Needless to say, my love of eating out can be taxing financially, especially when it comes to fine dining. While planning my trip to South East Asia my main focus was delicious, cheap street food and local cuisine, but then I started wondering about “finer” restaurants. This led me to discovering Cuisine Wat Damnak. Located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Cuisine Wat Damnak was listed at #50 on San Pellegrino’s list of Asia’s Top Restaurants and offered a 6 course set menu for only $28 USD ($35 CAD). This was an amazing value. Another key selling point for me was that the restaurant focused on traditional Cambodian flavours and ingredients, and sourced locally. Exactly what I look for in every meal when travelling.

Atmosphere: The restaurant was located in a beautiful, open two storey house, far from the neon lights of Pub Street in Siem Reap. Tables were available outside in the garden, upstairs decorated with influences from traditional Cambodian houses, or inside on the more modern first floor with air conditioning. The Hubby and I opted for a table inside. The dining room was refined yet relaxed and comfortable with diners spaced out for privacy. Conversations were soft spoken and I could feel the excitement at each table as courses was served.

Service: We arrived after a 10 minute TukTuk ride from our hotel and was greeted by the hostess, Chef Riviere’s partner Carole Salmon. All of the servers were local Cambodian residents, who took wonderful care of us throughout dinner. Wine and water glasses were tended to, crumbs cleared and each dish served with a detailed explanation. At the end of our meal, Chef Rivière came by the table to serve a selection of local fruits. He described each fruit in detail and chatted with us about our meal, a wonderful personal touch.

Food: Chef Joannès Rivière was born in a small town in France and has been living in Cambodia since 2003. After working as the executive chef for one of Siem Reap’s most acclaimed hotels, Chef Riviere opened Cuisine Wat Damnak with his partner in 2011. The couple both speak fluent Khmer and the restaurant reflected their passion and appreciation of Cambodian cuisine and culture. Featuring a tasting menu that changes bi-weekly and only locally sourced or foraged produce, Cuisine Wat Damnak combined the best of local flavours and French cooking techniques.

The night we visited, there were two tasting menus available with 5 or 6 courses. One featured more seafood while the other land animals. I chose the seafood-centric 6 course menu, while The Hubby chose the other. What blew me away with each course was how rich and aromatic the flavours were. Just the hint of lime used was more fragrant than a bag of limes I can find at the grocery store. Each dish was also balanced with aspects to sweetness and acidity.

Our tasting menus consisted of:
1. Amuse-bouche of a refreshing cucumber salad
2. Prawn and tiger eggplant salad with herbs, prahok and peanut emulsion
3. Angkor stout braised beef roll
4. Caramelized palm sugar and star anise slow cooked pork, crispy shank, lotus root, stem and seeds
5. Pan fried Sanday fish, pumpkin and coconut tree heart stew, moringa, toasted rice and coconut puree
6. Honey cured Bantey Srey cantaloupe with tapioca pearls, lemon basil sorbet and Phnom Kulen vanilla meringue

1. Amuse-bouche of a refreshing cucumber salad
2. Pomelo and wild ginger leaves salad, candied pomelo skin pickled chicken
3. Rice wine steamed Mekong langoustine with Kurata pepper, Makassar fruit salsa
4. Blue crab clear curry with Chhlang fish, water lily stem and pounded feroniella
5. Stir fried boneless frog legs with wild mushrooms, homemade oyster sauce and holy basil
6. Cambodian cinnamon and darks chocolate light ganache, caramelized cashew nuts and puffed rice

Both menus had stronger and weaker dishes. I loved my pomelo salad, The Hubby’s Beef rolls, my Langoustine, his Slow Cooked Pork and my Frog Legs. We both really enjoyed my wonderfully chocolaty dessert with the crispy, airy puffed rice.

If visiting Siem Reap, I’d highly recommend making dinner reservations at Cuisine Wat Damnak for a world class dining experience at an amazing price. Later on during our trip, we also had dinner at Nahm in Bangkok (#22 World’s Best Restaurant) for double the price and frankly, I enjoyed our meal at Cuisine Wat Damnak more.

Carman’s Club was a popular steakhouse opened in the 60’s, often frequented by visiting celebrities and a neighbourhood gem. The restaurant changed hands in 2010 after the original Mr. Carman passed away and reopened at the end of 2014 with a slight change in spelling as Carmen’s Steakhouse. What piqued my interest in the restaurant was the new young , Asian chef heading the kitchen. I was lucky enough to win a $60 gift card from Goatroti, who posted a great interview with Chef Forrest Liu, which propelled Carmen’s to the top of my restaurant queue.

