Chat Bar 九号小院 – 307 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2E6
Country: China (Chuan’r)
Seating: There is indoor seating only. 
Must-try dish: Grilled Eggplant with Garlic Sauce 
Dinner guests: Daddy Pig, Cam the Man, Empress of Thornbury, Nic Jr., Queen of 303, RyHy & Young Matt
The high: There was something for everyone from all levels of spice to meat versus vegetables. 
The low: The food came out too quickly and was not paced.

So who knew that Chinese cuisine has a heavy BBQ element? You’ll forget about the noodles and the dumplings quickly after your first bite of Chuan’r cuisine, which is the style of cooking meat, seafood, and vegetables over a fire. Chuan’r culture literally translates to “The Atmosphere of Smoke and Fire” and stems from the ancient Muslim communities in China’s North West region, but over time, the concept of barbecue has traveled its way into recipes across the country and its evolved into a popular street food. 

Chat Bar is a mini-chain in the Greater Toronto Area, and the one on Spadina Avenue has recently reopened after months of renovations. The interior is designed with wooden structures and decorated with wooden furniture, all of which takes you on an adventure outside of Chinatown’s chaos. Chat Bar doesn’t take reservations but the wait for a group of nine people on a weeknight was only 15 minutes, despite the restaurant being consistently full. 

Once at our seats, making decisions on what to order became exciting as there are a number of options that please any type of eater. For instance, those who prefer spicy food are happy, while those a little more sensitive to heat can also be happy. People who are meat-eaters are happy, while people who have plant-based diets are also happy. Finally, diners who are adventurous are happy, while diners who stick to the basics are happy. It was truly a win-win scenario for our group because most of the demographics above affected us. 

Now, let’s get to the food.

Grilled Meat:
You can’t really go wrong with grilled meat-on-a-stick, also referred to as Chuan’r in China. We took the advice of our server and ordered the Beef, Chicken, Chicken Wings with Garlic Sauce, Chicken Wings with Honey Sauce, Grilled Sausage and Grilled Chicken Feet. The Chicken was a last-minute addition, and was a pleasant surprise, while the Grilled Chicken Feet were tough to eat as they’re mostly skin and cartilage on bone, but the seating was fantastic. For any hotdog lovers in the house, you’ll fall in love with the Grilled Sausage, trust us. 

Grilled Vegetables: 
Although Mandrea Bike are self-proclaimed meat lovers, the vegetable dishes were center stage at Chat Bar. The Grilled Eggplant with Garlic Sauce was the favourite because it was packed with flavour, a soft texture, and easily shareable. The Cheese Corn felt like a healthier version of Mac and Cheese that substituted a vegetable for the noodles. Lastly, the Enokitake Mushrooms were long, shredded pieces that resemble angel hair pasta with a meatier texture and topped with Chinese spices. 

Grilled Seafood: 
A top dish for the majority of the table was the Charcoal Grilled Oysters, which was massive open shells with a cooked oyster topped with chilis and Chinese spices. They were easy to eat and a refreshing change from the raw variety. The Squid Tentacles were charred on the exterior while remaining tender, not chewy at all – they were delicious! 

Rice: 
We had a few orders of plain white Rice for the table, as well as the Golden Fried Rice. Both these options are a great addition to the rest of the dishes. 

Chuan’r is an excellent way to spend an evening out trying various grilled foods on skewers. In our case, the food came out too fast, so we didn’t have time to chat between the dishes coming to the table. This is likely a result of Chat Bar’s recent opening or perhaps this is a tactic to turn over tables quicker. On top of that, there were a few other details that need to be ironed out. Either way, Mandrea Bike totally vouches for Chat Bar and looks forward to the next Chuan’r dinner there.

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)