Thursday, July 6, 2017

True North

This past weekend, we Canadians celebrated the 150th anniversary of confederation, and while most of us celebrated the event by jetting off to the capital, taking in the parade and, in Toronto, viewing the rubber ducky (ugh), I celebrated by...well... eating. Surprised? Neither am I.

After hearing that the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver was offering a Canada 150 afternoon tea, my plans were pretty much set. So, first off, I wish I took a photo of the room - it was not at all what I was expecting, but exactly what I wanted. When I think of tea, I think flowers, birds (okay not birds), gardens, etc., but this room was dark with lots of wood, almost like a cigar room filled with Canadiana items. Love!

We were presented with the menu and off our server went to brew our teas - the 1907 Centennial blend, which was a keemun, assam and Sri Lankan black tea mix with a dash of early grey. Quite a beautiful citrus forward tea that held its own with or without milk.


Without further ado, we were presented with the maple panna cotta. Wonderfully maple with a light, airy consistency, this was absolutely delightful and whetted our appetite. However, a panna cotta it was not; more of a pudding. Potato patato, it was yum.



It was swiftly followed by the scones, a wild berry (Saskatchewan) and Oka (Quebec) selection, served in a mini canoe! Were these the best scones I've ever had, no, but a canoe! Yes, I'm easily amused. I definitely gravitated more toward the cheese scones rather than the berry versions because a) they were fluffier, b) the accompanied compote was a bit runny and c) cheese is life.


The savory tower came next. It was freaking massive! I've had afternoon tea before where one plate is scones, the other is savory and the last is sweet but this was a WHOLE tower of savory. Thank goodness I wore a dress for this feast.



Let's take a closer look, shall we?


Up top, the hors d'oeuvres, namely the maple foie gras tourtiere (Quebec), corn dogs and the bison carpaccio (both representing Alberta). The mini tarts were packed with duck confit and just oozed warmth and happiness. The corndogs were a surprise to me because I'm just not a fan of this fairground treat, but these can shut me up any day. These flavour bombs were filled with wagyu beef and grits with tomato relish and pickled mustard seeds perched on top. I think all corn dogs should forever be substituted with wagyu beef. Damn, that was good. Last but not least, the carpaccio balancing on some buttered bannock and bathed with a berry compote. Bison and berries are a match made in heaven, so this was a home run.

Part 2 aka the sandwiches.


Yup, you got it, Montreal smoked meat sandwich on rye bread and mustard. Not Schwartz's Deli good, but a decent try. Honestly, look at it. I'm drooling right now. Right above it, an ode to my hometown of Toronto, the peameal bacon sandwich with Ontario cheddar and light serving of mayo. The only let down on this one was the dry bun. If you are going to serve a dry bun, amp up the mayo please or, better yet, don't serve a dry-ass bun. You think that's the end of the sandwich section? Ha!


Lobster roll! Can't do Canadiana without one. Hailing from the east coast, a good lobster sandwich doesn't need much - some butter, chive and a healthy serving of lobster. Oh wait, a non-dry bun! They got it right on this one. Switching to the west coast (and the last of the sandwiches) was the piece de resistance. Are you ready for this?


Breathe in and breathe out. Behold, this beauty. Straight up on a toonie-sized bread sat a slab of smoked salmon followed by some dungeness crab, blanketed with a plump prawn and finished with some caviar. No biggie, said absolutely no one who ate this. This is the stuff of dreams. The freshness, the flavours, the casual bursts of the caviar with every chew. I can't guys, I can't. Standing ovation for this one! Thankfully, there was a bit of a pause between this course and the next so I could collect myself.


Alright, sweet time! I went directly for the donuts (cinnamon sugar, salted caramel and bacon chocolate); these reminded me of Tiny Tom donuts like the ones at the CNE and rightly so as they were supposed to represent Toronto. Right next to them were the mini beaver tails (Ottawa) served with a dollop of Nutella and caramelized apples. Probably one of my favourites from the bunch since I heart Nutella. Bottom right of the photo are the Nanaimo bars (British Columbia). So, here's my confession, I've never had one! I hear there are different versions depending on where you go; these were chocolate and coconut with vanilla cream like a Bounty bar. First impression, I like! However, it was way too dense for this meal and I actually wished they made this half the size. On the left side of the photo are the almond cake tarts with wild berries (Alberta), which were a bit of a reprieve from the deep-fried, dense desserts so far. I haven't been happier to see fruit! I loved these - a light cake with a balanced almond flavour. Finally, I always save the best for last, the butter tarts with caramelized pecans (Quebec). As you may or may not know, butter tarts make me cry. Explaining why will take forever, so let's just say, if I cry, it's a good tart. I cried.

What a way to start Canada day! Very stuffed, we made our way to the festivities. Yes, we sat for most of it. 



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