Showing posts with label summerlicious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summerlicious. Show all posts

CLOSED: Wish (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, August 23, 2015 by


Wish Cafe Toronto
Wish has a patio that elicits, “This is so adorable!” comments. With the white washed furniture and cream drapery, there’s a Tetro Verde vibe and allows for people watching on a quieter street in Yorkville. Service is rather slow, but when you’re seated on comfortable couches and having a great conversation with friends, the wait is actually enjoyable.

Visiting for a Summerlicious ($35) dinner, the restaurant was still calm at 6:30. However, an hour later, every table on the patio was occupied. Luckily, we had our orders in so the starters came out at a decent time. The grilled New Zealand lamb chops smelled intoxicating with the scent of charred meat comingling with the mint and citrus pesto.

Lamb chops wish cafe

Although our server requested how we’d like the lamb done (medium rare and medium the consensus), they all arrived well done. Restaurants need to carefully consider their ability to execute upon requests. If it’s difficult to meet exact demands during busy periods, I’d prefer the chef just decide what’s best and serve. Although I prefer the lamb less done, it was still tender and well flavoured; if it was just served that way I’d be content. However, I couldn’t help feeling something was wrong as, in this case, as it wasn’t cooked to my initial specifications.

The poached salmon was moist and flavourful having been brined in a spice mix prior to cooking. Vibrant roasted heirloom carrots set off the pale pink salmon while their natural sweetness complimented the creamy kale veloutee (essentially a creamed kale).

Poached salmon wish cafe

My friend’s half cornish hen was succulent and the dish had a rustic feel to it with the simple but delicious romesco buttered vegetables and a sprinkling of burnt rye toast crumbs on top for added texture.

Cornish hen Wish cafe

It was during dessert where the food started to falter. The Summerlicious menu tempted me with an “apple cinnamon divine”, but despite ordering before 7pm, they had already run out. If a restaurant is only responsible for offering three menu items, the pastry chef needs to ensure they have adequate amounts of it. Sure, I understand if something stocks out at 9pm… but, close to the start of dinner service? That’s poor planning.

An apple crumble pie was the mediocre substitute. Although the filling had a fair amount of apples, it was served cold and unadorned – no scoop of ice cream or even drizzle of caramel – hardly an adequate replacement for something that was “divine”.

Apple pie wish cafe

The spiced kraken rum rice pudding was thick and its paste-like texture not the most pleasant. Personally, I feel just a splash of coconut milk would help thin it out and help it develop a velvety texture. A huge slab of white chocolate speared the dessert adding a decorative element; if broken into smaller pieces and mixed into the pudding instead, it could have provided the much needed texture and flavour contrast.

Rice pudding wish cafe

Wish's plating is on point, providing Instagram worthy photos that will certainly draw in crowds. Sitting out on the patio, with the natural lighting and pale grey back drops, it was a breeze to snap a picture I was happy with. But, what keeps people returning to restaurants will always be the food. In Wish’s case, the savoury dishes (especially the mains) were a hit. However, the lackluster desserts hardly provokes a positive last impression for diners.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

Is Summerlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Summerlicious - $35
Regular menu - $47 - lamb chops ($21), salmon ($22) and pie* ($8)
Savings - $16 or 31%
* The pie were based a wild guess from me

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3 Charles Street East


 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:

CLOSED: Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 22, 2015 by

For people who like meat, especially copious amounts of it, Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse is for you. As a rodizio restaurant, it’s all-you-can-eat: servers bring skewered churrasco (barbequed) proteins to your table until you signal them to stop with a simple flip of the sign. The full Copa experience is $40 on Sunday to Thursdays or $45 on Friday and Saturday (when salmon is served).

Sides, vegetables, charcuterie and other hot eats reside at a buffet area that’s self-serve. There’s actually quite a good selection and their salad bar is great, I particularly enjoyed the quinoa, mango and blueberry and kale salads.


As the server arrives table side, they announce what’s on the skewer. If you want a portion, they slice into it, you use the small tongs provided to grab onto the loose piece and then they finish slicing. Voila! You now have a piece of thinly sliced meat. Usually, they’ll have pieces with varying doneness so you can request something that’s cooked less or more.


The top sirloin was flavourful and tender and probably the meat I had the most of that evening. Other delicious picks was the herby chimichurri steak, fatty and moist butter milk rib eye and juicy flaky salmon.


The salmon, although looking overdone, was surprisingly delicious – glistening and just cooked through.


