Ficoa’s 8-course tasting menu ($120 per person) aims to feature Latin American dishes with an elevated flair.  They also operate under an ethos of achieving “zero waste” in using leftovers from an ingredient within other dishes, such as in a sauce or garnish.

The meal started with a flavour bomb, a celeriac truffle soup where the root vegetable was pureed into a creamy finish and topped with an intense fermented chili that added a delicious kick. Table side, they spoon on a truffle foam that was way too salty but gave it a decadent touch.

Since the soup was so intensely flavoured the trio of small bites that followed seemed tasteless in comparison:

• I would have thought the braised short rib empanada would be rich and hearty topped with queso cotija and crema. Yet, if anything what stood out the most was the corn masa shell, which was crispy, airy, and light.
• If you like arancini you’ll love molote that takes mashed plantain and stuffs it with cheese, then deep fries the ball. It’s sweet and gooey making an interesting bite. It just needed more of the smoky salsa tatemada to bring out the savoury aspect of the canapé.
• The seabass ceviche tostada was nicely balanced, not overly acidic and incorporating creamier elements like cotija cheese and a dollop of salmon roe. In fact, I wish the tasting menu featured more seafood instead of the plethora of fowl.

It starts with the duck confit taco, which I had high hopes for as I love duck confit. Instead, the small palm sized shell made it messy to eat and the actual confit feel flat, seemingly sous vide rather than slow cooked in fat to give it richness. The habanero salsa was a good idea holding up against the fowl, if only the duck was more pronounced.

This is followed by turkey enmolada where its base seems like a rehash of the taco. The sous vide turkey didn’t taste that different from the duck, but the shell was much bigger and smothered in a fiery almendrado mole.  My advice, keep this dish and change the taco into something vegetable (cactus, mushroom, and/or corn) or seafood based instead.

Even the final main features chicken. The mishmash of an individual plate and family style dishes initially threw me off for the last savoury course. We’re each presented with a plate of flat iron wagyu that was a bit overcooked but topped with a vibrant chimichurri. Once again, the seasoning was off as all the elements on the plate were heavily salted. In comparison, the family style dishes were rather neutral; a blessing as the Mexican rice and salad helped pacify any saltiness.

Despite having my fill with fowl, the citrus chicken is a keeper. I liked that they deboned the dark meat to make a rullar. Plus, the citrus, chili, and herb seasoning created a great summery taste. And if you’re hungry, you won’t be after the main as each duo received a sizeable plate of chicken to share.

Up until this point, I haven’t mentioned their wine pairing ($80 per person), which featured a mix of lighter European wines that went nicely with the spiciness of the food. Just don’t expect a sommelier level of expertise with the pairings as the hostess also does triple duty as being a server and drink specialist. Still, despite not always knowing much about the winery itself (we were excited when told a bottle originated from the Maldives, only to find it’s from Italy) her choices for each course were solid. And knowing we weren’t a fan of sweet wines, even the dessert option was tamer having a sweet edge without becoming sugary.

The dessert wine paired particularly well with the mango sorbet palette cleanser that was whimsically made into a lollipop that you can dip into Tajin to add a savoury element.

The tres leches de café dessert was a hit; the moist milky cake incorporated a hit of coffee and chocolate pieces creating a tiramisu-like dessert. Who doesn’t like tres leches and tiramisu? 

And to end, a plate of petit fours featuring a delicious crispy bite of chocolate churro that must be enlarged, a buttery delicate alfajaro, and a moist crumbly classic cocada that’s ideal for those who love coconut.

As tasting menus go, Ficoa’s needs work to create more variety and properly ordering dishes so that intensely flavourful ones aren’t served before more neutral features. The format has already changed a couple of times since their opening in 2024, so who knows if this will be the last rendition.

The middling food aside, I appreciate Ficoa’s dedication to service. Due to miscommunications, I had to increase my reservation at the time of the meal, and they were able to accommodate. They even printed an extra copy of the customized menu for the additional guest, which was a nice touch.

Plus, its one of the first restaurants that builds the wine pairing around a guest’s preferences. A pairing without chardonnay? Muchas gracias!

