JOV Bistro

[KMPickard]

We're planning a May weekend in the city and we've been mulling over the dining possibilities. Lai Wah Heen, a perennial favorite, is slotted in. We were both somewhat ambivalent about our last experience at Susur and are not in a hurry to return. Has anyone eaten at either JOV or Avalon of late?

Any comments?

Cheers,

Kathy

[tajanna]

Avalon is excellent. I too found Susars a little disappointing. It may be a matter of too much fame and too little substance. I enjoyed his Lotus restaurant much more.

[GordonCooks]

We're planning a May weekend in the city and we've been mulling over the dining possibilities. Lai Wah Heen, a perennial favorite, is slotted in. We were both somewhat ambivalent about our last experience at Susur and are not in a hurry to return. Has anyone eaten at either JOV or Avalon of late?

Any comments?

Cheers,

Kathy

Avalon's always on my "A" list

What happened at Susur ?

[KMPickard]

Hi GordonC- if you pull up the previous thread on Susur started by Wilfred you'll find my posting of our dinner experience there. (Sorry, I'm too computer illiterate to post the link myself).

Our main reservations were regarding service. I suspect that the sense of rush and the lack of wine/culinary information provided had something to do with being at an early seating on a Saturday. However, at a restaurant of that calibre one expects the service to be uniformly excellent whenever one is dining.

I was wondering if my expectations were out of line until we ate at Anise in Montreal ( the Daniel Patterson dinner at the Highlights Festival). Not only was the food of comparable quality and imagination but the wine service and the wait staff were head and shoulders above what we had experienced at Susur.

Glad to hear that Avalon comes well recommended by you. Is the cheese course as good as I've read it is?

K.

[GordonCooks]

Hi GordonC- if you pull up the previous thread on Susur started by Wilfred you'll find my posting of our dinner experience there. (Sorry, I'm too computer illiterate to post the link myself).

Our main reservations were regarding service. I suspect that the sense of rush and the lack of wine/culinary information provided had something to do with being at an early seating on a Saturday. However, at a restaurant of that calibre one expects the service to be uniformly excellent whenever one is dining.

I was wondering if my  expectations were out of line until we ate at Anise in Montreal ( the Daniel Patterson dinner at the Highlights Festival). Not only was the food of comparable quality and imagination but the wine service and the wait staff were head and shoulders above what we had experienced at Susur.

Glad to hear that Avalon comes well recommended by you. Is the cheese course as good as I've read it is?

K.

Oh, I think I remember that. I've always had great meals at Susur. The cheese course is wonderful - my girlfriend and I ordered the largest selection and they responded by giving us a complete sampling in slightly smaller portions and comping us 2 glasses or Ice wine.

[pixelchef]

Avalon is one of my "go-to" spots in Toronto. Chris McDonald is a culinary genius, in my opinion. If you're lucky enough to sample his Salt Cod Custard amuse, you'll fall in love.

[Degustation]

A couple of months ago, I had a nice meal at JOV. I selected the Trust Me! tasting menu with wine pairings which is a four course meal devised by chef Owen Steinberg with creations that are different from those on the a la carte menu. I opted to go with the 3-ounce pours ($20) instead of the 5-ounce ($33).

Amuse: Tapenade of black olives and anchovies adorned with a sliver red pepper on a toasted round.

First course: Lobster on apple coleslaw. A warm poached lobster claw topped with a dill sprig was perched on Spy apple coleslaw shaped in a round mold. The apple slaw had onions and was lightly tossed with mayo. The dish was dressed with a swirl of balsamic vinegar and clarified butter. Pleasant, light starter – the balsamic vinegar was a nice touch to sharpen up the dish.

Wine: Butterfield Station Chardonnay, California

Second course: Seared rhea liver resting on a small bed of red leaf lettuce with a scattering of diced tomatoes with a brown sauce reduction. The liver had a nice crust and was tender with a pink interior. It was slightly gamey – quite tasty and it had a more robust flavour than chicken liver.