I find the prime rib with cheddar and filet mignon wrapped in bacon a tad salty, but they also tend to be crowd favourites. Luckily, the Toronto location has toned down their use of seasoning as I found the Niagara branch extremely salty, which for a long time was why I didn’t want to return to a Brazilian steakhouse.

Other beef items include skirt steak, picanha Brazil (a slightly chewier rump cut), flank steak and beef ribs (pulled off the bone and somewhat dry). But, it’s not all beef, Copa also serves chicken (drumstick, parmesan and Moraccan), leg of lamb (tasty and worth a try) and pork sausages.

After I’ve had my protein fill, the thing I enjoy the most is their grilled pineapples. Crusted lightly in cinnamon sugar, the heat helps sweeten the pineapple even more and get their juices flowing.


Fried bananas, corn bread and cheese puffs are brought around in baskets, so enticing that you can’t help but have one. The fried banana was crispy and has the same cinnamon sugar dusting as the pineapples. Their cornbread, always served hot out of the oven, is fluffy and aromatic. Only the cheese puff was a bust for me as the center was doughy and soft rather than airy or molten. 


Copacabana offered great service; the manager coming by on separate occasions to ensure we were satisfied. When we noted that the meat service was a little slow he instantly had more gauchos (servers) visit the table. When we started turning away items citing, “We’ve had this already” they asked us what we wanted and made sure to bring those items in return trips.

Live music and a dance performance may seem cliché but provides a cheerful environment; momentarily distracting me from the food and bringing a slight twinge of regret for accepting the third helping of top sirloin.


Overall, Copacabana was a good experience, especially for an all-you-can-eat atmosphere. Indeed, I probably wouldn’t want to visit too much, as it does promote over consumption on meat. But, as a once in a while indulgence, it’s not a bad way to spend two hours (their seating limit).

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Is Summerlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Summerlicious - $35
Regular menu - $45 
Savings - $10 or 22%

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 150 Eglinton Avenue East


 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:


CLOSED: Bestellen (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, July 18, 2015 by
Bestellen makes a meat-lover’s heart go a flutter with promises of dry-aged beef and house-cured charcuterie. When the restaurant offered both on their Summerlicious menu ($35), it became a no brainer that a visit was in order.

The charcuterie was made for me with thinly sliced basturma, coppa and prosciutto; all cuts where the meat and fat are distinct, not a salami in sight. Prosciutto is a commonly loved with its large slices of leg meat. Personally, I prefer coppa as it has a richer flavour and having the fat in the centre of the meat gives it a different mouth feel.

Bestellen charcuterie

Bestellen introduced me to basturma, a dried cured beef. The curing process must have involved plenty of peppercorn as the earthy heat from the spice was prevalent. Much leaner than pork, I found the basturma was best eaten plain. Whereas, the toasted olive oil laced bread with grainy mustard went best with the fattier pork options: the bread's heat nicely warming up the fat.

After such a great starter, the dry aged striploin was disappointing – salty so that any chance of enjoying the beef’s flavour was minimal. Being a leaner dry aged cut, I didn’t anticipate the steak to be juicy. However, I did expect the aging process to condense the meat’s flavours and the connective tissues to break down so it’d be more tender than it was.

Bestellen striploin

The wedges of roast potato were even more salty; I had to wipe it against the edge of the plate before it was edible. Only the charred rapini was spared. One redeeming quality is the kitchen did cook the beef to the exact medium rare doneness requested.

Dessert was surprisingly good. The warm lemon and pistachio cake a great combination – the nuttiness of the pistachio balanced by the citrus. Also, the nest of candied lemon on top had just the right amount of sweetness to set off the neutral cake. The chocolate budino’s texture was oh-so silky and jazzed up with the addition of salted caramel.

Bestellen budinoBestellen cake

Bestellen’s softly lit environment is great for dates but its loud music makes conversing difficult. For a restaurant that encourages large groups with a family style whole suckling pig, côte de boeuf and Sunday chicken dinners, it should really lower the volume so that guests don’t need to shout to be heard.

A printed wine-by-the-glass menu would also be nice, even if written on a chalkboard. Our waiter was friendly and helpful, but I felt a little bad for him as multiple people asked about it and he had to dutifully recite the list and answer pricing/country of origin questions every time.    

