My recently immigrated ex-chowhounder friend of 2+decades, Daniel aka ‘HKtraveler’ and I both regarded ourselves as discerning and passionate foodies. Occasionally in the past, we made plans together, sometimes with the inputs of other fellow foodie friends, to concoct culinary excursions outside the narrow confines of our home-cities. Whenever possible, we met up in destination restaurants that offer exceptional cuisine, worth a detour or special journey. I count myself blessed to have participated in such unforgettable gastronomic adventures. Many a time, these chowmeets were held in epicurean food centers like Tokyo and Hong Kong with the attendance of other fervent gourmands. Recounting some of those cherished events, which took me down memory lane, were priceless.
Realizing another chowmeet is long overdue, we decided to organize our own ‘ Mini-meet ‘ by picking a previously untried venue that we hope is deserving and laudable enough for such a gathering. Our intimate chowmeet choice?!.. An adventurous drive, after dark, out into ‘ unfamiliar hinterland territory ‘ and trying out a newly crowned Michelin star establishment - “The Pine in Creemore”! Of course, we do not expect our chosen Michelin 1* to provide us with an exemplary package and savoir-faire experience typical of a 2* or 3*, that was normally our preferred past choices. But, with fingers crossed for a positive gastronomic outcome ( which we relied mostly on feedback from trusted food bloggers and the acument of Michelin inspectors ) plus an adventuresome drive into the ‘wilderness’, we hope to transform this periodic culinary gathering from a routine dining experience into an enchanting culinary expedition!
However, before proceeding with my review of our whimsical and delightful 15 course ‘Chinese food themed‘ fusion tasting menu tonight. I would like to first get the following ‘injustice’ off my chest!
Based on tonight’s pleasurable and imaginative dining experience, there is no doubt in my mind that this exemplary hidden gem is more than worthy of its latest Michelin 1* award. As such, I was therefore puzzled by the disparity and uncharacteristically low ranking bestowed to it by our Canadian own and authoritative “ 2024, 100 Best Canada restaurant list “?! IMO, the rating by this organization was way, way off and to put it bluntly, totally out-of-whack!
It is preposterous to see this Michelin 1* recipient being placed at #40, way below some ‘non-Michelin star’ rated, over-hyped establishments, like the often exaggerated ‘Langdon Hall’ (#5 ), an upscale but unremarkable Montreal French bistro ‘Monarque’ (#11 ), an overrated Toronto institution ‘Canoe’ (#24 )…and most laughable and wacky of all, it being straddled by a couple of gimmicky, quasi-Chinese places……Mimi Chinese (#35 ) and Sunny’s Chinese(#38 )! Talk about making a mockery to our food critic community and a travesty to the nth degree!!
During the past months, I have the pleasure of eating in five other highly rated, Canadian Michelin star establishments…Edulis ( #2 ), Alo ( #3 ), Pearl Morissette (#6 ) and AnnaLena, Vancouver ( #20 ), Frilu ( sadly closed since July ). I can only say, the meal and some of the dishes I had tonight were as good and equally spectacular and stunning!
Now onto the food!
For their culinary creation, the friendly, skilled and talented chefs deployed to the fullest, their entire arsenal of experiences and knowledge they have honed and garnered during their training all over China and the Orient. The result, some amazingly clever and artful twists on certain traditional Chinese dishes. Transforming and morphing them into both visually appealing and palate pleasing bites. Some standout taste-bombs, wth intriguing sauces that bursted with exquisite and well harmonized flavor. Wonderful and sensory wowing!
With a whopping 15 courses to cover, I have decided to just highlight
a few of my favorites of the night. I’ll take the short cut by posting the menu and let photos of all the dishes and your imagination do the talking instead!
Some chosen favorites of the evening include:
- Savory Chinese Tea Leaf deviled egg topped with Caviar
- Dainty and ultra-crispy Pumpkin cake
- ‘Char-Siu‘ diver scallops….the morsel plump and sweet
- Ocean trout, perfectly ‘ barely ‘ cooked
- Roasted and charred, Oyster sauce based marinade Ontario Lamb rib eye.
……etc
Enjoy the visual culinary journey and have fun!
Lastly, the extremely friendly, knowledgeable and professional service by our servers was impeccable!
Excellent food plus great company! What a delightful evening!
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