By: Julie Reitsma

Watusi, lava-lamped and Warhol adorned, has shimmied its way onto the Ossington strip, bringing with it an eclectic share plate menu, the mouth-watering scent of a smoker in full swing, and some cocktails and turn-tables for when the meal is over.

To kick off the dance party, we took it from the top of the menu and tried out the Wanton nachos ($8). Described by our friendly waitress as “inside-out, as far as nachos go”, these crispy pockets of tangy soy and ginger beef were delish, though the filling was a little too smooth, especially in comparison to the hand-chopped feel of the fantastique accompanying tomato and avocado salsa. Of the thin crust pizza options, we took a stab at the mixed mushroom with artichoke and asiago ($9)—a rather healthy dose of earthy shroomage and the sharp subtle presence of asiago were overwhelmed by a too generous grating of filler cheese. As one of our dance partners so aptly declared, “Marble is for bathrooms, not pizzas.” They may not be squeaky, but Watusi’s Pomme frites with Quebec parmesan and jus ($5) unquestionably evokes our dear national dish, which has recently emerged from truck stop purgatory and found itself very much back on the epicurean radar. A more urbane take, the parmesan provides bite, while the jus adds enough gravy-flav to make this poutinery taste decadent without pushing over into the greasy side of indulgence.

Alberta slow-roasted buffalo short ribs ($18) are spot-on sauce-wise—thick, dark and rich—and the decorative crunchy yam ribbons make for some welcome contrast. Unfortunately, Watusi has missed the essential fall-off-the-bone sweet-spot—the flavours were there, but having to saw meat off before chomping our way through deprives this dish from being a meal highlight. Roasted purple eggplant with miso marinade ($6) arrived next and, after some struggles with the ribs, we were unquestionably rewarded. Piping hot, super fresh, spicy and brimming with miso flavour, this dish avoided the overly spongy textural trappings that eggplant so oft succumbs to, and was instead silky and steak-like.

Beyond being an arm-flailingly awesome dance craze, Watusi has a lot going for it—hipsteriffic location, charming atmosphere (we were sure Von Zipper was going to show up at any moment), and a menu with gumption. While there is a sense that not everything on offer has been completely thought through, we applaud the ambition of such variety (avocado mousse, anyone?), and look forward to seeing what other moves this kitchen will be turning out.