From reading other reviews, it seems Bestellen does meat dishes well (think charcuterie, beef tartare and their burger). But, it’s not a steakhouse and this is where opinions start to falter. In the end, the charcuterie peaked my heart’s interest, but the striploin makes a long-term relationship doubtful.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Is Summerlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Summerlicious - $35
Regular menu - $47 - charcuterie ($13), striploin ($28) and cake ($6)
Savings - $12 or 26%
* The striploin and cake were based on the cornish hen and a wild guess from me
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 972 College 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:

CLOSED: Nota Bene (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 180 Queen Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner


Not having visited the restaurant for years, Summerlicious seemed like a great opportunity for a return visit. For one, it would be more affordable (normally mains can easily cost upwards of $35) and their Summerlicious offering sounded great. Plus, they even had great drink specials with $8 cocktails and $7 wine glasses.


At first, I was worried the restaurant’s quality had gone down as the starters differed from my fond memories of Nota Bene. Don't get me wrong, they were still decent; but, the ingredient combinations and tie into the restaurant itself seemed off. My albacore tuna sashimi was seared beautifully with a thin even ring around every piece. However, the accompanying ingredients (Caeser aoili, fried onion frizzles, bonito flakes and grilled peppers) were all so powerful that it drown out the fish. Personally, I thought the condiments described on the menu (citrus soy sauce, ginger and coriander) would have been more than enough. The additional elements were tasty but, in my opinion, would have worked better with beef carpaccio. 


Sanagan’s pulled braised goat was a dish recommended by Toronto Life’s picks. So, it was one I was interested to see and arrived more put together than expected. My friend described it perfectly – it tastes like chili except with shredded goat. In hindsight, after reading the menu’s description (black beans, pico de gallo and goat cheese espuma) it should have tipped us off to the potential Tex-Mex flavours. And it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – the chili was good - just not something you’d expect at Nota Bene (but could work well at The Carbon Bar). The creamy fried croquettes (perhaps polenta?) were delicious and went well with the tangy goat cheese.


As the mains arrived all fears were calmed - this was what I remembered and loved about the restaurant! Normally, I always go for the meat or fish option but something about the pea and ricotta ravioli was calling my stomach. It was every bit as delightful as it sounded. There were plenty of plump ravioli stuffed with a fresh sweet pea and ricotta. The creamy sauce helped to flavour the pasta but wasn’t too strong as to cover the subtle pea. A soft runny poached egg in the middle mixed into everything to add another element of creaminess. Plus, nothing goes better with shaved truffles than a well-cooked egg! Crisp kale chips were scattered on top adding texture and extra pops of flavour. This is a great dish that you should order off their regular menu.


Indeed, the peppercorn-crusted steak frites tempted me and those who ordered it were happy. Between our larger group, there were requests for rare, medium rare and medium well steaks. The accomplished chefs successfully served everyone simultaneously (despite the varying doneness) and each came out correctly.  And the parmigiano and rosemary topped fries were wonderful – I may have snuck my fare share off of the plates around me.

My husband, a burger fanatic, went with their dry-aged beef burger. He noted it was very juicy (likely on account of using beef brisket) and had good flavours. He only wished there was a bit more sauce to the burger but was nonetheless satisfied.


To end, my friend and I split a hot sugared doughnut and cheese plate. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the cheese plate; it had three great pieces of different and delightful offerings. With crostini and a piece of dried fruit this would have been a sufficient ending.


But, the doughnut was absolutely fantastic! We were astonished by the size (the equivalent of two Krispy Kremes), yet everyone polished off their plate. The doughnut was hot, soft, light and not too sugary. It went so well with the hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and the light blueberry sauce.  My only regret of the evening was not having a full order of this.
Needless to say, we left the restaurant stuffed. Of course, our attentive waiter could have something to do with this. As we were waiting for a friend, he continuously brought out bread and our drinks were never empty.  All in all, the return visit was great (albeit much busier than the non-Summerlicious weeknights visits). So, although this post is coming out a little late in the Summerlicious cycle, go while you still can! And if you don’t get a reservation, go back and splurge on the ravioli and doughnut, you will not be disappointed. 


 Is Summerlicious worth it?

 As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

 Summerlicious - $45

 Regular menu - $58 - tuna sashimi ($17), ravioli ($29) and doughnut ($12)

 Savings - $13 or 22%

 * All the items offered during Summerlicious were part of their regular menu, fantastic!

    Overall mark - 8 out of 10
    Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!



