JEAN-PIERRE + CO'S ICI BISTRO
LOCATION:
538 Manning Avenue Toronto, ON M6G 2V9
RATING:
Service: 4 / 4
Ambiance: 3 / 4
Food: 4 / 4
Price: $$$$ |
the outside you would never expect this quaint restaurant to serve up such remarkable and exciting
dishes based on its not quite yet 'in' neighbourhood. Jean-Pierre serves delicious french cuisine with
an interesting light twist. The menu is compact which makes it hard to decide what not to order.
Fortunately all menu items are available in appetizer or main course sizes.
We opted for the appetizer portions in order to get a taste of everything. The servers are friendly, warm, and very knowledgeable about the food they are serving. Chef Jean-Pierre prefers to send out each course one at a time to allow you to taste all the the flavours on your plate they way they are intended. This can make your tapas type meal a slow process. So make sure your trip to ICI is your only activity for the night!
After our waitress sat us down at one of the intimate eight tables, she brought us the AMUSE BOUCHE: a single, bite-sized hors d'oeuvreserved to prepare guests for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach to cooking - which in this case was a delicious crostini topped with irresistibly smooth pate`.
We began with the STEAK TARTARE which we all agreed was the stand out dish of the night. The tartare, well seasoned and fresh were accompanied by pommes dauphine. The pommes dauphine were very tasty. They had a nice crispy choux pastry which gave them a lighter density which complemented the unique potato filling.
The LOBSTER BISQUE and SHRIMP FRITE were next, and came nicely presented in a small teacup. The bisque had a wonderful rich creamy lobster flavour, accented by a hint of ginger and green onion, which gave it a little asian twist. The Shrimp Frite was a nice touch wraped in a thin potato coating and then lightly fried, it was delicious on its own but even better dipped into the warm, smooth bisque.
The JALOUSIE of SNAILS, GREEN BEANS, and FINGERLINGS came next. The jalousie of snails came with a nice creamy sauce which which harmonized with the crisp green beans. The decorative puff pastry was a bonus which allowed us to soak up all the remaining well balanced sauce.
The SEARED SCALLOP, KING CRAB, BEURRE BLANC POACHED LOBSTER & ACADIAN CAVIAR was as stunning in taste as in was in presentation. The smoked sturgeon was topped with just the right amount of Acadian caviar, and the poached lobster was nicely cooked. However, we found there wasn't enough to share, which left us wanting more. The scallops were my favourite part of the dish, stuffed with a king crab filling that really toped it off in flavour.
Lastly, we had BRAISED BEEF BORDELAISE WITH BONE MARROW CROQUETTES. By this point in the meal I was so full so I could not truly appreciate the big flavours and delicate textures that were provided on the plate. We did get the leftovers to go, but, they are not the same the next day.
STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:
The Steak Tartar
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