Foods from Stofa Restaurant
Comments
Apr 27
So, after watching Top Chef Canada, and also wanting to support local business, we ordered this delightful Stofa on the Sofa meal, and by goodness we were glad we did.
The rolls were rich and buttery.
I am not usually a fan of wedge salad, but the dressing was amazing, and they served it with a delicious tapenade, and some great feta cheese.
The Tortilla soup was refreshing. It has big chunks of vegetables, and was incredibly well seasoned.
The chicken piece were large, well seasoned, and juicy. The Piri Piri sauce was so good, I am sure nando's is trying to steal it.
The Rice really really was a surprising star. We didn't taste teh apple as much, but the cinnamon gave it a nice heat, flavourful without being spicy.
The coleslaw was unfortunately not great. It was ok, but it was the one dish we all agreed we didn't care for.
The Tres Leche cake was our unaminous favourite of all the dishes. It was so moist, but yet somehow kept it's shape. It was sweet and complex, and I could eat an entire meal of just that.
All in all, we're gonna order again Next Sunday
The rolls were rich and buttery.
I am not usually a fan of wedge salad, but the dressing was amazing, and they served it with a delicious tapenade, and some great feta cheese.
The Tortilla soup was refreshing. It has big chunks of vegetables, and was incredibly well seasoned.
The chicken piece were large, well seasoned, and juicy. The Piri Piri sauce was so good, I am sure nando's is trying to steal it.
The Rice really really was a surprising star. We didn't taste teh apple as much, but the cinnamon gave it a nice heat, flavourful without being spicy.
The coleslaw was unfortunately not great. It was ok, but it was the one dish we all agreed we didn't care for.
The Tres Leche cake was our unaminous favourite of all the dishes. It was so moist, but yet somehow kept it's shape. It was sweet and complex, and I could eat an entire meal of just that.
All in all, we're gonna order again Next Sunday
2019 Sep 16
On the 2019 list of Canada's 100 Best Restaurants, Stofa certainly did not disappoint. Even while doling out innovative gastronomic experiences, Stofa's atmosphere remains relaxed and casual, making it an excellent option for any occasion.
We ordered the Blind Tasting Menu for $90/person, along with wine and a cocktail, and an additional dessert (the highly recommended soufflé). We received 10 things and despite each plate containing just a morsel, by the end, we were bursting at the seams. While we had our favourites (i.e. the mushroom soup and the seared duck breast, the latter of which can be found on the menu), we found each dish carefully thought out and well-executed and enjoyed everything we were presented.
Service was highly-professional, if not a bit cold; they took the time to explain each dish, which was highly appreciated, but zipped through it rather quickly and disappeared. Nonetheless, they were thorough throughout our dinner, checking in and making sure there were no questions or concerns.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend trying Stofa. I, for one, am interested in having their tasting menu again, just to see what new creations they've come up with.
We ordered the Blind Tasting Menu for $90/person, along with wine and a cocktail, and an additional dessert (the highly recommended soufflé). We received 10 things and despite each plate containing just a morsel, by the end, we were bursting at the seams. While we had our favourites (i.e. the mushroom soup and the seared duck breast, the latter of which can be found on the menu), we found each dish carefully thought out and well-executed and enjoyed everything we were presented.
Service was highly-professional, if not a bit cold; they took the time to explain each dish, which was highly appreciated, but zipped through it rather quickly and disappeared. Nonetheless, they were thorough throughout our dinner, checking in and making sure there were no questions or concerns.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend trying Stofa. I, for one, am interested in having their tasting menu again, just to see what new creations they've come up with.
2017 Dec 10
Date night with wifey at Stofa was very nice. Everything was good to very good but nothing really wowed us. The floor and walls are on the bare side, making the noise level high on a busy Saturday evening. Service was exceptionally attentive and informed, with water glasses refilled reliably and dishes introduced with detailed descriptions.
We started with a couple of cocktails that were not bad but not super interesting. My Olive Jar (top left in pic) was a bit like a watery martini but with a nice rosemary and saline background flavor. My wife's Pink Negroni was heavier on alcohol content with a good grapefruit hit. $12 per cocktail.
The complimentary bread offering consisted of a pair each of crostini and sun-dried tomato bread served with a red-pepper paste finished with oil (top center). This was nice and gave us something to nibble on as we waited for our food.
We opted to order a variety of dishes and share everything. The Cuttlefish ($16, top right) starter was not exciting at all. Super tender cuttlefish and squid rings tasted like they were cooked sous-vide (not a good thing in general). They sat on a bed of boring white beans. Normally I welcome boring beans but when I'm at a pricey restaurant with historical links to the magic of Atelier I expect more. The two rich black olive halves were the star of this dish.
Our other starter, the Baby Gem Salad ($13, middle right) was more of a success. Grilled quarters of baby romaine with a flavourful curry dressing, some half yellow fingerling potatoes, and delightful cardamom cashews. This was very good!