    CLOSED: Shibui Robata Bar (Toronto)

    Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2014 by
    Location: Toronto, Canada
    Address: 230 Adelaide Street West
    Type of Meal: Dinner


    Shibui Robata Bar shares space with Copacabana – it’s on the bottom while Copa’s just above. Upon entering, the welcome desk was abuzz with a model-like midriff baring hostess who seems like she’d be working for a nightclub than a restaurant. Yet, upon descending the stairs and entering Shibui, the atmosphere changes. Although still much loungier than your typical izakaya, with its round booths and glowing artwork on the walls, the vibe at the bottom starts to calm down.

    Of course, breaking into the sake could have also helped the situation. For Summerlicious, Shibui offers a four-glass sake tasting for $20. It’s not a pairing, as you’re given them all together and only have to drink the pink one first. It provides a variety of tastes from sweet plum, crisp & dry, bitter and sparkling. My favourite was “Mio” the sparkling one – with the happy face smiling back at me and drinking it right after the extremely bitter Genshu, it ended the tasting off on a high.


    My friend had recommended we visit Shibui for their Summerlicious menu and I’m so glad she did. For $25 we were astounded by the amount of food received and had a great experience! With all the delicious choices we broke off into pairs and shared each course. I highly recommend sharing as there’s plenty to go around and some dishes are rich so you’ll appreciate the variety.


    To start, a helping of the Chilean sea bass dumplings and crispy rice with tuna. The dumplings contained a good helping of black pepper spiced fish in a delicate wrapper. It was light and a good start. The accompanying sesame vinegar dipping sauce (?) was subtle and hard to distinguish so neither added nor took away from gyozas.


    The crispy rice with tuna is like a cross between sushi pizza and pressed sushi. Chopped tuna is mixed with spicy mayo then garnished with a fried garlic chip and sliver of jalapeno packing tons of flavours. We chose wisely starting with the dumplings first or may have found them bland after eating the flavourful crispy rice. The combination of creamy tuna, soft warm rice and crispy base was delicious and definitely worth ordering.


    Next, we each received an eight-piece maki roll (four orders pictured below). As they brought out these dishes heads turn and eyes light up when you realize YOU GET THE ENTIRE ORDER!


    The Shibui salmon maki, pictured first, seemed like a classic spicy salmon roll based on the menu’s description. Indeed, the ingredients are typical consisting of salmon, spicy mayo and tempura flakes. However, their execution is what differs. Rather than mixing the tempura bits into the spicy salmon (causing it to get mushy) or sprinkling it on top (so that it’s the first thing to hit the tongue) Shibui puts it beside the salmon in the middle of the roll. The outcome is that as you bite through the roll you get distinct textures and flavours rather than one mushy clump. The salmon maki was a table favourite.


    The pirikara ebi maki looks amazing with the battered shrimp skewered onto purple pickled plum (?) rice. And has promise to taste good with the crispy asparagus and julienned cucumber inside. Together each item stands on its own but also compliments well (the heaviness of the fried shrimp with the freshness of the maki). However, the downfall was that the over battered shrimp was cold and also caused the spicy mayo to congeal.

    Of course, I understand the stresses of serving so many diners during Summerlicious – when you’re pumping out this much food certain items need to be prepped ahead of time. Unfortunately, the pirikara ebi maki was a bad choice to include on a Summerlicious offering as it really detracted from an otherwise delicious meal.

    Finally, onto Shibui’s claim to fame - robatayaki style cooking. With their open concept kitchen you’re able to see the chefs at work as they move skewers across various levels further from or closer to the hot coals. In the beginning, I expected the food to taste like yakatori but because the skewers are cooked further away from the direct heat it stayed juicier, fresher and crispier.

    The pork belly was one of the moistest I’ve ever had. Literally when you pick it up and squeeze oily juices drip off of it. Covered with shichimi pepper there’s some heat to the pork and a welcomed change from the sweet and salty concoctions. But, these are still heavy and one skewer is enough – even my pork belly loving friend agrees. So, you should definitely share! The sesame and teriyaki asparagus on the side was good, crispy yet cooked through.

     

    If you’ve read previous posts you’ll know I love miso marinated black cod. I pretty much try it everywhere and couldn’t pass up sampling it at Shibui. Although it wasn’t the best I’ve had (Yuzu No Hana and Blowfish still hold these titles) it was still delicious - flaky, tender and well flavoured. The side of corn glazed with yuzu butter was fine. But, I actually found the middle garnishes more intriguing with the zucchini topped with sesame oil pickled carrots and the pickled daikon flower – all devoured despite the abundance of food already consumed.


