Dine Out at PARKSIDE RESTAURANT, January 31 2007
http://www.parksiderestaurant.ca/
[ts]
[js]
[csc]
[We are labeled & color-coded!]
Prologue
[ts]
I had been to Parkside a year after it opened. So perhaps this was about 2 years ago, but I don't recall exactly. My experience there was good: there was one dish where I was tempted to lick the plate! (I had to contend with using a piece of bread to squeegee the plate.)
So, I was definitely looking forward to dinner there last night.
Parkside & the Dine Out dilemna
[ts]
Whereas Dine Out menus at other restaurants only have 3 choices per course (or 2, in some cases), Parkside offered FOUR choices for each course. The three of us spent countless minutes trying to finalize our strategy for ordering the food when JS made a BOLD, SURPRISING and INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.
[js]
We sat down and sat down to the inevitable jostling/positioning/discussion/negotation as to who was having what. Back and forth, back and forth, why don't you have this and I'll have that, but I don't want that I'd rather have this. . .and so on and so forth. This is our birthright as part of the most dreaded of all restaurant customers, the Fukien group (article forthcoming). We must have spent close to 30 minutes discussing the menu when,
"Why don't we just order ALL of the FOUR?"
That way, nobody gets left out and not a dish goes untried.
Simple and elegant? The answer to the mysteries of the universe? This might REVOLUTIONIZE the way we think about restaurant ordering. LOL It's a paradigm shift!
In any case, it solved the problem of endless discussion.
[ts]
CSC & I were surprised and delightfully intrigued by this idea. We then enthusiastically decided to forge ahead with our 4 Dine Out meals!
[csc]
Actually, I knew I was having the chicken for main course, but when I changed my mind about the appetizers, that's when the sisters started (or extended) their bargaining, discussion about what they were having... until JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.
[ts]
Teehee. I was excited for us to make that order so I was a little impatient for the guy (waiter) to come and take out orders!
[csc]
Yes, I was quite impatient for the waiter to take our order, but when he came, we had to point to each other as to who would then tell him the INTRIGUING PROPOSITION!
[[This new format in reviewing where we have a dialogue instead of posting individual reviews reflects the consequences of revolutiuonary thoughts like JS's BOLD and INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.]]
[[Haha.]]
BEVERAGES
Fresh squeezed blood orange and carrot juice with fresh ginger $5
Basil and lemon soda with fleur de sel $4
Sparkling apple juice with elderflower and fresh mint $4
[ts]
They actually had imaginative non-alcoholic beverages! I didn't have to resort to my standard pineapple juice, hehe.
I had the blood orange/carrot/ginger concoction. It was good; not too sweet, as the blood orange juice acted as the sole source of sweetness. The combination was nice, especially with the ginger, but I would've liked it more if there was less carrot juice. The carrot juice has an "earthy" taste that I don't care for that much. By "earthy," I mean a "soil" taste.
Sipped a little of the basil-lemon soda. Again, this was very good and not too sweet. The combination of flavours was nice, especially the salt!
[csc]
I had to exchange my blood orange for JS's basil-lemon. I don't like ginger so I don't know why I would choose this drink! Really not good for me. But the basil-lemon was good. I don't like basil, but with this drink, I think I might start liking it. This is similar to the drink that TS makes at home but the basil gives a different depth that's a nice change to the familiar.
[ts]
(If the g-ongs remember our "home-made" mocktails, the basil-lemon soda is an upper scale version of that. Teehee.)
[js]
I liked both these drinks, although I probably liked the basil and lemon soda better than the blood orange. The carrot juice does "ground" the drink a little bit and gave it body, but I'm not that big a fan of the carrot juice. I would have liked more of the zing of ginger, I think, to counteract the carrot.
The basil was Thai basil and if there's anything else, perhaps I would have added a little bit of mint in this to complete it.
[ts]
We should've ordered all 3 kinds of drinks, but ordering the drinks came before JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION. By the time the food came, we were less concerned with the drinks and ordering the apple juice with elderflower never happened.
[js]
And we didn't know what elderflower is. Sounds like a flower that has lost its bloom already, past its prime. A geriartic flower.
[ts]
I was just afraid it would be too flowery. I still can't get over ordering Rose Tea a long time ago (at a bubble tea place). It was like eating potpourri -- I couldn't down the drink!
