My friend suggested Richmond Station for dinner after hearing the hype around chef Heinrich, the winner of Top Chef Canada season 2.

Atmosphere: I loved the clean lines in the restaurant and the use of wood with the exposed roof giving a more industrial feel. A nice touch was the area with bar counters at the front of the restaurant where people could stand, grab a drink and some appetizers while waiting to be seated.

Service: Our server was great. He was attentive and helpful, but seemed a little nervous. Food arrived quickly and our plates were also cleared without any feel of being rushed.

Food: In addition to the regular menu offering, which is fairly compact, daily specials are available centered on seasonal ingredients. We started with an appetizer from each menu, the polenta fries and a beef carpaccio. I really liked the fries, they were crispy and a format of polenta I’ve never had before. As for the carpaccio, it was good, very thinly sliced and lightly seasoned.

For entrees, again we tried one item from the specials and regular menu. I had the coq au vin, while my friend ordered the roasted chicken breast. Her chicken was tender and flavourful. Similarly my dish was well flavoured, I loved the mushrooms and pearl onions.

We continued to order off the daily menu for dessert with a plate of lemon profiteroles (not pictured). These were amazing, light, puffy, with the citrus cream and a blueberry compote, delicious.