My wife and I have been lucky enough to experience some amazing meals over the years in some of the most incredible restaurants in the world, whether that be a family run deli or a Michelin star restaurant.
The 3 things that always define a perfect dining experience are:
- Obviously the food.
- The mood in the restaurant.
- The music being played in the restaurant.
We have, on multiple occasions, had one of the above 3 ruin the experience. I understand that sometimes you can’t control the mood, but to me music should be paired to food like wine is and I really believe it is that important. As an example, I want to share my ‘Tale of Two Omakases’…
These 2 meals happened in two of the best Omakase restaurants in Canada in my opinion and although the food was exceptional in both (some of the freshest seafood I have ever eaten) the overall experiences couldn’t be further apart.
Omakase #1: We had this reservation booked well before our trip to the beautiful city of Montreal and as with all of our trips, most of the excitement of our journeys centered around food. We arrived at the restaurant early in the evening (as they only had early reservations available) and walked into an open space modern restaurant with an open kitchen. It was small and a little tight but very nice nonetheless. The evening started off fantastic as the restaurant wasn’t quite full yet and it was a very relaxed vibe. We of course ordered the Chef’s Omakase and our courses started coming out at the perfect pace. The food was absolutely incredible! Sadly, that’s when things went south…The restaurant filled up and a very loud, drunk and obnoxious bachelor party arrived sat behind us. The restaurant for some reason decided to crank bad 90’s R&B in the background. (I’m sorry and you can feel free to call me a snob but enjoying a beautifully cut piece of fresh delicious Toro to Bell Biv Devoe absolutely blaring isn’t exactly the experience we were looking for). The service then became erratic, there was serious tension between the drunken lads behind us and one of the Celebrity chef’s friends that was dining there with his girlfriend. (This was the only patron that the celebrity chef decided to acknowledge). At no time did the staff or chef try to de-escalate the situation as it worsened, so what started as a wonderful meal quickly became a horrible, hectic, and tense experience which ruined any chance of enjoying what was probably otherwise an Omakase to remember. Needless to say between the cost and the experience we have not and never will return to that restaurant again.
Omakase #2: My wife discovered this fascinating article about this Chef and his restaurant and how Michelin star chefs flew in from around the world just to try his food. We found out that it was located in Scarborough and literally less than 5 kms from us, so we decided to make a reservation. Obviously, given the stature of this place the earliest reservation was 3 months from when we booked. What followed was watching the calendar like I did counting down the days to Christmas, and at the same time the chef announced he was shutting down the restaurant shortly following our reservation. We could not wait. As usual, we were the first to arrive for the first of only 2 seatings. The restaurant had no real noticeable facade and was located in one of those not so well aged Toronto strip malls. But all that changed when we walked in. The inside was absolutely stunning! There were only 7 seats at the beautiful bar facing the chef/owner and his sous-chefs. Unlike Omakase #1, the music perfectly suited the vibe of the experience, the service was exceptional, and the food was probably the best I had ever eaten in my life. It was fascinating watching the chefs prepare each course like an orchestrated ballet, with quiet communication and a perfect flow. When each course was served, the chef/owner took the time to go to each reservation and describe the course in detail. We stayed around after for a bit and chatted with the chef owner who was a wonderful and humble man. This was an experience that we will definitely never forget.
The night when the food, the mood & the music perfectly aligned.
Until next time.
Ken.