PaiGu

Cello Supper Club is a swanky resto-lounge in downtown London that has quickly become my favourite place for a late-night dinner and drinks. Not only is the decor modern chic, comparable to the best Toronto lounges, they also boast a menu of over 30 martinis. The first time I came to Cello, we were seated in the lounge area with leather couches and were presented with two martini glasses full of gummy worms and fuzzy peaches. I was in love.

Despite my enthusiasm for candy-themed martinis in the colour of the rainbow, the skills in the kitchen were more than adequate to get my attention. With the first bite of sweet and tender spiced lamb kafta, I knew these chefs were not banking on our inebriated state to serve us less-than-delicious food.

Normally, I avoid lamb like the plague. From my Chinese background, I knew lamb to have a distinctive “aroma” that did not sit well with me. But this lamb did not have that aroma. Instead, it was unbelievably tender, cooked until the sinews had caramelized and the meat could easily be pulled apart, marinated with a sweet sauce and a spicy rub.

The next appetizer we tried was a bruschetta, which was not as memorable. But that is a good thing in my books, because the only memorable bruschettas I’ve had are bad ones.

The catch of the day was rainbow trout, with a buttery risotto and caramelized vegetables. The dish was perfection. The rainbow trout was well-cooked and subtly seasoned. The risotto had a creamy texture, juxtaposed against the more solid, caramelized potatoes and carrots.

The lamb entree was outstanding, although comparably less seasoned than the lamb appetizer. The sauce was flavourful and very complementing to a less-seasoned meat. The meat was soft and tender, and I could see that the chefs had taken care to cook it at the right temperature to leave a golden shell with pinkish flesh.

The entree I had been looking forward to the most was duck breast, which turned out to be flavourful with a crispy outer shell. The duck was not as tender as it could have been, especially considering all the fat sitting under the skin. Perhaps it was a little under-done, or perhaps it was the way my friend ordered it. The duck was sitting on a most delicious mound of mashed potato that was so smooth it could have passed for cream itself.

The beef-phyllo entree was most unique. The beef was subtly seasoned, and sat in a mushroom and escargot sauce that reminded me of a wine reduction. The escargot, mushroom, and herbs resulted in a very interesting taste.

Their classic martini (the “dirty cello”) came with three olives and a very smooth Bombay sapphire gin. There were several cream-based martinis to select from but real dessert came in the form of cassis ice cream on creme brulee, and a banana extravaganza I can no longer remember the name of. The creme brulee was far too sweet but the cassis ice cream made up for it. The banana extravaganza consisted of several banana-flavoured components (sorbet, cream, etc.) that all tasted heavenly.

On weekends, they have a DJ and the music can get quite loud, but weekday nights are more intimate. The dress code fares on the side of club-wear, especially later in the evenings, with girls in tights and men in blazers, but there are no bouncers so it is not like you would be turned away for being under-dressed. The servers are very attentive and accommodating, and give great martini recommendations.
Overall, this place has a great vibe, whether you’re with a date or a party of friends. With attentive service, top-notch food, the most extensive martini list in London, and gummy candies galore, what’s not to like?

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The Only on King has quickly become one of the most well-known restaurants in London, thanks to a review in Canada’s enRoute magazine (the magazine for Air Canada), and subsequent media coverage of Paul Harding and Jason Schubert’s endeavour to run a restaurant where all food is locally sourced. That means the menu changes according to season (and what they can get from their farmers), which is a challenge to explain to today’s “I get what I want” customers. However, one bite of their French and Italian inspired dishes will keep those whining mouths shut, and keep customers coming back.

I first heard about The Only from some foodie friends, who mentioned there was a new restaurant on the block rapidly rising to stardom after being named one of Canada’s best new restaurants. At the time, I had no idea they were also one of the only restaurants attempting to “do the sustainability thing.” It wasn’t until we invited Paul and Jason to speak at a sustainability event at the business school that I really understood, and came to appreciate, their unique venture. Paul and Jason get all their ingredients from local farmers, who they have established great relationships with. However, this means their menu is completely dependent on what is “in season” or what they can get from their farmers that day/week/month. Obviously, costs are going to be higher for ingredients that are local, organic, or both, and it can be reflected in their slightly higher prices. However, they claim to offer top-notch service on top of great tasting food, so you get what you pay for.

I made a reservation for six people on a Monday night, but unfortunately, only three could make it. Before I had even taken off my coat, the waiter scolded me for not calling ahead of time to let them know our reduced party size. It wasn’t so much what he said that put me off, it was how he said it – as if I was a human being lacking in basic decency. Well, sorry if half my party decided not to show up at the last minute. Did that give him the right to scold me? Did that give him the right to ruin my meal before it had even begun? Was this the great service they prided themselves on?

I was quite miffed as I sat down, and wondered if he would have scolded another customer the same way if it had been a 50 year-old man as opposed to a 20 year-old girl. I decided to ignore it, since I had been looking forward to coming to The Only for quite some time. Besides, he wasn’t our server for the night, and our server turned out to be very nice, and even humoured us when we started talking about premium gins¹ by bringing some out.

