[Summerlicious/Canadian] Far Niente

Restaurant: Far Niente 
Location: 187 Bay Street, Commerce Court, Toronto ON M5L 1G5
Price Range: $$$
Note: This review is only for Summerlicious 2015 lunch, it does not reflect the normal service.

Far Niente
Far Niente

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To be honest I didn’t expect to come to Far Niente for Summerlicious at all since the menu didn’t attract me. However my coworker was having a team lunch here, they invited me and it was really close to my office, so why not!

Upon entering the restaurant, I was impressed at how spacious it was! There was a second floor and a patio, the wine rack was really impressive as well.

Summerlicious 2015 Lunch Menu
Summerlicious 2015 Lunch Menu

Far Niente is located in the heart of Financial District, so even for Summerlicious prix fixe menu, I expected the restaurant was going to be pretty expensive. Normally for Summerlicious, I tend to pick the most expensive main course so it will worth the money lol. With that said, this time I chose the ravioli as my main since the steak will probably give me itis after lunch :(.

East Coast Seafood Escabeche (Compressed watermelon, capers, rhubarb, tomato, chili, lemon aioli)
East Coast Seafood Escabeche (Compressed watermelon, capers, rhubarb, tomato, chili, lemon aioli)

Since we love seafood, C and I got the seafood escabeche as our appetizers :).

The seafood was cooked perfectly, and by marinating them in vinegar and olive oil, it gave the seafood a deliciously sharp tang. The watermelon and capers toned down the tanginess of the seafood with theirs sweetness and saltiness flavors, respectively. However, I felt the chili was not needed as the dish turned out to be too spicy. Don’t get me wrong, I love spicy food but the heat from the chili lingered in my mouth, and prevented me from tasting other flavors.

Lemon Basil Ravioli (tomato ragout, olives, asparagus, walnuts, parmesan, balsamic)
Lemon Basil Ravioli (tomato ragout, olives, asparagus, walnuts, parmesan, balsamic)

For main course I chose the lemon basil ravioli. The ravioli had a perfect ratio of fillings to dough, and I believe the filling was ricotta cheese, yum! Unfortunately there were only 2 dots of the lemon basil sauce on the plate, hence I couldn’t taste the sauce at all :(. The tomato ragout was just like any other regular tomato pasta sauce that I could have made. Also, I’m not sure why there were a few pieces of candied walnuts as they didn’t go well with the savory ravioli at all… Overall an okay dish and just not memorable.

Corn meal crusted Halibut (chorizo-farro succotash, petit herb salad, horseradish vinaigrette)
Corn meal crusted Halibut (chorizo-farro succotash, petit herb salad, horseradish vinaigrette)

C got this dish and it was a generous portion for a $28 lunch! My other coworkers got the steak and they all had a perfect medium rare temperature. However I can’t say the same for the halibut as it was overcooked. Moreover, for me anything crusted with cornmeal is pretty much tasteless, so I was expecting the sauce to deliver a big punch of flavor, but I was quite disappointed…

Strawberry Bavarois (graham cracker, whipped basil, balsamic reduction, black pepper)
Strawberry Bavarois (graham cracker, whipped basil, balsamic reduction, black pepper)

C got the strawberry bavarois and while I didn’t get to try, she seemed to enjoy it. I was quite curious of how the black pepper would go with the bavarois though.

Triple Layered Chocolate Mousse (sugar tuile, chocolate caramel sauce, summer berries)
Triple Layered Chocolate Mousse (sugar tuile, chocolate caramel sauce, summer berries)

I ordered the mousse and it was not overly sweetened, however it wasn’t bad nor awful. The mousse itself had a dense texture and strong chocolate flavor. The first layer was jello or something, I just can’t quite put my finger on it but it was good! The top layer was tangy and really helped to cut down the rich chocolate mousse.

I thought my Summerlicious lunch at Far Niente was okay, but not spectacular. None of the items on their lunch menu jumped out to me as special, hence I was a bit hesitated to try the restaurant. Since we had 12 people, there was also a service charge so our bill came to almost $40… which were probably the most expensive lunch I ever had.

Far Niente Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



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