Restaurant Pearl Morissette

So when I was originally planning out which restaurants to visit while in Toronto, it was stressing me out a bit that I was going to miss out on this year's #1 restaurant in the country according to Canada's 100 Best List.  Moreover, they have been awarded one star by the Michelin Guide. Restaurant Pearl Morisette is located in Niagara region situated on a farm that is also a winery, orchard and bakery.  So I made the decision to rent a car and do the 1+ hour drive and back (each way) so I could see for myself if they were worthy of the accolades.  Let's just say right off the bat, the place is gorgeous with an old barn converted to a restaurant.  It overlooks the farm and has a setting that is both unique and vital to the whole experience.  Many of their dishes consists of components grown on the farm.

We started off delicately with the Poached Nova Scotia Lobster.  It was a beautifully plated dish with an array of colours.  The lobster was prepared properly where it had a nice rebound but was still light in texture.  It was sweet being harmonious with the lobster & scallop consommé.  It was spiked with rhubarb juice, which gave it a nice tanginess.  Textural crunch was provided by the daikon and radish.  Floral notes were not only provided by the flowers, but also the black current wood.

Coming from a strategically gentle start to the meal, we moved onto the Carrot Crisp with scallop roe pâté and dried chili.  I found these to be spicy and earthy with a balancing amount of sweetness.  There wasn't as much brininess as I was expecting, but the harmony of flavours and textures was definitely there.  These were definitely crispy and a nice progression from the previous dish.

Now looking at the picture above, you might not be very excited about a few pieces of bread.  However, the Sourdough was made with einkorn and iron fife flour.  Hence, the bread inherently had some real sweetness and nuttiness in addition to the usual tang.  It was firm around the edges, but totally fluffy with a nice chew everywhere else..  However, the star of the show was the St. Brigid's butter which was silky and very smooth.  It had a slightly higher milk fat content and hence was more pronounced in flavour with just a subtle background tang.

Stunningly plated, the West Coast Dungeness Crab was fluffy and had all of the goodness of crab brininess.  There was some textural contrast from the crunchy fried cranberry bean crumble while the pickled garlic emulsion offered up some tangy sharpness.  The most impactful component was the hay and alder custard as it had an earthy nuttiness to it.  What was moist important is that none of the components overwhelmed the delicate and delicious crab.

Staying with seafood, we were served the Lake Erie Pickerel fried Matsukasa-yaki style.  By pouring hot oil over the fish scales, it completely crisped them up.  Unlike the one we had at Alo, the scales here were light and easy to eat.  The fish itself was super moist and buttery, cooked to perfection.  Although it was properly seasoned, the emulsion underneath was earthy and bright with the combination of asparagus, coriander, chervil and false cardamom oil.

Apparently we weren't done with the fish courses yet as the next dish to arrive was the Slow-Grilled West Coast Halibut.  It was expertly prepared where the texture was delicate and flaky.  With the honey glaze, we did get some subtle sweetness, but the buerre monté was the dominant flavour with a butteriness that was also tangy and aromatic.  We found some peach leaves on top as well as some poached hakurei turnip and green mizuna.  This greenery did give some bitterness.

Onto a vegetable course, we were presented with the Pot Roasted White Asparagus topped with Acadian Emerald caviar.  Just looking at them, they seemed to be caramelized and indeed they were.  There was a deep amount of sweetness that was quite delicious.  In addition to that, the asparagus still had a snap texture.  In addition to the caramelization, there was balancing saltiness, tanginess and brininess.  Some of it was thanks to the tender razor clams (and the caviar) which had a pleasant chew to them.

Moving back to the meat courses, we had the Back to Nature Organics Roasted Duck.  As you can clearly see, the duck was cooked perfectly and was super tender.  Fat was rendered and the skin was not flabby.  The haskap glaze was a bit salty, but still delicious.  Next to the duck, we found cucumber, green strawberries and bambi gem lettuce.  Nice crunch and brightness to lighten up the dish and toning down the saltiness.