Apparently Steinberg purchases the whole rhea bird and he often sears the leg as an entrée and makes a consommé out of the neck. Since this bird is in the ratite group (like emu, ostrich), it is lean and thus has to be quickly seared to avoid overcooking.

Wine: Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir, California

Third course: Roasted stuffed quail served with a pan jus. A whole roasted boneless quail was stuffed with a delicious pumpkin, onion and chestnut mixture, and was dressed with slivers of green onion and diced tomatoes. It was presented with a lovely combination of vegetables: roasted red peppers, a carrot triangle, green beans, a sliver of fennel, leaf shaped zucchini, pearl onions, all sitting on a bed of spinach with a pool of the pan jus. I normally don’t like quail, as it can be quite dry, boring and unsubstantial. However, in this case, each mouthful resulted in succulent, tender meat morsels that were nicely complemented with the sweet, flavourful pumpkin chestnut mixture.

Wine: Coriole Sangiovese, McLaren Vale, South Australia

Dessert: Lemon Shortcake Tart. A hard shortcake base was filled with light creamy whipped mascapone cheese that was topped with thin slices of caramelized figs. The presentation was completed with a scattering of blueberries, raspberries and a raspberry coulis.

Wine: Late Harvest Riesling-Traminer – I can’t remember where it was from, Ontario probably.

A very good cappuccino closed out a very wonderful meal.

A sample of other items offered on the menu that evening:

Daily Soup was Jerusalem artichoke with aged Brie

Chanterelle mushroom, Yukon Potato and corn chowder

House cured salmon with crispy leeks and goat cheese en croute

Steamed shui mi dumplings

Organic baby back pork ribs with hosing beer sauce and grilled pear.

Napolean printemps – goat cheese, wild mushrooms, spinach, roasted sweet peppers and toasted almond in rice paper

Potato crusted market fish with Asian vinaigrette and shitake mushrooms (skatewing)

Bison tenderloin with black pepper and sour cherry jus

Seared dry scallops with baby new potatoes hashbrowns and a fresh wasabi and oven-dried tomato butter

Coq au vin with organic bacon and wild mushrooms

Duck confit with wilted bitter greens and juniper orange jus

I also really like Avalon so I think you would have a fine meal at either choice. JOV is open on Sunday evening if you are coming on a weekend.

I've been to Susur a couple of times within the last couple of months and they were fine meals, with a couple of dishes that were not as stellar as the others but still very good. I think next time I'm going to ask that Wuxi pork belly not be part of my tasting menu -- I like it but it gets tiresome after a while.

Edited April 11, 2003 by Degustation (log)

[tajanna]

I've been to Susur a couple of times within the last couple of months and they were fine meals, with a couple of dishes that were not as stellar as the others but still very good. I think next time I'm going to ask that Wuxi pork belly not be part of my tasting menu -- I like it but it gets tiresome after a while.

That is exactly the way I feel about Susur. Some dishes are excellent and other's not so. It is still a fine dining experience but with all the hype surrounding Susur, patrons can be disappointed with some of the dishes. I am looking forward to dining at JOV and we have had a wonderful exprerience at Avalon. I highly recommend Avalon. After my JOV experience I will write my review.

[innocente]

Just back from a few days in Toronto. We had dinner at Avalon, Lai Wah Heen and JOV Bistro.

Briefly, I'll just say that Avalon was a wonderful experience. The tasting menu was structured to include the cheese course as an integral part of the meal, rather than as an after thought. A fine selection of cheeses, by the way. The highlight being a peppery Cabrales. The tasting menu with wine pairing was superior. Service efficient and friendly.

JOV bistro was also a great evening of dining. Lively and fun, with interesting food and wine in the Trust Me tasting.

Lai Wah Heen has lost it's edge. The Premium Meal for 4 was OK, but that's all. And the room was maybe a quarter full on a Friday night. Has the Metropolitan Hotel decided to downgrade its food programe?

More details on the actual menu later.