sgfrank
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Posts posted by sgfrank
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Senor Antonio (attached to Chiado)? Had a great dinner here the one time I went. Similar food to Chiado (i.e., excellent) but in a more modern environment.
JK Wine Bar? I generally enjoy most of the plates I get here on any one visit, and the remainder are certainly fine, just not exceptional. I find it a bit noisy sometimes, though.
Cava? (Haven't been, have heard some mixed opinions)
Simon
Mom's bday today - shes thinking Tapas...Never really done the Tapas thing here in TO - Need some suggestions asap please!!!
Thanks in advance.
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Cost not an issue, something not to stuffy, with great food and a good cocktail or wine list. Cuisine not an issue either. although if this is such a thing as "canadian cuisine" or a restaurant specialising local products I would be interested. How far is Susur
I would suggest Canoe. It would be a cab ride, or it you're interested, an easy subway ride. It features Canadian ingredients, prepared well in a pleasant setting. The view is great too.
Unless you are set on Susur, I am afraid that I have to voice a vote against it. The last time I was there the service was very poor. When reading reviews I generally dismiss the notes about service, since I am 'just going for the food' anyway. Granted, the food last time was great, but the service experience truly brought home how mediocre service really can bring down an otherwise great evening. Just something to keep in mind.
Simon
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Another update:
According to the architect's website, it will be a 160-seat restaurant. Seems to be pushing the upper limit for fine dining, but perhaps my sense of numbers is off. Pictures look great though.
Simon
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Update from the national post:
The restaurant will indeed be on the bridge: It will sit "atop the unused south portion of the CP rail bridge and use the space next to the majestic clock tower as its entranceway."
And perhaps more interestingly, it will be helmed by none other than Susur Lee. A 3rd restaurant? Is he completely dropping the role of chef and moving over to 'chef as brand'? Is a Vegas restaurant next?
I have to admit these comments are coloured by a rather disappointing experience at Susur a couple weeks ago. The food was in top form, and Susur was indeed there, though who knows how much cooking he was doing as he flitted from dining room to dining room; but I suppose that is immaterial, since the kitchen was putting out great food. My beef was with the service, which was a joke. Kelly Kwan, our captain, was superb as always, but the rest of the team seemed to be on their training shift. Allergies were disregarded as plates were delivered, the waiters would call out tableside to find out who had requested 'no foie', as though we were at Milestones. Plates were forgotten, the descriptions of the courses were unintelligible and at times erroneous... the list goes on. I was very much embarassed for the vetran members of the team, as I think there was just too much new blood for the service team to function smoothly as a unit.
Simon
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Though in general I feel that such a broad ban is somewhat heavy handed, and I would generally trust these top chefs to employ safe food handling practices, I must disagree with this comment. Imagine if the FDA approved all drugs submitted by drug companies THEN investigated the drug to determine if it was safe!
Simon
its pretty outrageous to ban something before it is understood -
I don't have any better to offer in Toronto.
Where do you generally enjoy eating? To what standard are you comparing Toronto restaurants?
Do you feel Toronto Life is overly-generous across the board - in which case it seems to be a valid enough resource regardless, since the comparitive ratings of different restaurants are often what are most useful. Or, rather, do you feel that Toronto Life has certain 'favourites' that seem to be placed up in the stratosphere again and again irrespective of quality?
Simon
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1 eigensinn farm
2 susur
3 splendido
4 senses
5 scaramouche
6 bistro bakery thuet
7 via allegro
8 rain
9 chiado
10 north 44
11 canoe
12 rundles
13 perigee
14 sushi kaji
15 jamie kennedy wine bar
16 lai wah heen
17 didier
18 george
19 il mulino
20 amuse bouche
Personally I asm somehwat surprised that Scaramouche got into the top five. Even though it seems to have enjoyed a resurgence of late, I still feel there are many other Toronto spots I would put ahead of it. Also, I would have liked to see Mildred Pierce and Pangaea in the top 20. Though I love JK wine bar dearly, and I have had an enjoyable meal at george, I would rank my two aforementioned picks above these two - JK wine bar can sometimes lack punch in its dishes, and I found george to be trying a bit too hard on the fusion/pomo front.