Already this much copy and we haven't gotten to the food yet.
FIRST COURSE
Oxtail consommé with Madeira, shiitake mushrooms, bone marrow dumplings
Salad of lettuces and herbs, avocado, crispy rock shrimp, mustard, crème fraîche and chive sauce
Alsatian onion tart, curly endive and bacon salad
Handmade pumpkin ravioli, sage butter and crushed amaretti
[ts]
The consomme was too "meaty" in taste for me. It tasted like the "iyak" Mama makes for me! Otherwise, it was good enough. I don't remember how clear the broth was.
[js]
Of the first courses, this consomme was the dud for me. It was too one-dimensional. The bone marrow dumplings were intriguing, but ultimately, I really didn't get the bone marrowness of it. I felt it was too dull -- don't know if it was a function of underseasoning -- but it needed something to brighten it up, an agent to make the ingredients shine even brighter. With the shiitake and the dumplings (aka wontons), they could have gone towards the Asian end of the spectrum. I don't have expectations vis a vis food (I'd rather be surprised by the chef) and I don't know if I expected them to take it towards that. But anyways, this was dud-dy for me.
[csc]
This consomme reminded me of "mah-kut teh" (Singaporean soup), which I like. So this wasn't too bad for me.
Salad of lettuces and herbs, avocado, crispy rock shrimp, mustard, crème fraîche and chive sauce
[ts]
The salad was just "OK" for me. I wasn't really looking forward to salad that night.
[js]
When I first bit into the crispy rock shrimp, it tasted like those run-of-the-mill battered and fried shrimp that you see everywhere: in the frozen food section, in all-you-can-eat buffets (Oriental), chain restaurants. It's just like that, except this *is* slightly better, as it didn't have that preservative, old-oil, processed taste. Maybe there is nothing you can do with rock shrimp and they're just really awful. 'Cause of course this would be a totally different dish if it had better quality shrimp. And grilled.
I liked the salad very much. Usually I don't like avocados that much but with the lettuces and herbs it's a great mix. I don't remember the chive sauce or the creme fraiche. Given the non-remembering, I wonder if they changed the dish somewhat from the advertised menu.
[ts]
I thought the chive sauce/creme fraiche was part of the concoction with the avocados.
[js]
If that's the case, then it was very good.
[csc]
OK -- me, I like the "run-of-the-mill fried shrimp". So with the added ingredients of endives,sauce, etc etc...this was just great!
Alsatian onion tart, curly endive and bacon salad
[ts]
Now, the tart! It was very good! It was "all that it should be and more!" (George Costanza, Seinfeld)
Even the curly endive was good! The tiny dice (plural) of bacon in the salad were crucial -- without them, I wouldn't have enjoyed the endive; the saltiness of the bacon really cut through the bitterness of the endive. Bacon makes everything good!
[js]
I didn't feel like the endive was particularly bitter. In fact, I don't remember it being bitter at all. The tart was very, very good. I like tarts in general -- something about that pastry shell -- and onion tarts are always good. This is a particularly well done version.
[csc]
You may notice that my reviews are all somewhat like this: This was good, this was bad... etc. Nothing about each particular ingredient (unlike the 2 sees-ters). I don't really dissect my meals that much... I like them all mixed together and then figure out if I like the taste and the textures. So for this onion tart... I thought this dish was SURPRISINGLY GOOD! I wouldn't order anything ONION but this was really nice. I honestly can't remember the endive/bacon thing being mentioned above. hehehe.
Handmade pumpkin ravioli, sage butter and crushed amaretti
[ts]
I thought the sage butter would be a brown butter type sauce (not emulsified), but it was actually a smooth emulsified sauce. Again, all elements of the dish were perfectly executed. The crushed amaretti cookies provided the perfect "grainy", crunchy contrast to the smooth, soft (sweet) pumpkin filling, the pasta, and the smooth, rich butter sauce. I would've been happier if it were just seasoned breadcrumbs (because I don't really like that "almond essence" flavor). However, the almond taste really did go well with everything else in the dish.
[js]
Yeah, I didn't like the amaretti. The almond essence was the first thing that I tasted. After going past the almond, I got the pasta and then the sweetness of the pumpkin. Don't recall the sage butter unfortunately. One thing about the PROPOSITION: I think I was slightly confused, having rotating plates and all. The pasta was a tad tougher/chewier than I expected. Being that it was handmade, I thought it'd be softer. By chewier, I mean denser.
