The self-proclaimed foodies out there – let’s be honest, it’s not a title in the same way Harbinger of Awesome is – know a very special season has flitted in. No, no, tis not that of yuletide cheer. We’re talking, of course, about truffle season.
Ah the truffle: A magnificent little fungus that is earthen and rich in flavour and extravagant looking when shaved delicately over a beautiful dish. The two best known varieties are black – or black Périgord, the much more common assortment – and white – oralba Madonna, which costs about six times as much as its black counterpart. Truffle production (as in the ability of a country to find and harvest these wonders) has significantly decreased in the last century, making them luxurious and coveted amongst the enhanced palettes of discerning tasters.
We were recently invited to dine at Splendido – a gorgeous spot on Harbord that mixes French and Italian influences as beautifully in decor as in its renowned dishes – and sample the five-course tasting menu celebrating Burgundy’s black truffles. (Interesting note: about 40 per cent of the world’s truffles come from France.) Splendido is replete with amazing service and culinary genius, the kitchen of which is helmed by Victor Barry. Of course, since we’re Notable, we got to sample a couple extra plates…
Our meal began with a duo of potato leek soup and rosemary marshmallow on a crispy and buttery biscuit. The shot of soup was velvety and was the perfect hint of what was to come throughout the rest of the dinner.
When the chanterelle mushroom salad came out, we were dazzled by the beauty of the plating and the wafting aromas. One of the more intriguing components of the dish was the dehydrated truffle oil ‘snow’ scattered with care over the chanterelles and Jerusalem artichoke chips.
The roasted diver scallop was cooked to perfection, gently placed alongside celery root purée and a delicious truffle braised endive. A stone groove smash hit wonder in our books. The following course was a DIY spectacle; definitely more interactive than we were expecting. Take a look for yourself…
Delicioso, of course. The ricotta agnolotti was a superb offering, with beautiful white truffle shaved over-top, highlighting the delicate flavours of the pasta. At this point we were five courses in and still impressed with our meal and excited for the selection still to come…
The most stunning dish followed: Hawaiian Big Eye tuna, braised trotter, and glazed sweetbreads with parsnip puree and brussel sprouts. This dish had a lot to offer, both in flavour and presentation. The tender and slightly chewy sweetbreads were sweet while the braised trotter had a nice saltiness, and the tuna was fresh and balanced pleasantly with the other proteins.
Our final three dishes were the perfect finishes to our three-hour truffle journey. Whipped Chateau de Bourgogne with duck-fat rendered brioche, compressed green apple disks, and truffle batonnets was rich and clean; truffled vanilla yogurt with cranberry was a unique flavour to be sure, with the truffle and vanilla playing off each other in a ‘party in your mouth’ light; and the truffled chocolate cake…ah the truffled chocolate cake. All we can say is ‘Love’.
We highly recommend taking a trip to Splendido and discovering why truffles are so desired amongst the well-to-do foodie crew.Click here to make a reservation.
Photos by Jacqueline Nicosia