Any other thoughs?
Simon
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Thanks for all the replies. I do enjoy the fries baked, but was just looking for something new. One problem I have with baking is that the fries often stick to the pan a bit, so when a toss them around partway through their bake, and when I take them off at the end, I always end up losing some of that nice crispy 'skin'. Anyone tried baking them on a silpat? Would that help?
Like the idea for cinnamon and nutmeg, will for sure give that a try next time I make them. Traditionally I have leaned more toward the savoury spices on my yam fries - cayenne, cumin, etc.
Thanks again,
Simon
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In today's national post:
"A dramatic new gourmet restaurant to be announced this week will hover above Yonge Street on the abandoned CP Rail bridge near Summerhill, the developer said yesterday."
It "will have a 'world-renowned' chef" say the developers.
Anyone have any details? Who is the mystery chef? How can you build a restaurant on a bridge in the middle of a street??? Crazy!
Simon
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Hello,
I am a big fan of yam fries in general, and usually do them tossed in oil then baked in the oven, perhaps lightly spiced. However, I am looking for a new way to prepare these, ie deep fried. Can I treat them the same as normal fries? How do deep fried yam fries turn out? Is a two stage fry preferable, as with regular fries? Anyone tried this before?
Thanks,
Simon
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I'm jealous! What a delicious way to spend a weekend.
I too am a big fan of JSbonbons, I think she has very good control of the technical aspects of the chocolates, and she also brings very exciting flavours to play. I particularly like her ginger cardamom caramel.
Other than Soma, which I must get out to try some time, any other artisanal cholateries that you would recommend?
Thanks for posting about your tour!
Simon
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Hi,
I am trying to make a radish consomme, to be served hot as a palate cleanser. I haven't been able to find any suggestions as to method, so my current plan is just to simmer some sliced radish in water, perhaps with some green onion for added kick. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions as to how I might produce a consomme with the maximum punch, and clean raddish flavour? Spice ideas to complement the radish? Anything?
Thanks,
Simon
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Joanne Kates in this morning's Globe has this comment:
RIP: Avalon will close March 18. After 11 years of serving pristine cuisine, chef/owner Chris McDonald was not getting the business he needed to keep going. He'll be opening another restaurant in another location (as yet undecided). Word to the wise: Go bistro.
For those interested, there is also an article in the Toronto section of the Globe discussing the closing of Avalon. The general impression I got was one of a disgruntled, over the hill prima donna who blammed the audience for no longer appreciating his work rather than accepting the fact that maybe the fault is in the performance. Jabs were made at Susur Lee for opening eponymous restaurants (Susur AND Lee! Twice the egotism!) and for having a light wall at Susur; Thuet was attacked for cultivating a bad boy status; and legions of chefs across the city were slammed for - gasp - having open kitchens. Jamie Kennedy was also singled out for resting on a "reputation that is all about something that happened in his career 20 years ago."
Susur is singled out again later in the article:
"The difference between this [Avalon] and Susur's in a way is Susur's is named after him, but I don't think it's a reflection of something that he feels is the way dining's supposed to be. It's more a reflection of what he thinks is a good business."
Say what you will about the cuisine, service, decor, but I would argue fairly vigorously against the claim that Susur is lacking in vision, and is simply pumping out plates to appease the masses.
There is nothing worse than eating somewhere where the chef's heart isn't into it, and Avalon certainly must have been such a place of late:
"I'm sick and tired of plating food with tweezers,"
and
"I won't be doing this again."
Yikes.
Simon
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First off, welcome to eGullet, Aldous. Thanks for the great review, I look forward to hearing more as you eat your way across Toronto.
Do you feel that a chef of Woods' caliber will be content cooking somewhere where the focus isn't necessarily on the food? He certainly has a strong pedigree of food-centric restaurants; I wonder how long before he gets the itch to reach for the upper echelons, which you certainly seem to feel he is capable of, something which just might not be possible at Habitat.
