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Cafe Boulud: A Feast for the Senses

June 30, 2014 By Lena

One of the wonderful things about Toronto is the wealth of dining options. Every cuisine, every taste, every whim and fancy is catered to, with varying degrees of punch and panache. From food trucks to street meat; fine dining to fusion fare, Toronto offers diners the best the world has to offer, amidst a vibrant, trendsetting city backdrop.

“Located at the exquisite flagship Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, Café Boulud serves a menu inspired by Chef Daniel Boulud’s French roots, inflected with international flavors. Dishes are timeless and expertly executed by Boulud’s talented team of chefs, from the signature Potato Wrapped Sea Bass over leeks and pommes purée to a hearty Slow-Roasted Veal Shank for Two. Downstairs from the café is dbar, the lively bar and lounge serving an array of bar-friendly faire, extensive wine list and unique mixed cocktails.” – Cafe Boulud Toronto

Recently, my husband and I had the fortune of dining at Cafe Boulud, where we experienced a celebration of delectable French cuisine. While I teased photos of our selections via Twitter and Instagram, here is a tribute to our meal from beginning to end.

NOVA SCOTIA LOBSTER SALAD
iceberg lettuce, marinated quail’s egg, cucumber
avocado cream, marie rose

Cafe Boulud TorontoThe plump, delicately poached lobster meat is complemented beautifully with a creamy, refreshingly bright sauce. As soon as the dish starts to border on over-indulgent, a sharp, acidic bite of marinated quail’s egg restores the palette’s equilibrium and balances the richness of the dish. 

SEARED FOIE GRAS
young carrots
caramelized lime
bulgar wheat, cumin & hazelnut spice

Cafe Boulud TorontoAllowing a single, savoury forkful to melt on the tongue, Cafe Boulud’s foie gras is the epitome of luxury. The carmelized outer shell is in perfect contrast to a creamy center, and faint middle eastern spice notes elevate the flavour profile and lend a hint of fusion flair. Truly a feast for the senses.

SHELLFISH PAELLA
spanish fried rice, mussels
clams, chorizo, gulf shrimp
squid, garlic & saffron aioli

Cafe Boulud TorontoPerfection on a plate. The spicy chorizo sets the tone for the entire meal, lending a salty, earthy flavour that permeates every bite. The rice – fried to a crispy, sticky texture – is in contrast to the delicately prepared seafood, and adds a pleasant, almost rustic vibe to an otherwise dainty dish.

CUMBRAE DRY AGED BEEF
dry-aged cumbrae filet mignon
bone marrow, confit shallot
pommes pont neuf, parsley salad

Cafe Boulud TorontoThe bone marrow bathes the filet mignon in essential fattiness, imparting a slick, too-rich taste of utter luxury. The beef is dry aged and has an impossible buttery texture, melting in the mouth with ribbons of deep, primitive flavour.

GRAPEFRUIT GIVRÉ
sesame halva, rose loukoum
grapefruit sorbet

Cafe Boulud TorontoA menu classic; a whole grapefruit is hollowed and lined with house made grapefruit sorbet. At the bottom, fresh grapefruit segments and grapefruit jam, topped with white sesame foam. Above, glossy cubes of rose lukom and halva crumbles. Sealed with a caramelized tuile, it is finished with a crown of shredded halva “hair.” And, it’s a must-taste dessert if you are in Toronto.

STRAWBERRY TART
sable breton, pink pepper meringue
balsamic sauce
pistachio ice cream

Cafe Boulud TorontoDelicate slices of perfectly ripe strawberries tumble together in a pyramid of delight. Crispy, light-as-air meringues are dotted strategically to complement every bite, while the cookie-like cracker and pistachio ice cream offer necessary textural support. A refreshingly tame ending to an embarrassingly rich beginning.

Click here to visit Cafe Boulud Toronto.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Cafe Boulud Toronto, family travel, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, restaurant review

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maggie C

    June 30, 2014 at 9:59 am

    seafood heaven!! Got to try!!

    • Lena

      June 30, 2014 at 10:03 am

      Please do. I am already planning our next visit :)

  2. Judy C (Judy Cowan)

    June 30, 2014 at 11:36 am

    The presentation of the food is amazing, not sure it would be a place for my picky family though.

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:24 pm

      You definitely need to have an adventurous palette, but the good news, there are tried and true favourite – I just didn’t go for them!