[ts]
I liked the texture of the pasta. I thought it was the way it was supposed to be.
[js]
For being freshly-made, I thought it was too thick. But what do I know -- I only had half a ravioli, given that somebody finished off my other half!
[csc]
I think this restaurant is surprising me a lot. I normally would not order RAVIOLI. I just don't get them... ie, it's just the same one dimensional taste after another. But the pumpkin filling gave a hint of sweetness that was quite nice. So this was actually pretty good. Although, I'm glad I only ate one, because I don't think I'm still a ravioli kind of person.
[ts]
(An aside: but why would ravioli be more one-dimensonal than other pasta dishes? It's still pasta with sauce -- but with a filling inside!)
SECOND COURSE
Fillet of steelhead trout, French beans, fondant celery root, toasted hazelnuts, scallop tartlette
Polderside farms organic chicken, mushroom duxelles, gnocchi, braised lettuce, Parma ham, jus rôti
Braised veal cheeks & grilled flatiron, cauliflower puree, pomme croquette, gremolata, red wine jus
Assiette of Italian vegetables and legumes
[ts]
I think I was in the mood for "lighter fare" that night (very rare, indeed).
The braised veal cheeks -- ah yes, braised veal cheeks -- brought back memories. (Haha. See Figmint reviews.)
Again, they were very tender, but in this version, they still had form (as opposed to being totally "melted"). But, Andrey (chef) probably knew about this "veal, all the time, all day, everyday" problem, because this dish also had grilled flatiron (steak). Both the cheeks and the steak were very good, but I just didn't feel like meat.
I didn't really taste the cauliflower puree as it seemed to have disappeared by the time the plate got to me. ;P I also don't remember the gremolata on the plate. The pomme croquette was good.
[js]
As with the beef and beef-like offering of the oxtail consomme, I really didn't care much for this dish. I actually liked the Figmint veal cheeks better, because it had another dimension to its flavour via the saffron. I can see that Parkside veal cheeks are a well-executed dish, but I just didn't like it that much last night. The veal cheeks were just too much of that braised-meat-brown taste for me.
I didn't care much for the flat-iron steak either. See, the flat-iron steak I expected to be beefier but it was slightly bland-tasting to me. It must have been overpowered by the beefiness of the veal cheek in this dish.
Aside: I haven't had very many cheeks of veal -- hence the PROPOSITION so we can try this version of veal cheek -- but the best beef cheek rendition I like is in a cabeza taco! Mexican cuisine! Authentic Mexican cuisine. They know how to cut through that meatiness and those cheeks are just too darn good. They still retained that essential beefiness but something else has happened to them. They've transcended their nature. Went over and beyond beef cheek.
I didn't really like the pomme croquette that much. It sort of tasted like tempura batter to me: don't know if they used panko crumbs for that exterior.
[ts]
(Note: Pomme Croquette is basically mashed potato formed into a shape, then breaded and fried.)
[js]
I didn't taste the cauliflower puree either. I didn't even know where it was! I got a hint of lemon on a spot of a veal cheek, but I didn't see the gremolata either. They should have put more of the gremolata, because that lemon made everything so much better.
[csc]
This dish landed on my spot first, and I had steak for lunch so I wasn't really looking forward to having any more beef. But I needed to try this veal cheeks to compare to Figmint. First taste, I was surprised by the texture... thinking, wow, something to chew on. But then realized later it was the flat-iron steak. And then I discovered the tender veal cheeks (see Figmint review: I don't like too-tender food). But the fact that the chef knew to put flat-iron with veal cheeks, I think tells me he cares about texture, etc. So, bonus points.
Polderside farms organic chicken, mushroom duxelles, gnocchi, braised lettuce, Parma ham, jus rôti
[ts]
The chicken: this dish was more than the sum of its parts. It was more than what one would expect simply by reading the menu.
The Parma ham (prosciutto) was a long slice on the bottom of the rectangular plate. It covered the plate from one end to the other. Then the other components of the dish were placed on it, so you wouldn't have known it was underneath everything.
Mushrooms: yes.
Braised lettuce: yes.
Gnocchi: even bigger yes! I really liked the gnocchi and its pillowy self.
Oh, of course, the chicken too.