Atmosphere: Carmen’s was located in an old Tudor style house, smack dab in the centre of Toronto. The main dining room was full of heavy, tall backed leather chairs, colourful stained glass windows and a chandelier straight out of gothic romance novel. A real wood fire was set and stoked periodically by our server. I felt like I had stepped back in time. Most of our fellow diners were older and celebrating a special occasion. We were celebrating Friday. Dinner was intimate, romantic and felt super classy.

Service: Our server was attentive and professional. Crumbs were cleared from the crisp white linen tablecloths before entrees were served and our wine glasses were always filled. He was also friendly and joked with a dry sense of humour with an air of efficiency. When we quickly ate our garlic bread, he tempted us with a basket refill.

Food: In general, the steak at Carmen’s was one of the best I’ve had this year. We started the meal with a caesar salad, split for two. I found my half portion plentiful and loved the whole anchovy that was included. The leaves were well-dressed and the croutons crunchy. There was an uneven distribution of croutons between the two servings (pictured below was The Hubby’s with croutons a-plenty, mine was sparse). Still, a good start.

I chose the entree size of the Seared Scallops because The Hubby ordered the bone-in Ribeye that I would be stealing from sharing. My scallops were interesting. Four large scallops were lightly seared, served on a bed of quinoa and sweet peas and covered in a creamy sauce. The menu described a jasmine sea salt emulsion, but I hadn’t expected this to be so creamy and plentiful. I really enjoyed the scallops, but did find the sauce heavy.

We ordered our ribeye medium and cutting into the steak, the colour was beautiful. Outside, the steak had a dark char, a great crust and the inside was a perfect even pink. Compared to other steakhouses I’ve eaten at recently, Carmen’s steak stood out. For our side, we ordered the truffle fries. This was a good portion, lightly doused with truffle oil without being overpowering.

Dinner ended with a Coconut Creme Brulee the The Hubby and I shared. I liked the texture and flavour of the creme brulee itself, which was creamy and light, under all the superfluous toppings. Overall, while some components of dinner were ordinary, I would be back to Carmen’s in a heartbeat for their steak, which is the most important element of a steakhouse.

As per tradition, for his birthday I took The Hubby out for steak. This year I picked Hy’s Steakhouse for their downtown location and aged steaks. The exquisite dining room and attentive service helped make dinner feel special and worth the splurge.

Atmosphere: To start, I was awed by the size of Hy’s in Toronto and loved the vaulted ceilings. All of the booths had been booked already but tables were placed at an angle from each other and provide an air of intimacy while dining next to strangers. The decor was masculine with dark, warm colours and walls filled with wine. All of the servers wore crisp white chef coats and moved quietly through the restaurant. The majority of diners I noticed leaned towards an older demographic and most of the men had suit jackets. I wouldn’t deem a jacket 100% necessary, but a shirt and tie probably.

Service: From the moment we walked into the lobby where complimentary coat check was offered, to when we collected our jackets, service was lovely. I requested a well-lit table (photos and what not) and we were shown to one next to large windows with natural light streaming in. We ordered the Caesar salad, which was prepared tableside and I was again amazed by how many ingredients go into the dressing. Our server checked in on us subtlely without hovering and I felt like he was always close by if needed. With my reservation, I had submitted a special request for dessert to have a birthday message written on it. However, after our meal, both The Hubby and I were Full. I fretted about what to do. Should I order something just so the kitchen could fulfill my request or try to discreetly cancel it. We decided against dessert and Hy’s still managed to wow me with a simple plate decorated with whipped cream, strawberries and a chocolate birthday message.

Food: Our meal started with an order of cheese toast instead of the complimentary garlic bread, Caesar salad, split between the two of us and escargot. The cheese toast was warm, cheesy and crunchy. My plate of salad had a heavy sprinkle of parmesan and each leaf was coated in dressing. I would’ve loved a few more croutons and some bacon. The plump, tender escargot arrived under a thick blanket of butter and garlic with two toasted chunks of baguette, perfect for soaking up any leftover butter.

