“It can be hit or miss…” Words that might echo forever.

The plates were small so the initial reaction was to order one of everything. Cooler heads prevailed and we ordered 3/4 of the menu – different dishes for everyone. I had kept a copy of the menu but it got lost somewhere in the Toronto -> Montreal -> Toronto -> San Francisco journey. Instead, you can navigate their site for examples of the dish names; some examples include:

• Raw tuni + crispy nori + wasabi + cucumber + avocado + azumi sea weed + lake trout roe + ginger + yuzu + soy sauce ice + ginger
• Crispy Wokked squid + caramelized peanut + asian pear + green peppercorn + spiced mango pod + pomella + Chinese sausage
• Peking duck + confit chicken wing + liquorice & burnt honey sauce + butternut squash flan + cape goose berry
• and the list of ingredients goes on and on and on

In retrospect, their web site, http://www.colbornelane.com/, is a great introduction to the cuisine. Why? It’s a complete and utter mess. There is no design nor organization – there’s only hideous, unnecessary, and complicated design and navigation elements running through it – something that completely embodies the food. Not even the Stone Roses background music can save that thing.

The chef has been celebrated as a “kitchen chemist.” There’s some slight redundance in that phrase but obviously the point is that he practices “molecular gastronomy” in some form or fashion. I have nothing against this style and I have had some exciting meals in this general vein – Keyah Grande, WD-50, Alinea, El Bulli, Fat Duck, and Can Roca. I have also had some unmitigated disasters, meals so bad I wouldn’t wish them on anyone – Moto and Cordeillan Bages.

A prawn ceviche was first. It was a daring pick considering it contained upwards of 5-6 competing ingredients. The prawn were of decent quality but there was no competition on this day – the spice element obliterated everything. It was Unicron, or Galactus, devouring everything in its path, destroying taste buds by the second. There was no regard for balance and less concern for taste. Dine, Then Dish thought their lobster ceviche was too mellow! No one of any nationality could have thought the same of our ceviche. Was the second string working that night? Either Colborne Lane destroyed their taste buds or the kitchen performs at an alarming inconsistency.

We had looks of confusion, worry, and possibly terror. Plans were being drawn up, other restaurants were suggested, and we agreed to a pact – if the next series of dishes resembled anything of the first, dinner at Colborne Lane would be brief and short. Nonetheless, I thought the worry was probably exaggerated considering the statistical impossibility of incompetence striking twice at this magnitude. (Another warning: I took a fair amount of math in college but I somehow skipped Statistics.)

A tuna tartar arrived next – with this crowd, the kiss of death. The plating was sloppy – Tom Aikens can be controversial in the plating department but there’s usually a visual flow. Limp wasabi foam (like a cappuccino that’s sat around a bit too long) was thrown on one side while a mound of soy ice stretched across the other side. There was roe, nori, avocado, cucumber, and much more thrown into the center. It was a DIY dish – the presentation of the ingredients offered no guidance as to their desired concentration on the palette. The raw tuna was of inferior quality – that was that.

“Check please.” To their credit, they didn’t charge us for the food – why kick a man when he’s down? And I will return the favor by not discussing the other 3 dishes we were subjected to.

Looking at the menu, I don’t understand how the food can be consistently delicious. Every dish has at least 5 ingredients displayed on the menu; no doubt, countless more are included. What are the taste buds to do when they are being pulled in every direction? Your mouth would need to be a master of Multi-variable Calculus to get a grip on what’s happening.

Stay Away. From Canada. Others argue the food is “sublime” but, then again, it is Chowhound. BigBunny likes it more than Splendido and Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar – I’d have to strongly disagree. Eating in Toronto thought it warranted 4/5 stars – I would struggle to give it one; fortunately, they do give Sushi Kaji 5/5. If you decide to go, start in the shallow waters, order a few dishes, and only continue ordering once you’ve had a chance to sample.

- chuck

Official Site: http://www.colbornelane.com/

The space is nice & serene – typical Japanese fare but very tastefully finished. The dishes looked nice – I wish I had remembered the camera because my writing below does not give any justice to the beauty of the dishes.

1. Fried Shrimp w/ Mountain Potato & a Teryika-like sauce
The shrimp was cooked well but the sauce was powerful, a bit too sweet, and cloying. Good.

2. Squash Soup
Balanced but spicy upfront w/ enough thickness to make it satisfying. Very Good.

3. Ham in Cucumber, Chicken & Mushrooms, & Fish Wrapped in Egg
3 small dishes in one, each good in conception but marred by slightly inferior ingredients. Ok.

4. Tomato Tempura, Pork Ball, & Potato Tempura
Arranged in a tower, the tempuras were quite delicate and second only to Masa. The pork ball was about as good as it sounds – a bit too bland considering its accompaniments. Good.

5. Sashimi of Toro, Spanish Mackerel, Sea Breem, Sea Trout, & Calamari
The toro texture & color were very good but the taste suffered from a ‘wateriness’; it lacked the richness of the best examples. Mind you, that’s better than 95% of the places out there. The other fish were good to very good, none of them screaming “we’re the best” but, again, better than 95% of the places out there. Good.

