What’s on the menu at Recette, a fun French restaurant on Queen West with a Chef Chantecler in the kitchen
Name: recipe Contact: 1166 Queen Street West, @recipeonqueen Piece: Village of Beaconsfield Previously: Ikune by After Owner: Naveen Chakravarti (Neon Tiger, Oddseoul) Chief: Milo Beaubien-Wright (Le Phénix, Chantecler, Actinolite) Accessibility: Not fully accessible
The food
Chef Beaubien-Wright strikes a balance between accessibility and innovation with fresh, creative plates that showcase elements of classic old cuisine translated for a modern palate. These are high-end, inventive dishes that, despite the squeezed pears and kohlrabi chips, don’t despise anyone.
In one dish, deeply caramelized scallops sit in a brilliant sauce of charred escarole and romaine – a reminder of the imaginative modernity of the Beaubien-Wright era of cooking at Actinolite, and a riff on the timeless French association of scallops with watercress sauce. A Cornish hen is served with rutabaga which has undergone a traditional vegetable-glaze treatment (a carefully sequenced procession of water, acid and butter) but with currant juice in place of the traditional lemon. For a menu that leans heavily on the chef’s technical chops, it’s refreshing and easy to taste.
It’s cheese and crackers, leveled. Lush, earthy gorgonzola is served with a rhubarb and hibiscus compote, frisée frisee, citrus shiso, puffed amaranth and a cracker dusted with sesame seeds, nori powder and pop powder -corn. Crunchy and creamy, with just the right amount of sugar, this rather unlikely combo of ingredients doesn’t have to work as well as it does. $14. An idyllic summer dish to accompany a chilled glass of white wine, this salmon tartare plays on the chef’s love for gravlax. Cubes of brined salmon with ponzu, green peppercorns and chive aioli are tossed with green apple, pickled shallots and a mixture of tarragon, chives, dill and lemon balm. The whole thing is topped with crispy garlic chips and served with thin slices of kohlrabi, meant to serve as the delivery vehicle for the tartare. $18. Here we have seared, butter-brushed Hokkaido scallops in a particularly delicious sauce: escarole and romaine are charred on the grill, pressed and emulsified to a silky shine with lemon, butter and salt. Deep and smoky, it has nothing to do with humble green salads. It is served with dollops of pear gel balanced with fermented gooseberry juice, compressed pear cubes, toasted hazelnuts, leek oil and a mustard microgreen garnish. Funky, sour and sweet, this is a wonderfully harmonious dish. $24. Treating vegetables like meat is all the rage in Parisian culinary circles followed closely by Beaubien-Wright. Here, he gives maitake mushrooms the steak treatment, drizzling them in butter with thyme, rosemary and garlic before grilling them to caramelized perfection then hitting them with a honey glaze. Gorgeous golden-brown mushrooms rest in a fluffy celeriac mousse. Everything is garnished with chive oil, garlic chips and marinated asparagus. $22. For dessert, the classic madeleine cookie dough is baked in a loaf pan and topped with a trio of raspberries: meringue, candy powder and fresh, juicy berries. It is served with an Earl Gray diplomat cream, or custard mixed with whipped cream (sweetened whipped cream). Delicate, shiny and not too sweet, it’s like an adult birthday cake. $12.
The drinks
Summery, sipping cocktails with playful touches — like a pink peppercorn strawberry margarita or old-fashioned syrup with a simpler-than-usual twist — dominate the cocktail menu. A tight, largely Old World wine list with an emphasis on low-intervention bottles balances light, crisp varietals with more full-bodied options.
Wish List is a Spicy Strawberry Margarita enhanced with homemade Anaheim Chili Simple Syrup, fresh strawberry puree, and a delicious rim of dehydrated strawberries, pink peppercorn, raw sugar, and salt of Maldon. A mezcal spritz gives it the slightest smoky touch. $16. Here we have the Forgive & Forget, a playful and floral tart made with Dillon pink gin, lime (which pairs better with gin than the typical lemon), St. Germain and pink peppercorn. $16. Here we have the Forgive & Forget, a playful and floral tart made with Dillon pink gin, lime (which pairs better with gin than the typical lemon), St. Germain and pink peppercorn. $16.
Space
Pops of color, like pretty fuchsia orchids on the tables, energize the room’s laid-back wood and eggshell palette. There are plenty of comfy booths and picnic table-style seating, latticework detailing on the walls, and a fun soundtrack of hip-hop and classic house music that gives the space a youthful, upbeat vibe. relaxed.
From left to right: bar manager Zachary Burcsik, owner Naveen Chakravarti and chef Milo Beaubien-Wright
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