With my friend Tomomi in town (from Tokyo via Edmonton and Kamloops), I decided we should check out a place I haven’t been to in years – one of the city’s premiere fine dining destinations: West Restaurant. Being a fellow foodie, Tomomi was more than up to the challenge of joining me in checking out the West Tasting Menu…
- Tomomi strikes the traditional Japanese pose.
- Off to a great start. Turnip pana cotta with bacon gelee, apples, and walnuts. I’m not a huge fan of turnip, but this preparation totally won me over.
- And the hits keep on coming: A Tian of Dungeness Crab and Saffron Couscous with Smoked Tomato Gazpacho. Superb.
- Terrine of Foie Gras, David Woods Goats Cheese, Apple and Quince Jelly. This too was excellent but the portion so paltry I had to wonder why they even bothered.
- Now we’re talking! Biodynamic Aged Risotto with Pemberton Sunchokes, Red Wine Braised Oxtail, and Shaved Black Truffle. The truffle was an extra I decided to splurge on and was glad I did. A dish that marries some of my very favorites – oxtail, risotto, sunchokes and truffles – in grand style. The dish of the night.
- I was able to switch out the chicken for the intriguing-sounding Sake Kasu Braised Berkshire Pork Cheeks with Crab Apple Puree, Broccolini, and Sauteed Spaetzle. A good dish but, while the meat was tender, it lacked that – I want to say unctuousness – I usually associated with well-marbled cheeks. Also, a rather modest portion for what was the final savory course.
- The cheese course.
- Chocolate Marquis, Hibiscus Tea Soaked Sour Cream Cake, and Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. All around terrific but the star of this dish was the ice cream which was nothing short of outstanding. So enjoyable, in fact, that it’s motivated me to bring my ice cream makers out of storage. This summer, perhaps?
- I decided to get a second dessert “for the table”: Mascarpone Espresso Cake on a Date Brownie, Cinnamon Milk Chocolate Mousse and Coffee Ganache Ice Cream. Alas, all else paled in comparison to that coconut chocolate chip ice cream.
So, all in all, a very good dinner but – and I’m not sure whether it was because I was unusually hungry that night – I was still feeling a little peckish at the conclusion of my meal. Had I not eaten those three buttered rolls and that extra dessert, I probably would’ve been downright unsatisfied. I couldn’t help but think back to the wonderful multi-course meals I enjoyed in Tokyo and, while it may be an unfair comparison given the difference in price point, West is purported to be one of the city’s top fine-dining destinations. If a restaurant feels confident enough to offer a risotto course with an additional White Alba Truffle option at $16.50/gram, it can surely offer a “less restrained” option for those willing to splurge. Like I said, I can’t draw a comparison to the Michelin-star restaurants I visited in Japan, but I can draw a more suitable comparison to the similar chef’s menus I enjoyed at Fuel (and that diners can still enjoy at the re-christined ReFuel). Similar price point but, suffice it to say, I never left Fuel feeling peckish. And, might I add, never hit the bread and butter to tide me over.
Service was excellent. Our Aussie waitress was not only polite and professional, but lovely as well, bearing a striking resemblance to the beautiful Lexa Doig.
Tonight, we’re off to Quattro. Tune in tomorrow for the pasta pics.
Mailbag:
Ytimyonona writes: “My puppy has a personal tracking chip. You can’t get a lifetime license for a dog in my county without it.”
Answer: Your country? Where do you live?
Ytimyonona also writes: “Oh, and I’m very excited about Cherie Priest’s book! I’ve heard nothing but good things about Boneshaker, and loved Four and Twenty Blackbirds!!!”
Answer: I echo your sentiments.
John DeNardo writes: “Boneshaker was excellent. One of my best reads of 2009.”
Answer: Then I look forward to seeing you here for the discussion in early March. 🙂
DasNdanger writes: “It might explain why Joe thinks such a device is necessary – he probably can’t figure out if he’s attracted to his dinner date, or the foie gras!”
Answer: Can’t I have the best of both worlds?
Joanne Fitzgerald writes: “I’ve been reading a lot about how SGU is keeping a certain distance from SG1 and SGA, and it does looks and behave like a slightly different and perhaps more mature animal. What would SGA (for instance in upcoming movies), be like if it was given the grimer, darker and slightly more naturalistic style and tone that works so well for SGU? Would it work with the premise of SGA, do you think? Would it improve it or change it beyond recognition?”
Answer: It’s not something I would even consider doing since what made Atlantis Atlantis was the tone of the series (that silver lining of humor even during the darkest of times) and its straightforward/uncomplicated motivations and relationships. It would be like turning House into a sitcom or The Office into a drama.
lcshepp writes: “So what gives Joe? First you tell all the naysayers out there that they have to take SGU as it is and now Robert Cooper says in an interview there will be changes next season. Do the fans finally have a voice??”
Answer: The first half of season one established the premise, the characters and their various relationships. In the second half, we’ll be building on all that and more. There won’t be “changes” made to the show in season two (at least not in the way you’re implying). Developments, yes, but only insofar as they’ll be a natural progression of everything we’ve already put in play.
Jo writes: “I’m curious. Seeing as you like weird foods, have you ever tried a dish called (translated into English [dialect: haideng goru]) fish bladder and sea cucumber soup?”
Answer: Is that the same thing as fish maw? If so, yes. It’s my favorite.
Jo also writes: “Also just wondering… have you ever tried duck brain or duck tongue?”
Answer: No brain but tongue. Meh. Not much substance to it.
AnneTeldy writes: “Still here. Been sick since before Christmas so just now caught up.”
Answer: Welcome back!
O6untouchable writes: “Damian Kindler wrote both halves of “Reckoning”, the episode before “Threads”. I’m not consciously aware of any scenes from the former that were recapped in there (save for in the “Previously, on Stargate SG-1″ bit), but maybe something about Daniel being killed by RepliCarter snuck in there at some point… or maybe it has something to do with the newspaper that Daniel and Anubis were reading, which included photos from said episode?”
Answer: It’s also possible that, if an episode was running long, certain scenes were excised and then used in an ensuing episode.
Airelle writes: “? about the script. once written, how is the actual dialog born, is it magic, do you write the words the actors say.?”
Answer: Yes, we write the words. Alas, it’s not as simple as saying “Okay, in this scene you guys are on the planet and have an argument. Go!”.
E writes: “Will we ever see Riley again?”
Answer: Yep. He’ll be fully healed of his injuries in the back half.
Teal’c_P.I. writes: “did you ever finish watching Fullmetal Alchemist, and if so, what did you think?”
Answer: I liked it but wouldn’t list it among my favorites.
Jeff writes: ”
1. Do you use real ammo on the show? and was real ammo used on sg-1 and sga? or are the bullets blank?
2. Who decided to not use P-90’s anymore? I like the call since they have been used since like season 5 of sg-1, but sad to see them gone.
3. Just b/c i’ll always wonder, will we ever find out the Odyssey’s secret mission in either sgu, sga, or sg-1?”
Answers: 1. We don’t use real ammo. 2. We kept the P-90’s because the actors liked them. 3. It was Icarus-related but I’m not sure when we’ll receive onscreen confirmation.
Elminster writes: “Joe, you’re on TV! On Space. Some sorta behind the scenes thing….”
Answer: Did I happen to mention the title of my new script? If so, what was it?
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