My entree was the Steak Neptune, a 10 oz New York stip, cooked medium rare topped with Dungeness crabmeat, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. For my side I chose mashed potatoes, which turned out to be the best mashed potatoes ever. Fluffy clouds of potato heaven. This was why we didn’t have room for dessert, we polished off 26 oz of steak (in total) and 5 potatoes worth of mash. I’m not sure how this was seasoned but the potatoes were savoury, rich and buttery smooth. Just perfect.

Onto the steak. The vegetables served with mine were fresh and crunchy. I didn’t find the crabmeat added much to the dish and the hollandaise sauce was thicker than what I prefer. I would skip the “Neptune” and order just the New York Strip alone. My steak was lean, pink and juicy on the inside. There was lots of beefy flavour but I would’ve liked a bit more char on the outside. The Hubby’s ribeye was delicious and the tastier steak.

Cooked medium, the 16oz ribeye fell apart under the knife and was well-marbled, which meant loads of flavour. The fat cap was rendered well and the outside of the steak had a heavy char marks sealing in all the fatty flavour.

Looking back, my dream order would’ve been the ribeye with a side of mashed potatoes (double serving of potatoes if possible).

My last stop for winterlicious this year was dinner at Cluny Bistro. Unfortunately, our original party of 4 dwindled down to just 2 with scheduling conflicts and last minute colds. The girls missed out. We’ll have to reschedule a return visit to the beautiful restaurant as Cluny delivered my favourite winterlicious meal this year.

Atmosphere: Cluny was a beautiful restaurant, from their customized plates, Parisian decor and open seafood bar. Attention to detail in the space was stunning. Every surface from the blue and white tiled floor to the intricate wood ceiling was used to transport you away from Toronto. While the distillery district was quiet on the Tuesday night, Cluny’s dining room was filled. There were many large tables to accommodate groups larger than 8, all situated in private alcoves.

Service: Somehow, I managed to get on the streetcar going the wrong direction on my way to dinner. This meant I was a little late and didn’t get a chance to let the hostess know our headcount had changed. They were very accommodating and didn’t mind that the two of us took up a table for four. Our server was friendly and relaxed. Each dish arrived quickly and plates were cleared off. The entire meal was comfortable and we were well taken care of.

Food: For appetizers, I tried the Tomato and Saffron Braised Calamari while my friend had the Spice Roasted Pumpkin Bisque. She enjoyed her soup and commented on it’s rich flavour. I thought my calamari had a great saffron flavour but the squid was too braised for my taste. It wasn’t rubbery, but it was too soft and didn’t have any chew left in the meat.

We both chose the Beer Braised Beef Cheeks for our entree and the Roasted Hazelnut Profiteroles for dessert. Here I really enjoyed how tender and soft the beef cheeks were. The meat fell apart on the fork and was lightly seasoned. The portion size was quite generous and I enjoyed the choice of a clear broth over something creamier. This was a great dish, hearty but light.

One of my favourite things in the world is cream puffs. The giant box from Costco, a single meal. When I’m in Japan, the one souvenir I get from Muji are their cream puffs. My second favourite thing is hazelnut. I can eat spoonfuls of Nutella and a box of Ferrero Rochers myself. So the combination of these two ingredients, executed in perfectly sent me to dessert heaven. Each plate was served with a shot of warm melted chocolate and I used every last drop. There was no restraint. The profiteroles were light, flakey and airy and filled with a light hazelnut mousse.

Cluny would be the perfect venue was a romantic date, special occasion, large celebration or private event. The space is lovely and the food delectable.

My first winterlicious stop this year was dinner at Auberge du Pommier. This is my second visit to the restaurant, the first being years ago during a summerlicious. While the restaurant has been deemed overpriced/overrated by some, both meals I’ve enjoyed were excellent and based on my limited experience, they remain one of my top picks for the Licious event. I’d like to visit during their regular service to compare expectations and value.

Atmosphere: One of my biggest gripes about the Licious events is how restaurants tend to be overwhelmed with volume, which often leads to missed details and sloppy service. This was not the case at Auberge. Dining at Auberge feels like being invited to a fancy dinner party. The dining room was elegant, simply decorated, dim, intimate and romantic. I loved how tables were placed on an angle throughout the room to provide a sense of privacy, you’re not directly facing or next to a stranger. Complimentary coat check was provided and the foyer is separated from all the dining areas.

Service: Our server was efficient and unobtrusive. I hardly noticed when she re-filled wine glasses. She also made sure we were stocked with bread. Each course arrived quickly with short lulls in between and the entrees were served on hot plates. After the meal, we lingered at our table over coffee and there was no rush for us to leave.

