I had the pleasure of joining both Jacky and Christine at Cadillac Jenkins courtesy of Fastvenues last month. Fastvenues is a community marketplace for people to discover and book set-menu meals at restaurants online. The company was founded in early 2016. and has since partnered up with several local restaurants to provide curated dining experiences.


 
Fastvenues simplifies the process of eating out by allowing diners to book an experience of one's liking, choose the meal, and pay for the bill in advance (including tax and tip). All you have to do is pay online, go to the restaurant and dine without needing to bring out your wallet. It's easy and convenient for any occasions like catching up with friends, casual dinners, and even dates. The one thing is that packages must be booked at least 24 hours in advance, so that the restaurant are aware of the reservation.

The process was seamless, as I found the website to be relatively user-friendly for the average user. Restaurant options are displayed clearly to the right, while the advanced search option is located to the left. You can use the search option to narrow your results to find a restaurant that fits your criteria. Once you have a restaurant that you would like to book, you can log in or register an account to start the payment process.

Cashless payments have become more prominent over the years, as the world is now more digitally advanced. With Fastvenues everything is paid in advanced online, and you get a breakdown of the costs prior to paying. Simple!

We were given the opportunity to dine at Cadillac Jenkins; a Caribbean-inspired restaurant serving up unique eats, libations, and music on Queen St W. I'd say that their dishes are more elevated version of Caribbean cuisine. Price-wise, I'd say it's one of the pricier options ($60 total), but there are other budget-friendly options as well on Fastvenues.

Next up was the Jerk Pork Tacos - two soft corn tortillas, 36 hour marinated pork shoulder, Pico, smoked taco sauce, lime black pepper crema. The pork shoulder was well-marinated and flavorful considering it was marinated for 36 hours. Additionally, even though it was another starter, it was quite filling. 

I was looking forward the most to our main, which was the Crispy Skin Jerk Chicken - rice and pea risotto, grilled scallions, pepper sauce. The jerk chicken was really good, but I would have liked it a little more spiced. I thought it was slightly too mild for my taste buds. The hot sauce that accompanied our Doubles starter would have been the perfect side accompaniment to the jerk chicken dish.

Last up was dessert, which changes daily. Our meal ended off with the Rum Cake with Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce. It was a layer of delicate, yet rich rum-flavored cake with a generous helping of whipped cream.

The overall booking process was simple, as all I had to do was create an account and book the reservation. The website's interface was user-friendly, and it was super easy to navigate and make a payment. However, I believe that there should be better communications between Fastvenues and the partnered restaurants. None of us were asked for any documentation (or our names) to confirm the reservation when we walked in. This may cause confusion or complication if the dinner took place during the weekends or holidays, where it may be busier.

I'd also suggest that the restaurants provide a menu of the curated set-course meal. It doesn't have to be fancy (just on white paper), so that diners know what they're eating instead of checking the menu on their phones for each course. Fastvenues is still a new company that is continuing to update and renovate their system, so I am looking forward to what they offer in the future. Overall, they are an excellent way for people to try unique dining experiences in the city of Toronto.

Thank you Jacky for the invitation! 

Fastvenues

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Cadillac Jenkins

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Address: 930 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G6