6. Uni w/ Mountain Potato
The uni was creamy but suspicions are always raised when the chef puts too much soy on the dish. It was good but it probably shouldn’t have been served. The chef (the one cooking) later confirmed this wasn’t their best uni. Good.

7. Matsutake Soup
The meat in the soup (shrimp, white fish, & chicken) was overcooked but the broth itself was full of flavor and persistence. The lime provided a solid acid backbone. Good.

8. Sea Breem w/ Matsutaki & Turnip Puree
The fish was overcooked and the puree was a pile of blandness. This was one of the worst dishes of the evening. Not Good.

9. Roasted Pine Mushroom w/ Fried Noodle & Fried Shrimp
The presentation was exquisite – the mushrooms were cooked in paper, the noodles resembled delicate weave, and the shrimp was stuffed inside a jalepeno – again, 3 dishes in one. The shrimp was overcooked, the mushrooms good but not great, and the noodles were absolutely addictive. Good.

10. Calamari
Some random pieces of calamari steamed w/ varying degrees of success. Good.

11. Eel nigiri
I’m not a big eel fan but this seemed to be ok. Ok.

12. Fish in Soup
This was the least appetizing as the fish resembled something floating in Lake Ontario. The broth was balanced but it left some gelatin on your lips. Not my thing. Ok.

13. Toro 1 nigiri
Seared nigiri whose charred flavor lingered in your mouth for awhile. Very Good.

14. Toro 2 nigiri
Same piece we had earlier, great for most places. Good.

15. Crab wrapped in Leaf
A different type of roll where the meat & rice were stuffed in a leaf. Sweet, better rice than the nigiri, not a bad dish. Good.

16. Abalone nigiri
Nice piece of abalone mated w/ rice. Good.

17. Scallop nigiri
Caramelized scallop, cooked right with a nice spice. Very Good.

18. Mackerel
Same as before, a nice clean fish. Good.

19. Green Tea Creme Burlee
The texture was a bit too mushy but the deep earth flavor penetrated the dish. Good.

Overall, this would not compete w/ the American heavyweights on raw or cooked dishes. However, it was a perfectly good meal ($120 canadian) that delivered superb value. The chef admits he doesn’t have the clientelle to support a challenge to the title. For the money and the area, this is a great meal made w/ very good ingredients that certainly has opportunities to impress and shine.

If you’re in Toronto, and you crave fish or Japanese, Kaji is definitely the place to go.

- chuck

It was the best meal of the trip (Sushi Kaji a close 2nd, Eigensinn 3rd but probably b/c expectations were too high and they missed.) Splendido’s food can have too much going on at times, and the chef definitely likes his powerful flavors, but the ingredient quality is very good to great and when it’s on – it’s up there.

1. Trio of Scallops
a. Seared w/ Tuna Bacon & Maple Syrup -> The flavors went well together but the syrup was a touch too sweet and masked the (likely) natural sweetness of the scallop. Good.
b. Raw w/ Tamari Jelly -> Bright, clean flavors, unsure of origin of tamari. Excellent.
c. Raw w/ Tapanade -> Muddy, couldn’t taste the scallop. Ok.

2. Line-Caught Boston Skate w/ Seared Scallop & Quail Egg
The skate was cooked well but it was the wonderful taste that had me smiling. I’ve not a fan of skate b/c of its texture, but you could almost taste the ocean in this – wow. Unfortunately, the very powerful arugula/tomato/vinegar dressing was too acidic and obliterated the fish when ate together. Scrape away. Scallop was good but it was served on an olive paste that, like the dressing, overpowered the scallop. Excellent dish if it was just the very fresh piece of dish. As is – Good.

3. Seared Icelandic Langostine w/ Crab Sausage w/ Steamed Oyster
The man loves his trios – each served separately in a tarrgaon/champagne sauce. Langostine was cooked perfectly and the tarragone-y sauce went well w/ it. It wasn’t as sweet as the best of them but an excellent example nonetheless. The crab sausage was just plain gross – and it was rather large. It was very watery inside the casing, horrible texture – imagine a watery crab cake w/o the searing. Excellent dish w/ just the langostine. As is – Good.

4. Nova Scotia Lobster w/ Octopus in Thyme Butter, Lobster Broth in Bed of Tagliarini
A very well done dish w/ nice ingredients. Everything cooked very well (though not as perfect as the langostine); the pasta was perhaps a touch overcooked but that’s splitting hairs. Nice dish that only failed to excite – I guess the number of ingredients made it difficult to focus on one exemplary ingredient – add through subtraction. Good.

5. Hamachi Collar on the Habachi
Sometimes, it pays to know the chef – this was the dish that got the dining room looking. A quite large collar served tableside on the habachi w/ a faint coat of miso-like dressing that left a wonderful smell. Very fatty w/ a subtle smoked flavor and a touch of sea. Some parts were a bit mushy, some perfectly firm; and others a touch overcooked; all perfectly acceptable considering the cooking method. Very Good.