Our last savoury course was the Roasted Pork from Linton Pastures.  If you look at the picture, you can clearly see that the pork was just barely cooked with a bit of pink on it.  Hence, it was super juicy and succulent.  Once again, the demi was on the saltier side, but had plenty of meatiness.  Morels were crispy and earthy while filled with pork and lobster mousse, which had some mustardy notes.  The horseradish leaf oil and mitsuba herb brought things down a bit with some bitterness.

Just before we hit the sweets, we were presented with a Beef Consommé with a wealth of edible flowers on top.  The broth itself was full of umami and natural beef flavour.   This was seasoned well and there was some earthy root veggies underneath.  They were still a bit crunchy, which was a nice texture.  Normally, I would expect a sorbet of some type as a palate cleanser, but this acted as one in a savoury manner. 

So onto dessert, we had the Fraser Valley Rice Tartlet with marinated strawberries and black currant leaf rice pudding.  Being made of rice, the tart shell was lightly crispy and had some toasty notes.  The herbs on top were noticeable and the with the flowers, we got some floral aromatics.  The rice pudding was sweet and creamy while the strawberries offered up some tanginess.

Our second dessert was the Salsify Mille Feuille with a salsify tuile, marinated apple, black koji pureé and toasted oat chantilly.  I found the whole thing super light with crispy tuile.  The apples offered up some extra crunch albeit a wet and sweet crunch.  I found the sweetness to be on point.  The chantilly was airy and really, eating this dessert was very easy.  The creaminess was also equally aromatic from the toasted oats.

Our third dessert was a Toasted Sourdough Ice Cream Sandwich.  This was a nice little bite with creamy and smooth ice cream accented by the rich and nutty brown butter caramel.  Extra crunch and sweetness was provided by the candied sourdough bread.  We really got Danish cookie vibes from this!  Finally, we were presented with some Madeleines with whiskey and miso while dusted in allspice sugar.  These were so fluffy and light while the fermented flavour of the miso really came through whereas the whiskey was beautifully subtle.  When it was all said and done, we agreed that the meal at Pearl Morissette was special.  From the converted barn to the lovely farm setting, things were already unique before we even got to the food.  The whole experience, including the personable service, reflects its one-star Michelin rating as well as top spot in Canada's 100 Best Restaurants.

The Good:

- It is about the whole experience

- Excellent food

- Superb service

The Bad:

- A bit out-of-the-way for most people, but worth the drive

Fat Rabbit

Seeing how Pearl Morissette has captured the #1 ranking in Canada's 100 Best Restaurants for 2025, we knew a car rental was in our future.  So we made our way out of Downtown Toronto to the wine country for our tasting menu out on the farm.  However, we weren't going to do the 1.5 hour drive just to do one restaurant right?  For lunch, we headed into St. Catharines to try another restaurant on that list at #97.  Fat Rabbit is its name and a butcher shop is its game.  However, they also house a restaurant in the same space that allows you to pick your custom steak (among other things).

Even though we were only there for lunch and looking forward to a tasting menu for dinner, we went all out and started with the Crispy Humbolt Squid.  This was an excellent dish where the squid was super tender while having a slight chew.  The thin batter was definitely crispy and seemed to be almost not there.  That made each bite an airy experience which made things not as heavy as it appeared.  The batter was also beautifully seasoned where it didn't need anything else but a slight squeeze from the slice of lemon.  However, the side of scallion mayo was the cherry on top as it provided a bright, yet richly-flavoured hit.

Looking at the menu, we knew we had to get The Cheeseburger.  Freshly-ground meat prepared to medium, this thick patty was juicy, meaty and well-seasoned.  It was topped with a thick slice of gruyere as well as caramelized onions, pickles and dijonnaise.  The soft bun held everything together where the dijonnaise had a nice tanginess that helped offset the richness of the beef.  The pickles took that one step further while adding crunch.  We couldn't forget about the caramelized onions as it provided a rich sweetness.

We got a side of Crispy Potatoes to compliment and oh boy, was that a great decision.  These slices of what I believe were Yukon Gold potatoes were lightly crispy, but ever-so-creamy and moist on the inside.  This textural contrast provided a great mouth feel and kept coming back for more.  These were properly salted where they enhanced the natural potato flavour.  On the side, we found garlic mayo which was creamy and aromatic.  There was also some bomba to add a bit of spice to the dish.

For our choice of steak, we went big with the 29oz Aged Ribeye from the display case.  This was thick cut and took 30 minutes to prepare.  When it did arrive, it was a sight to behold.  Charred on the outside and perfectly medium-rare (closer to rare, just how I like it) on the inside, it was what we were looking for in a premium steak.  This was $68.00 per pound which would be around $122.00 for the steak.  Not bad for so much meat that was cooked properly.  It was also well-seasoned with kosher salt allowing us to eat this without any need for any condiments.  It was juicy and tender with a slight bite.

To compliment our steak and also get some veggies, we opted for the Turnips with picobello, bottarga and beurre blanc.  These turnips were cooked-through while still being firm with a crunch.  Natural sweetness was the initial hit of flavour, but then we got some bitterness and slight sharpness at the end.  The creamy beurre blanc helped add some luxuriousness while the bottarga afforded saltiness.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the Fat Rabbit and were glad we stopped by for lunch.  Interestingly, another couple was there, also taking pictures, and then we saw them again at Pearl Morisette!  I guess we weren't the only ones with this idea of hitting both restaurants!

 

The Good:

- Just well-prepared food

- Love that you can pick your steak

- Great service

 

The Bad:

- We enjoyed our meal but unless you are on your way to Niagara or another spot, I wouldn't necessarily drive out 

 

Upstairs Hot Pot

I'm sure most people have noticed the "pick your own ingredients" and get it weighed hot pot craze.  That started with Big Way Hot Pot locally and places like Malatown in California.  But before that, it was just traditional hot pot where we would order things to cook in a communal pot.  Then, in more recent times, we found the AYCE concept where we could order as much as we could eat at one inclusive price.  In between all this, we also had pre-constructed personal hot pots at various price points at places like Boiling Point.  That type of hot pot restaurant has gotten lost in the shuffle and it was quite the surprise when I found out about Upstairs Hot Pot in Richmond.

To stand out in the crowded hot pot landscape, Upstairs hot pot focuses on healthier broths that are naturally flavoured and not reliant on artificial seasoning or excess salt or MSG.  Furthermore, they specialize in Chongqing noodles and also bring some of those influences their hot pots.  However, the best thing about Upstairs Hot Pot is their pricing.  Their Green Sichaun Pepper Pot is on special for only $9.99.  Yes, places like Big Way are sexier but you might find it hard to get a meal for that price, unless you are get the lightest ingredients.  Really enjoyed this slow-cooked broth made from chicken, beef and pork bones.  The green chili offered up some brightness and mild spice.  Good amount of varied components that were not overcooked, especially the veggies.

Now you cannot do anything Chongqing without some Mala right?  Their Signature Spicy Pot is exactly that and can be had in a variety of spice levels.  They gave us a mediumish version since Mijune was with me and they didn't want to give a pregnant lady the max spice level.  LOL.  This was still flavourful though.  It was earthy with a low-rumbling heat and rich fragrance.  We could choose the main protein and selected marbled beef slices.  It also came with a variety of veggies and other meat products.  Definitely hearty and reasonably-priced for $14.99.

With any hot pot place, there will be the standard Rich Pork Bone Broth.  Perfect for those who do not like spice and just want something soothing and clean.  This one was definitely clean with a milky white appearance.  There was definitely a silkiness to it due to the collagen.  Seasoning was mild and it wasn't too salty nor sweet. It was just right.  We had the tender pork slices for this one and added (for an extra $4.50) some fatty beef slices too.  There was some clams by default in this and it provided a subtle sweet brininess.

Excuse this picture of the Tomato Beef Hot Pot as it seemed to focus on Mijune's tummy rather than the beef.  Anyways, this was our favourite being naturally flavourful without the saltiness sometimes associated with tomato broth.  It was tangy and richly flavoured due to the use of fermented tomatoes.  The beef was the best part as they used collagen-rich pieces that were cooked slowly, rendering the fat and ensuring the meat and tendon were melt-in-our-mouths tender.  

