Category: Food
Title (Restaurant): Canoe
Event: Summerlicious 2013
Canoe is well known for their beautiful view of Lake Ontario, the Ontario islands, and the city of Toronto. As a branch of Oliver and Bonacini, Canoe offers Canadian cuisine alongside this breathtaking view. Situated on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower at 66 Wellington St. W., my first impression as I stepped out of the elevator was simple, yet fancy. Opaque white milk jugs lined one side of the wall, while the entrance displayed a simple yet elegant wooden design. Here I begin my experience at Canoe.
The People
Hostess: These ladies were friendly and polite. Every face had a smile, and each spoke with confidence and enthusiam.
Waiter: We waited a bit for our waiter but in no time, our waiter came and asked us if we were ready to order. He was polite and friendly as well, but it was hard to catch him down just to ask for a drink that my friend ordered (Watermelon and Strawberry Sparkling Lemonade). At least he came and gave us bread. With that being said, I (might also be because I was a few minutes late) was unable to speak with the waiter more and getto know him.
Servers: I might be getting these terms mixed up, but here I'm referring to the people who serves you food (other than your waiter). Every meal came quite on schedule, and each dish was present to each of my dining crew all at once. The plates would be set at the same time, and some servers would also go in depth and explain the composition of the dish. Others, however, would just place the dish in front of you and leave. A mixture of personalities here, but over nice and patient.
Now because I was sitting in the middle of the restaurant, I was unable to capture the pure breathtaking view of the city. From where I sat, however, I was able to look outside the windows and see the lake and islands with a few sail boats on the lake. Unfortunately, it rained horribly the day before, so fog covered most of the view. If it was a clear and sunny day or luminous night, I can understand how the view will take your breath away. The seats were very comfy, the tables were set very nicely. The place wasnt dark or gloomy as there were windows as walls, and overall, a very comfortable place to be.
Bread and Spread
Served almost right after we ordered, this soft and spongey starter had a crispy outer layer. Accompanied by a chickpea puree infused with olive oil, the bread was a great way to start off the meal.
Appetizer 1: Slow Cooked Heritage Salmon
The plate was beautifully presented. The orange salmon flesh was paired with a green watercress sauce. The Salmon was cooked to perfection, especially if you love salmon slightly rare. Each segment of the fish melts in your mouth: smooth and soft, the perfect texture for the fatty salmon. The meal tasted light and refreshing. The salmon was accompanied by puff wild rice, which tasted like salty rice krispies cereal, giving it a roasted flavour and some crunch. A Kabosu mayonaise was offered as well, but because I've never tried Kabosu on its own, I'm unsure if I really tasted it. The dish tasted like sashimi at first, then you're overwhelmed with the beautiful taste of fresh salmon. I believe there was some candied kabosu, which I did not enjoy since it was rather bitter/sour tasting. Perhaps if I ate it with the salmon (rather than alone) it would've been better.
Others
Appetizer 2: New Farms Chilled Cucumber Soup
Appetizer 2: New Farms Chilled Cucumber Soup
Appetizer 3: Whipped Sheep's Milk Cheese
A few of my friends ordered the chilled soup and I had a small sip. I wasnt a big fan though since I'm not a cucumber (or chilled soup) person. Strong cucumber taste, yet creamy in texture. No one tried the sheep's milk cheese, although I wanted to as it sounds very interesting.
Entree 1: Albacore Tuna
Fish again? Yes, I wanted to try their fish as I havent really tasted a beautifully cooked albacore tuna yet. Bravo Canoe! You've presented me with tuna (a type of fish that I personally dislike when served raw) that tastes delicious without that fishy taste which many tuna sashimi offers. The bright orange broth served with the ruby tuna was tomato and fennel. You can definitely taste the tomato as it was highlighted with some salty flavours. The jalapeno chutney gave the tuna a tiny kick, but I really didnt taste anything spicy in this dish. The corn gave the dish some more texture with the smooth buttery fish, and the succotash was soft and moist; the sweetness paired nicely with the salted broth and the perfectly seared tuna. Tuna itself was simply seasoned: the surface seared to give the denser meat, while the inside kept the tuna's fresh and pure flavour. First bite tasted like pho, I presume its because of the fennel shaves on top with the tomato broth. Overall very satisified, even if it was just fish. Tasted very different from the salmon dish.
Others
Entree 2: Wellington County Beef
Entree 3: Rock Cornish Hen
I tasted the wellington beef, but before I comment on the taste, let me say that I was a bit disappointed with this dish. Being a foodie myself (or someone that just love watching Hell's Kitchen), I thought I was finally going to taste beef wellington. I searched it up because I was skeptical that it says 'wellington beef' and not 'beef wellington' and yup, I was wrong and wasnt going to taste that fatty pastry goodness. It was just beef from Wellington. That being said, the dish tasted pretty good. I cant really comment on the texture and everything since I just took a little bite, but from my piece it was moist, tender, and the sauce was good. Again, no one had the cornish hen, but it was beautifully presented (as I saw on other diners' tables).
Dessert 1: Torched Bread Pudding
Alas! Dessert! I must say, out of all three courses, the dessert was... the most disappointing to me. Why? Well, my bread pudding was, although beautifully presented, was rather on the stiff side. As I do love a bit of texture to bread pudding rather than it being a blob of soggy egg-soaked pieces of bread, there was a bit too little 'egg custardy' texture for my liking. The flavours were wonderful: sweet with the sabayon, but slightly salty due to the bread. The sabayon was delicious on its own! Even though it wasnt my favourite, I still wouldnt really put down my fork. I also didnt like the plums that accompanied the dessert, probably because I'm not an alcohol fan and I'm pretty sure they soaked it with something. It was a bit too acidic for me there. The plating was interesting as the dessert was placed on the side, I didnt really know how to take the picture from birdseye view (shouldve just taking a side shot).
Others
Dessert 2: Frozen Yogurt
Dessert 3: Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse
Finally a course with all three on the menu presented! Frozen yogurt was very tangy, not the sweet stuff you get from say, menchies or yogen fruz. It was good, but very frozen, and nothing special really. As for the chocolate mousse, I'm not really a chocolate fan, so taking a small bite of the mousse made me thinking that it might taste better if it was slightly colder? Chocolatey flavour that will satisfy your tastebuds if you like chocolate. I remember it being not too sweet, a tiny bit of bitterness to it. Presentation was also a little weird as the chocolate blobs looks like something else (hehe).
The Verdict
Well from my (positive) review, I'm sure you know approximately what my ratings are:
People: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Food: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Come again? FOR SURE, but I wonder how expensive the actual food is
Worth the $45? Yeah, pretty much, especially since its a high end restaurant with a gorgeous view of the city
Recommend? Definitely.
It's definitely worth to try it. The portions arent tiny like some fancy restaurants, but medium to small sized portions (compared to other less expensive canadian dining restaurants). If the summerlicious menu was this delish, I cant imagine how awesome the actual food is. Not to mention, actually, some people ordered off from their regular menu and the portions looks perfect. Not sure about the price though.
Today, I am a review. To be exact, a food review for the restaurant Canoe.
TeaC101
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