Toronto Life
April, 2007 - RG5
Restaurant Guide April 2007
Star Power: These overachievers earned our highest star ratings
Splendido ****
Chef David Lee consistently presents what is arguably
Toronto’s finest dining experience: his spectacular tasting
menus draw more gasps and moans than a telenovela, not to
mention the service, which is truly as good as it gets.
A master distiller of clean flavours, enthralling textures and gallery-ready presentation, chef David Lee shows no sign of losing his masterful touch. One evening’s tasting menu ($130, plus $98 for matching wines) opens with a foamy sip of cauliflower soup—pure, vegetal bliss in a shot glass, spiked with a dot of red curry. A pane of foie gras and venison terrine presents the deer meat seared just so with infant leeks and fennel at its base; Nova Scotia lobster confit thrills, bringing rich meat, salty Niagara pancetta, runny soft-boiled quail eggs, the peppery kick of nasturtium, crunchy croutons, and even a long, slender spear of lobster antenna into sublime textural discord; the crustacean’s bed of truffled cauliflower couscous is almost—but not quite—too much. An unforgivably bland egg yolk tagliatelle proves the evening’s only misstep, but a trinity of perfect plates follows: beef cross rib served with a Hokkaido scallop; a bowl of unctuous perigord duck confit and pork, shaved white truffles and savoy leaves—the best cabbage rolls ever—revealed with an aromatic flourish from beneath glass bells; and off-the-charts suckling pig served on the bone with a daub of pomme purée and Chef’s salty signature crackling. Desserts include a warm chocolate profiterole, caramel gelato, Madeira jelly, hazelnut crunch—and to cap an inspired flight of wine pairings, a port that’s older than most of the restaurant’s staff. Service this good knows few rivals. Corkage $50.
Eigensinn Farm ****1/2
The handful of diners who make it past the infamously
difficult reservations queue find the freshest, most
resolutely local, most awe-inducing dining around, prepared
by one of Canada’s most brilliant chefs.
The Inn at Manitou ****
The words “worth the drive” where made for such exceptional
places at this Relais & Chateaux-approved room, where the
French-based cuisine continues to impress.
Langdon Hall ****
Chef Jonathan Gushue finds complex, meaningful and often
decadent flavours at this out-of-town star; combined with
the most romantic setting going, Langdon Hall always sparks
flames.
North 44° ****
This midtown gem put chef Mark McEwan on the nation’s
culinary map-well before the Food Network found him.
Rundles ****
Fresh, sophisticated and exquisitely inventive, chef Neil
Baxter’s Stratford temple is home to seriously inspired
cuisine.
Sushi Kaji ****
Nobody treats gill-breathers with as much respect as
Mitsuhiro Kaji; that he balances this with fish-cutting
whimsy makes him the city’s undisputed sushi master.
Susur ****1/2
Gastro-pilgrim and glamorous locals flock to chef Susur
Lee’s civilized, minimalist room with good reason: no other
city chef combines art and food with such success.
Truffles ****
Gracious surroundings, gorgeous service and an all-star
kitchen recently re-energized by young chef Laura Kirk set
Truffles above the fray.
Via Allegro ****
The place for deliciously high-end Italian excess: they’ve
got a wine list of unparalleled depth, more than 700
scotches, 200 grappas, truly luxurious (and over-the-top)
preparations, and a seemingly unending supply of
100-year-old balsamico that flows almost as freely as water.