Food: Cozy, elegant atmosphere and topnotch service aside, the reason I come back to Auberge is the food. For $45 (comparable to $75-$100 a la carte), the three course meal is a steal. Each dish was plated beautifully with different colours and textures. Every bite was delectable and portion sizes were perfect for me.

For appetizers, I ordered the Seafood Remoulade while The Fiance chose the spiced pork Terrine. Both dishes set the meal off to a great start. My crab and shrimp salad was light and flavourful with the meyer lemon aioli. I loved the halves of grape that added sweetness to some bites and the crunchiness of the croutons. Off of The Fiance’s plate, I stole a lot of his pickles. Luckily, he doesn’t eat mushrooms so those were all mine. The vegetables were lightly pickled, the perfect balance between sour and sweet. The terrine itself was rich and savoury.

More often than not, I order seafood during Winterlicious. The sea bass at Auberge met every expectation. The fish was cooked to just done, was super sweet and had a beautiful crisp skin. The Fiance’s steak was also buttery soft and the horseradish cauliflower puree provided a touch of heat. At first, I was sure it was fluffy mashed potatoes. Then there was the sauteed (buttered) spinach that deserves it’s own callout. Lots of butter.

For dessert, I chose the Chocolate dish and got to sample the cheese and beignet. Out of the three, the beignet was the strongest. It’s hard to go wrong with airy donuts, dusted in sugar and served with apple cider parfait, aka cubes of creamy goodness. My chocolate mousse was dense and rich but not overly sweet. For me, cheese is not a dessert, but the piece of aged cheddar that was served was tasty.

Overall, an exceptional dinner at Auberge du Pommier, cementing their place in my list of top Licious restaurants.

When ordering Omakase (chef’s selection) at a sushi restaurant, the diner is trusting the chef to create a meal with their best ingredients and serve them in an order that enhances each course. In Toronto, there are only a handful of restaurants that offer Omakase and many offer the option in addition to an a la carte menu. At their 12 seat restaurant, Yasu serves only Omakase for $80 per person

Atmosphere: Occupying a converted semi-detached house, dinner at Yasu was an intimate and unique experience. With only 12 seats, 10 of which surround the sushi bar, you’re up and close to the chef as each piece of nigiri is prepared and served. Background music was quiet, making conversation easy when we weren’t transfixed by the chef.

Service: Yasu currently offers 2 dinner seatings from Monday to Thursday and 3 from Friday to Sunday. Arriving too early for a seating may mean having to wait outside if the previous seating ran long. The Fiance and I arrived 10 minutes before our reservation and took seats #5 and #6 at the sushi bar. Servers took our coats as we entered and drink orders were taken after some time with the menu. We were taken care of by Chef Yoshinaga who was friendly, answered our questions and had fun posing for pictures. Dinner only began once all 12 diners had been seated.

Reservations can be made one month ahead of time and require a credit card. Note that any cancellations or changes to the number of guests made with less than 24 hours notice will have the full $80 + HST charged unless the seats get filled. Yasu posts on their Facebook page when same-day seats are available.

Food: The Omakase at Yasu consists of 18 pieces and dessert. Both The Fiance and I were satisfied after our meal (I ordered one additional piece) but not stuffed. The quality and freshness of the ingredients were top-notch. I was in love with every bite.

At the start of the meal, Chef Yoshinaga placed a mound of pickled ginger on each plate and asked about allergies. He also asked if we had a preference for the amount of wasabi or size of rice ball. We all left ourselves in his capable hands. Displayed between both chefs were the fresh fish being prepared that night and the chefs passed pieces between them as they cooked. Each piece of sushi has a unique amount of wasabi paired with it and a brush of nikiri sauce. Some pieces, like the horse mackerel were topped with sliced scallions and grated ginger. Watching each piece of sushi come together was fascinating, from selecting where to slice the fish to the delicate assembly.

The wasabi at Yasu was grated from horseradish root and rich in flavour. More ginger can be requested at any time during the meal. Chef Yoshinaga introduced each fish with their name and origin as he placed them in front of us. At the end of the meal, we were able to order additional pieces of any fish at $7-$8 each.

For me, my favourite piece of the night was the sweet shrimp. Close behind were the horse mackerel, ocean trout, ikura, bluefin tuna, o-toro and sea bass. Each piece had it’s own unique texture and there wasn’t one that I didn’t enjoy. The scorpion fish was the most fishy and I have had better uni in Toronto.

