Summerlicous July 14: Canoe

Photos: https://david-kong.squarespace.com/#item=july-14-canoe


Canoe is quintessentially Canadian from the Inukshuk statue to the domestic dominated wine list. It is no doubt the best restaurant in Toronto and the poster child of Summerlicious. And for four weeks in the year (the other two being Winterlicious), well-clad bankers make way for sometimes frugal, and always up-and-coming, foodies. And to give Canoe a more Canadian feel, this weekend lunch was dominated by a particular brand of multiculturalism that is at least eighty-percent Asian (our table was slightly less than the mean at 75%). I ordered according to recommendations by Toronto Life: the same chilled pea soup, beef short rib and clafoutis. I found both the pea soup and clafoutis over-rated. The peas supplied the much needed sweetness too rarely and the cake had little to say. Generally, the all three of the desserts were not particularly liked. With that said, the heavy and flavourful short ribs come through as a clear winner. Cutting the ribs along the bone helps keep the meat moist if not juicy (attn.: Azure/Koreans). The mashed potatoes were creamy but not stuffy; the onion rings were crunchy. It is then clear why Canoe Summerlicious is fully booked as soon as the floodgates open.