Before heading for ice cream at Monsieur Crémeux, we had a brunch at Martin Juneau's famed restaurant - Pastaga. His restaurant made it on the top 10 of enRoute magazine in 2012. The food has influences from a broad range of cuisines with a French twist. It's the type of restaurant where you appreciate the effort and creativity in preparing each plate. It is said that when chefs know their techniques, they make amazing dishes. Pastaga is a good example.
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| Smoked Salmon Cake, Ranch, Fennel and Hard-Boiled Egg |
My friend Jess had the house-smoked salmon cake. When I think of fish/crab cakes, I think of three small pieces of cakes. Here it is massive, almost the size of a hockey puck. On the first bite, the fish was moist with punches of smokiness and a golden crisp panko coating. It is complimented with a generous smear of tangy ranch sauce and thinly shaved fennel to help cleanse the palate along with hard-boiled egg and crisp potatoes. It's a perfectly composed dish with variant texture and flavours.
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| Pulled Pork Benedict, Spicy Hollandaise, 64°C egg on Scone |
I had the pulled pork egg benedict. The pork is drenched in a homemade BBQ sauce served on top of flaky scone. The pulled pork was juicy and full of smoky flavors that made us go back for more. It is served with a perfectly made 64°C egg. What does it mean? Sous-vide cooking has made the life of chefs easier preventing them from overcooking or drying the food. The doneness of say steak depends on its internal temperature. Independent of how long you cook the meat for a given temperature, the meat will never overcook. Egg is one of these marvelous ingredients. The proteins of egg yolk and egg white coagulate in a predictable way for a specific temperature. A change of 1 degree can modify considerably the final result. You can read all about it on Modernist Cuisine at Home. At 64-65°C gives a firm creamy egg - loose white and gelatinous yolk.
Overall, I would rather spend money on the chef's creativity rather than paying for eating an expensive ingredients. Pastaga is worth all the hype. Both dishes are well thoughout and very balanced. After our brunch experience, we will definitely try out their dinner menu.
I would spend money on the chef creativity rather than paying for expensive ingredient.
Opening Hours
Mon-Wed: 5pm-10pm
Thu: 5pm-12am
Fri: 12pm-12am
Sat: 10am-12am
Sun: 10am-10pm
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