This was such a beautiful, romantic dining experience. The way the dining room is laid out allows couples to just focus on each other and the view, which I image is spectacular in the summer overlooking the lake. It feels like there's no one else around.
The waiter explained the 5-course menu for only $68 per person and it seemed like a pretty good deal so we went for it! We're happy we did! The wine list is like a phone book, it's so extensive cause of their world class wine cellar. Our server said she could recommend according to the guest's budget.
The menu is changed semi annually to use the best ingredients for each season. Menus go from December to June, then July to November. This is because they cater to a number of regulars so they change it up to keep things exciting. In this menu, the chef employed a fair bit of radish slices and yuzu into the dishes.
We started off with a creative snack of sorts aka Amuse-Bouche. I believe it was fried lotus root chip. The mini chiabata bread is cute, warm and yummy with whipped butter. My boo liked it so much, he asked for three more to which they willingly obliged.
Then we had the delicious, warm and creamy green pea soup. The bits of Gaspor bacon punctuated the velouté with savory pockets of flavor. It's a must try!
We had the Salade du Bistro which contained a lot of bitters. However, it was unique in that it had the balsamic and yuzu pearls to lighten the flavor. I found the flavors intriguing.
The tuna tataki was crusted with paprika and sprinkled with coarse salt. I found it was maybe abased a bit with the humble edamame and yuzu mayo. Overall, simple and tasty but I'm not sure I tasted truffle oil.
The beet salad is a must have!! This was my favorite appetizer! The flavors were so bright and light with the acidity from the yuzu yet savory with the whipped herbed feta. So good.
Then for the mains, we had halibut in lobster broth. The surprise was the balled butternut squash that was bursting with flavor. I found the fish with its crispy crust a touch dry but still good.
However, the duck breast was pause-and-have-a-moment good. I loved the crisped up duck skin with the goat cheese sauce (could've used some more) and juicy wilted greens. The mashed sweet potatoes were excellent with the mini zucchini and I'm always a fan of crispy fried sage.
For dessert, we had the coconut panna cotta which I found rather plain tasting were it not for the punch from the passion fruit sorbet of which it needed a bit more to go with the whole bowl. The profiterole was good and I liked the chocolate crust.
Lovely restaurant and I definitely plan to go back again in the summer and enjoy the lakeside view and delicious dishes made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. read more