Ottawa has a bad reputation. People say it's boring, blend and a tourist-trap for people yearning to see the Parliament. I couldn't disagree more. I used to hate it as a child, but now it is one of my favourite places to spend a weekend away. There is so much to do. In fact, I haven't been to the Parliament in over 10 years. Ottawa hosts all of Canada's National Museums (except the National Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg) and has a growing "hipster" community. This wave of change has brought with it a renewed creativity in Ottawa's food scene. There are staples that have been around for generations, and then there are the new, cool up-and-comers. I shall share here my favourite places to eat in our dear capital, and hopefully, some of you will rethink your opinion of this small but abundant city. Stoneface Dolly’s
416 Preston St. Right in the middle of the Italian neighbourhood lies one of the world's best restaurant according to yours truly. Stoneface Dolly’s has now been around for 18 years. It was founded by Bob Russell, the loveliest of gentleman which still works almost every day at the restaurant. He grew up in South Africa which inspired Stoneface’s famous Chicken Bobotie (pronounced bah-boot-ee) (pictured above). This wonderful fish is made up of chicken in a raisin, curry and coconut cream sauce. It is both sweet and spicy, and absolutely delicious when paired with eggs and a benedict sauce. Russell releases the recipe for his Chicken Bobotie in a cookbook in hopes of raising money for Citizen Advocacy, an organization that works with people living with handicaps, and for Grammas to Abruyas, a group supporting grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren after their parents died of AIDS. Don't you love it when the food fills your stomach and your soul?
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Jatoba by Chef Olivier Vigneault
4,5/5 $$$-$ (over 50$/person) *18+ only 1184, place Phillips Montreal, Qc Reservations: https://www.bookenda.com/jatoba/?page=1 Thanks to EP for the recommendation. This is my first attempt at writing a food review so please leave comments down below on what you would like me to mention next time, what to improve, restaurant suggestions or whatever else goes through your mind, thank you! I often joke with my friends that one day I will open up a restaurant once my love for international affairs will have been consummated. I have thought about multiple restaurant ideas through the years that it does not seem to be impossible. Few things (except books) excite me as much as going out for food at a new place so it is only logical that I write some reviews about it on Libellus which is the virtual extension of my brain (and now my stomach!) I would like to first precise that I have no formation on how to properly cook, like most things on this blog, I write based on gut feelings. I did go to cooking camp for a summer, participated in my school’s molecular cuisine club and cook 2 to 3 times a week for my family and friends. It is truly a passion and a very relaxing hobby. I could not have picked a better place than Jatoba to start this culinary journey. It perfectly encapsulates the vibrant and innovative cooking scene of Montreal. I went with two of my best friends on a Thursday night and we had a blast. We had a reservation at 18:30 and there was already a small line when we entered the place. At 19:00, the whole place was packed with young wealthy professionals working in the surrounding business towers. The terrace behind the main eating area feels straight out of Instagram with hanging flower pots overflowing with plants and red Chinese lanterns that add color once they dim the lights. The vibe is very “Montreal”: bright, cool and laidback. The staff is used to serving young people, therefore, you are sure to get good service despite your age. It is a perfect place for a special event like a birthday or a romantic anniversary, anytime you want to splurge. Now let’s get to the food. I am a huge fan of Asian food and Jatoba had the perfect balance between traditional and fusion. The restaurant is “tapas style”, meaning that you order many plates from every section (dumplings, salads, rice, seafood, fish, vegetable and meats) and share it with your friends. I would recommend going with friends that are not picky and are interested in trying a little bit of everything otherwise you will end up fighting over what to order. Prices vary between 15-45$ per plate, for a group of 2, I would say that 3 or 4 plates are enough. Cocktails are all 16$. Not your most budget-friendly restaurant, but the food is worth it. We started the night with a few cocktails, the Aloha! Jatoba for me and the Time Travel for my friend. While the drinks were fresh and balanced, they were definitely overpriced. 16$ on a student budget hurts the wallet no matter how good it is. Then came the food. I started with the Gyoza (Japanese ravioli). The trickiest thing with any type of dumplings is packing enough meat and flavor inside the dough without it breaking during the cooking time. These gyoza combined pork and shrimp to give an extra meaty flavor (sorry vegans). They were also definitely bigger than normal ones so, you know what they say, sharing is caring. Following, I had the Beef Tataki. The black souffléd quinoa mixed with the peaches in truffle oil paired beautifully with the meat. Sometimes, I feel truffles are abundantly used in everything to make it fancier (and pricier), but this tataki belonged with truffles in it. One thing I learned from watching loads of Food Network is that every dish must have a little bit of everything: salt, sweet, sour, and crunchy. The Beef Tataki definitely has it all. Then I had two rice dishes: the Chu Lam Fan and the Fried Rice with Duck Confit. The former was my absolute favorite dish of the night. The thick layer of fat on the braised pork captured all the flavor of the star anise. When I took my first bite I had to close my eyes and take a moment to absorb the sweet and meaty juices bursting in my mouth. It threw me back to my childhood when we used to go to cheap Chinese restaurants and ordered the “petit os” (small bones) which were basically the same thing, pork on a bone with sweet sauce, but Jatoba made it a thousand times better and with deeper flavors. The second rice dish was the Fried Rice with Duck Confit. That one was a little underwhelming. In multiple newspapers, they call it one of the best dishes of the place, but I found the duck to be overcooked and dry. There was no real contrast in texture between the rice and the duck, and no sauce to add some punch. My friend also ordered the seasonal oysters, always fresh, which were Raspberry Point from Nova Scotia. He assures me that they were as good as oysters get and made for a refreshing bite between the heaviness of the main dishes. Jatoba is a definite showstopper. The bright and innovative cuisine makes it now one of my favorite addresses in Montreal. I will definitely come back to try all the other dishes; the fish section looks particularly promising. It also makes me want to check out other projects by famous Chef Antonio Park (Lavanderia, Park) who is a long-time friend of Chef Vigneault and a partner for Jatoba. I am hungry already. If you liked Jatoba, you will love… Shô-Dan Big in Japan Provisions 1268 |
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