roasted root vegetable and a mushroom, bacon, red wine gravy and a side order of a German Salad Trio this dish was TO DIE FOR. I was in heaven. I was so glad I paced myself with the other dishes, because I knew this was one I would want to savour every last bite of. And, boy did I ever! I cleared my entire plate...and actually, wanted more! Don't judge me! But, because I'm not a glutton, I did not ask for more. LOL What I was most shocked to hear was the fact that we were given the lunch sized portions of the schnitzel. The chicken or veal schnitzels covered our entire plate, basically! So - imagine how large the dinner size portions are! HOLY SMOKES!

The final dish served was dessert. A twist on the pierogies we had earlier - dessert was Sour Cherry Pierogies. I'm a fan of sour cherries, so I dug right in. Again, the dough was made in house and they were just delicious. I'm drooling as I type and look over all these pictures again. Seriously.

Big thanks for the invite out to Schnitzel HUB's newest location! It was such a pleasure chatting with one of the owners, Rita. How adorable is she?! Located at Yonge and St. Clair, and only open for a few weeks now - Schnitzel HUB already has regulars for both lunch and dinner! They even offer catering and delivery, which is perfect with the holiday season upon us.

Disclaimer: Dinner was complimentary, however - as per usual my views are entirely my own and I am already planning on going back as soon as possible. *drools*

While I have never been to the original, the new outpost feels warm and intimate without at all seeming cramped. The combination of the plush seating and formal dining furnishings with the wooden accents, luxurious lamps, and antique China plates made me feel as if I was dining in an old family home. Towards the back of the space is a separate 40-person dining room, a perfect oasis for a private event or large group.

As for the menu, Chef Yan Khalfon aims to heighten the Eastern-European classics with a unique Canadian twist. They offer 10 different schnitzel offerings, as well as classic goulash, pierogies, cured herring, cabbage rolls, bratwurst and more. While some say I look Hungarian or Polish, I grew up in a British home that just happened to adore all Eastern-European eats, so I felt a rush of childhood memories with every bite.

What I don’t have many childhood memories of (and probably for good reason) is vodka- but that didn’t stop me from getting excited about their 40 house-infused varieties. Varying in flavours from Sour Cherry and Lychee, to Bacon and Horseradish, Schnitzel HUB’s vodkas can take up to three months to infuse depending on the ingredients used.  With a line up like this, something tells me I’m not going to have any adult memories of vodka either.

During the special media preview I was treated to a taste of some of the dishes that are available at this cozy European spot. Check it out!

Potato Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream
When I was a baby, my mom would say “pierogie!” and I would laugh and laugh and laugh. It was the secret to getting me to stop crying no matter what I was upset about. Well, today, I try to refrain from random giggle-fests restaurants but these certainly made me smile. Caramelized and crisp on the outside, and ethereal and smooth within. Yum.

Goulash
A light and refreshing goulash- perfect for this cool weather outside.

Octoberfest Sausage Board
It does not need to be October to want to tuck into this. Meaty and delicious with fantastic sauerkraut.

Jaeger Schnitzel (Mushroom, Bacon, and Red Wine Sauce) with Spaezle
Oh yum. I love me a good crisp schnitzel with a rich mushroom bacon sauce. I can see why they’re so famous for their selection.

Sour Cherry Pierogies
Think pierogies only have to be savoury? No way! These little sweet glazed dumplings were bursting with fresh fruit flavour.

After all those pierogies, I was definitely in the mood for a nap but I left with a smile on my face and so many great food memories. So if you’re looking to warm up this season with something comforting and hearty, then I definitely recommend checking out the Schnitzel HUB’s new Toronto location.

The Schnitzel HUB is located at 1415 Yonge Street just south of St. Clair Avenue and steps away from St. Clair subway station. Not to worry if you aren’t close to Midtown, the Schnitzel HUB also has a location in Thornhill at 100 Steeles Avenue West, Unit 17. They are both open day and night from Sunday to Thursday from 11am - 11:30pm, and Friday to Saturday from 11am until late.  For more information, check out their website here.

Disclaimer: The preceding meal was complimentary, however, as always all opinions are genuine.
Contribution by AK Taster Savannah Onofrey

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Background:
- began it's first restaurant located in the Vaughn Region
- with it's success, it opened a second location at Yonge & St. Clair intersection
- Eastern European Cuisine
- very close to the St. Clair subway station, 1 block south of it

The Good:
- chic, modern, bright store front
- not your typical schnitzel place, not your typical European pub. It is modern, chic, classy & warm decorated with nature, tree trunks, wood decoration
- feels like "home", big restaurant, long bar area, big dinning area, nice waiting area that looks like a nice living room
- friendly service
- in-house, organic infused vodka that carries a long list of unique flavours
- authentic Eastern European food items along with some added Canadian twist to some of the dish
- fresh, high-end culinary skills, food are deliciously made
- proportions are very generous, they come in lunch and dinner proportions but man, lunch proportions is huge already
- lovely vodka and food plating presentation (tree trunks as accessories to present your vodka
- schnitzel is crispy, thin sliced to perfection, you can see that the chef uses good. clean cooking oil to cook either the veal or chicken and not too oily (which is KEY).

The Bad:
- honestly, really couldn't think of anything bad about this place
- it could be a bit further away from the downtown core, but it maybe be a good thing for people who lives in uptown or close to the Hwy 401
- maybe missing a real functional fireplace near the living room area that would definitely makes it even more cozy in this section
- otherwise, honestly, have nothing bad to say about this restaurant

The MUST TRY:
- you should try the in-house organic infused vodka, in particular, you MUST TRY the Lingon Berry & Horseradish vodka
- sausage, especially the cheese one
- goulash is a nice hot soup, full of hearty vegetables, hot in temperature, hot soup is a MUST for me, keeps you warm especially during the winter
- schnitzel comes in veal, chicken, eggplant and other ingredient, veal or chicken, you can't go wrong
- make sure you parked your butt in the "living room" area, where there are nice, comfy sofas. Sipping an infused vodka and staring at the beautiful chandelier would be a relaxing moment

And MoVernie is outta here!

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