Showing posts with label coconut cream pie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut cream pie. Show all posts

Scaramouche Restaurant (Toronto)


Yes, you’re in the right place. It seems wrong, as you pull up to an apartment building, but Scaramouche is located in the corner of Benvenuto Place. From the outside, it seems like an odd location for a restaurant, let alone one that has operated in Toronto for almost four decades. Yet, when you make your way into the dining room and are greeted with the view of the city’s midtown parklands and skyline, the residential neighbourhood is forgotten.


Tip back the shot of chilled celery and parsley soup and it certainly feels like you’re in a restaurant… slightly creamy before ending with a spicy horseradish kick. Equally refreshing are the half a dozen oysters ($30), freshly shucked with a bit of the red wine mignonette.


It’s hard to describe Scaramouche’s menu, possibly Canadian with European influences. These elements came together with the gnocchi ($25), a special for the day, combining in-season white asparagus and wild leeks. It was a fantastic starter! The creamy gnocchi well toasted in a golden crust and huge chunks of duck confit strewn throughout, enough that a larger portion can easily make this a main. Lastly, pieces of spongy morels, adding a different texture and soaking in the delicious duck jus.   


Unbeknownst to me, my order of roasted St. Canut suckling pig ($43) was replaced with a seared Nagano pork loin ($38). I wish they would have informed me of the change as when you expect something capped with crispy crackling skin, the medallion was an instant disappointment. Note to the restaurant: always inform your customers of replacements, I would have gone with the duck instead.


While the dish didn’t wow me like the starter, it’s a solidly constructed plate.  The meaty piece of perfectly cooked pork paired well with the traditional trimmings: luscious parsnip purée and lightly pickled apple. The fingerling potatoes are sautéed with bacon to give it an extra zip.

On the other hand, a taste of my husband’s lamb ($49) left me wanting more. The tender chops were crusted with an herby salsa verde to keep it light. Every element of the plate – peeled cherry tomatoes, crunchy beans, and a lemony eggplant purée was enticingly refreshing and bright, screaming of warmer weather even though Mother Nature wasn’t completely agreeing with us. Forget the typical heavy lamb with gravy and potatoes, Scaramouche’s interpretation is exactly what I want.


For dessert, their coconut cream pie ($14) is well known. Three distinct layers of sweet coconut custard, light chantilly cream, and tons of white chocolate shavings – so much that it had to be swept to the side. In comparison to the rest of the pie, the crust it thin and delicate, but still incorporated enough butter that even a bit of the crispy pastry with the cream was delicious. This is a pie for coconut lovers as the custard contained A LOT of it.


I welcomed bits of savouriness from my husband’s cheese plate ($16) to balance out the sweet dessert. The Wookey Hole cheddar is described as being aged in lime stone caves in Somerset, England, where it’s said to take on an earthy taste. Truth be told, I couldn’t distinguish any mineral elements, but it was flavourful, without being overpowering, and had a light nuttiness.


The cheddar was balanced by a lighter 12-month Manchego from Spain where you taste the dairy while enjoying the harder slightly crumbly texture of the cheese. Of course, the cheese board arrives with typical condiments – interestingly a tomato chutney (instead of something fruit based), perhaps there was already enough fruit in the pear and cranberry bread crackers.

It’s taken me a while to make it out to Scaramouche. This year’s birthday seemed like an opportune time to finally make it out to the iconic fine dining establishment. Possibly, it was even a bit reassuring, since the restaurant is older than me. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1 Benvenuto Place

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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Scaramouche Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Octagon (Thornhill)



Residents of Thornhill will be familiar with the octagonal building gracing the corner of Yonge and Clark. First starting as the Copper Kettle, the restaurant was renamed to The Octagon in 1974 and converted to a high-end steakhouse. I love their Victorian dining room draped in rich wood and jewel tones – something about the historical décor makes me feel like I’m in a steakhouse. If you want privacy, ask for a table situated in their small private enclaves that can seat six.

Although their Caesar salad ($17.95/person with minimum 2-person order) looked overly dressed, it tasted surprisingly light having a thinner consistency and enough citrus incorporated into the freshly made dressing. It’s a decadent treat, but hand whipped Caesar salad made table side is a staple for me when visiting steak houses.


The escargots ($14.95) were traditionally prepared, arriving hot in the individually held clay baking dish and swimming in brandy laced garlic butter.


Of course, each table also gets a brimming pickle and olive tray (thankfully, their pickles weren’t overly mushy and I loved the heat of the chili… especially after the meal to act as a palette cleanser) and basket of garlic bread.  


Unlike other fine dining steakhouses, the Octagon offers “lighter” mains where the proteins are a normal serving and arrives with vegetables (no starches). The 6oz. New York strip steak ($32.95) would have been a tad tiny on its own, but augmenting it with a piece of my husband’s massive bone-in rib steak ($65.95) was perfect – enough for me and not leaving him with meat sweats.


Prepared using a charcoal broiled method, the steaks have lovely grill marks and a light smoky aroma. The meat is juicy and oozes with metallic beef flavour … you know you’re in a place that specializes in steak.     


Unlike some of the newer high-end competitors, the Octagon’s regular-sized mains also come with sides – large meaty mushrooms and a choice of starch (baked potato, garlic mashed potatoes, fries or rice). It’s a tad more “economical”, saving you enough to splurge for dessert.

Their coconut cream pie ($11.95) is the best I’ve had in the city: a silky coconut custard held in a pie crust lined with chocolate so its crispiness is retained. On top, plenty of neutral whipped cream and white chocolate shavings for sweetness. It’s not an overly heavy dessert but should still be shared.


Some things are institutions for a reason – overly ornate interiors, large portions of food and expertly prepared traditional menus. The Octagon has it all, long live the steakhouse.  

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Thornhill, Canada
 Address: 7529 Yonge Street

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



The Octagon Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato