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

Alo

In March, when we were in Toronto, we had enjoyed a delicious meal at Aloette on Spadina.  Its approachable menu with well-crafted eats made us curious about their bigger and older sibling upstairs.  Alo, which is headed by Executive Chef Patrick Kriss, dishes up modern French fare that is globally-inspired.  So this time around, we made resos.  The dining room is simple, yet elegant, leaving the emphasis on the intricate dishes.  Service is focused while at the same time, not intrusive.  Even before we got to the food, the whole outfit exuded Michelin-Star quality.

Now, we do need to get to the food and they offer a blind tasting menu for $225.00 per person.  Reservations are a must as I was barely able to get one where we dined at 8:45pm. We started with a trio of canapés including the Spot Prawn Tartare topped with prawn shell mayo, Thai lime and pomelo.  This was a bright little bite with sweet spot prawn that was amped further by the briny mayo.  Hits of acidity was provided by the lime and pops of sweetness from the pomelo.  Great way to whet our appetites!

The next was the A5 Waygu Tart with masutake shoyu while topped with Osetra caviar and purple shiso.  Loved the textural contrast of the crispy shell with the buttery wagyu (surprisingly not chewy despite the uncooked fat).  The use of shoyu was percise as the beef flavour still came through and was complemented by its umaminess.  Of course the caviar added pops of salty brininess while the purple shiso provided earthiness.  The last bite was a Foie Gras Parfait done with apples 3 different ways.  First method was the puree with apple calvados, second was the apple gastrique done with brandy and last was a disk of granny smith with an upper leaf cress.  This was a study of contrasting textures with the crispy exterior giving way to a creamy and rich silkiness inside.  There was a certain sweetness complimented by butteriness and only slight liver taste.

Our next set of dishes consisted of a Bluefin Tuna Tasting with all 3 cuts including Akami, Chutoro and Otoro.  With the leaner Akami, we found it wrapped around cucumber and radish sitting on yuzu relish and black vinaigrette.  Due to the lack of fat in the akami, the impactful vinaigrette did the heavy lifting in terms of earthiness, tang and umami.  Loved the crunch from the veggies.  The Chutoro sat on a piece of crispy nori, tapioca and miso barley.  Since Chutoro is buttery and sweet by itself, it didn't need much to be good.  Hence, the simplicity of the compliments allowed the fish to shine.  Only a bit of sweet and tangy notes came through as well as some earthiness.

Being the fattiest cut, the Otoro was wrapped around uni with some hot sauce and a marigold leaf on top.  Since it was so fatty, it melted in my mouth and had the taste of the sea combined with the sweetness of the fish.  With Hokkaido uni in the middle, it doubled-down on the brightness of the sea as well as the intense inherent sweetness.  Loved how they dialed down on the compliments to this dish as the otoro could totally stand on its own.

Sporting a lovely shade of orange red, the piece of Kinmedai was hard-seared skin side with the scales.  Inside, it was medium-rare and served with a champagne sauce and foam on top.  Some snow pea leaves dressed in wasabi, salt and wasabi oil finished off the dish.  Loved the crispy skin but the scales were a bit hard to eat.  The champagne foam was buttery and bright while the salt level of the dish was precise.  The fish itself was buttery soft.

Staying with the seafood theme, we had the Dungeness Crab with poached egg yolk, pureed buttered spinach, black truffle, smoked butter and shaved cured quail's egg yolk.  It was finished off with a scrambled egg emulsion.  As much as there was a lot of components in this dish, the delicate crab was not lost amongst them.  Fluffy, slightly briny and sweet, the crab was at the forefront while the silkiness of the egg provided texture.  Only a background bit of truffle and smokiness came through.

My favourite dish of the night had to be the Nova Scotia Lobster with shiitake mushrooms, 3 different types of seaweed, dashi broth and finished off with the Koshihikari rice.  The sliced lobster was barely cooked through.  Hence, it didn't even have a chance to become rubbery.  In fact, it was buttery soft with the unmistakable essence of lobster.  There was a lot of umaminess due to the mushrooms, seaweed and dashi where flavours were bordering on salty.  We also found a bit of nutty smokiness.

Moving away from seafood, we had the Hudson Valley Duck with morels stuffed with duck mousse, grilled white asparagus, ramps and basil ramp pistou finished with mustard cream.  Cooked to medium, the duck was tender while maintaining a pleasant meatiness.  Once again, we found umaminess with earthy notes and brightness from the herbs.  The morels were at their woodsy best with a springy texture.  Inside, the duck mousse was a bit meaty and totally duck-forward.