Simon
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I think that your choice depends on your dining history, and what you are looking for. I would say that Susur (or possibly Perigee - but I haven't been, this is just based on reviews) has the most exciting and outstanding food in Toronto. However, my favourite restaurant in the city is Splendido. The food there is great, and you will have a wonderful evening. Scaramouche is a solid restaurant, but conservative, which may of course be what you are looking for.
In short, if you were in town with a foodie buddy or by yourself, I would say Susur or Perigee. If you are here with anyone else and would like to enjoy their company as well as the food, I would say Splendido. (There's a backhanded dig at foodies there, I think. Unintended.)
Simon
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I have purchased beef cheek from Grace Street Meat - I called ahead, and I think it took them about a week of lead time.
Simon
Just to add to my question above - where can you get beef cheeks in TO?And, a small oddity - why is pork tenderloin just about never available in Kensington market? Maxwell & Sons is Jewish - no pork products at all there. I thought this may apply to some of the other places as well. But European has pork, just not tenderloin. I've bought it at St. Andrews poultry before, but I only see it there rarely. I'm not a regular shopper at the other butchers, so I may be missing an obvious source.
Cheers,
Geoff Ruby
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ChefDB tells me that Segar Kulasegarampillai (I didn't write that one from memory, let me assure you) has left Mildred Pierce. Has anyone been since he left? Any changes?
Thanks,
Simon
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You may find that dipping cold ganache centres results in a cracked chocolate shell, so beware that the ganache doesn't get too cold.
Also, though a fork certainly works well for some, I prefer just getting in there with my hands. Cup one hand, which will serve as the chocolate 'bowl' while the other hand is used to dip into your melted chocolate and drizzle chocolate into your 'bowl' hand (not too much, mind. there should just be a film of chocolate on your 'bowl' hand, not a pool of it). Then, use your dipping hand to grab a centre and roll it around in the 'bowl' hand. Finally, roll the truffle off your 'bowl' hand onto your prepared storage surface (waxed paper on a sheet pan, perhaps?), allowing the truffle to roll across all of your fingers so that excess chocolate is caught in your finger grooves - this will reduce the amount of excess chocolate on your truffle, and so reduce the occurance of 'feet' which result from the excess chocolate running off the truffle onto the waxed paper.
My descriptive abilities do not properly explain this, I'm sure. Anyway, fork or by hand, simply a matter of personal preference.
Also, in my opinion, tempering the chocolate (certainly a tricky prospect for someone who hasn't done so before!) may be safely skipped if you are going to roll the truffles in cocoa afterwards. Tempering results in a crisp shell, as well as a glossy, streak-free surface. These last two hardly matter if the truffle is covered in cocoa powder.
Also, be sure to tap off excess cocoa powder, as too much can be rather unpleasant and result in a mess for the eater.
Simon
Taylor,the easiest thing you can do to get a nice coating on your truffles is to dip them in melted, preferably tempered chocolate.
Make your truffles, roll them or cut them in squares, as you wish. Place them in the fridge to set the outside again, as the heat of your hands will melt the chocolate ganache.
Then, melt 2/3 of the finely chopped chocolate you will use to coat the ganache over a bain marie, until it just melts. Stir the chocolate around from time to time, to make sure even melting. Remove from the bain marie and add the remaining chocolate to the bowl, stirring around, until all the chocolate melts and reaches room temperature. (Tempering the chocolate first is best, because it will set very quickly.)
Then, with a truffle fork (or a regular fork), dip the truffles into the chocolate, taking care to remove the excess. Dip them into cocoa powder, roll around and remove. Place in the frigde to set.
Hope this helps.
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Justin,
It was indeed the tasting menu. For interest, it was:
[salt cod, potato crisp, details hazy]
Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna Tartar, Quail Egg, Ossetra Caviar
Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster
Tunisian Octopus Cuit Sous Vide, Charred Eggplant Raviolo, Red Wine Jus
Double Beef Consomme, Norchia Umbria Truffle
[Citrus and Madeira sorbet, Red Beet Jus]
9 Hr. Wood Burning Oven Roasted Provimi Veal Brisket, Morel Mushrooms
Study in Ataulfo Mango
Mignardises [Pistachio White Chocolate Bark and Sesame Caramel Snaps].
