Between the hustle and bustle of living in one of the biggest cities in North America and making his way to the shop, Chef Kev rarely has time to make elaborate meals. Let’s just say we’ve started eating out — a lot.

When you are looking for a place to get a good meal, at times you have to choose a restaurant other than the regular spot for Chinese dumplings. It had been a while since we had gone to a fancy restaurant for dinner, which for a chef in a foodie town is almost taboo. And, at the end of a long day, why not go big, ’cause we weren’t going home! We were honoured when a couple of Kev’s chef friends invited us along to try out some of the fancier eats the city has to offer.

Introducing our experience at the Shangri-La Hotel’s signature restaurant, Bosk. Hands down one of the best dining experiences to date. The restaurant’s Asian-inspired menu is nothing short of extraordinary and provides a seasonal selection of plates. It’s one of those places that offers up to 4 courses with an option to choose the Chef’s selections. I said we were going big, right? When in Bosk…

We were treated like royalty as we placed our order and before the first course came to the table, we were tantalized by various amuse bouches. From truffled parfaits served in demi-egg shells to tuna roe delicately placed on a flaxen wafer, the array of flavours made tiny explosions in our mouths. There were rich, they were decadent, they were unbelievable.

One of the Chef’s signature dishes came to the table: the Norther Divine Caviar Donut. The slightly sweet doughnut, think the flavour of a Chinese pastry, was big enough for 2 to 3 bites and drizzled with creme fraiche, pureed chive, shallot, gelatine egg yolk and, you guessed it, caviar. Perfectly savoury.

The first course was between the Beet and Prosciutto Salad and the Heirloom Tomato Soup. The beets were perfectly cooked and the soup was served to perfection!

The second course was the Lobster Gnocchi and Roasted Foie Gras. The gnocchi had forest mushroom oil and a lobster emulsion to top it off, while the foie gras was like butter to an already buttery brioche.

The main courses were Sablefish done as the Halibut dish (the chef wasn’t happy with the halibut), the Cumbrae Farms Beef Ribeye and the Brome Lake Duck.

Each perfectly presented and the tastes were swirl worthy — the fish with a little kick in the broth, the ribeye was like butter, and the confit leg of the duck was falling apart.

Last, and never least, was dessert! The Buttermilk and Rhubard panna cotta, the Illanka Dark Chocolate Palette and the Mango Passion Fruit Cremaux.

All the dessert came with a complexity that is too lengthy to list. We are talking gold foils, citrus crumble and a toasted streusel that only the keenest eye for detail could come up with.

It was a successful night, filled with good company, good wine, laughter and, as always, good food!

More pictures to follow!