EagerBeaver said:
EB
You really should try Treehouse - it is excellent and an experience. I like Mikasa's as well (on St. Denis) and think it second only to Treehouse. Another good choice which I think is as good as Mikasa is Shodan on Metcalf at Maisonneuve.
In a different vein, I ate recently at a restaurant called Anise. Its a menu fixe and the food was among some of the most flavourful I've ever tasted. I'll do my best to describe but my memory and writing will not do it justice. It was recommedned in the March issue of Gourmet as well as in Air Canada's En Route Mag. They have 6 and 9 course meals with or without the matched wines. My companion and I had the 6 course meal with only a glass of wine. We were a little concerned at first since the first course ws so small - as it turned out all the plates were smaller than usual but it also was more than enough. I had the meat meal while my companion ha the fish meal. the first 2 plates were the same, a spanish sausage hor d'ouvre served on caramelized peppers and fennel. Next we had a vegetable potage which was amazing - don't ask me the ingredients as my memory is worse than my hearing - but it wasn''t the standard fare, I do rememeber it had fennel which was in many of the dishes. Next we had an appetizer served in a small pot with truffles, some kind of seafood all in a cheese bechemel sauce. Then our meals diverged - my next plate was a carpaccio like I have never had. The beef was there and amazing but covered with an amazing asparagus and hearts of palm salad with some dressing. My main plate arrived which was duck breast (sounds better in french - magret de canard) served on a bed of sliced patatoes and some other veggies. Next, our meals joined up again with a cheese plate - not your standard cheese plate at all - don't remember what it was but a soft cheese served warm in a small cup, amazing again but couldn't finish it. Finished with the only dessert I could manage to eat, creme brule.
I had 1 glass of wine - a bordeaux that is the best red wine I've ever tasted (and I've had lots). Didn't get the name but didn't matter as it was privately imported by Anise. Cool thing is they offer you 3 recommended wines for your meal to taste and then give you a full glass of what you choose. You keep the other glass bottoms - all the wines are amazing. They should be - cost of my one glass of wine - $20. Total cost for 2 including one glass of wine each, one apperitif, taxes and tip: $275.
It was very expensive but totally worth it. The wait stuff are perfect and describe the details of each plate as it is served. They know when to show and when not to show. The owner/chef is morrocan (she) and likes to incorporate a lot of vegetables that we don't usually find in everyday meals. Decor is very nice, contemporary-Quebec-modern with very clean lines and uncluttered. Nice lighting and seats very comfortable. Restaurant is on 2 floors, we sat downstairs almost at the window to street which was very nice but upstairs is very nice as well. There is no more than 15 tables. Its located on Laurier at Parc (I think), in front of Phayo Thai. Highly recommended especially for dates.
