Me, my husband, and my baby had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tiffany Leigh I ate an expensive, five-course meal by Michelin-star chef Daniel Boulud and other culinary pros. Most of the food was gorgeous, elegant, and absolutely incredible to taste.
The sea-bass course was smelly and quite mushy, but we had a good experience overall. I was thrilled to learn Chef Daniel Boulud was in my hometown to celebrate Four Seasons Hotel Toronto’s 10th anniversary. The dinner took place in Cafe Boulud.
Tiffany LeighDubbed “Four Seasons Hotel Toronto Celebrates a Decade of Luxury,” the hotel spared no expense in terms of providing special offers, giveaways, and festivities for guests and visitors. For me, it was its unique one-night-only dinner at Cafe Boulud (the hotel’s flagship restaurant) that was an absolute must-try for me, my husband, and my baby. Boulud has two Michelin stars and, for this special dinner, he’d be working with a team that also included two other Michelin-star chefs.
We got all dressed up for the meal. My baby’s sleep schedule got a slight adjustment. Tiffany LeighMy husband made a reservation because he knows how much I love Boulud.
So on Tuesday, we bent the rules of my baby’s sleep schedule a little in order to taste this incredible five-course meal as a family. Here’s what our experience was like. Before even entering the restaurant, we were given fancy Champagne.
The restaurant had moody lighting. Tiffany LeighAt around 6:45 pm, we were greeted at the lobby with a Champagne toast. It also turned out the Champagne was bottomless, as the staff kept returning to refill our glasses throughout the evening.
Before the first dish came to our table, our waiter asked if we wanted our meal with wine pairings. The wine pairings made my husband’s meal pricier. Tiffany LeighSince I was breastfeeding, I opted out.
My husband opted in. As a result, my husband’s meal came to $345 CAD (about $250 USD) before tax/tip. My meal was $265 CAD (about $192 USD) before tax and tip.
I fangirled a bit when I saw chef Boulud. Chef Daniel Boulud is incredibly talented. Tiffany LeighThe room was quickly filling up and just as we settled in, chef Boulud came out to welcome us.
I must admit that even though I’ve met him twice before, the excitement of seeing him in person never gets old. After making his initial remarks, he promptly returned to the kitchen to prepare for service. The two amuse-bouche were dainty and delicious.
The piece of shrimp had tons of flavor. Tiffany LeighTwo pre-dinner dishes were placed before us: The first was a poached shrimp dish and the second was a fried artichoke. The shrimp was so sweet and tender and nicely counterbalanced the fresh and zingy tomatoes on the plate.
The artichoke dish was plated in a unique way. I was very impressed. Tiffany LeighThe artichoke was a cute one-biter that was crispy and warm on the tongue.
It was a pleasant first impression to set the tone for the evening. The first dish was subtle yet thoughtful. On the plate, this dish looked simple yet elegant.
Tiffany LeighThe first was saffron-cured hamachi (a younger version of yellowtail fish) with artichokes and ají dulce peppers. This dish was a joint effort between Boulud and chef Colin Henderson of the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. Flavor-wise, it was very pleasing with the buttery fish, although the flavor of the saffron wasn’t very detectable.
The artichokes were a nice accompaniment and echoed the amuse-bouche. Interestingly, my favorite component was the peppers, found on the plate as dollops of sauce. They were a heavy hitter of spicy heat that lingered on my tongue and numbed it slightly.
The surprising thing about this is that it didn’t compete with the delicate hamachi. Instead, the sauce acted almost as a palate cleanser. The second course’s risotto was the best I’ve had in a long time.
The risotto had black-ink bread crumb. Tiffany LeighThe last risotto I can recall that wowed me was one I ate in Umbria, Italy, five years ago. This risotto is nearly on par with that dish in terms of its exceptional execution and flavor.
The risotto, spearheaded by chef Massimo Mantarro, had tomato and black-ink bread crumb. Everything about the dish was perfect. The creamy risotto offered an al-dente bite with each mouthful and it was punctuated with pools of soft ricotta.
The black-ink bread crumbs were buttery and lightly sweetened. Lastly, the tomato was just a wonderful acidic counterpoint to all the richness in the dish. I couldn’t get enough and if I was at home eating this, I would have licked my bowl clean.
We thought the third dish had an unappealing odor and taste. The sea-bass fillet disappointed me. Tiffany LeighConceived by chef Yoric Tièche, the third dish was a sea-bass fillet candied with olive oil, bouillabaisse, and rouille.
Honestly, it was my biggest disappointment of the evening — but I did appreciate what it offered in terms of creativity and quality. Conceptually, I understood what the chef was trying to achieve in terms of paying homage to a classic French seafood soup, but flavor-wise, neither my husband nor I enjoyed it. There was something unappealing about the fishy odor when it arrived at our table.
I thought the sea bass was just a touch too soft and borderline mushy. It sitting in a ton of sauce did not help. As much as I tried to convince myself to like it, the flavors all just clashed on my tongue.
Unfortunately, I left most of the dish untouched and hoped that the last main would be better. The fourth dish was tiny in size but mighty in flavor. My husband and I looked at each other and knew we tasted another decadent winner.
Tiffany LeighWhen the last savory main dish arrived at the table, my jaw almost hit the floor. The dish, stuffed quail breast with white alba truffles and porcini mushrooms, was created by Boulud and Henderson. The dish looked like an abstract work of art.
Before I took a bite, I worried that the portion size was too small and I hoped it would be more filling than it appeared. The quail had a rich texture and mild gamey taste to it. You could taste the infusion of more truffles and toasted hazelnuts stuffed in the meat as well.
I really loved this combination of earthy nuts, the pungent truffles, and assertive-tasting protein. I could feel myself smiling at this point. With each bite, you could literally taste the amount of care and commitment the chefs gave to every single ingredient.
Even the porcini mushroom tasted otherworldly, as if it was infused with 100 times the amount of umami typically found in one small fungus. Again, it was another dish where I could have licked the plate clean. Dessert was almost too gorgeous to eat.
The cake was a masterpiece and almost too stunning to ruin with my fork. Tiffany LeighDevised by chef Yudith Bustos, the black-forest flourless chocolate cake came with a griottines (cherries in liqueur) compote, caramelized hazelnuts, and cherry ice cream. When this dessert arrived at the table, you could hear the audible “oohs” and ”aahs” circulating the room.
It was a literal showstopper. My favorite part was taking a crack at the chocolate curve to hear that snap — the hallmark of perfectly tempered chocolate. The dish and its components were all in perfect harmony: the richness from the chocolate, the tang from the cherry ice cream, and the crunch from the caramelized hazelnut.
The only thing I was sad about was when it was completely devoured and nothing was left on my plate except delicious memories. I was full after dessert, but the meal wasn’t over. The meal had even more surprises.
Tiffany LeighAfter dessert, Boulud brought out his brigade and they gave every diner more sweets. We got a to-go box of treats and fresh, still-warm madeleines for the table. The little french cakes were soft, squishy, and incredibly addictive.
It was an expensive meal but we got so many wonderful memories and tastes out of it. This experience was one I will never forget. Tiffany LeighUndoubtedly, this was a pricey meal but a special treat.
For us, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience we’ll cherish for a long time. The service was stellar — I especially appreciated the staff being so thoughtful when it came to my baby’s needs. It was also cool we had an intimate opportunity to meet and chat with Boulud on our own.
Best of all, we got to taste and enjoy dishes that were incredibly refined, thoughtful, and beautiful. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-eating-meal-from-michelin-star-chefs-boulud-2022-10
