At Embrujo Flamenco, the candlelit tables and exposed brick lined with photos of flamenco dancers create the quaint atmosphere for the music, food and performance that have been part of the Spanish way of life for centuries.
Capitalizing on this absence of authentic Spanish cuisine in Toronto, Jais, Mali and Eren brought the traditions deeply rooted in the south of Spain to the Greek neighbourhood around Broadview.
“The idea is that our guests feel embrujados or enchanted by the rhythms of the flamenco music and the succulent and authentic tapas we prepare here,” says Jais Fernandez, one of the three sisters that created the Danforth mainstay ten years ago. In the Kitchen, Chef Mali uses ingredients from Spain: Bomba rice, olive oil, manchego cheese, saffron and chorizo, while seafood and vegetables are sourced locally.
Guests can savour Montados, Spanish chorizo with onions and red bell peppers, sauteed with white wine; Piquillo Pepper, little -beak peppers stuffed with six-month old Manchego cheese. Pedro Ximénez Sherry reduction and caramelized shallots; Jamón Iberico de Bellota (also known as pata negra), made from the black Iberian pigs that roam the oak forests between Spain and Portugal and eat mostly acorns, cured for 36 months.
The Classic Paella, cooked in two-handled paellera on a wood fire stove. The saffron-infused paella gets its smokiness from the spicy chorizo and with a kick of paprika. It’s loaded with shrimp, mussels, and squid cooked in a fish broth. (We suggest that you order it as soon as you sit down, for it can take a while to make.)
The wine list is impressive, featuring the various regions in Spain such as Rioja, Castilla Y Leon, Madrid and Bierzo.
You must make sure you have a reservation as Embrujo is always packed every night. Embrujo Flamenco opens daily at 5: pm and is located at 97 Danforth Avenue @ Broadview.
Images by Felicia Byron.