The most interesting sushi that night was the shirako, or cod sperm. No one had a clue what it was and after finding out, everyone was game to try. The shirako did not have any fish taste, was creamy, velvety and pretty tasty. In Japan, shirako is considered a delicacy and served with many cooking techniques. Next time I’m in Japan, I’ll be searching for it.

Dinner ends with a square of sweet tamago and your choice of black sesame ice cream or green tea panna cotta.

Overall Yasu delivered a high quality meal with delicate and intense flavours. If you appreciate sushi, the entire experience of dining at Yasu is worth the price tag.

One of our last dinners in Maui was at the Hali’imaile General Store. Located next to pineapple fields on the slopes of Haleakala volcano, the general store has evolved from offering deli and catering to one of the highest rated restaurants on Maui. With a menu featuring fresh local ingredients and Asian flavours, this meal was one of the highlights of our trip.

Atmosphere: After driving through fields to reach the restaurant, its quaint, traditional store front was fitting and welcoming. The restaurant interior was decorated with rich, colourful paintings and hanging 3D fish. There was a lively atmosphere and the space felt warm, comfortable.

Service: Our server was friendly and helpful. After we placed our orders, we noticed the gorgeous sunset outside and The Fiance grabbed his camera to take a few shots outside. Spotting me, along at the table, our server offered to take pictures of The Fiance and I on the restaurant porch. It was a wonderful gesture. I declined but he helped out a few other couples.

Food: With two appetizers and two entrees, we didn’t think we had ordered too much food but the portion sizes of the entrees were more than generous. We could’ve easily split one between the two of us.

To start, I couldn’t resist Bev’s Famous Pizza and the refreshing Sashimi Napoleon. Both dishes were excellent. The pizza was rich, while airy and that crab-topping is a secret worth keeping. Creamy, cheesy, delicious. The Napoleon used fresh, fatty cuts of fish that were buttery soft and complemented by the crunchy fried wonton wrappers. I also enjoyed the light vinaigrette that had a hint of wasabi and ponzu.

The strong Asian flavours were also present in the entrees. I chose the Grilled Rack of Lamb while The Fiance was won over by the Crispy Roast Half Duck. My racks of lamb were cooked to a perfect medium and the black bean Hunan sauce was sweet, thick, savoury and reminded me of Hoisin sauce but spicier and with more sesame. The wasabi mashed potatoes were also smooth, creamy and had a good kick. We had trouble finishing the half duck and ended up taking a good chunk home. The Grand Marnier sauce was sweet and tangy, a very elevated version of orange chicken with a way better crispy duck. The skin on the duck was well-seasoned and the picture speaks for how beautifully it was cooked. I was surprised by how much heat the plates had.

At Hali’imaile General Store, the Asian influences on Hawaiian cooking shone bright and made each dish special and unique.

1. Jacobs & Co Steakhouse

Rating/Price: 4.0 / $$$$
Why? Intimate, impeccable service, beautiful aged steaks and a wide selection of wine
Must Order: Jacobs Caesar Salad made table side
Good For? Romantic dates, couples, anniversaries

 

2. JaBistro

Rating/Price: 5.0 / $$$$
Why? Best sashimi in the city, hidden entrance, great patio
Must Order: Fresh Sashimi Platter, Aburicious
Good For? Small groups, couples, birthdays

 

3. Bar Isabel

Rating/Price: 5.0 / $$$
Why? Delicious food, complicated cocktails and perfect for sharing
Must Order: Whole Sea Bream Ceviche, Bone Marrow
Good For? Small groups, couples, special dates

 

4. Yasu

Rating/Price: 4.0 / $$$$
Why? Fantastic sushi, intimate atmosphere, unique dining experience
Must Order: Omakase
Good For? Adventurous date, special event, small groups

 

• Luma – 4.0 $$$
• Yuzu no Hana – 4.0 $$$
• Bosk – 4.5 $$$
• Porzia – 5.0 $$$
• Cafe Boulud – 5.0 $$$
• The Good Son – 5.0 $$$
• Harbour Sixty – 4.0 $$$$

Still TBE (To be Eaten):

• Le Cafe Michi
• Lai Wah Heen
• Hiro Sushi
• Los Colibris
• The Carbon Bar

Did I miss your favourite restaurant? Let me know in the comments. Last Updated: 04/28/2015  

5 years ago, I celebrated a friend’s birthday at Yuzu no Hana and have been meaning to go back ever since. With so many restaurants to try in Toronto, I’ve been distracted. With this return visit, I’m reminded of all the great restaurants in Toronto that I need to eat at again.