Everything was very good and very well executed.
[js]
Of the dishes, I thought it's the chicken dish that was the best. Extremely well done. Gnocchi was good. The lettuce excellent. This was the winner. Who would have thought, chicken?
[csc]
I KNEW I was going to have this dish as soon as I read it on the menu. So I had to PATIENTLY wait for my turn... which meant, I ate this dish 3rd I think. But then I got the chance to finish most of it off! hahaha. I can't believe I would enjoy the braised lettuce sooooo much. This dish, I would go back for to have a WHOLE plate. Not just slightly more than 1/3!
Assiette of Italian vegetables and legumes
[ts]
Vegetables! Haha, of course, if we didn't accept JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION, we wouldn't have even seen this dish!
There was a section with white beans (cannellini) in a tomato sauce. There were grilled radicchio. There was a ratatouille with bell peppers and olives. Oh, there was also polenta.
Again, all the components of this dish was well executed. The grilled radicchio had SO MUCH of that grill/charcoal taste! Nice. I liked the polenta as well. Everything was just tasty.
[js]
The vegetables were very good. In fact, if we didn't have the revolutionary way of ordering, I was seriously considering getting the vegetables. By process of elimination, I didn't want the veal cheeks and I didn't want the steelhead trout. I was going for either the chicken or the vegetables. If CSC had the chicken, then I would have gone for the vegetables.
I liked the ratataouille. The bell peppers had a nice sweetness to them and the olives its particular oliveness. I also liked the cannellini beans. In fact, I liked every vegetable in this dish, especially the grilled radicchio. Yum, yum. That grilled radicchio was extremely delicious. I liked the broccoli rabe as well.
The thing with vegetables though is that they don't seem to have any "flash." Or "flair." As I'm describing the dish, I guess I'm thinking, "Hm, that's it?" "That's the vegetables?" "Nothing to them?" "What else can you do with vegetables?" "That's it?"
[csc]
Ate this. To me, the vegetables are just the "sauce" or "topping" for pasta or some sort of meat... not a real meal. So I couldn't quite get it when JS is saying she was seriously considering this as her main course. That's why during the initial discussion period, I was trying to get her to order the other meat (veal cheeks) by saying, "Well, if you get the veal cheeks, you could compare it to Figmint's and see how they fare in execution and taste."... So then that got both sisters into longer discussion as to who will get what... until, as mentioned, JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.
Fillet of steelhead trout, French beans, fondant celery root, toasted hazelnuts, scallop tartlette
[ts]
But, with my mood for "lighter fare", I think my favorite was the trout. Yes, trout! Surprising, indeed. Especially since this was STEELHEAD trout (faux-salmon type)! (See reviews/info re "Dine Out Vancouver" at our house. We were so SICK of salmon and steelhead trout by then.)
The trout was pan-fried; crisp exterior, of course. French beans -- those smaller, thinner green beans -- are one of my favorite vegetables. There were wedges of celery root (celeriac). (I don't know what they mean by "fondant celery root". The only fondant I know is the icing-type paste used to decorate cakes.) The scallop rested on puff pastry. There was a sauce on the plate, herb-y and smooth. Perhaps a type of butter sauce?
Anyway, I enjoyed eating all of the components in this dish in a variety of combinations. What I really liked was the contribution of the toasted hazelnuts. The toasted flavor has infused the sauce on the plate so that with every bite, there is a quick little puff of toasted hazelnut taste and aroma. This added a depth to the dish that grounded it and prevented the whole "light fare" thing to float away.
[js]
I didn't have a lot of the trout and didn't really get to explore all of the elements of the dish. I liked the scallop on the puff pastry (I like puff pastry). I didn't care much for the steelhead trout, but that's just because of my pink fish fatigue and not something inherently bad about the trout or the dish. The dish, again, was very well-executed and I really have no complaints about the dishes. I just didn't feel the trout-love tonight.
[csc]
This dish was nice. I actually liked the (1/3) scallop on the puff pastry that's on the side. The trout was... well, like hubby's trout that I ate 1/2 of at Figmint's. But I think I prefer this Parkside trout better.