I hope your birthday is enjoyable.
Simon
I have always loved splendido. The half a dozen times I have been there each time I have enjoyed it as much as the previous, if not more, and that says a lot for a restaraunt today.I will be going there for my birthday and look forward to that.
It sounds like you had the tasting menu?
Cheers,
-Justin
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I don't have too much to write, but I wanted to make a brief note, read gush, about Splendido, as it seems to get so little mention in the online world.
I was there for dinner last night, and as usual it was superb. The early fish courses (a salt cod amuse; a big eye tuna tartar; butter poached lobster) were perfect - there is nothing better that can be said about them. They were followed by some great, but not outstanding, meatier courses (octopus cuit sous vide and beef consomme with Kobe beef). Chef Lee returned to his top form with a toothsome roast veal with lovely morels, and Chef Baan finished everything off with a lovely study in mango. I like particularly how Baan works - she does everything with a delightfully subtle touch, never screaming at you "this is a dessert!", instead producing balanced courses that just happen to hail from the sweet side of the kitchen. Incidentally, the intermezzo (citrus and Madeira sorbet in a beet jus) was highly creative, and I applaud whoever came up with it (Lee or Baan? I wonder).
While the food does not challenge or vie for your attention in the same way that Susur Lee's, Rubino's, Loseto's, or even McDonald's does, it is for the most part perfectly done, and leaves very little more to ask for. It is food like this that can provide the backdrop for a perfect evening, instead of leaping to the foreground and pushing you into the scenery.
Completing the perfect setting is Yannick's inimitable front of house team. Glasses fill themselves, someone appears from the ether to tuck your chair in, waiters read your mind to suggest a wine, and perhaps most importantly, everyone there seems to have a genuine passion for the food and your comfort. The moment that brought the greatest smile to my lips was probably when a young waiter brought the lobster to our table, the lobster sitting atop a single white asparagus. "White asparagus from the Loire Valley - first of the season. Chef is very excited." And so was the waiter. He was so plainly happy, there was no denying that he was telling the truth. That this truth made him as happy as it did me was a splendid thing.
Bravo Splendido. I look forward to my next visit.
Simon
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Great review, Gordon. Thanks very much. Did you make it to Avalon this trip, as you were contemplating earlier? I'm curious to hear what you thought.
Simon
P.S. It sounds like you feel that Susur has lost the culinary edge that many would argue he once had over the rest of Toronto. To whom do you think the torch has been passed?
Thanks for the review, Gord. I have heard this a couple times lately, from people who were there for the 5, 6 or 10 visits. We had been contemplating going back soon, but I think I'll hold off for awhile and see what transpires....Sounds like the smart thing to do - Lee is doing big $$ I hear (more then Susur) and probably occupying more of his time. I'll assume then he goes to the all tasting menu format (at Susur) - things will improve
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i'd melt it out and call it a day.
next time you want to make a quick little cup you can paint chocolate into muffin liners and peel them off after the chocolate sets. not the most glamorous but easy and fun.
Thanks, I think it is a lost cause - I'll try the liners next time, or better yet, some polycarbonate molds (I had some cheap nonpolycarbonate molds which cracked during my last use, and I haven't yet replaced them). I may attempt to chip out the bottom of the chocolate from the tins, producing little medallions. They might suffice for what I need.
Anyway, all that for another day!
Simon
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I foolishly thought (or perhaps I didn't think) that I could make some little chocolate cups by spreading some chocolate in mini muffin tins. I tempered my chocolate, squeezed it around the top of each cavity, and then tapped the tray to get the chocolate to run down and fill the cup. The only problem is, now I can't get them out! Does anyone have anything I might try? My best plan right now is to attempt to melt down the chocolate and salvage it for another occasion. Freezing didn't seem to work, a quick pass of the blowtorch just melted them, and vigorous pounding has done no good. Help!