    To end, we shared amongst the table the passion fruit mousse (extremely sweet but one friend really liked it), mango gelato (creamy and devoid of the dreaded fake mango taste) and petit gateau (a rich dense dark chocolate cake). Honestly, none of these wowed me, but I don't have a sweet tooth so it really has to be good for me to want more. My fellow diners enjoyed them and all were polished off by the end.


    From the savings calculated below, you’ll get a sense that Shibui’s Summerlicious menu is a great deal. Certainly, it’s one of the highest calculated savings I’ve had as a Licious dinner. So, based on the numbers – this is a steal! I highly suggest you make a reservation and try it now as Shibui’s normal prices can be a bit steep. But, if you can’t make it out by July 20th, have no fear, as they do offer a fixed price lunch with many of the same items for $20.



    Let’s be clear, Shibui isn’t a traditional Japanese restaurant; their dishes have been modified for the North American palette. But, we need a bit of each. Slap more spicy mayo on those rolls I say because the Shibui salmon maki was just as great as a plain piece of fresh salmon any day. 

     Is Summerlicious worth it?

     As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

     Summerlicious - $25

     Regular menu - $60 - crispy rice with tuna ($14), pirikara ebi maki ($12), grilled black cod ($22), grilled asparagus ($7) and petit gateau* ($5)

     Savings - $35 or 58%

     * The dessert isn't part of their regular menu; the price based on a wild guess

      Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
      Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications -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!

      Jump (Toronto)

      Posted on Friday, July 19, 2013 by
      Location: Toronto, Canada
      Address: 18 Wellington Street West
      Type of Meal: Lunch

       Jump’s reopening brought with it an open concept dining room, the removal of much of their plush banquette seating and the addition of large stunning scotch & wine feature walls.  A new patio arriving just in time for the warm weather is also a welcomed addition and usually full.


      Given Jump’s proximity to the financial district, it’s the perfect place for a lunch, especially during Summerlicious.  In line with the warm weather, I decided to start with the Ontario summer salad.  The salad was a mix of green; surprisingly, Jump decided not to mix in other colours to give it some contrast – what happened to Ontario tomatoes or cheese which could have jazzed up the salad?  Rather, it consisted of shaved asparagus, leaves of baby kale and pistachios.  The dressing was a poor choice (fennel) as there wasn’t enough flavour to do anything to the salad.  Instead, it just felt like I was eating individual ingredients with the boldest flavour coming from the pistachios. 

      Pretty disappointing start to the meal, I’d suggest getting the tomato tarte tatin, which my coworker ordered and looked much tastier.  To be fair, this was also the dish our waiter suggested.  As a warning, the dish really isn’t a “tarte” but rather sits on a piece of bread. Nonetheless, a significant amount of fresh ricotta and tomatoes top the bread so the dish looked satisfying.

      Sadly, my main was another let down – I ordered the BBQ sustainable B.C. Albacore tuna.  The tuna was cold, hardly the BBQ I was expecting; but, to make it worse arrived unflavoured and slightly fishy tasting.  Luckily, my coworker had ordered the same dish so I realized the tuna was missing the sauce.  After asking the waiter to bring me a side of it (a thickened teriyaki glaze with a hint of spice) the fishy taste was luckily masked. 

      The menu described the dish as being accompanied by spinach and grilled king oyster mushrooms, so I was expecting warm sides and those ingredients.  The “spinach” was uncooked and unflavoured, reminding me of the lackluster first course.  Moreover, I highly suspect the vegetables weren’t spinach as didn’t taste or look like it.  The “oyster mushroom” was grilled but once again lacked any seasoning and relied solely on the sauce I luckily procured.  Like the “spinach” it was substituted with a king mushroom rather than the promised oyster, but I didn’t particularly mind the switch.  Overall, the menu did a terrible job at describing the course, which also consisted of julienned carrots and fried taro slivers.

      Once again, I gazed longingly at my coworker’s crab BLT, which looked more satisfying with the large brioche bun and healthy portion of fried vegetable chips.  Alas, this meal was all about ordering remorse.

      Jump’s best dish off of this Summerlicious lunch was the cannoli offered for dessert.  I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not a huge dessert fan so it’s the worse when that’s the best course of a meal.  However, the cannolis were crispy, filled with a thick delicious cream and accompanied by a nice flavourful lemon curd.  Finally, some flavour after a bland first two courses!



      My past experiences with Jump, albeit ordered off their regular menu, were much better than this visit.  It’s unclear if they’ve recently changed their chef along with the revamp. But, if these are the dishes on their new menu, someone actually needs to taste it and add some flavour.  If the food quality is staying this way, Jump may become a drinks only place for me.
      Is Summerlicious worth it?