For our second meat course, we had 2 different versions since I'm the only one that wanted lamb.  So for mine, I had the New Zealand Lamb with an Ontario lamb roulade with pistachios.  The lamb sat atop a salsa verde consisting of cilantro, tarragon and parsley.  It was finished off with a lamb jus seasoned with the salsa verde.  Accompanying this was asparagus, fava beans, goat's milk yogurt and citrus jelly.  As you can see, the lamb was perfectly medium-rare and succulent.  Perfect seasoning on the meat.  The roulade was nutty and had a beautiful muted gaminess.  Due to the heaviness of the meat, the salsa verde was exactly what it needed to brighten things up.  

The other dish was the A5 Wagyu Ribeye and Rib Cap.  This came with grilled maitake mushroom, pan-seared ginger, beef jus seasoned with wasabi.  On the side, we found pickled mustard seed, freshly grated wasabi and hot Japanese mustard.  Yah, this A5 was legit as it melted in our mouths.  Lots of beefiness and we could adjust the sharpness of the dish with the mustard and wasabi.  The rib cap was a bit meatier, but due to the fat, it was so flavourful and beefy. Both dishes came with bread and cultured butter from Normandy.  The bread was light and airy, yet with some structure.  However, the star of the show was the creamy and totally beefy-tasting butter.

From these heavy dishes, we moved onto dessert with the Loquat & Matcha.  We found some creamy matcha ice cream that was balanced in terms of bitterness and sweetness.  The tang and stone fruit vibes from the loquat compote was a nice compliment.  More brightness was thanks to the Meyer lemon as well as the sparkling sake and elderflower foam.  Next, we had the Rhubarb prepared 6 different ways with a Greek yogurt parfait   So this was less of a sweet dessert, which was fine by me.  Lots of tang and acidity from all the elements.  I couldn't even keep track of all the forms of rhubarb, but some did stand out.  One was the vanilla rhubarb salsa and the rhubarb pieces poached in simple syrup.  Aromatic with tangy sweetness and some crunch. Finally, some ginger and lime gelée afforded some contrast to the predominantly rhubarb forward dish.

Finally, we were served Petite Fours including a Canelé, Macaron, Chocolate Bonbon, Peanut Butter Cup and a Pavlova.  It wasn't as if we were hungry anymore, but we couldn't pass these up.  The canelé was textbook with a crispy smoky caramel crust and a tender custardy centre.  With a delicate, but crisp shell, the mini-macaron was soft and chewy.  It was floral due to the orange blossom and apricots.  Filled with a coffee ganache filling and tiramisu flavoured, the bonbon was sweet and aromatic.  We also had a peanut butter cup filled with spicy mango and passionfruit curd.  These were so up my alley with tangy sweetness with a kick as well as a crunch from the peanut brittle.  On top, we found a vanilla chocolate cremeaux.  Lastly, we had a coconut pavlova with coconut cream that was sweet and tropical-tasting.  Some shishito added another flavour element to the dish but it was subtle.  Wow, I have to say this tasting menu at Alo exceeded my expectations.  For the #3 restaurant on Canada's Best 100 Restaurants, it certainly did not disappoint.  Not only was the food expertly prepared and utterly delicious, there was a lot of it and we went away happy and full.

The Good:
- Precision in execution
- Professional service that is not pretentious
- More than enough food

The Bad:
- It is pretty dark and if you don't have the right table, you won't be able to see your food clearly 

Quetzal

Another meal in Toronto and another Michelin-Star restaurant in Quetzal.  This modern Mexican spot on College Street prepares all their cooked food on a 28 foot wood fire.  Yes, that is right, am open flame that does not have temperature regulation.  That is absolutely amazing since the flavours and intense flavours imparted by wood fire cannot be replicated by gas or electricity.  Viv and I were excited to try the place and went for the curated menu so we could get a great overview of the menu.

The first few dishes to arrive included the Hokkaido Scallop Ceviche and Blue Fin Tuna.  The ceviche was dressed in a squid ink leche with ground cherries and topped with crispy leeks.  As much as the buttery soft and sweet scallops were the star of the plate, the super sweet gooseberries added so much to the mix.  It helped impart bursts of flavour when most of the other components were mild.   There was also some earthiness in it all with just a kiss of the sea.  Crunch from the leeks provided texture as well as a nutty brightness.

Not featured on the regular menu, the Blue Fin Tuna was quite the treat.  Consisting of big fat slices, the tuna was at its buttery best despite being the akami.  It was fresh, bright and sweet.   However, the rattlesnake chili paste did overwhelm the fish, yet it was delicious being smoky, spicy and nutty.  We found some blood orange segments and daikon underneath that helped lighten up the flavours as well as providing texture and acidity.

