Society Dinner, Sydney's

One of the perks of residency is the professional organizations we become affiliated with. Part of these affiliations involve social outings which allow individuals to meet, collaborate and socialize outside of the hospital. One of these such events happened at Sydney's at the Forks.

I had previously dined at Sydney's a month ago but was pleasantly surprised to find a brand new menu tonight. As expected, everything at Sydney's exuded class and elegance. We were quickly ushered in to the private room and offered a cocktail or a glass of wine. Then we were off socializing and meeting new and old professors and supervisors. But let us fast forward to the gastronomy experiences that night.

I started with the White Bean Garlic Apple Soup. Finished with cranberry and topped with a buttermilk scone, this was a smooth way to begin our meal. I had not expected white bean and apple to work so well together.

My main was the Bison Short Rib served with corn flake fried snails and candied beets. Most people at the table shied away from the snails, but it was masked well by the crunchy flake. The short rib itself was fantastic: incredibly tender with wonderful marbling accentuated by the candied beet sauce.

The amuse-bouche was a Cranberry Mint scoop of shaved ice. A nice palate cleanser for the mains.

I had to see Sydney's rendition of steak so I went with the Angus Beef Noisette. This noisy plate included deep fried blue cheese, a potato gratin and grilled zucchini. The beef itself was well done and perfectly medium rare. The demi-glace paired well with the beef. However, the deep fried blue cheese was overwhelmingly salty and overpowered the subtle beef flavour. Furthermore, the potato gratin and zucchini feels tacked on and do not add anything to the overall dish.

For dessert I was tempted by the Rosemary Lemon Creme Brulee. A classic dessert that was well executed. Despite naming it so, the rosemary lemon flavour was non-existent and this became simply a rendition of the basic creme brulee. Something a restaurant of this quality should be at minimum expected to do.

Overall I had a great time meeting and networking. The meal had some highlights and was overall good.