      As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

      Summerlicious - $20

      Regular menu - $45 - salad* ($11.25), tuna ($24.95) and cannoli* ($9)

      Savings - $25 or 56%

      * All the items aren't on their regular menu; prices based on the winter salad, grilled salmon and regular dessert prices


       Overall mark - 5 out of 10


      Like the blog?  You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - 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!
      For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html



      Café Boulud (Toronto)

      Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2013 by
      Location: Toronto, Canada
      Address: 60 Yorkville Avenue (inside the Four Seasons Hotel)
      Type of Meal: Dinner

      After reading the disappointing critic reviews about Café Boulud, my excitement to try the Toronto output of the NYC’s celebrity chef’s restaurant waned.  Since they were part of Summerlicious this year, it was the perfect opportunity to try them and the experience was surprisingly wonderful.

       Situated in the new Four Seasons Hotel the lobby is opulent and a great improvement from the old Yorkville location.  Located on the second floor, Café Boulud’s dining room is much larger than I would have imagined and toned down compared to the hotel.  Paintings and artwork adorn the walls and shelves amongst an eclectic mix of “natural” materials such as wood, stone and glass.  A mishmash of chairs, some a reminder of ones you’d find in an office, are sprinkled throughout the restaurant.  Somehow the hodgepodge of décor works, although a bit busy for my taste.    
      Alas, it’s really the food that matters and the night started off on a high with the seared Digby scallops.  Two large Nova Scotia scallops arrived sitting on a sweet corn succotash and avocado mousse, with a flavourful shrimp chip topping it all off.  The scallops had a beautiful caramelized sear on them and were perfectly cooked - warmed and barely cooked throughout.  Sadly, what I loved most was the humble sweet corn succotash which was a rich stew of large corn kernals in a buttery sauce.  I simply want to slather that over everything – fish, bread, rice, you name it!
      The roasted Cumbrae beef was laid out in a beautiful fan topped with a generous dollop of salsa verde.  Tender and lightly seasoned, the tenderloin allowed the salsa’s fresh herbs and hint of vinegar and chilies to shine through.  Large sticks of fries accompanied the dish making this a great alternative for meat and potato lovers.  The fries were amplified with fried salted rosemary which is my new favourite combination for potatoes.
      My husband’s Mediterranean daurade (a fish that’s also known as sea bream or orata) was good – the fillet’s skin was crispy and meat flakey – but wasn’t a match for the beef, in my opinion.  The boulliabaisse sauce was deliciously thick and deep tasting; almost like having lobster bisque, but without the bisque’s creaminess.


      For dessert I opted for the tonka bean sundae, which my patrons agreed was the best of out the three offerings.  I loved all the flavours and textures that were in the sundae.  The ice cream was maple caramel and had a hint of coffee to it so gave the sundae a deep butterscotch smell.  You really need to dig into the bottom of the sundae as sitting on the bottom are pieces of chopped pecans, cubes of brownie and crushed chocolate cookies.  Surprisingly, where the tonka beans, the namesake of the sundae, comes in is in the dollop of Chantilly cream topping everything.  After some research on Wikipedia, I now realize they are essentially like a vanilla bean.  Sadly, not being a whipped cream fan I had scooped it out so really can’t comment on the “tonkaness” of the dessert.



      You certainly won’t leave hungry given the respectable dish sizes and a generous bread basket and plate of savoury cheese puffs given before the meal.  Unfortunately, I was hungry and dove into the carbs before snapping a picture.  If you order the daurade, save a slice of the bread so you can dip it into the delicious sauce.   
      Overall, my experience with Café Boulud was thankfully much better than the critics.  My husband and I agree that we’ll likely return to try out their regular menu where tasty sounding dishes are abound.  If you’re looking for a Summerlicious choice, try out Café Boulud.  With $45-$55 bottles or a $25 pairing option, now is the perfect time to try out the restaurant at a decent price.  
      Is Summerlicious worth it?

      As a special feature to the Summerlicious blogs, I will attempt to calculate the savings being offered (based on my meal selection).

      Summerlicious - $45

      Regular menu - $63 - Scallops* ($16), beef ($36; although on normal menu is a "duo") and sundae* ($11)

      Savings - $18 or 29%

      * The scallops and sundae aren't on their regular menu; prices based on the octopus appetizer and panna cotta

      Overall mark - 8 out of 10

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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!
      For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html


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