Tru - food for the chic diner
From January 22 to February 4 London celebrates a diverse collection of some of the city's most reputable local cuisine in the culinary festival called "Londonlicious." This year, 21 restaurants that vary in formality from casual to black tie offer guests a set menu of three courses for $20 or $25. These menus are designed to showcase the restaurant's culinary talents and service without a pricey bill at the end. Considering the usual price point found on a menu at establishments like Black Trumpet and Blue Ginger, a three course meal (including appetizer, entree and dessert) for up to $25/person seems like a steal.
This week I went to Tru Restaurant and Lounge as my first Londonlicious experience. The atmosphere was very modern as we arrived, with crimson painted walls decorated with locally crafted abstract art and lit by interesting fixtures. A man took our coats as we entered, which was nice, except that he was nowhere to be found to retrieve them when we were ready to leave.
The festival menu was a little limited, although that was expected and diners were able to order off the regular menu as well (it they wanted to spend the extra money). The drinks were horribly priced at $10 for a martini or $8 plus for a glass of wine. I stuck to orange juice with soda water.
My first course was the Caesar salad. It's appearance left much to be desired, with a small mound of salad casually sitting in a regular soup bowl, romaine obviously chopped with a knife to tiny pieces and crumbs of "double smoked" bacon hiding amongst the leaves. The flavour, however, was booming with rich Parmesan cheese, garlic and other delicious notes. The richness and perfect seasoning distributed so evenly almost compensated for the lacking size of the salad, but ultimately left me wanting more. With the ominous presence of delightful garlic, the salad was definitely not a dish to eat before close conversation with anyone else, and I felt a little sorry for my companion. Although, he did combat my garlic with his curry cauliflower soup with shrimp oil which was also quite delicious (and portioned a bit fairer). Who would have thought shrimp oil would make a nice addition to a soup? I was pleasantly surprised that it does.
My entree choice was the half Cornish hen with maple reduction and new potatoes. I took a chance ordering this dish, knowing I may need to battle with my little bird, separating meat from bones in an attempt to fill my tummy with adequate protein, but thankfully the preparation of the hen only left two remaining leg and wing bones, leaving the breast easy to slice. Again, the seasoning of the hen was perfect and full flavoured. A hint of game was remnant, but not too strong. The meat was juicy and excellently cooked. The potatoes, found underneath the fowl and strewn amidst crisp blanched beans and spinach, were not extremely exciting next to the meat, with little seasoning and no colour to them. They were slightly undercooked as well. The maple reduction added a burst of flavour, which I found a little too sweet with the vegetables and could only be complimentary to the salt on the hen.
My final course was a slice of homemade lemon tart with a mini scoop of lemon ice cream. Although the size of the dessert was less than hoped for, the smooth flavour made it worth ordering. The crust of the tart was slightly buttery and the lemon was just mildly sharp in contrast. I was also able to sample the chocolate brownie, a warm, moist square of chocolate heaven in a drizzle of raspberry coulis. It was also quite enjoyable and almost makes it difficult to choose between the two desserts for superiority.
The service at the end was a little slow, although our server was quick to top up waters and make us feel comfortable the whole way through. Overall, my experience at Tru Restaurant and Lounge was a good one, and I would go back again on for a fancy yet expensive night out, as long as I wasn't overly hungry to begin with.
For more information on Londonlicious and what restaurants are included, please visit www.londonlicious.ca
This week I went to Tru Restaurant and Lounge as my first Londonlicious experience. The atmosphere was very modern as we arrived, with crimson painted walls decorated with locally crafted abstract art and lit by interesting fixtures. A man took our coats as we entered, which was nice, except that he was nowhere to be found to retrieve them when we were ready to leave.
The festival menu was a little limited, although that was expected and diners were able to order off the regular menu as well (it they wanted to spend the extra money). The drinks were horribly priced at $10 for a martini or $8 plus for a glass of wine. I stuck to orange juice with soda water.
My first course was the Caesar salad. It's appearance left much to be desired, with a small mound of salad casually sitting in a regular soup bowl, romaine obviously chopped with a knife to tiny pieces and crumbs of "double smoked" bacon hiding amongst the leaves. The flavour, however, was booming with rich Parmesan cheese, garlic and other delicious notes. The richness and perfect seasoning distributed so evenly almost compensated for the lacking size of the salad, but ultimately left me wanting more. With the ominous presence of delightful garlic, the salad was definitely not a dish to eat before close conversation with anyone else, and I felt a little sorry for my companion. Although, he did combat my garlic with his curry cauliflower soup with shrimp oil which was also quite delicious (and portioned a bit fairer). Who would have thought shrimp oil would make a nice addition to a soup? I was pleasantly surprised that it does.
My entree choice was the half Cornish hen with maple reduction and new potatoes. I took a chance ordering this dish, knowing I may need to battle with my little bird, separating meat from bones in an attempt to fill my tummy with adequate protein, but thankfully the preparation of the hen only left two remaining leg and wing bones, leaving the breast easy to slice. Again, the seasoning of the hen was perfect and full flavoured. A hint of game was remnant, but not too strong. The meat was juicy and excellently cooked. The potatoes, found underneath the fowl and strewn amidst crisp blanched beans and spinach, were not extremely exciting next to the meat, with little seasoning and no colour to them. They were slightly undercooked as well. The maple reduction added a burst of flavour, which I found a little too sweet with the vegetables and could only be complimentary to the salt on the hen.
My final course was a slice of homemade lemon tart with a mini scoop of lemon ice cream. Although the size of the dessert was less than hoped for, the smooth flavour made it worth ordering. The crust of the tart was slightly buttery and the lemon was just mildly sharp in contrast. I was also able to sample the chocolate brownie, a warm, moist square of chocolate heaven in a drizzle of raspberry coulis. It was also quite enjoyable and almost makes it difficult to choose between the two desserts for superiority.
The service at the end was a little slow, although our server was quick to top up waters and make us feel comfortable the whole way through. Overall, my experience at Tru Restaurant and Lounge was a good one, and I would go back again on for a fancy yet expensive night out, as long as I wasn't overly hungry to begin with.
For more information on Londonlicious and what restaurants are included, please visit www.londonlicious.ca
