Location Review972 College Street
Toronto, ON
Menu
WARNING: Please be advised if you are a vegetarian or have opinions against the consumption of animals/cute piglets, then you need to stop reading right now.
No seriously, because this is going to be one graphic post of meat consumption. If the title hadn't given it a way yet, you're going to be feasting your eyes on some serious suckling pig.Bestellen (@BestellenTO) is probably one of the few places I know in Toronto where an entire suckling pig can be ordered, so it was definitely an experience when I decided to head over with Ben, Carmen (@carmenhungry), Justine (@foodigatorJ), Jing (@jingloh) Joe (@jsinb88), Mike (@chopstickhero), and Vickie (@kiki_BFF) to partake in a family-style pig roast dinner for 8! For a price of $59 per person (and 72 hours notice), here is what you can expect out of Bestellen's Suckling Pig Dinner.
Bestellen
A wall of meat
Just in case you forget what you're supposed to be ordering here at Bestellen...it's plastered all over the wall.
Burgers in the making
Okay, so I know I promised some suckling pig action, but I thought I'd insert a comment about Bestellen as being home to one of Toronto's top 25 burgers. I was fascinated observing a cook in the kitchen preparing the patties. Too bad there will already be more than enough food tonight. Another time! :)
Our suckling pig sitting in the open kitchen
It was kind of a tease just watching it sit there, but luckily we had a couple sides to tie us over before it was served.
Garden Salad - served with walnuts and panchetta
Arancini - deep fried risotto balls with cheese and garlic mayo
Stir Fried Dandelion- with cheese and bacon
Lentils
The Lentils didn't flatter visually, but they were absolutely delicious. I don't know what it was, but somehow the spices and additional fats that went in made a normally plain lentil dish quite desirable to eat.
Candied Butternut Squash
I am always reminded of Thanksgiving or Christmas when I have sweetened squash or potatoes, so this Candied Butternut Squash was definitely my favourite side of the night!
Roberta the Suckling Pig
AND HERE COMES THE PIGGY! The waitress thought it was necessary to name our pig to give it some character as she presented the whole roasted suckling pig at our table. Might've been the name and the cute face, but I really felt bad for it's consumption!
Roberta Dissected
But that guilt quickly went away after it was dissected and the aromatic steam coming out of it made my stomach grumble. The meat is succulent and tender, exactly the way it should've been. The only one disappointment was the skin, which was rather tough. And if you were wondering, yes we did eat everything,...including the brains. Tasted like foie gras!
Pecan Pie
Carrot Cake
The meal ends off with some desserts, but I could honestly not eat another bite. I am ashamed to say that my dessert went to waste. :(
The Bill & Business Cards
The bill comes in a glass along with a roll of tickets. Upon further inspection, there were actually Bestellen's business cards!
Take-Aways
I think I speak for everyone when I say the 8 of us left happy and extremely full. We definitely had LOTS left over and each left with a hefty box full of goodies! There were talks of making some roasted pork congee, wonder if anyone actually got around to it? =P