We ordered just one main, the Duck and Buffalo Milk Ravioli ($26, center). As you can see, the presentation was not great, with each of the three ravioli smothered in a murky grey porcini mushroom foam. The flavours here were good and the ravioli dough was impossibly thin. The bed of black lentils underneath were exceptional: tender and toothsome with a hint of acidity to brighten up the dish.
We opted for two of the "for the table" sharing plates: the Shishito Peppers ($9, middle left) were generous and flavourful, served on a heated skillet with onions and radishes. We got 3 or 4 spicy ones! The Bacon Fat Pont Neuf Potatoes ($9, bottom left) were wonderfully fluffy on the inside and nicely dressed with gossamer ribbons of guanciale, droplets of mayonnaise, and some nice crunchy bits.
For dessert, my wife had the Passion Fruit Soufflé ($14, bottom center). This was an impressively sized dessert but the soufflé was excruciatingly sweet and the tonka bean ice cream reminded me of hand cream. Eaten together, they balanced each other out very well.
My Avocado and Chocolate ($12, bottom right) was more of a success, with a puck of brownie-like chocolate cake topped with a squirt of lemon curd and a ball of avocado ice cream. Thin shards of chocolate meringue provided interesting texture and flavour contrast, while dots of lemon curd and mild coconut gel added delight. The sprinkle of lime leaf powder on half the plate gave it visual interest but was too mild to really affect the flavour profile.
All in all, we had a lovely meal but we were expecting more. Next time, we'll be tempted to try the seafood tower for two (market price was $80 yesterday), which looked impressive and appeared to be extremely popular at other tables last night.
After seeing other dishes around the dining room we realized that the strength here seems to be the main dishes and we likely made a rookie mistake by focusing our order on the rest of the menu. Bear in mind that this is a very young restaurant. It shows promise and it certainly seems capable of finding its groove as time progresses.
We started with a couple of cocktails that were not bad but not super interesting. My Olive Jar (top left in pic) was a bit like a watery martini but with a nice rosemary and saline background flavor. My wife's Pink Negroni was heavier on alcohol content with a good grapefruit hit. $12 per cocktail.
The complimentary bread offering consisted of a pair each of crostini and sun-dried tomato bread served with a red-pepper paste finished with oil (top center). This was nice and gave us something to nibble on as we waited for our food.
We opted to order a variety of dishes and share everything. The Cuttlefish ($16, top right) starter was not exciting at all. Super tender cuttlefish and squid rings tasted like they were cooked sous-vide (not a good thing in general). They sat on a bed of boring white beans. Normally I welcome boring beans but when I'm at a pricey restaurant with historical links to the magic of Atelier I expect more. The two rich black olive halves were the star of this dish.
Our other starter, the Baby Gem Salad ($13, middle right) was more of a success. Grilled quarters of baby romaine with a flavourful curry dressing, some half yellow fingerling potatoes, and delightful cardamom cashews. This was very good!
We ordered just one main, the Duck and Buffalo Milk Ravioli ($26, center). As you can see, the presentation was not great, with each of the three ravioli smothered in a murky grey porcini mushroom foam. The flavours here were good and the ravioli dough was impossibly thin. The bed of black lentils underneath were exceptional: tender and toothsome with a hint of acidity to brighten up the dish.
We opted for two of the "for the table" sharing plates: the Shishito Peppers ($9, middle left) were generous and flavourful, served on a heated skillet with onions and radishes. We got 3 or 4 spicy ones! The Bacon Fat Pont Neuf Potatoes ($9, bottom left) were wonderfully fluffy on the inside and nicely dressed with gossamer ribbons of guanciale, droplets of mayonnaise, and some nice crunchy bits.
For dessert, my wife had the Passion Fruit Soufflé ($14, bottom center). This was an impressively sized dessert but the soufflé was excruciatingly sweet and the tonka bean ice cream reminded me of hand cream. Eaten together, they balanced each other out very well.
My Avocado and Chocolate ($12, bottom right) was more of a success, with a puck of brownie-like chocolate cake topped with a squirt of lemon curd and a ball of avocado ice cream. Thin shards of chocolate meringue provided interesting texture and flavour contrast, while dots of lemon curd and mild coconut gel added delight. The sprinkle of lime leaf powder on half the plate gave it visual interest but was too mild to really affect the flavour profile.
All in all, we had a lovely meal but we were expecting more. Next time, we'll be tempted to try the seafood tower for two (market price was $80 yesterday), which looked impressive and appeared to be extremely popular at other tables last night.
After seeing other dishes around the dining room we realized that the strength here seems to be the main dishes and we likely made a rookie mistake by focusing our order on the rest of the menu. Bear in mind that this is a very young restaurant. It shows promise and it certainly seems capable of finding its groove as time progresses.
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