Atmosphere: My girl friend and I stopped by Yuzu on a Monday night before a Tiff showing. While we easily grabbed a table with no reservations, tables filled up quickly and many were reserved. Decor was sophisticated with dark woods, pendent lights and recessed wall displays of sake. Yuzu occupies the second and third floor of a building with the main dining area on the second and rooms for private events on the third.

Service: After showing us to our seat, our server was friendly and gave us ample time to peruse the menu. We were asked about drink refills before reaching the last sip and our water glasses was consistently attended to. Our dishes arrived quickly with beautiful presentation.

Food: Between the two of us, I ordered the Sushi Regular and Yuzu Maki to share. The Sushi Regular comes with 8 pieces of nigiri and 6 pieces of maki. I love that all the sushi and sashimi served are the chef’s selection. This makes each visit unique and guarantees the best fish each time with no restrictions. Our 8 pieces of delicious nigiri included salmon, tuna, butter fish and mackerel alongside 6 pieces of california roll. Each piece of fish was fresh, fatty and full of flavour. The rice on the exterior of the maki was only one grain thick and perfect.

The Yuzu Maki was the most expensive roll on the menu and it was worth every penny. With a fiery presentation and high quality ingredients, this signature roll is stunning. The roll, similar to a dynamite roll with shrimp tempura, was topped with slices of salmon and spicy scallop. There was a real kick to the salmon that was stronger than wasabi and the scallops were buttery soft. Each bite was heavenly.

Yuzu no Hana continues to be one of my favourite sushi restaurants in Toronto, one that I need to visit more often.

Of all my summerlicious picks this year, I was most excited for dinner at Cafe Boulud. Due to scheduling conflicts, I had to move this reservation 3 times, but I was determined to make it and the meal was worth every effort. Cafe Boulud was, hands down, my favourite summerlicious menu this year.

Atmosphere: Located in the Four Season hotel in Yorkville, Cafe Boulud’s decor was contemporary, modern and decorated with paintings of pop culture icons. The space was open with lots of natural lighting provided by the full glass walls. Our reservation was for 5:30pm on a Sunday and the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable while still refined. I’m adding Cafe Boulud to my catalogue of special occasion and fancy brunch restaurants.

Service: Our server was friendly and attentive. Each dish was accompanied with a detailed description as it was served. Service was surprisingly quick with our meal only lasting an hour and a half. There was no lull between courses and plates were cleared right away. We didn’t linger over our food that day since The Fiance had a flight to catch early Monday morning and we appreciated the efficiency. This was especially nice as we didn’t feel rushed at any point.

Food: After placing our order, two amuse-bouche bites were served. The squares were crispy chickpea, topped with a pepper sauce; a yummy start with a mix of textures. For appetizers, I ordered the tuna tartare while The Fiance has the Terrine of Lamb Leg. I fell in love with my tartare; the crisp beans, rich olive oil, soft baby potatoes and fresh tuna were amazing. Every bite was perfect and I didn’t want to share. The Terrine of lamb leg was also good, not very gamey but meaty. Presentation of both dishes were pretty.

Sticking to fish that night, I had the BC Pink Salmon for my entree while The Fiance ordered the Beef Brisket. Both dishes were delicious with their own merits. My salmon was flakey and soft, perfect to my liking. I loved the nuttiness from the fresh raw radish and the spice from the raw slices of jalapeno. The entire dish was light and summery. While the brisket was a heavier protein, the flavours were still fresh and light with the grilled watermelon, kimchi leek and airy crispy rice topping. The brisket itself was tender, juicy and a generous portion size. Usually, The Fiance and I swap plates half way through to sample each other’s entrees. This time though, our own orders matched each of our palettes so perfectly that we were both less than eager to switch.

Dessert consisted of a Peach Sundae and Chocolate Cake plate. I loved that both desserts were rich and indulgent without being overly sweet or dense. The creme fraiche ice cream was airy and highlighted the freshness of the peaches. The toasted marshmallow ice cream was amazing, not as good as Gregg’s but close. I also liked the use to dark chocolate.