This past winter  I was invited to Kultura right outside of  Toronto’s financial district on 161 King Street East.  A gathering of food bloggers and  experts, I was happy to be invited since it was my first food event to attend. The party of  30 of us was  invited to taste the new revamped menu by the Chef Bernadette Calpito, which has a mix of Asian influences  she gathers from her childhood and heritage.

The Chef and Visionary Behind the Food: Chef Bernadette comes from an Asian background, her background is her roots and her mom, everyone thinks of their culinary background differently. The cusuines that influence the menu  at Kultura and her  gourmet style are Korean, Asian and Hawaiian.  In terms of the style of the plating, it’s a mix of  contemporary including elements of the  80’s such as the dots made of some of the sauces and  more modern plating.  “How you cook and your influences are  determined by how you think of food,” says Calpito, “I come to work to play. The dessert at Kultura has a French influence,” she shares. Prior to her  stint at Kultura, she was a sous chef for three years  and an executive chef at  Papillon.  Calpito has been Chef at Kultura since December 2011 now.  Her personal  favourite on the menu is the lamb chops and the  beef tartar.

Ambiance: With 350 people  capacity the restaurant has three floors, four rooms, two bars and one dining hall. Upstairs the high ceiling includes a private dining space for   8 to  40 people for parties. Dimly lit, the décor has modern but organic feel with Asian elements. Distressed  brick walls and wooden elements complement the rooms and show the heritage of the building which is hundreds of years old.

The Food: Brought out in tapas style my husband and I nibbled on the medley of flavours presented in creative and colourful plating styles. Here are the dishes I  chose to highlight:

Palak Paneer Naan: Drizzled with a sweet honey flavour the palak was cooked into the  naan bread, a fluffy bread from East Indian cuisine that is traditionally made of leavened flour and cooked in a clay oven known as a tandoor. The  bread was great to snack on, but I don’t think I’d order it myself, although the honey was a unique touch.

Mushroom Oriochette:  Very rich tasting made of aged cheddar and cherry tomato; this was one of my vegetarian favs of the evening.

Beef Tartar: Made with a tender beef, thai green chilli and scallions in a corn shell these are delicious, the picture clearly tells this story here.

B52 Espressotini: What’s a review of an eatery without a hint on what their cocktails are like. I tried the  B52 Espressotini, completely  divine, basically an  alcoholic version of Starbuck’s  Caramel Frappuchino (code for PERFECT)! So if your into milky sweet cocktails this one is for you. The cocktail is made with  Baileys, Kalhua, Frangelico, a shot of Espresso, a Caramel Swirl and Toffee.

Price Range and the Verdict: The food on the menu ranges from  $6 for the naan to up to $30 for the Beef Tenderloin, all in tapa share plates, bite size odeurves so to speak. I’ll admit I haven’t been back yet but when I think of the assortment of flavours I tried on that evening my taste buds hearken back to  the pork belly tacos and beef tartar,  hands down my favourite.  Since I come from an South Asian  background, cuisine outside inspired from this area usually doesn’t compel me, so I was more  compelled by the other Asian  influences whether they were Thai, Japanese or Hawaiian. If you have an adventureous palette and are looking for a  place to eat that is modern and unique Kultura may be your answer for your next drinks and quick bites with friends.