What is your ideal social habitat? For some, it’s a buzzy place with music pumping and a frenzy of activity underway. And at the other end of the spectrum, a cozy corner with a comfy couch that people can just sink into and chat. Habitat Social is in between the two, the dining room adorned with items that beg for a picture and there’s music, but it’s not played at a splitting decibel that detracts from a heart-to-heart conversation.

It’s surprisingly quiet for 7pm on a Saturday. In no time our crimson palomas ($18) arrived containing a healthy slug of tequila and Cointreau that gives the fruity looking cocktail that kick I needed. And we’re off to the (not overly hectic) races!

Our waiter raves about the coconut ebi mayo ($23), a dish that’s been a staple on their menu and he claims is a favourite amongst patrons. For me, it’s too soft, the batter lacking crunch and coconut textures. If anything, it’s simply fried shrimp with a couple of sweet sauces for flavour. Not much coconut and no definitely mayonnaise. Perhaps the dish just needs to be renamed to “tropical fried ebi” for clarity.

We did enjoy the chicken cobb salad ($22), a hearty dish that’s more of a “bowl” than “salad”. With only a scant amount of salad mix, the dish combined fresh avocado, torched corn, tomato, and of course a generous fillet of crispy fried chicken. I loved it for a lightish but hearty dinner and would push for this to be a staple if it isn’t already.

There’s something about Habitat’s not overly busy environment that lends itself to diners being social. David, our server, came by regularly to check on us and answer questions. Even the table next two us, two ladies having a reunion and about to embark on a debaucherous night out, struck up a conversation. All the while, I still had more than enough time and privacy to catch-up with my friend. My kind of social habitat. 

What makes a Visa Infinite Dinner different is the melding of acclaimed chefs from outside of Toronto with well known local restaurants. My first experience brought together the 30+ year institution, Auberge du Pommier, with Mastard of Montreal, which is part of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. Together they created a food and beverage tasting menu ($282.50 per person inclusive of taxes and gratuities) combining the talents of two kitchens.

Don’t worry about arriving late to the weeknight dinner. With the 6:30pm start, the first bites of canapés didn’t start arriving until well past 7:00pm. And instantly I was intrigued on what the low-sided crystal bowl contained. The concentrated ham broth with cameline oil gave off a smoky ham-fueled flavour that was intense solo. But once I dipped a piece of brioche into consommé, the flavours mellow and combined nicely with the buttery toast studded with the sphere of meaty duck sausage.

Sweet and salty combinations run in the blood of both chefs. It’s evident in the brown cheese taco filled with whipped foie gras that creates a creamy and crunchy combination. It continues with the first taste of dessert, a spice cake that gets a savoury spike from black garlic emulsion. Get ready riders as we set off to Flavour Town.

Next station, a candied sockeye salmon that’s dense and chewy swimming in dill oil and dollops of smoked crème fraiche. I’m glad the dish incorporates a lot of green sorrel chiffonade as it helps neutralize the abundance of silky dill sauce. It’s a dish loved by the table, but I found it too oily (half the oil is sufficient) and salty.

Give me another slice of lettuce tart any day. Chef Simon Mathys undersells the dish as a mere combination of lettuce and caviar, but it’s so much more. The lettuce juice forms a silky custard with a vibrant green colour that screams of spring. They smartly went with a thin flaky tart shell that’s crispy and contrasts against the creamy centre. And of course, it’s finished with caviar, the saltiness complimenting the tart wonderfully.

Chugging along, the spring mushroom risotto was too overdone resembling a porridge packed with mushrooms, grilled wild onion, artichoke crisps, and first-of-the-season morels. Chef Kane Vane Ee notes how many contacts it took to source the morels, which were sublime and made the dish. Thank you for the hard work!

I enjoy dishes featuring different textures and enjoyed seeing the battered and deep-fried fowl in the quail and scallop. While the quail’s breast was a tad chewy, the drumstick was cooked to perfection and made me want to nosh through half a dozen more. The scallop was also seared nicely and paired well with the shrimp sauce, which had a bisque-like taste that made me wish I asked for a spoon.

A vibrant green tea opera cake finishes the luxurious spring menu continuing the lovely green colour palette. Thin even layers of almond sponge, chocolate ganache, and elderflower cream is painstakingly put together by Auberge’s new pastry chef. If you’ve read my historical visits to Auberge, I generally find the desserts boring and end with a cheese plate. That will change if the opera cake graces the menu.  