6. Squab Confit, Sous-Vide Breast, & Pork Belly
The confit was cooked in duck fat and it was finger-linking good. The breast was a touch under med rare (i’d prefer a little rawer) but it had a great gamey taste. Pork belly was tasty but nowhere near the one we had @ Eigensinn a few days earlier. Very Good.

7. Lime Sorbet w/ Champagne Froth
Tart, just enough sweetness to carry the acid. Very Good.

8. Milk-fed Rack of Lamb w/ Braised Lamb Shoulder
The rack was extremely tender – never seen lamb so pink and tender. It tasted fine but fell short of my memories of Pauillac lamb at Lameloise (am I a tough customer?) I’m not the biggest fan of braised meats and this one didn’t impress either. Good.

9. Some Desserts

Overall, most likely a must-go if you’ve got 2-3 days in Toronto. Pristine ingredients that could be even better if the chef exercised a touch more restraint. In fact, it was reminiscent of some of my Manresa meals except the restraint Kinch shows improves the dishes. A lot of chefs are very interested in seafood right now and a rare few have the magical touch (Gagnaire, Kinch, Ripert, & Jean-Georges) where they can add stuff that amplifies the raw ingredient. More chefs fall into the same camp was Mr Splendido where they get high-quality ingredients but fail to lift the ingredient higher (recent memories include Redd and Cyrus here in the Bay Area.)

When I return to Toronto, I would do Eigensinn and Splendido for sure, and Sushi Kaji if i have the time. Perigee could impress and the room was stunning so that seems like an acceptable substitute if you can’t make the 2-hour trek to Eigensinn.

- chuck

The restaurant itself has attained myth-like status. You step through some mud and enter the dining room via their laundry room. A dog and cat might be patrolling the dining room. 12 lucky people are served on Fri & Sat only for a few months a year. Dinner costs around $250/person. There’s no wine list. The service is not professional – just enthusiastic students of the farm. French music might be heard at night emanating from the barn (a happy cow makes for better food.) A lot of quirks that give the place its charm and reputation.

The cooking has been compared to The French Laundry in its honesty and integrity. It’s consistenty ranked as the #1 restaurant in Canada. Unfortunately, my meal was not on the level it should have been. They had just returned from an extended vacation and they probably needed a few more days to get into the groove.

1. “Amuses”
A plate of various shellfish/fish.
- Malpeaque oyster w/ tarragon was refreshing, crisp, touch of sea. Very Good.
- White fish w/ bleu blanc & tarragaon was good, but the fish lacked flavor. Ok.
- Pickerel w/ jersulam artchicoke & ice wine reduction was the star of the show. Slightly sweet, nice texture/preparedness for a river fish. Very Good.
- Black cod w/ horseradish & orange – ok, satisfactory, but perhaps a bit too bland to really impress. Good.
- Smoked pork on sourdough – flavorful but nothing revelationary. Ok.

2. Lobster Bisque w/ Fennel
Rules are meant to be broken. Eigensinn prefers to serve local/on-the-grounds ingredients but a shellfish can’t be bred inland. Not very creamy, intense lobster flavor. A sweetness gives way to a briny/sea aftertaste. Very Good.

3. Duck Consumme w/ Foie/Duck Dumpling
I will never live down the day I asked for a second serving of the ridiculous mushroom consumme at Regis Marcon as an alternative for the coffee/tea course. I was assured the Eigenssin consummes would be on a higher level. Sadly, this consumme, while good, did not live up to its expectations. There was no upfront burst of flavor; but it did have a solid backbone that carried the consumme through. Good.

4. Pork Belly w/ Foie
Pork belly was quite good – extremely crispy skin that yielded to a fatty/rich meat – certainly one of the better examples i’ve had lately. Foie was sauteed, no veins, but lacked any ooomph. All served in a bed of carrots, corn, parsley sauce, and chanterelle mushrooms. Very Good.

5. Grilled Georgian Bay Trout w/ Tomato-Chive Butter & Swiss Chard Compote
Nothing exciting, straight-forward fresh-water fish. Ok.

6. Black Currant Sorbet
Intense taste. Very Good.

7. Lamb w/ Sheep Cheese Raviloi
The lamb was a bit tough and my friend’s wife suggested rigor mortis was the culprit. Turns out, that was the case, as the lamb had only been sitting a week versus its customary 3-4 weeks. Ravioli was delicate & delicious. All served on a bed of green beans, roasted zucchini, beets in duck fat, and brain jous. Ok.

8. Vanilla / Armagnac Ice Cream
Sweet upfront, alcohol undertones, carried through like a good wine. Excellent texture. Very Good.

9. Apple Tartine w/ Plum
No notes, ok…….

I wanted Eigensinn to be a lot more and it should have been. I got the first meal after an extended vacation w/ the chef admitting some mistakes (rigor mortis lamb.) I would absolutely try it again (perhaps in the spring as snow and i don’t necessarily mix.) It is a *very* special place that reminds me of rural France or Spain (stylistically, the restaurant itself reminds me of a homegrown Mugaritz.) The potential is there, and considering its reputation, a second trip is justified. Next year, perhaps, before the Montreal grand prix.

If you’re in Toronto, there’s no excuse not to make the 2 hour trek up north to give it a shot.

- chuck