Sunday, November 17, 2013

ONE Restaurant

ONE restaurant was my next fine dining experience option. Located in the heart of Yorkville, in the Hazleton hotel, ONE offers a classic-modern take on Italian and french cuisine. Surrounded by dim lightning throughout, with smoky glass panels and a large lounge, one restaurant brings forth a relaxed environment for those hoping to end a long day on a good note.

My ONE experience began ordering a lovely cocktail listed as "Strawberry bubbles" on the menu. Sparkling wine, with strawberry infused ketel vodka, fresh strawberries and chambord. This cocktail was both light and fruity, with a perfect balanced sweet level. The Strawberry bubbles cocktail was the right way to begin my dining experience at ONE.

The Lobster spoons is what was chosen as my appetizer. Tender butter braised lobster and vermouth. Lush, inviting and flavorsome. The lobster was cooked very well and melted like butter on my palate. My absolute favorite dish of the evening. A dish I recommend all to try when visiting this restaurant.

I had then chose the Ricotta Gnocchi as my main. Served in a black pepper cream sauce with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Finished with black truffle. I must say the gnocchi was a little too soft, and had very mild flavor. Acceptable to the palate, however; I was slightly dissatisfied, not to mention there were more mushrooms in the dish than gnocchi. This was a miss for me.

Lastly, I chose the vanilla créme brûlée with jelly doughnuts. I looked forward to this dish, and was looking forward to ending the evening on a good note. However; this too was also a disappointing dish. The sugar on the créme brûlée was served burned, and although I tried my best to eat around it, I was not at all satisfied. Nonetheless, the jelly doughnuts were toothsome and very much enjoyed, which made a huge difference in what was lacked both in presentation and flavor of the brûlée.

Chef Marc McEwen and executive chef Andrew Ellerby present a menu suitable a night on the town, offering a variety of choice. However, I do hope to see in the future each dish executed to its full potential as I do believe they have much more to offer when it comes to Toronto's fine dining. For now, ONE restaurant is not one I would include on my favorites, but Marc McEwen does have many more restaurants I look forward to visiting. You'll just have to wait and see which one I choose next! Until next time, below are my ratings on ONE restaurant.

Overall Experience - 3/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 2.5/5
Food Presentation - 3/5
Taste - 2.5/5
Location - 4/5

Address:
116 Yorkville Ave,
Toronto, ON M5R 1H5

Phone number:
416-961-9600

Website:
one.mcewangroup.ca