  3. nicky

    June 30, 2014 at 11:53 am

    yum! all these dishes look divine!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:24 pm

      They were, Nicky!

  4. Suzie M

    June 30, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    looks divine

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:24 pm

      Still thinking about them :)

  5. Anne Taylor

    June 30, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    This is heavenly looking food! I can only imagine how it tastes, but that strawberry tart is number 1 on my list! Thanks for sharing

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:25 pm

      You’re welcome Anne! The Strawberry Tart was amazing, but the Grapefruit Givre was to die for!

  6. sarah sar

    June 30, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    Wow love the amazing presentation of the dishes! Would be awesome to go here for an anniversary dinner! mmmmmm

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:25 pm

      The perfect place for a celebration!

  7. Flora M

    June 30, 2014 at 4:42 pm

    Aw, now you went and made me REALLY hungry (just waiting for dinner to finish cooking here) !
    I will have the Nova Scotia Lobster Salad, the Cumbrae Dry Aged Beef with a Strawberry Tart to top it off !!! YUMMMMMMMMMMMY !!!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:25 pm

      Love your picks, Flora!

  8. ivy pluchinsky

    June 30, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    looks tasty and scrumptious. yum

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:26 pm

      VERY tasty and scrumptious, Ivy! One of the best meals I’ve had!

  9. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    June 30, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    youre killing me! everything looks so so sooo good.

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:26 pm

      And perfectly portioned, too :)

  10. loucheryl

    June 30, 2014 at 8:34 pm

    I LOVE seafood! After looking at all of your photos, I am so hungry right now.

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:26 pm

      I think I need to try and recreate some of these dishes!

  11. Karen E. Hill

    June 30, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    The lobster part look yummy not sure about the quails egg though

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      It was an acquired taste. I loved it – my husband, not so much!

  12. Heidi C.

    June 30, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    What a lovely meal you must have had. The food looks wonderful!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      We did, Heidi – thank you!

  13. Michael

    June 30, 2014 at 10:39 pm

    Best fine dining experience ever!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      It was pretty spectacular!

  14. Victoria Ess

    June 30, 2014 at 11:09 pm

    All of those dishes look delicious. The dry aged beef is probably my favourite.

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      It was melt-in-your-mouth good :)

  15. Jessica Terry

    July 1, 2014 at 10:56 am

    The food looks absolutely mouthwatering!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Jessica, it was beyond delicious.

  16. Jaimeem

    July 1, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    That poached lobster meat dish looks so good!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      So refreshing and so yummy!

  17. Lynda Cook

    July 1, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    These dishes all look very good and very rich, I’ll take the lobster and the tart, yummmmm!!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Great picks!

  18. Athena

    July 1, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    MMM they’re making my mouth water!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Looking back on the pictures is making me hungry too!

  19. Eldon

    July 1, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    The food looks delicious!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      It’s magnificent, Eldon!

  20. Melinda L.

    July 3, 2014 at 10:28 am

    Must not reach into screen to grab the food >.< Drooling!!

    • Lena

      July 7, 2014 at 2:29 pm

      Hahaha I don’t blame you!

  21. Bailey Dexter

    July 9, 2014 at 5:26 pm

    OMG I am drooling, these look to pretty to eat!

    • Lena

      July 10, 2014 at 11:23 am

      I felt the same way!! (But I did manage to eat them)

  22. Sharlene

    July 15, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    Lobster is my fave! Yum!

    • Lena

      August 4, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      Mine too! I need to have it more often!

  23. Treen Goodwin

    July 22, 2014 at 10:35 am

    Yummy lobster , i am in Nova Scotia and i so love my lobster … all the food looks delish :)

    • Lena

      August 4, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      So jealous you have access to such fresh lobster!

  24. Judy

    July 25, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    This looks amazing. I will have to try it.

    • Lena

      August 4, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      Please do Judy!

  25. Sande

    August 15, 2014 at 4:59 pm

    Always great food at Cafe Boulud.

  26. Debbie White Beattie

    August 4, 2016 at 4:46 am

    OMG Your pictures have got my mouth watering because the food looks so good but my favorite is the lobster. YUMMY !

  27. kathy downey

    August 16, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    I live in Newfoundland and eat fresh seafood often just hours from the water but never in amazing dishes like this !

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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