This marks my fourth post on Café Boulud (Twitter: @CafeBouludTO, Facebook: Cafe Boulud Toronto & d | bar) which will now be tied with Splendido as being the most blogged about restaurant on Food Junkie Chronicles. I know it's redundant to blog about a restaurant that many times but hey, this is my blog and I can do whatever I want. Heh, just kidding! Actually, no, not kidding...
But honestly, I shouldn't have to bring my big a$$ camera with me. There's really no need for me to write yet another post on Café Boulud (it should be obvious by now that I love the place). However, I still spend hours on my photos, writing and editing because I want to share with you all the incredible things they're doing there. Simple as that.
We started off with some cocktails (and mocktail). We also ordered a bottle of 2010 Thirty Bench Riesling ($62)
DARK & SPICY ($16)
Barrel aged, hot pepper rum, pear juice, ginger beer
NOT NORMAL ($9)
Mocktail (sorry I forgot what was in it)
BREAD BASKET
CHEESE GOUGERES
There has been a few changes to Café Boulud's dinner menu since the last time I was there, so more the reason to write about them again, right? Okay, I'm gonna stop defending my decision.
NOVA SCOTIA LOBSTER SALAD ($26)
Iceberg lettuce, marinated quail’s egg, cucumber, avocado cream, marie rose
CRISPY DUCK EGG ($18)
Jambon de paris, asparagus, mustard egg emulsion
SEARED FOIE GRAS ($26)
Young carrots, caramelized lime, bulgar wheat, cumin & hazelnut spice
BLACK TRUFFLE RISOTTO (complimentary)
ONTARIO VENISON LOIN
Honey poached quince, chestnuts, chanterelles, parsley root, warm grains, natural jus
POTATO WRAPPED SEA BASS ($39)
Pommes purée, glazed leeks, watercress, sauce meurette
DORSET LAMB SADDLE ($41)
Barbajuan, artichokes barigoule, charred spring onion, nettle salsa verde
GRAPEFRUIT GIVRÉ ($12)
Sesame halva, rose loukoum, grapefruit sorbet
MADELEINES (complimentary)
As expected, another spectacular dinner at Café Boulud. Much thanks to chef Tyler Shedden (@tylershedden) and the kitchen crew for the splendid meal (we really appreciated that luxurious bowl of creamy risotto....it was beyond decadent). Aside from the Crispy Duck Egg and the Grapefruit Givré, which I think I've ordered every single time I was there, everything else was a "first" for me. My favourites of the night were the Seared Foie Gras, which had an impeccable balance of flavours (livery & sweet) and textures (buttery & crunchy), and the Dorsat Lamb Saddle, soft and tender lamb loin accompanied by barbajuan (a pastry originated from Monaco) and topped with a very flavorful nettle verde. One particular dish that stood out the most for me was the Potato Wrapped Sea Bass. Did you know that this beautiful dish is a Daniel Boulud classic from over 20 years ago? Wrapped in thinly sliced crispy potatoes, the sea bass sits on top of a creamy bed of potato puree with leeks and a meurette sauce (this dark sauce is comprised of concentrated essence of red wine, stock, and vegetables). What's so lovely about the dish is that the crispiness of the super thin potatoes contrasts with the delicate bass but doesn't overwhelm it, and the heavily reduced and aromatic sauce is brilliantly counterbalanced by the glazed leeks. Delicious!
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