Amongst
the city façade of College Street, Reverie’s signage stands out as a lush green
garden. It fittingly presents Reverie at the Park, a place where they want
patrons to feel like they’re in a “daydream”. Plus, feel like you're in a park: from the tree root sculptures hanging from the ceiling to the
wrought iron gate you walk through to get to the tables. It’s like a walking
through a trippy park, at night.
Behind
the helm is Executive Chef Jef Edwards, who truly embodies the millennial mindset
by learning how to cook, incorporating molecular gastronomy no less, through
YouTube! If that weren’t a feat, the kitchen also operates without a walk-in
fridge or freezer, to ensure ingredients are fresh. In the winter months, they
also draw upon ingredients they’ve preserved through smoking and pickling.
Even
their bread ($6) is made in in-house; a non-greasy focaccia paired with
bone marrow butter and dandelion pesto. You’d think both condiments would be
strongly flavoured, but they were rather muted, a light beefy taste in the
butter and hint of bitterness in the pesto. Both are in serious need of
seasoning.
Reverie’s
menu aims to celebrate Canada’s diversity, incorporating local ingredients.
It’s the new-age Canadian cuisine movement with the fusion of other cultures
thrown in. The venison croquettes use deer, a Canadian game meat, and
incorporates earthy spices. Get through the crispy crust and you’re greeted
with a dense flavourful interior, it’s like eating a delicious deep-fried meat
ball.
With the
smoked beef tartare and enoki ($17), the actual apple wood smoke is faint,
especially when you add the powerfully tasty fermented mushroom mustard on it.
It allows the diner to really taste the beef tartare and the herbs mixed
throughout. In fact, they also grow some of the herbs and produce used at the
restaurant – on the roof during the warmer months and by the kitchen with
special lights over the winter.
The dish
is pretty, the tartare shaped like a log in a hollowed bone with sprouts of
enoki mushrooms peeking through. The “moss” is leftover dehydrated greens… I’m
a huge fan of kitchens that try to reduce food waste, it’s an example that
other restaurants should emulate.
I don't know what I liked better, the surf or the turf portion of the next dish. The mushrooms looks a lot like the scallop
it’s paired with, except firmer and almost has a meaty taste. The sea scallops ($17) are cooked perfectly, most of the flavours coming from the thinly sliced piece of
prosciutto on top.
Both the
mackerel and artichoke in the next dish is left raw. The mackerel lightly cured
with salt, but otherwise you’re left with a clean meaty tasting fish; so refreshing
I would have thought it’s sea bream.
The
gnocchi & ricotta ($17) is a house favourite and I can see why. The gnocchi
are soft but still has bite and is well toasted to give it a caramelized
exterior. Mixed with spinach cream, edamame, charred heart of palm, and
ricotta, it’s a hearty but not overly heavy dish. Reverie’s menu focuses on
sharable dishes, to make the meal more social, but this is one I could easily
have all to myself.
While
the veal was slightly overcooked in our last savoury dish, it was still juicy and tender.
Surprisingly, I couldn’t taste the porcini in the aligot, an ingredient that’s normally rather flavourful. Our table
agreed the predominant flavour was the roasted shishito pepper, which isn’t
necessarily bad, rather the dish would be more aptly named as veal with
shishito.
If you
like inventive desserts, try Reverie’s mushroom and honey chocolate tart with
black truffle. It takes some getting used to, the taste of spongy earthy raw
mushrooms with the sweet silky chocolate ganache. While I don’t like sweet
desserts, even I couldn’t finish the tart. Maybe if the mushrooms were thinner,
so the taste isn’t so powerful, it’d be better suited as a dessert.
Who
would have thought that pop-up dinners would turn into a restaurant celebrating a one-year anniversary? Ask Chef Edwards, I’m sure he’ll
think there’s a dream like quality to it.