As the ride makes its way to the final stop around 10pm, the atmosphere has really shifted. They’re generous with the alcohol, regularly topping up wines and even the Diplomatico rum based cocktails for diners who want more. And with the liberal liberations, the once hushed diners start to let loose.

We almost don’t want to leave as the plate of petit fours are presented. I slowly made my way through the chewy pistachio macaron and sampled a bite from the two chocolates.

It could be due to the two extra glasses of Domain des Coutures L’Insolente saumur blanc kicking in, but it took me a couple of attempts to pick up the candied quince meringue… of course the top layer of cream can’t be held, move down to the crispy base instead! At last, the airy meringue, juicy cube of quince, and cool cream made for a great ending. Visa Infinite Dinner, until we meet again in June.

Usually, when I visit a restaurant for dim sum, I’m going for the small dishes filled with bite sized morsels for sharing amongst a table. Things change at Jumbo Lobster where seafood is king. Especially since they only have 24 dim sum dishes (one being French fries) on their menu.

It’s a restaurant made for large gatherings, even a table of four is too tiny. Otherwise, it’d be difficult to order one of their two lunch menus where charges are based on the size of the lobster: $35/lb for 5lbs+ and $36/lb for 10lbs+.  While the price difference is minimal, the surcharge for the 10lb+ meal allows diners to have the lobster prepared two ways and arrives with additional dim sum dishes (eight vs. five).

The 10lb+ lunch menu (or L2 for $36/lb) includes lobster, eight dim sum, congee, fried rice, and a vegetable dish. Out of the stir-fried green onion and ginger and deep-fried dry garlic lobsters, I preferred the traditional onion and ginger as the crustacean’s flavours were more pronounce and felt juicier and plumper.

Despite the mountain of ingredients filling the deep-fried garlic version, it just tasted salty with a hint of sweetness. I can see the dish being favoured by children as it sits on a bed of French fries, which were kind of stale given they’re prepared ahead of time.

Any lobster tomalley is reserved for the lobster roe and shrimp fried rice, which was prepared well. The dish had decent wok hay, and the rice dry enough so there were distinct granules of grain. It was so good that our table finished the entire plate.

To balance the heavier items, there’s a generous portion of poached snow pea tips with goji berry, which were stir fried until tender but still crispy and fresh.

After ordering it does take about 30 minutes before dishes arrive - an anomaly at dim sum where things normally start flying in as soon as the menu is whisked away. In fact, the first item presented isn’t even dim sum, rather a large bowl of chicken congee that’s piping hot and contains tons of bone-in skin-on chicken. It’s a hearty and flavourful way to begin.

What I enjoy about Jumbo Lobster’s dim sum is that they make each item smaller to include more in a dish, making it easier to share. For example, a dish like shrimp dumplings generally arrive in fours but there are six at Jumbo Lobster.

The exception was the steamed rice rolls, which may be slightly longer but contained two rolls instead of three. Nonetheless, they were thin and silky and likely one of the items made in house.

Dishes like the steamed buns seemed like they were purchased frozen wholesale as they were all perfect spheres making the filling indecipherable. Wanting a pork bun, I played Russian roulette and was left with salted egg yolk instead. To their credit, it’s a solid interpretation of the dessert – a creamy molten centre with small egg yolk pieces mixed throughout. Sadly, the sweet and salty filling is not for me.

Much to my chagrin, it’s the same filling used in their deep-fried sesame balls, which were warm and crispy but not filled with lotus paste.

As for the staple dishes, their siu mai just contained pork but were rather juicy. Contrasted against the beef balls that were too dense, even when eaten hot from the steamer.

And while Jumbo Lobster provides a decent portion of meat in the pork spare rib, it lacks flavour as there’s more pumpkin than black bean sauce. The table seemed to prefer the beef belly with special sauce instead.

We were thoroughly sedated after our meal and were quickly pushed out after 1.5 hours to accommodate the bustling Sunday crowd. And for the financially savvy: paying with cash will net you a 10% discount. But, if plastic is your thing, stick with debit as credit card payments command an additional 3% surcharge. Whatever you do, just gather a group of at least ten, you’ll need them to get through the mountain of lobster.