Ultra: The Vibe
A spacious, golden dining room at Yonge and St. Clair, Ultra is Midtown's answer to the best downtown Toronto restaurants and the seductive resto-lounges of King West, but with a much more comfortable atmosphere. It's not one of the newest Toronto restaurants, but since taking over the former Arthur space, Ultra has flown relatively under the radar, perhaps because the restaurant caters to a more mature crowd.
Midtown might not get the hype of the city's other neighbourhoods, but it's quietly becoming home to some of the best restaurants in Toronto and some excellent bars.
When I arrive at Ultra with my girlfriends on a Friday at 8 p.m., the dining room is just starting to fill up. Instantly, we're entranced by the decor. Dripping with gold, the space is eye-catching in photos, but in real life it's warm, inviting and almost soothing. It feels glamorous and special, without being over-the-top or in-your-face about it. We settle into plush, gilded couches and the table height is Goldilocks perfection. It may seem like a small thing, but for me, couch seating loses all its comfort if the table doesn't line up.
As the night goes on and guests fill every seat, the vibe feels more celebratory. The DJ does an incredible job turning 80s and 90s pop and dance hits into modern club tunes. We're easily able to chat over the background din until about 11 p.m. when the lights dim and the volume is cranked up. The music is so good, I feel like dancing. Ultra could easily be a warm-up spot before the club, but for me, it hit the spot and I could go home feeling like I had a big night out after just eating dinner.
Ultra: What's on the menu
Ultra's pan-Asian menu is all over the place — in the best way possible. Our gregarious server patiently walks us through the different sections, answering all of our questions, providing recommendations to suit our palates and describing his favourite dishes with gusto.
A refreshing start to the meal, the papaya and mango salad is sweet, tart and a little spicy, and an excellent contrast to more savoury dishes like the wagyu wontons. The delicious dumplings are stuffed with meat, topped with a shaving of truffle and served with a spicy chili oil sauce. The lingering last piece causes tension at the table.
One of the new fall/winter features, the Shrimp Tom Yum soup is a savoury, soul-soothing bowl. The broth leans more on the rich side with only slight hints of the signature sweet and sour notes, but that just makes it all the easier for me to slurp down. I could use this soup to stave off the chills all winter long.
When the mains, side noodles and rice arrive, we realize we're in way over our heads, but everything is so good, we have no regrets (except for the one of us who's outfit doesn't have a stretchy waist). Served in shareable slices, the tender and juicy Australian Wagyu Skirt Steak is enhanced with chimichurri; while the delightfully fatty, fall-off-the-bone short rib comes with pear kimchi and pickled cucumber to cut some of the richness. A lighter option, the Miso Sablefish has a more delicate flavour that's punctuated by yuzu hollandaise and dashi potato.
Shrimp Fried Rice is a filling option that doesn't skip on the protein. Large shrimp and chunks of ibérico pork char siu make the dish. Slices of grilled street corn and Bang Bang Cauliflower are nice vegetable offerings to round out the meal.
We're hesitant to order the Szechuan Eggplant because the fruit can be so hit or miss, resulting in a lot of people avoiding it altogether. But our server promises that even people who don't like aubergine, love this side. When we taste it, it's unlike any eggplant dish I've had before. It's spicy, flavourful and almost seems more like a yam.
Two standout dishes steal the show, and despite all the food we order, these plates are scraped clean. The Biang Biang hand-pulled noodles are perfectly chewy and soaked in a rich and slightly spicy sauce. It's loaded with ground wagyu beef, bok choy, crispy shallots and green scallions. The medley of texture and flavour is irresistible. The Pork Belly is also a dream come true for our mouths. Crispy, crunchy skin gives way to a melty, fatty interior that's full of flavour. Thoughts of doing anything else after this float away as we soak in the richness and sink deeper into the couches.
Ultra: The drinks
Each packing two ounces of alcohol or more, the cocktails are on the strong side, but none of the ones we try are too spirit-forward. Instead, bright and tart notes balance out the booze.
The Kalamansi Margarita is full of juicy citrus flavours, making it lean towards tasting like a mimosa. Sweeter than expected, the Thai Spritz is a refreshing serve that balances out the rich and spicy meal.
It's easy to see, or taste, how the Bright Lights got its name. The magenta-hued cocktail is bursting with bright notes of dragonfruit. It's sweet, lip-smackingly tart and has a beautiful floral aroma from rose syrup. In the same vein, the Nimbus is a sweet and floral take on a lychee martini.
It's not until we've downed two drinks each that we realize how boozey they are — the fresh and fruity cocktails have a way of sneaking up on you.
Basking in the DJ beats, filled with a feast of flavours and the bright, boozey cocktails, we're in heaven. I'm already planning my next visit back to the ultra comfortable, glamorous, gold dining room for my next special night out.
Dinner and drinks for two: around $175 before tax and tip.
