Restaurant: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Location: 85 Hanna Ave, Toronto, ON M6K 3S3
Price Range: $$
Note: This review is only for Summerlicious 2015 dinner, it does not reflect the normal service.
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For my second Summerlicious, my friend and I decided to stop by Mildred’s Temple Kitchen for their dinner menu. I have previously reviewed their brunch and you can see the pictures of the restaurant’s gorgeous interior here!
For Far Niente and Mildred, I was able to make reservations through OpenTable, an online reservation service that is also available on iPhone and Android. In the past I have used the app to make reservations and seriously, it is extremely convenient and it’s not limited to Toronto, which mean you can make reservations anywhere in the world!
With OpenTable, the service show you the available date and time for patrons to make a reservation. In addition, on their main site you can see all the information of the restaurant, such as Mildred’s Summerlicious policy. This was extremely useful to know as they only serve a Summerlicious three-course lunch menu (Monday-Friday), and a three course dinner menu (Thursday-Saturday). One fun feature that OpenTable offers are points which you can earn and redeem for dining gifts (check here for more details).
Initially my friends and I wanted to go to Mildred on Saturday but at last minute (Tuesday), we had to switch our reservation to Thursday since one friend couldn’t make it. At first I was worried it would be too late to change, but by using OpenTable, the service helped to modify my reservation without any issue!
For Summerlicious, Mildred have a $23 prix fixe menu for lunch and $35 for dinner. In my opinion, if you work around Liberty Village on weekdays, definitely go here for Summerlicious during lunch. The reason being is that for on their Summerlicious lunch menu, Mildred offers the legendary blueberry pancake, and that dish itself is already $16 on the regular menu so the $23 lunch menu is worth it!
Of course, the biscuits never disappoint at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen as they are freshly made in house, soft and warm. Seriously, the owners should consider opening a bakery/cafe and I wouldn’t mind going all the way to Liberty Village for those delicious scones/biscuits and coffee…
(w/ pumpernickel crisp, whipped cream cheese, citrus compressed melon, lump fish roe, cucumber & dill)
The cured trout was really tasty, I liked how the saltiness of the lump fish roe and sweetness of the melon really complimented one another. The soft whipped cream cheese, refreshing cucumber and slightly bitter (and aromatic) dill really enhanced the flavor of the cured trout when eaten in one bite!
(w/ lime, chili and coconut milk topped with crab, sour cream & crispy tortilla)
The sweet corn soup is a little bit thin for my liking, as I’m used to the Asian style of a thick and silky soup texture. With that said, because of the thin texture, the soup wasn’t too filling and perfect as an appetizer! The flavors of the soup was amazing. It was not too sweet as the lime balanced out the sweetness of the corn and coconut milk, and the chili lent a subtile hint of spice. The crispy tortilla acts as croutons I supposed, which really elevated a simple and comforting sweet corn soup.
I got the baby back ribs and it wasn’t my favourite. Normally I don’t like coffee in the marinade as it accentuates the bitter and smoky flavors of the rib. However I’m glad the coffee wasn’t too strong so I was still able to enjoy the meat itself and other ingredients.
I never fully appreciated grits, until I tasted the aged cheddar grits at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, which was the most incredible grits I have ever had. It was seasoned perfectly, cheesy and just a little gritty – it’s a very strange texture, different from mashed potatoes lol.
C ordered the Silver Bass and for me, it was the highlight of the night. The skin was perfectly crisp, and the meat of the fish was delicate and moist. I loved the accompanying stew which consisted of tomatoes chunks, potatoes and chickpeas. You know how don’t like kale, but here the chef sautéed with the chorizo, which helped to mask that bitterness with a spicy kick.This dish was a delicious, hearty and comforting main course, spectacular!
(Earl Grey Tea cake topped with bourbon macerated berries & Chantilly creme)
Instead of the normal biscuits, Mildred serves the strawberry shortcakes with the earl grey tea cake. It was good but not great either. However it ended the meal nicely with some fresh strawberries. I think it would have been better if the earl grey tea flavor was stronger in the cake, but I love anything with earl grey so maybe that’s just me.
I think I should have ordered the S’Mores :(, but considered I had the ribs as my main, the s’mores would probably be too much. Again the Sugar Plum dessert was okay and for me it was a nice way to end the meal after having the heavy main course. The honey mascarpone brought down the tartness of the black plums and toasted oatmeal added some textures to the dessert.
I enjoyed my dinner at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen and as always, the service is always impeccable. My server was really friendly, casual yet professional, which is what I always liked at Mildred. The restaurant feels elegant but not stuffy nor pretentious.
Disclaimer: OpenTable reached out to me to write a blog post on the application/service. I am not obliged to publish a review on the business. All opinions/thoughts are my own. For more information about my review policy, please click here.