A Taste of Pan-Asia at Crystal Rolls
By Samantha Chen
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Arts and Culture
If you're willing to make the journey, Crystal Rolls is the perfect blend between classy and casual for either a night out or a relaxed gathering. Located just west of Spadina on Bloor St. West, the restaurant offers a variety of foods in the pan-Asian style for a variety of tastes. It's the place to be because it blends good food, price, and atmosphere to create the perfect mix.
Crystal Rolls is located where the restaurant Asian Republik used to be. Coincidentally, the food is almost identical, by catering to Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian and Japanese tastes.
The variety of food is sure to please a large group with diverse interests, offering dishes such as fried rice or noodle stir-fry. The appetizers dip into each cultural region by offering one or two menu items that appeal to many by breaking the conventional ideas about such things as tofu and spring rolls.
By bringing in components of each regional taste, as well as adding their own personal touch of flavour, Crystal Rolls presents dishes that are dependable in delivering the dish expected, but with an additional kick that leaves you wanting more. While the desserts are not the usual cake and ice cream choices, it definitely pays to explore, and they do not disappoint.
As for the price of these spectacular dishes, this is the place to eat if you are on a tight budget. The price for a dish averages about $12, and the size of the plate is enough to fill you. Prices do vary for each item, depending on whether you choose to add beef, chicken, or keep it vegetarian. The appetizers are a little pricier (being about half the price of a meal), but can be shared. The most expensive dishes belong to the seafood section, but nothing goes over $20. Overall, the price for the food provided is sure to fit a student's budget, and given the atmosphere, it feels like a steal to be paying so little for such a package.
The décor for the restaurant is based on the Crystal created for the Royal Ontario Museum, but has a touch of Asian influence, as seen by the prints on the wall. The overall atmosphere is classy, signified in the décor as well as the serving platters. The lighting sets glowing blue lights that create a cross between a lounge and a high-class restaurant.
All in all, Crystal Rolls provides a large, reasonably-priced selection that allows any Asian food-lover to find something to his or her liking.
To get to Crystal Rolls, walk just west of Spadina on Bloor. If you're taking the subway, get off at the Spadina subway stop. Walk west on the north side of Bloor St. West and the restaurant is less than 5 minutes away. For more information, visit www.crystalrolls.com.
Crystal Rolls is located where the restaurant Asian Republik used to be. Coincidentally, the food is almost identical, by catering to Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian and Japanese tastes.
The variety of food is sure to please a large group with diverse interests, offering dishes such as fried rice or noodle stir-fry. The appetizers dip into each cultural region by offering one or two menu items that appeal to many by breaking the conventional ideas about such things as tofu and spring rolls.
By bringing in components of each regional taste, as well as adding their own personal touch of flavour, Crystal Rolls presents dishes that are dependable in delivering the dish expected, but with an additional kick that leaves you wanting more. While the desserts are not the usual cake and ice cream choices, it definitely pays to explore, and they do not disappoint.
As for the price of these spectacular dishes, this is the place to eat if you are on a tight budget. The price for a dish averages about $12, and the size of the plate is enough to fill you. Prices do vary for each item, depending on whether you choose to add beef, chicken, or keep it vegetarian. The appetizers are a little pricier (being about half the price of a meal), but can be shared. The most expensive dishes belong to the seafood section, but nothing goes over $20. Overall, the price for the food provided is sure to fit a student's budget, and given the atmosphere, it feels like a steal to be paying so little for such a package.
The décor for the restaurant is based on the Crystal created for the Royal Ontario Museum, but has a touch of Asian influence, as seen by the prints on the wall. The overall atmosphere is classy, signified in the décor as well as the serving platters. The lighting sets glowing blue lights that create a cross between a lounge and a high-class restaurant.
All in all, Crystal Rolls provides a large, reasonably-priced selection that allows any Asian food-lover to find something to his or her liking.
To get to Crystal Rolls, walk just west of Spadina on Bloor. If you're taking the subway, get off at the Spadina subway stop. Walk west on the north side of Bloor St. West and the restaurant is less than 5 minutes away. For more information, visit www.crystalrolls.com.
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