Hello folks! Sorry for the slow updates. As you know i'm currently based in Canada and guess what! Michelin (not too recently) announced in May that it is expanding into Canada and will start awarding its prestigious stars to restaurants in Toronto! Definitely something to look forward to even though i'm 2h away from Toronto. Fingers crossed that our little bundle will be up for some rides to feed his mama come fall.
I was told by a gf that i simply HAVE TO visit Restaurant Pearl Morissette (RPM) before i pop. They’ve been recognized as one of the best restaurants not just in Niagara region or Ontario, but the whole of Canada, having come in 4th on the Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list in 2022. P.s. they have been on the list since they opened in 2018.
The kitchen is run by Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson, Ontario-born chefs with experience in Michelin kitchens in Paris and Belgium. The 8+ course French-inspired menu (CA$147/pax) is served blind, carte blanche, and you'll hardly find the same dish presented twice on repeat visits. Sustainability and seasonality are the key features, featuring produce from around the region and also from RPM's own regenerative farm. The tasting experience could be enhanced with an exquisite wine pairing (CA$95, 6 glasses 3oz ea), drawing from international producers and exclusive small-batch wines from PM's winery. For non-drinkers, they also have an interesting seasonal juice pairing (CA$45, 5 glasses 5oz ea).
For summer, the entire operation is moved outdoors to Le Pré, which is next to the farm for a more country casual experience. Despite the informality of the venue, you could still expect the same impeccable but warm fine-dining service. Here's the menu we had on 1 Jul 2022.
Razor clams with green strawberries, dressed with a preserved cucumber and fig leaf oil, and basil. There's a fresh green note to this dish. This was paired with a floral Clos Cibonne Tentations Rosé from Côtes de Provence.
Next up, a chewy sourdough made with red fife and maria widgeon, to be slathered with a rustic roasted sunchoke mixed with whey and browned butter, topped with wild rice puffs. The light sweetness of the dip complemented the sourness from the rustic loaf.
Jr had the YU Ranch longhorn beef tartare with poached egg yolk, with a smokey ajillo sauce from garlic scapes and chives. I had mine without the tartare and with bread crumbs instead. This was paired with a 2017 Vintage of the PM Chardonnay, also their first white wine. This is considered unoaked and was treated in a vessel of concrete to soften the wine and amplify the aromatics.
The meal continued with a wild, line-caught poached halibut from North Coast of BC, adorned with summer squash, celtuce and Acadian sturgeon caviar. This was an intricate balance of acidity and saltiness of the sea. We had this paired with a Slovenian white from Burja Zelen 2020. These Zelen grapes were macerated with their skin on, to give a textural aspect to the wine. Most of the wine pairings were of higher acidity and this was also savory and herbaceous.
I wasn't a fan of the mushy snow crab poached in butter with potato, lovage and snow peas. The texture reminded me of my cats' canned crab food. Oh wow it was so bad for me that i didn't even take a picture of it. Jr had no issue with this though. We had this with the very limited 2020 Pearl Morissette Estate Winery Lemberger Bonbon (only 48 cases). Only a few bottles are released to RPM for their wine pairing. This was quite the perfect light red for summer with its bright red fruit, candied quality.
The grilled East Coast lobster came after, to cover up that earlier dish with a smoky and sweet note. The meat was grilled in the outdoor shed and coated with raspberry and white currents glaze, sprinkled with with rose thyme and accompanied with a sweet and umami lobster roe.
For the main event, a pasture-raised duck breast cooked over peach wood grill, with cherries from the farm, pineapple sage, Hakurai turnips puree and false cardamon and ginger sauce. Jr had hibiscus leaves on his but mine was without. Such tenderness in the duck and also a unique flavor to the dish. This was paired with the PM Chamboulé 2018, a Pinot Noir blended from grapes coming from 2 PM estates (19th Street and Homefront).
Desserts were all on the slightly sour side, which i welcomed a lot. The third trimester acid reflux/heartburn hasn't been treating me kindly. Our last wine for the dessert was Marcel Deiss 'Spring' Muscat from Alsace, France. This wasn't too sweet and has a nice dryness to it with overt floral notes. First dessert was the rose mondarda mousse with rhubarb compote, buttermilk and sweet cicely.
(R) Strawberry and spicebush sorbet with tarragon mousse and oil and hemp seed. (R) Meringue, haskap, white currents, cherry juice, with a meadowsweet custard. Desserts here are anything but conventional.
Overall, Restaurant Pearl Morissette was an eye-opener for us. We were exposed to new and interesting seasonal ingredients and the flavour pairings were unexpected. While dining next to the farm has its set of annoyance (houseflies are such a pain), it also brought us closer to the source. If you have more time to spare, you could also join the join the wine tastings and garden tours at the property before your meal. I'd love to dine in their main hall next time though i'm pretty sure it's gonna be even harder to get a table after they get their stars.
3953 Jordan Rd
Lincoln, ON L0R 1S0, Canada
T: +1 905 562 7709
Lunch: Fri to Sun 12 - 2pm
Dinner: Thu to Sun 5:30-9pm
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