We moved onto 2 different dishes each as Viv doesn't prefer *gasp* lamb!  So she had the Memela that featured a base of fried masa that looked like a tart shell filled with smoked shiitake mushroom conserva, quesillo, salsa de Chile morita and mizuna topped with chicharron.  Loved this as it was both a study in textures and flavours.  From the firm crunch of the base to the airy crispiness of the chicharron, there was great mouth feel.  Then we had the stringiness of the cheese melded with the smokiness and juiciness of the shiitake.

For myself, I stated I wanted to eat the lamb despite Viv not wanting any part in it.  They obliged and sent out the Empanadas Oaxaqueñas stuffed full of lamb barbacoa, salsa molcajete, valentine radish and salsa de ajo.  This was absolutely delicious with succulent and juicy lamb that was meaty-tasting with depth-of-flavour.  Served at the same time was the Ensalata Verde with baby gem lettuce, Cookstown radishes, chayote, poblano kosho and trout roe.  This was a fresh salad with a lot of surprises.  Beyond the crunch from the radishes and chayote, we found pops of brininess from the roe.  Then, the kosho added citrusy notes while the poblano imparted smokiness. 

We moved onto another off-menu dish in the Sablefish marinated in blood orange and fall spices.   The fish was prepared properly where it was flaky and buttery while sporting a slight char on the outside.  We got some smokiness and caramelization as well as a nutty earthiness.  The addition of finger lime on top added some acidic crunch.  On the side, we found a creamy parsnip and hazelnut puree. 

Then, we had the extraordinary Newfoundland Scallops served in the half shell.  Each scallop was cooked ever-so-lightly which meant the meat firmed up slightly but retaining its buttery raw texture.  Also, the natural sweetness really came through.  It sat in a delicious green garlic butter that was reminiscent of escargot butter.  Some popcorn vibes came through with a buttery nuttiness.  I used the bread we had to soak up all of the buttery leftover goodness.

We moved onto the next dish which was the Octopus which featured a beautifully grilled tentacle.  It was smoky and well-seasoned while being tender with only a bit of chew.  It was sitting in a salsa macha which was nutty and crunchy with muted spice.  The addition of corn miso added fermented sweetness. Topping things off, we had crunchy Napa cabbage and kohlrabi.  Our last savoury item was the Mushroom & Shishitos.  Beautifully charred and blistered, the shishitos were bright and slightly sweet.  The oyster mushrooms were nicely caramelized having a smoky saltiness.  On the side, there was crema poblano which imparted some smoky creaminess. 

We can't go without dessert right?  So we had the Avocado Leaf Ice Cream and the Tres Leches Cake. Really enjoyed the ice cream as it was smooth and lightly sweet.  Most of the impact came from the Saskatoon berries in the form of sweetness and the raspberry gel.  For texture, there was a mess of corn flakes on top.  As much as I feared that the Tres Leche Cake would be too sweet, it really wasn't.  The cake was super moist from the soak of the 3 different types of milk.  Naturally, the dominant flavour was the sweetness of the condensed milk.  On top of the cake, we found horchata cream which afforded some sweetness and aromatics.  For textural contrast, there was a large rice tuile.  Overall, the meal at Quetzal was outstanding.  It is amazing what they can do with open flame.  Great combination of spices that were impactful and aromatic.  Totally worth all the accolades it receives.

The Good:

- Impactful and delicious

- Well-prepared proteins

- Attentive yet not intrusive service

The Bad:

- A little strong with the delicate blue fin

- You will smell like smoke after you leave

Edulis

Sitting at #2 on Canada's Best 100 restaurants for 2024, Edulis is also the recipient of a Michelin Star.  It is truly a destination restaurant tucked within a cozy bistro on Niagara in Toronto.  The Manager, Philip Shaw, welcomes and warmly guides you throughout the tasting menu that takes a journey though in-season seafood, vegetables and mushrooms.  Viv and I were fortunate enough to snag a reservation for this exquisite experience.

You must be quick when the resos are available and also need to prepay.  We had a 7:00pm reservation and began with the Snacks consisting of Edulis "Gilda Matrimonio" with Cantabrian anchovy, Valentine Radish with Liptauer cheese, Profiterole of Winter Parsnip & Black Truffle and Coppa di Testa of Mangalista Pork with Eggplant Sott'Olio.  A very nice introduction to the menu where we literally whet our appetites on the tangy and briny skewers with stuffed olives and anchovy.  Our favourite of the bunch was the profiteroles as the choux pastry was perfectly crispy with an airy centre.  The sweet parsnips were creamy and gave off foie mousse vibes.

