Date of Visit: March 24, 2005 (Thursday)
Reservation for 2 at 20:00
Website: http://www.jovbistro.com
3-course dinner for 2 with coffee and mineral water: $130
Food
Appetizer: Puree of carrot and beet soup with vegetable consomme (me), Terrine of foie gras with Saskatoon berry compote (T)
- soup was flavourful and full of the natural sweetness of carrot and beet. I half-expected the soup to taste like borscht because of the beets but it was entirely different. Perfect winter comfort food.
- foie gras was served with toasted walnut bread, walnut pieces, and brocolini.
Main Course: Roasted duck breast with duck confit filled cabbage roll and orange juniper sauce (me), Roasted caribou with potato gratin, caramelized vegetables and three mustard sauce (T)
- duck breast was tender and deliciously red in the middle. The sauce had a subtle orange flavour which did not overpower. The most interesting aspect, however, was the pulverized crunchy bacon because it added some much needed textural contrast to the duck and its saltiness countpointed with the sweetness of the sauce very well. The duck confit cabbage roll looked like a baby cabbage beside the turned potatoes and baby carrots. The duck flavour came across a lot more assertive and it was absolutely delicious.
- T really enjoyed the caribou. It was gamey, tender, and pink. The potato gratin had cheese in the middle which was one of his favourites.
Dessert: Tarte Tatin with cinnamon ginger ice cream (me), Sesame scented blanc-manger with coconut soup (T)
- Tarte Tatin was filled with soft apple pieces soaked with subtly bitter caramel. The puff pastry crust was unfortunatley soggy and tough at places. I really love the flavour of the cinnamon ginger ice-cream but it was tinged with tiny ice crystals.
- Blanc-manger was one of the highlight of the meal. It was delicate and so lightly set that it could slip right into the throat. Yet, at the same time, it was bursting with the nutty flavour of sesame that complemented the richness of the coconut soup. The caramelized sesame tuile added another dimension of the sesame flavour. This dish was an excellent interpretation of a classic french dessert which an asian twist.
Service
- service was efficient and showed the owners' ambition to aim for a more high-end experience. Small touches such as the way they changed cutlery between courses and refolding the napkin when a customer left the table left a really good impression. The general atmosphere was relax and customer-oriented.
- I saw that at a neighbouring table, a customer accidently left a drop of the staining carrot and beet soup on his tie. The owner was quick to bring out a can of club soda and napkin and attended to the customer immediately.
- Although it was not a busy night, I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth service. Considering that the current team took over just over a month ago, this was no small feat.
Overall Impression
I was absolutely smitten by JOV Bistro. Classical french food is one of my favourite cuisine and Chef Masayuki Tamaru's interpretation did not disappoint. The service was warm, welcoming, and efficient and general manager Michael Haralampopoulos went out of his way to make sure of that. I will definitely return in near future.
