Saturday, January 27, 2007

Elixir (January 27, 2007)

Two reviewers: ts and cw

They also had a "Dine In" menu for $49, but it didn't seem that appealing. I don't remember what the items were.

This was the $35 menu.

Photos (courtesy of cw): http://www.flickr.com/photos/cw731/sets/72157594505113843/

Waldorf Salade “Moderne”
Belgian Endive with Candied Walnuts, Pears and Blue Cheese Dressing
-- or --
Chestnut, Celeriac and Apple Veloute with Truffle Oil

[ts]
I had the veloute (soup). It was all right. Earthy and such. I don't know if I tasted the celeriac; it was more chestnut-y.

[cw]
I had the soup too. Didn't like it very much as it was a bit too sweet for my taste. The truffle oil was a little much for me too.

Petit Hen “Coq au Vin” with Sauce Grand Mere
-- or --
Pan Seared Trout with Creamed Leeks, Tomato Jam, Escargot Ravioli and Parsley Sauce
-- or --
Bacon Wrapped Petit Tenderloin with Pomme Pont Neuf, Peppercorn Sauce and Bearnaise

[ts]
I had the fish dish.

The trout itself was nicely done: crispy skin & well-seasoned. The escargot ravioli was just "OK". The filling was OK, but the whole ravioli seemed a little dried out (dried out!). I don't recall the parsley sauce, but the creamed leeks were very good! It was very good, but a little rich, so eating it with a little bit of the tomato "jam" was a good combination. The tomato "jam" by itself was just OK: it seemed to lack flavor (and no, it wasn't sweet). I thought it would be more acidic and sweeter (I guess, more of a chutney), but that wasn't the case.

[cw]
The petit tenderloin was good and was accurately named... very petit. Nonetheless it was good... well, probably because it was wrapped in bacon. The presentation of the dish however, didn't look that great. For some reason the fries reminded me of the Inukshuk for the 2010 Olympics. Didn't each much of my "fry logs" as I don't usually like fries anyway. I'd rather they have paired the tenderloin with some mashed potatoes instead.

Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding with Tahitian Vanilla-Maple Syrup Ice Cream
-- or --
Amaretto Creme Bruleewith Almond Glass Biscuit

[ts]
Had the toffee pudding. What's with the proliferation of "toffee puddings"?

Anyway, this was nice, actually. The caramel sauce had a "burnt" caramel flavor which was a nice accent to the sweetness of the dessert. The ice cream was nice too.

[cw]
Had the creme brulee. Usually not much of a sweets/dessert fan... but i actually liked this, even though it was a little rich. I finished it off. I liked the almond glass biscuit too. Maybe they should have put two of those for this dessert.

[cw]
Overall: I don't think I'll be returning to this restaurant. For the price point of the food, it's not that worth it. It wasn't that special. I'd prefer one of the regular chains anyday. Last year, I remember going to Raincity Grill and the food there was absolutely divine for the same price.

The food here at Elixir was just a little too heavy for me and was swiftly hurled into the porcelain upon returning home. What a waste of $45!!!!!

[ts]
All in all, this was not bad. I don't think I would go back anytime soon, though. If you look at the regular menu, it seems to be pricey for the type of food it is. It's supposed to be a bistro* or brasserie** (def'ns below). It was "not bad", but not especially good. For the prices they have, mishaps of any kind (see trout) can't be forgiven too quickly.

I've just been wanting to go here because the Opus Hotel is supposed to be nice; so we walked through the lobby, hehe.

~~~
*bistro
A type of small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in an unpretentious setting, especially in Paris, France. A bistro may not offer professional service or printed menus, and it will usually specialize in simple classic dishes such as steak au poivre, French onion soup, and coq au vin.

**brasserie
An informal French café that serves beer, wine and simple, hearty food.


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