Now that was our favourite hot pot, but the best thing we ate was the Chongqing Noodles.  These handmade noodles had such a nice texture to them.  They weren't firm, yet they weren't too soft either.  Rather, they were silky with a gentle chew to them.  On top we found some braised pork as well as some mashed peas.  Once again, the spice level was fairly mild-to-medium with a certain smokiness and savouriness.  Really delicious and I urge you to go try this!  Overall, the food at Upstairs Hot Pot is prepared carefully and the ingredients are good quality.  Pricing is super reasonable and the portion sizes are enough for most appetites.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Clean broths that are not overseasoned

- Quality ingredients

- Those Chongqing noodles!

The Bad:

- The parking lot is usually packed and the time limit is too short for most of the spaces

- Dumplings are average

Rendezvous Pub

Here we are back at Rendezvous Pub out in Langley, to sample some of their brunch items in addition to their classics.  For those who don't know, Rendezvous Pub has been around since 1983 and it was pretty much a traditional pub until it changed ownership last year.  The menu has gone through some changes and they are modernizing the place a little bit at a time.  We showed up on a Sunday morning and the place was pretty busy.

The reason for this is their brunch menu and the incredibly affordable RP House Special for only $8.00!  This came with 2 eggs, choice of meat, hashbrowns and choice of toast.  As you can see, the eggs were perfectly sunny side up while the toast was lightly brown but still crispy.  The ample side of hashbrowns were fried beautifully where the outside was crispy and seasoned whereas the inside was still fluffy.  The two sausage links had a crispy exterior with a meaty interior.

As much as the eggs in the Triple Meat Omelette were pretty much cooked through, the size of this thing combined with the generous amount of meat inside made this very hearty.  I would find it hard for anyone to actually finish this easily.  Just for good measure, there was a good amount of melted cheese on top too.  Add in the large amount of the same crispy and seasoned hashbrowns, this was a lot of food for $15.50.

The Blackstone Benedict looked great on the menu and at first looked even better when it arrived at our table.  From the properly toasted English muffins to the crispy bacon and fresh tomatoes, this had so much potential.  Yes, we found the same great hashbrowns too.  Creamy and rich, the Hollandaise was solid too.  So what was wrong?  The poached eggs were completely cooked through.  Their kitchen was pretty busy, so maybe just a one-off.

Onto the happy hour menu (it is all day Sunday), we had some of the Wings in both Salt & Pepper and Caribbean Jerk for $12.00 each.  Most places charge $20.00 for wings these days, so this was pretty inexpensive.  These were crispy with rendered skin.  The meat was a little on the dry side, but still ok.  I felt the salt and pepper could've used a bit more pepper.  The jerk was pretty tasty with very mild spice.

Originally, we ordered the Breakfast Poutine, but what came out was the RP's Poutine instead.  No matter, it was pretty good with crispy Cavendish-type fries (the starch-coated kind).  There was a considerable amount of gravy, which was fine by me.  It coated every fry with good viscosity and also a balanced saltiness.  There was also enough cheese curds where most of them were melted.  Yes, most people would prefer some non-melted pieces of cheese curds, but this was still fine.

Also on their happy hour menu, we found a selection of pizzas and of course we went for the Meat Lover's Pizza for $16.00.  This featured a thin crust that was decent, especially for a pub. It was crispy throughout and not cardboard-like.  On top, they didn't skimp with the tomato sauce, meat and cheese.  There was so much pepperoni, bacon and ham, there was not one bite without a mess of it in our mouths.  Tomato sauce was quite good being tangy and a bit sweet.

Going with another classic pub offering, we had the Fish & Chips.  This featured two beer battered pieces of cod and the same crispy starch-covered fries.  This was really good, not only for a pub, but good for even a fish & chips joint.  The fish was moist and flaky while coated with a thin and crispy batter.  It wasn't greasy at all and the batter was nicely salted.  The side of tartar was creamy and tangy while the coleslaw was refreshing being the vinegar version.

Being in a pub, one must also try the burger too, so we got the Southern Dynamic Duo featuring 2 beef patties with double cheddar, jalapenos, onion rings, bacon and BBQ sauce on brioche.  Yah, this was fully loaded and despite the patties being the generic frozen variety, it ate quite well.  The meat was juicy and still had a meaty texture.  This was so loaded with different textures and tastes, it was quite the flavour bomb.  We got some Garlic Parmesan Fries on the side, and they were pretty loaded with parm and came with garlic aioli on the side.

