CityBites
June/July 2006
Respect the Farmers
Splendido menu gives
credit
where it’s due
By Chris Johns
FORGET ABOUT POUTINE, put Nanaimobars out of your mind. When Splendido chef David Lee turns his attention to Canadian food, the results are unexpected and always delicious.
Now in its third year, Lee’s wildly popular Exotica Canadiana menu is being offered again this June. “We wantedto give back to the farmers and bring awareness to what we as a country haveto offer,” Lee says. “People don’t realize how hard it is for these local farmers.”
Drawing inspiration from the entire country, Lee is able to use such exemplary materials as Copper River salmon from B.C., which he cooks sous vide, a fashionable method wherein ingredients are vacuum sealed and cooked in low- temperature water baths for as long as 24 hours. His lobster hails from Nova Scotia, white asparagus from Ontario and foie gras from Quebec.
“The Exotica Canadiana is the most popular of our specialty menus,” says Lee. “People are always surprised, they say ‘we didn’t know Canada had this.’”
Each dish can be paired with a selection of Canadian wines chosen by sommelier Carlo Catallo, including a 2004 Carly’s Block Riesling from Tawse Winery in the Niagara Peninsula and a 2003 Sunrock Vineyard cab from Jackson-Triggs in the Okanagan.
The menu runs throughout June and costs $110 per person ($165 with wine pairings). If that seems a bit steep, Lee points out that he buys only the best products Canada has to offer and sometimes that means paying a bit more. But for the best, it’s worth it. “I’m not going to argue with a farmer over 10 cents a pound when I’m being offered incredible produce,” he says. “The quality of these ingredients speak for themselves, which allows me to treat them simply to highlight their inherent qualities. The whole Splendido team sends out respect to these farmers.”