Between the three of us, we ordered three appetizers, two intermediates, and one main. The serving sizes were quite reasonable, and the meal turned out to be more filling than we anticipated, so none of us had room for dessert by the end.

The artichoke soup was first to arrive.

I have never had artichoke soup before, so it is hard for me to judge the quality of this particular bowl of liquid cream. Other than the fact that it was very creamy and not too flavourful, the soup made no distinct impression on me (certainly not my favourite dish of the night).

Then came the winter vegetable salad. My friend ordered this because she was curious what would constitute a “winter vegetable” as opposed to a spring/summer/fall vegetable.

I was amused with the “really good Tuscan olive oil” description on the menu. I am not sure if this was the same olive oil that they used on the rest of the dishes, but I realized by the end of the night that I did not like this “really good Tuscan olive oil.” At the time though, the taste of the salad suited me just fine. Unfortunately, we could not identify most of the ingredients, other than winter cabbage, carrots, and radish.

My appetizer was a quail, which out to be more of an “intermediate” than an appetizer.

It was very well-seasoned, and the meat was not too tough even though the skin was toasted to a crisp. The “boneless” part was a lie, as you can obviously tell from the photo, but I actually prefer bone-in meats, because meat near bones tend to be more tender². Smoked capicolo is basically bacon, and it is actually not in this photo because the chefs forgot to put it on the dish when they first brought it out. Our waiter later brought me a few pieces, which was quite yum. And for a creative finish, the sour cherries were a delightful twist.

The first intermediate to arrive was my friend’s house-made gnocchi.

Naturally, this dish did not appeal to me because of the abundance of cheese. Nonetheless, I tried some, and discovered a surprisingly unhappy aftertaste, to which my immediate reaction was “nyech!”

While we tried to deduce what made me react negatively to the dish, I found that my own intermediate had the same unpleasant aftertaste.

Despite how I tried to enjoy my dish, I simply couldn’t. We finally pinned down my cause for displeasure: it was in the olive oil. Something in the olive oil did not agree with my palate. And as much as I enjoyed the raw trout and the tender potato chunks, I could not develop an appreciation for this “really good” olive oil.

Instead, I shared the rest of my friend’s duck entree, which was delicious.

Maybe things flavoured with sauce as opposed to olive oil agrees better with me (which would make sense considering my palate is accustomed to the strong flavours prevalent in Chinese dishes), or maybe the chefs here are just really good at game meats. Either way, the duck breast was tender and savoury with a crispy skin. The meat was medium rare and lightly seasoned, yet it was very xian³. The cabbage and peas tasted great in the calvados sauce. Like the sour cherries in my quail dish, the poached apricot gave this dish a sweet twist.

The restaurant is small, but the ambience was mixed. It wasn’t quite homey, but it wasn’t quite upper-class either. There was a sleek elegance to its understated wooden furnishings. The bar was very well-stocked with some premium liquors and a varied wine selection. I would say they delivered quality service if it wasn’t for the initial lecture I received. The servers were well-versed on the background of the restaurant, but you can tell the chefs are the one running the show (the servers could not withstand prolonged questioning on the ingredients of particular dishes).

Would I come back? Certainly, but not often at these prices. And next time, I’ll steer clear of anything infused with olive oil.

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1. She realized she had the bottle(s) we had been discussing, and brought them over to our table to show us, since we’d forgotten the name(s). [↩]
2. There are three reasons for this: 1) because it’s buried down inside the meat, the bone and its surroundings don’t get as hot and cook as fast as the outer parts do; 2) there are more tendons and connective tissue near bones, and the collagen protein in these tissues turn into gelatin when heated, and 3) sometimes, there is more fat near bones, and we all know how delicious animal fat is. Reference: What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke. [↩]
3. Xian is Chinese word to describe a particularly savoury taste, of which there is no English equivalent. In Japanese, it is called umami. [↩]

Waldo’s on King is an adorable little restaurant just outside the Covent Garden Market in London, Ontario. It seemed like the perfect setting for a ritual Sunday brunch. Unfortunately, after our meal, it will not be a regular visit. While the decor and service were effective in setting the right atmosphere, the food was surprisingly unimpressive. Despite an excellent array of appetizers on the brunch menu, everything that arrived was wanting.
The Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallop Bisque sounded amazing, but when it came, it was nothing more than orange sour cream, with a few scarce pieces of seafood. The scallops had a funny taste to them, as if they had been chemically treated (they tasted basic).

The Baked Brie in Phyllo was even less appetizing, with the “fresh fruits” garnish amounting to nothing more than a strawberry and a slice of orange. Why even bother putting that on the menu? It’s just sad.

The Chicken and Coconut Soup was a watery pool of coriander. I should have known. Coconut and broth do not fit in the same sentence.

We were excited when the Neptune Salad arrived though, a heaping plateful of shrimp, scallop, and lobster. That is, until we realized the scallops again tasted funny, like the chemically-treated kind. Besides, premium scallops would never be heaped onto a $11 salad, so I guess we should have seen that coming.

The only perk? They have great coffee.
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