Friday, May 30, 2014

Origin in Toronto

For my last night in Toronto for work, one of my coworkers organized a group meal at Origin for ten of us.  It was a great hideout from the day's rain, and the modern interior was surprisingly welcoming.  Our long table was wooden with a topper of resin with embedded knives.  I wish I could explain that better, but it is what it is!  Quirky to be sure.  There were silent movies playing on the TVs above the bar, and finding the washroom in the labyrinthine basement was an adventure.  (Notice I said "washroom" and not "bathroom" like I kept seeing in Canada. LOL)

Since we were such a large group, they asked us to eat from a pre-determined menu to maintain a steady tapas pace.  We chose the Standard Deluxe menu, at a cost of $65 (Canadian) per person.  We definitely had some cocktails, but for the price we ate a TON of food!

OUR MENU

First Course
Bay scallop ceviche + lime + coconut + mango bisque + plantain


Tostones + guacamole


 
 Second Course
Cucumber + zucchini + nori + sweet potato + yuzu dressing
Japanese style tuna salad + nashi pear + avocado + spicy ponzu dressing

 
 Third Course
Bufala mozzarella + pear + rosemary oil + pinenuts + honey

 
Beet + goat cheese + pickled red onion + walnuts + sherry dressing + yoghurt
 
Steamed sugar snaps
 
 Fourth Course
32oz Rib-eye + chimi churri


Spicy Spanish fries + chorizo + manchego


Warm mushroom salad + smoked tofu + truffle miso + crispy wakame
 
 Dessert Course
Meringue + kalamansi curd + citrus + coconut
 
Glazed banana + hazelnut crunch + Bavarian cream + chocolate ice cream


Our servers kept the food coming at a very steady pace.  The portions were large enough that we were able to each have whatever we wanted, with a little left over.  The dishes that stood out to me most as my favorites were the mozzarella and pear (it was like a decadent dessert!), the perfectly cooked ribeye, and the spicy Spanish fries.  I was super stuffed by the end, but I definitely feel like we got our money's worth of gourmet cuisine, and it was a fun and relaxing evening out with friends.

I later go dragged out to various bars and eventually a dance club, but Origin stands out to me as the best food I ate during my trip to Toronto.

Origin Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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4 comments:

  1. Woah! All the food! That plantain is very interestingly presented.

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  2. The best part was, there was a huge group and we typically had three of each plate to share. You could really pick and just do a bite if it wasn't your thing (I'm not that adventurous to be honest, but I try it all) and it was paced perfectly. For a group our size, the restaurant required a pre-set menu, so they could keep the pace going. We basically ate slowly for three hours.

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  3. That sounds like a great restaurant! And the food looks so delicious.

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  4. There's a reason I'll never be a skinny girl! I have to try all the food.

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