One of our favourite items of the meal was the Rueben.  Yes, this was not complex where it was about construction and the individual components more than anything else.  Well, they had all of the right things including corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and Dijon on marbled rye.  Yes, they didn't put Thousand Island dressing in this, but I prefer the mustard anyways.  Bread was a soft rye and had some nuttiness.  So overall, the food at Rendezvous Pub is pretty good with all things considered.  Pricing is reasonable and portions are large.  Maybe a few items could've used a few tweaks, but the place was pretty packed and I'm sure the kitchen was slammed.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Generally solid food

- Well-priced

- Large portions

The Bad:

- A few things could've been less cooked through

Skye Avenue - Kitchen & Lounge

For awhile, I knew that Skye Avenue had replaced the long-standing Central City Brewing at Surrey Central.  However, I just never made it out there to see what it was all about.  It wasn't until Executive Chef Bal (of Desi Lounge in Downtown Vancouver) raved about the burger at Skye Avenue, that piqued my interest.  So when Nikita and Bluebeard wanted to meet up for some eats and they suggested that Skye Avenue be one of the options, I totally agreed to meet them there. 

We arrived in time for their Happy Hour and in addition to getting some drink specials, we also started with a few food specials as well.  Instead of the usual ball shape, the Mushroom Arancini arrived as a rectangle slab.  I thought it was nicely crispy, but the inside was rather mushy.  It did have good flavour in the earthiness of mushroom and smokiness of eggplant puree.  In actual balls, the Smoked Salmon Croquettes were also a bit mushy inside too.  Yet, most croquettes are made with potato, so that was to be expected.  There was a smoky saltines to them and there was a bit of tartar sauce in the middle.

We got 2 more specials in the Wagyu Carpaccio and Prime Rib Slider.  We found the carpaccio to be a competent plate with thinly sliced and tender beef.  It was topped with flaked salt, aged pecorino, truffle aioli, arugula and some aged balsamic.  Again, it as pleasant enough but the focaccia that came with it was horrible.  It was hard and very dense.  As for the slider, it was excellent with a soft toasted bun, horseradish aioli, fontina cheese, crispy onions and au jus.  The beef itself was super tender and there was no absence of flavour and texture.  Should've gotten a few of these!

Onto the mains, Bluebeard and I shared the Lobster Cobb Salad as well as the burger.  As you can see with the salad, there was no absence of lobster meat.  It was at its bouncy and springy best with natural sweetness and brininess.  It featured tender butter lettuce, ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, custardy soft-boiled egg and gorgonzola cheese.  I thought this was a very good salad with excellent components.

Now for the Chef's Burger, it was comprised of an 8oz organic grass fed house-ground patty.  That way, it could be prepared so it wasn't cooked to a crisp.  It was super juicy, meaty in flavour and of course tender.  It was topped with fontina, truffle aioli and crunchy onions all on a brioche bun.  Chef Bal was right, this burger had it all, a juicy patty, texture from the onions and a soft brioche bun.  Even the side of fries were really good being crispy with lots of creamy potatoness inside.

Viv wasn't very creative and also ordered a burger in the Fresh Sockeye Burger.  This featured a 5oz chermoula-marinated salmon patty with mango salsa, pickled coleslaw and tartare sauce on a charred leek bun.  So with all those tasty ingredients, the flavours were impactful.  We had sweetness, tanginess and brightness on the crispy and smoky bun.  However, the main ingredient, which was the salmon, was rather dry.  Being sockeye, I wasn't surprised as the meat is leaner and would dry out easier.  It did taste good though.

Lastly, Nikita had the Gluten-Free Margherita Flat Bread.  For a gluten-free crust, it was pretty good being crispy and not too dense.  The tomato sauce was bright and tangy while there was more than enough fior di latte on top for impact.  We also found some fresh basil, but would've preferred it added after the fact.  Overall, Skye Avenue is a competent restaurant with some real highlights.  The decor is quite nice and the service is top-notch.  I do believe a few refinements are here and there.

The Good:

- That burger!

- Nice decor

- Great service

The Bad:

- A few refinements needed