Dinner At Café Boulud: Four Seasons Toronto

Last October, something special happened on the Toronto food scene; Chef and international restauranteur, Daniel Boulud, opened his first Toronto venture. Those who’ve experienced Chef Boulud’s restaurants around the world (from NYC to Beijing) know exactly how big of a deal this is! He is considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities. So, needless to say, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to review Café Boulud at the Four Seasons earlier this month.

Chef Boulud’s dinner menu took us on a journey around the globe. It’s divided into four sections based on his culinary muses: La Tradition (classic French regional cooking), Le Potager (vegetable garden), Le Voyage (Asian cuisines) and La Saison (inspired by the summer market). All of the dishes we devoured were beautifully executed by Chef de Cuisine, Tyler Shedden, and his talented team.

We started our evening off with a glass of Pierre Paillard Grand Cru Brut Cuvee Daniel. Curated by Sommelier Drew Walker, this champagne was soft, elegant and had a lively finish.

Then we had the most imaginative charcuterie board we’ve ever laid eyes on. Artfully crafted by a fourth generation master charcutier, this board will excite just about any foodie. The ham hock pâté, duck salami and the jambon de Paris were incredible.

Next was the beautifully plated Crispy Duck Egg ($18). The cook on the egg was perfect and the asparagus, jambon de Paris and mustard dressing were perfect accompaniments. The dish was stunning (and also happens to be Chef Tyler Shedden’s favourite).

The Korean Beef Tartare ($19) was another work of art; the quail egg and the rice cracker added colour and texture to the plate while the asian pear balanced out the dish with it’s acidity.

The Nova Scotia Lobster Salad ($26) was a huge hit at our table. The jalapeño and lime gremolata was subtle and allowed the lobster to shine through. And the lobster samosa was to die for!

My photographer is a vegetarian so we squeezed in a non-meat dish. The Nettle Agnolotti ($28) had some beautiful chanterelle mushrooms and was made with fresh sheep’s cheese. I felt the parmesan emulsion was a bit of a distraction and didn’t add much to the dish, but the meal as a whole was tasty and very substantial!

When I spotted Cumbrae beef on the menu I had to order it. They’re my favourite butcher shop in Toronto, so I knew I was in for a treat. And I was not disappointed! The dry-aged strip loin and a red wine braised short rib on the The Duo of Cumbrae Beef ($39) dish were moist and tender. I’ve never had asparagus custard before and thought it was interesting (in a good way). Oh, and the pomme dauphine was really delish!

My hubby ordered the Roasted Veal Loin ($36) which ended up being my favourite main course. The braised cheek was cooked perfectly. The dish was unpretentious, bright and delicious. A beautiful ode to summer.

On to the desserts…The Warm Chocolate Coulant ($12) was warm and gooey. If you’re looking for something rich, this dish is for you!

The Fraisier Moderne ($11) was the complete opposite: fresh and light. It had roasted strawberries, white chocolate mousse goat cheese and strawberry sorbet. We loved the texture, colour and taste of this dish!

But my favourite dessert was the Grapefruit Givré (fruit sorbet served in a frozen fruit shell). The pieces of loukoum (Turkish delight) and the halva cotton candy really made this dish unique and exciting. Doesn’t it look a bit like Einstein’s hair?

I truly believe that the best desserts are those you can have a little fun with. This dish not only combined unusual flavours, but it was whimsical and made me feel like a kid (always a good thing).

As one of enRoute’s nominees for Canada’s best new restaurant, Café Boulud definitely makes the top of my list. Their service, food quality and wine selection was truly exceptional. For those who’d love to visit, but have a tight budget: they’re rolling out an early dinner prix fixe menu daily between 5:30 – 6:30 pm this fall. For $45 you can enjoy a three-course gourmet meal (I got a sneak peek at the menu and some of the dishes above will be on it). This is a phenomenal deal for a restaurant of this caliber! I promise, they will not disappoint.

Special thanks to Café Boulud for hosting us. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely our own.