Thanks in advance,
Simon
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Just curious, do waiters actually register the percentage tip they have received? I know that I for one would be unable to do the math to figure out what I just got, so short of egregiously low or high tips, will a waiter notice the difference between a 12 and an 18 % tip?
Simon
Susur Lee Heading to New York
in Ontario: Dining
Posted · Edited by sgfrank (log)
Having been to Susur a number of times in the past, and for the most part having been blown away by the experience, I was rather disappointed to read the news that chef Lee was decamping to New York. A true loss for Toronto, I thought at the time.
A couple nights ago I paid my final visit to the restaurant, and was blown away in a completely different fashion: without a doubt it was the worst fine-dining experience I have had in many years.
The night started off poorly, with an extended wait in the tiny bar for our table. Nothing new, as tables never seem to be ready on time, but at least in the past beverages have been offered to quench one's thirst - this time, we were left to our own devices as the staff ran about the restaurant in a vain attempt to rush the early seating out.
Regardless, hopes were still high to taste Chef's "favourite" dishes from over the years. Hopes continued to be high 1 1/2 hours into the reservation, at which time we still had not received the amuse. The oyster dish (an unimpressive duo of gazpacho and bland bivalve) finally did arrive, at which time we were left to languish for another half hour - this is two hours into our reservation now - until the first course came, at least in part.
Three of the members of our five-top were served, while the other two sat politely, awaiting something from the kitchen. After far too many moments, and with no waiter nor food in sight, I ambled over to the bar to have a chat with the maitre d’, who was nowhere to be found; I was instead left to chat with the bartender:
“Is the manager around?”
“I’m afraid not at the moment. Is there anything I can do for you?”
"Well, to be frank, the service is really unbelievable tonight"
"Unbelievably good?" he unbelievably asked.
In the end, he said he would talk to the team and see what they could do about the thus far languid pace of our dinner.
Eventually, the remainder of the main did arrive, and it was nothing but classic Susur. Big, ambitious flavours and textbook meat - top form from the kitchen.
The next course or two trickled out at the same leaden tempo. An absolutely bland foie offering was a shock; the subsequent white asparagus with mushroom course was pleasant, though nothing more. Adding insult to injury, as he flung my glass of wine onto the table, the waiter informed me that the powers that be had decided that the Sauternes would go better with the asparagus, while the Chianti would be served with the foie, in contrast to what the printed menu said. After tasting both pairings I must say I disagree, and am left to wonder whether this was just a lazy cover-up for a mix-up at the bar.
With the sorbet (a far too spicy strawberry number on a gimmicky bed of dry ice), a new waiter appeared at our table. Evidently word had gotten through that things were not going well, and a pinch hitter had been called in. He was certainly a smooth operator (the next best thing to Kelly Kwan, who apparently jumped ship about 8 months ago), but unfortunately at this point things were beyond salvage.
Salvageable or not, with the new team, things were kicked into high gear. Courses poured out of the kitchen as quickly as the previous ones could be snatched away from us. In the flurry of activity, we realized that they had jumped right to the shellfish course (scallop sashimi, which was tender but truly unexciting), bypassing the promised fish course. When we pointed this out to our waiter, he informed us that Chef was switching the order of those two courses this evening (apparently Chef was not switching the order for other tables, which seemed to receive their courses in the advertised order).
Now, to be honest, with the reverse tasting I am so confused that I really did not care which order these courses came in. But when Susur goes on at such length about the courses "diminishing in both size and weight," you kind of at least expect him to stick to his story and send the courses out in order.
Anyway, it would have been no great loss if they had omitted the fish course altogether. The woefully dry halibut was a true challenge to the salivary system, while the black cod made one reach for the water glass (empty, of course, as it had been most of the evening) to dilute the overpowering saltiness.
Finally, with eyes barely propped open, dessert arrived. It was a true triumph, and if Susur is still making his own desserts, then I am thoroughly impressed. The various 'dim sum' were near flawless, and my only wish is that I had had enough room to finish them all.
Overall, however, if this dinner was indicative of Susur's current performance, then in fact Toronto has lost nothing more than a once-great chef, now resting far too heavily on his laurels.