 

As a supplement added at the table and not part of the original tasting menu, we had the Jamón Joselito for an extra $50.00.  This was well worth it though as each slice of ham was super buttery and richly salty, yet still a bit sweet as well.  On top, we found some Picos (Spanish bread sticks) that were a bit dense. This is the best ham in the world coming from a small company founded in 1868 and based in Guijuelo.  I would agree that this is one of the best I've had and would gladly have more!

Seemingly simple but complex in flavour, the Roscoff Onion Pannacotta was delightful with a rich creamy texture.   Mildly milky, the pannacotta served as a canvas for the sweet & earthy onions.   Although there was no curry to be found in this dish, there was a faint curry finish.   I loved the addition of crunch to the mix that added textural contrast.  Of course we couldn't forget about the generous dollop of Oscietra "Prestige" caviar.  That provides pops of salty brininess.

 

In between courses, we were served the Red Fife Bread with 84% fat cultured butter.  We went for the black truffle supplement and they went nuts with it on top of the butter.  The bread itself had a nice crunch with the crust while the inside had a heavy fermented flavour.  It was densely fluffy (if that makes sense).  We didn't go easy with the butter and that made all the difference in the world.  It was creamy and a bit gamy with lots of truffle woodsiness.    

One of our favourite courses was the Wild Red Sea Bream that was lightly cured and sandwiched in between sheets of kombu.   The slices of fish were supremely bright and naturally sweet with a kiss from the sea.  With Buddha hand citrus, we had all the acidity and fragrance the fish needed.  We had a bit of licorice finish from the fennel seed but also some slight brightness and bitterness from the cardoon.

Keeping the hits going, the Dungeness Crab was a beautiful dish where the main ingredient was allowed to shine.   Fluffy, briny and sweet, the crab sat in a sweet macadamia cream that featured crab butter.  It was full of umami and of course, crab flavour.  This made the flavour profile extremely crab-forward (which would've been the point).  We found some wild bears garlic finishing off the dish with delicate aromatics.

If crab and sea Bream wasn't a seafood treat already, we had the Just Shucked Mahone Bay Scallops next.  These were lightly poached in dashi that firmed them up but left the scallop raw.   They were buttery and naturally sweet.  This sat atop fermented aji verde which was bright, herbaceous and slightly spicy.  We had some Ontario ginger and pickled ramps which added bite and tang.

Moving onto something a bit different and more robust, we had the Smoked Eel "Schnitzel".  We found a piece of eel that was coated in breading and fried until golden brown.  It was crispy and aromatic while the short-finned eel itself was firm (like it should be) and lightly sweet.  Underneath, we found some white asparagus sitting in a stinging nettle vichyssoise with mustard seed mignonette and red wine reduction.  This was a fairly mild dish overall.

The next course featured diced BC Spot Prawn Crudo in saucy bomba rice with Mangalista sobrassada spread.  I thought the saucy rice was the best part of this dish as it sported concentrated flavours of prawn shells.  It was super briny, aromatic and pleasingly salty.   There was some meaty spiciness from the sobrasada that provided depth.   However, the delicate spot prawn was lost in all of this.  The good news was that the texture was as still there.

Our last course was the Dry-Aged Mangalista Pork with hedgehog mushrooms, cabbage sausage, roasted apple, celeriac & mushroom puree and cider sauce.  The pork was absolutely delicious where it was barely cooked through.  Each piece was juicy and succulent with natural sweetness.   The mushrooms help add some woodiness and the apple and cider sauce provided sweetness and slight tang.  really enjoyed the roasted pork rib on the side.  Such succulent and well-seasoned meat!  

Onto dessert, we ordered 2 of them including Niagara Baby Gold Peaches sitting in vanilla crème Anglais and raspberry sauce.  This was a simple dish, but was truly a refreshing way to cleanse the palate after all those fabulous courses.  But the real dessert was the Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with Soma kokoa kamili chocolate, Niagara apricot preserves and hazelnut praline. Oh this cake was so rich and chocolatey while being only purposefully sweet.  This was lighter than it appeared and was super fluffy.  Loved the crunch from the pralines on top.  As you can see, this tasting menu was a lot of thoughtful and well-prepared dishes.  Really great experience, especially with the personable service we received from Philip.  We can see why it is ranked so high on Canada's Top 100 Restaurants.

 

The Good:

- Outstanding service

- Good use of fresh Canadian ingredients

- Delicious

 

The Bad:

- Super hard to get a reservation

- With all the supplements and wine, it can get pretty expensive