All I want for my birthday every year is to have a phenomenal meal, and this year was no exception as my friends celebrated with me last night with a seven-course tasting menu at George Restaurant.
Amuse-bouche: Cured beef with chipotle mayo and purple potato
Fogo cod with beef foam, heirloom beets, and radish
Ahi tuna tataki with pickled carrot salad
Coco crab with green olive salsa verde, currant quinoa, and artichoke
What I love about George as opposed to other restaurants offering tasting menus is that they can do different menus for everyone in your party, so there's a huge variety in dishes. It's a truly great way to see the inventive flavour and texture combinations at George. They're also extremely accommodating with any allergies or food preferences; for example, Chelsea doesn't like certain meats, so they worked around that with chicken and seafood options. Their tasting menus change daily based on seasonal produce and market availability, so every dish is a surprise — you don't know what you're going to get until it's in front of you. Some people might not appreciate this, but as someone who loves trying different foods and who isn't a selective eater, I love the concept of evolving tasting menus.
Wagyu beef over radicchio and Belgian endive with navy bean mixed citrus salad and goat cheese mousse
Foie gras with pork tenderloin over potato pavé with warm apple salad wrapped in crispy sweet potato
Rack of lamb with potato cannoli and beet tartare
George offers five-, seven-, and ten-course tasting menus, but I feel like the seven-course is the most ideal for all parties. You get more variety than the five-course so you get a good sense of the chef's creativity, but you're satisfyingly full by the dessert course (whereas I think the ten-course would be too over-the-top and uncomfortably filling). Highlights for me were the cod, wagyu beef, and foie gras (and I don't even normally like foie gras!), but every dish was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented with harmonious flavours and balanced textures. The only flavour combo that wasn't to any of our tasting was the pumpkin spice cheesecake, and it wasn't even the cake itself (which was delicious), but with the chopped fruit on top (I think it was plums and cherries?), which all of us agreed took away from the flavour of the cheesecake. But, hey, with only one flop out of 21 different dishes between the three of us, I'd say George knows what they're doing.
White chocolate gelato
Sesame brittle, brioche with currant jam, and cinnamon cannoli
Blondie bar with chocolate chip mascarpone
Pumpkin spice cheesecake with pumpkin seed crisp and tangerine broth
Our server, Lucas, was fantastic as well: polite and professional, attentive but not bothersome or interruptive, and accommodating to our needs with good alternative suggestions. The ambiance is modern-meets-rustic with French artwork, distressed hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and velvet chairs; it's spacious but still warm and intimate. I like that the tables are set far enough apart that you feel like you're getting some privacy; despite the place being fairly busy, we didn't overhear anyone else's conversations, which makes it ideal for romantic dates, special occasions, even business meetings. Also, it has good lighting. I hate when restaurants are so dark that you can barely read the menu or see what you're eating ('cause that also means they aren't good for photos, and I am one of those people). Each table here is well-lit but not overly bright so that you can see your expensive, gorgeously-plated food, but still feel cozy. Overall, I had a really fantastic time at George. I'd recommend it to anyone for a delicious, unique, memorable, high-end meal.
George Restaurant
111 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON M5C 1S2
(416) 863-6006
What I love about George as opposed to other restaurants offering tasting menus is that they can do different menus for everyone in your party, so there's a huge variety in dishes. It's a truly great way to see the inventive flavour and texture combinations at George. They're also extremely accommodating with any allergies or food preferences; for example, Chelsea doesn't like certain meats, so they worked around that with chicken and seafood options. Their tasting menus change daily based on seasonal produce and market availability, so every dish is a surprise — you don't know what you're going to get until it's in front of you. Some people might not appreciate this, but as someone who loves trying different foods and who isn't a selective eater, I love the concept of evolving tasting menus.
George offers five-, seven-, and ten-course tasting menus, but I feel like the seven-course is the most ideal for all parties. You get more variety than the five-course so you get a good sense of the chef's creativity, but you're satisfyingly full by the dessert course (whereas I think the ten-course would be too over-the-top and uncomfortably filling). Highlights for me were the cod, wagyu beef, and foie gras (and I don't even normally like foie gras!), but every dish was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented with harmonious flavours and balanced textures. The only flavour combo that wasn't to any of our tasting was the pumpkin spice cheesecake, and it wasn't even the cake itself (which was delicious), but with the chopped fruit on top (I think it was plums and cherries?), which all of us agreed took away from the flavour of the cheesecake. But, hey, with only one flop out of 21 different dishes between the three of us, I'd say George knows what they're doing.
George Restaurant
111 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON M5C 1S2
(416) 863-6006
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