[Review] Join the loyalty program at Pearl Diver

Website: http://pearldiver.to
Address: 100 Adelaide St E., Toronto, ON
When I went: April 2016

Pearl Diver (PD) is located across from St. James Park and George Brown College’s St. James campus. Pearl Diver is a China-based eatery with soon-to-be 7 locations, with Toronto as the only North American location. The seafood-centric restaurant includes fresh oysters, lobsters and fish, as well as non-seafood items such as steak and pork chops (Pearl Diver menu). The fully stacked bar has many choices to compliment the delicious eats.

The decor is welcoming with a large front window, huge bar showcasing their oyster selection and several booths, with a private room for large parties at the back of the restaurant. I had an opportunity to try out several dishes and dessert that will be offered on Pearl Diver’s updated Spring menu. The dishes were beautifully presented with bold and bright flavours, highlighting various ingredients.

Aside from the delectable food, what stood out at Pearl Diver was the number of daily specials they had, as well as a WeChat loyalty program worth joining. The restaurant is ahead of the game on the social media front.

About the WeChat Loyalty Program:

If you don’t know WeChat, you should get to know WeChat. Developed in China, there are 600 million users with 70 million non-Chinese users. In China, users can call taxi companies and order food using the social media app. While our version is not exactly there yet, it is worth downloading as it does way more than Whatsapp for instant messaging. I am a WeChat user and use it daily to video chat with my family, and share pictures. It can be described as a Whatsapp-Facebook-Twitter-Instagram hybrid. It is interactive and a great way to engage customers.

Don’t worry, if you are new to WeChat and need some assistance, Pearl Driver is here to help. PD has introduced #WeChatWednesdays. Starting April 20th, 2016, PD will teach you about WeChat while you enjoy their oyster special featuring 3 oysters and a glass of wine/beer/highlighted cocktail for $8.88.

Also, adding PD on WeChat means you can save 10% off your bill. Who doesn’t like to save money? All you have to do is download the WeChat App, add @PDTORONTO, share a moment (similar to adding a picture to your SnapChat story), and then 10% is taken off your bill (excludes drinks, specials and promotions). The loyalty program is straightforward with 1 point given for every pre-tax dollar spent at Pearl Diver. The rewards include PD gift certificates and even a trip to Shanghai and Beijing (Details of the reward program here).

For their Spring menu, this is what I sampled:

Platter of Oysters. This platter special is offered on Wednesday’s (21 oysters for $21.88), where the selection may change weekly. I got to try Kusshi and Fanny Bay oysters from B.C, Clarenbridge oysters from Ireland, and the Pink Moon variety from Canada’s east coast. I love oysters and these were fresh, briny and delicious!!

Seared Diver Scallops with watercress, house smoked pork belly, rhubarb and brown butter vinaigrette. Great combination with the pork belly.

Atlantic Lobster tiger salad with Pearl Diver ponzu sauce. I only had a small bite of the tail and it was enough to make me salivate.

Mennonite Pork Chop with summer potato bacon hash, braised red cabbage with blackcurrent glaze. Impressed with the generous portions and the tender meat.

Steelhead Trout with avocado, edemame, brocollini and tomatillo. This was my favourite entree dish of the evening with bright colours and flavours, with a perfectly cooked trout. This is spring on a plate!

Dark Chocolate Delice with a cherry compote, passion fruit coulis, cocoa nib and peanut brittle. This knocked me off my feet! The chocolate was rich and creamy.

Hisbiscus Poached Peach and Hazelnut Cake with mascarpone, blueberry compote and toasted pine nuts. I couldn’t get enough of the poached peach.

Check out some of their daily specials !

Tuesday -Seafood Tower for $28.88 from 6- 9pm
Wednesday- 21 oysters for $21.88
Thursday – 100 oysters for $100 from 6-10 pm
Sunday- Brunch from 11- 3pm with live jazz at 2 pm

Overall:

Delicious eats, tons of fresh oysters, an awesome loyalty program, and lots of daily specials…what’s not to love? Reservations are recommended.

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