[js]
Again, the rotating plates were a little bit confusing for me. LOL
FINAL COURSE
Espresso panna cotta with white chocolate foam and chocolate dipped biscotti
Prune and Armagnac ice cream with a brandy snap biscuit
Lemon tart brûlée with blood orange sorbet
Bleu de Bresse with spiced nuts, kumquat marmalade, brioche toast
[ts]
The ice cream was good and very well made. Although, it was too liquor-y for me. Of course, if you like armagnac, then this would rate a 10. I liked the brandy snap biscuit.
[csc]
The ice cream did taste too liquory. But for some reason, if you want to have a "fake buzz" of something non-alcoholic...this would be it. Nice. hehe
[ts]
I don't like blue cheese. However, this did seem to be a mild type. It was OK when I ate it on brioche toast with the kumquat marmalade. That way, I had the creamy, velvety mouthfeel of the blue cheese, but not too much of its "blue" taste. All the components in this dish went well with the cheese and with each other, in various combinations. It also had celery sticks as well (for eating with the blue cheese).
[csc]
I had to try the blue cheese and it turned out quite nice with the brioche and marmalade. I like it, but I wouldn't eat too much of it.
[ts]
I like panna cotta. This panna cotta was very well done: it had a strong espresso flavor and wasn't too sweet. I don't really have detailed comments. I just like!
[csc]
Panna cotta, again. Surprise for me. I don't like soft mushy nothing to chew anything. But this was good!!
[ts]
Again, with this strange phenomenon of me & "lighter fare", my favorite of all the desserts (the panna cotta comes pretty close, though) was the lemon tart! Very, very surprising (again) as I'm actually not too fond of lemon curd-type items.
Before going into the tart itself, the blood orange sorbet was very nice and complemented the tart. It had a nice texture.
Being a brûlée tart, the top of the lemon tart was caramelized (like a creme brulee). I, of course, like the thin layer of caramelized, crackly sugar. The lemon "filling" was superb! The texture was very smooth; it had a light lemon flavor; it was rich and luxurious but light all at the same time. It really was super good.
[csc]
OK, this dish was DISGUSTING to me!!! Just plain yucky! It had the taste of "wet meat" or unwashed rag or whatever it was... Like prosciutto that's too wet, soft. I couldn't understand why TS and JS like this at all!! As mentioned, I don't generally like soft mushy things... but this was soft/mushy, which wouldn't be too bad (see Panna cotta), but this was just AWFUL!
[ts]
I don't know what CSC is talking about regarding the taste of "wet meat" vis a vis the lemon tart. I mean, really, the filling (which was the objectionable part for her) tastes like a good/better lemon curd!! IT REALLY WAS THE BEST LEMON TART FILLING I'VE EVER TASTED!
So, JS and I were trying to figure out that perhaps CSC objects to the "egg" or "protein" taste? But then, she likes egg yolk and such!
(This then led to a discussion of how CSC's one big walking contradiction in terms of tastes: she likes sour, but sometimes says she hates sour things... She likes something else, but also hates it. It's very frustrating!!! Hahaha.)
[js]
I think the eggs they use at Parkside are just more flavourful than standard eggs at the supermarket. Might be from the Polderside chicken that we ate! LOL. That's why you get more of that "protein" taste.
The lemon tart was good! I liked the tart and its lemoniness. (For some reason -- and I'm thinking age is the reason -- I've been wanting lemon and lemon in dessert manifestations.)
(The eggs in the tart tasted like the eggs in "egg pie" that I had in the Philippines, which would make sense, because the eggs in the Philippines are more likely to be free-range than eggs here, which tend to be from commercial farms.)
[js]
Everything was good, re the desserts.
I think I got slightly buzzed from the armagnac even!
[csc]
(See I told you!)
[js]
I liked the bleu -- it's not as blue as other cheeses, that is, not as pungent -- and it was good with all other elements of the dessert.
The panna cotta was also very good, not too sweet.
Of the desserts, I liked the armagnac ice cream the best.
Epilogue
[js]
I rate this 8 or 8.5/10.
[csc]
Hmmm... I rate this 9/10, despite the disastrous lemon-tart, which I would NEVER order anyway.
Wait, why not just give it a 10? Well, too bad for I did taste the lemon-tart. =(
[ts]
I really don't get CSC & her lemon-tart objections! I have a feeling this is going to be one of her feuds -- like her and AURORA BISTRO, hahahaha!!
[ts]
All in all, Parkside does not disappoint (yet again). I rate it 10 or something like it.
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