La Palette
So. Today I went to La Palette on Peter B.'s recommendation. It's an excellent, excellent little french bistro tucked into a small little space in Kensington Market (so small that we walked right by it the first time without even realizing it). Completely unpretentious, tiny little rickety tables, and the entire restaurant itself probably had room for no more than 30 people, including their patio. The service was excellent also -- we were chatting and joking with the only waiter in the place (who was working alongside the owner of the restaurant), and he looked and acted so much alarmingly like Rodolphe, I could've sworn that they were twin brothers separated at birth.
BUT. The real reason for this post? I ate horse for the first time ever.
It was really good! Specifically, it was horse tenderloin (cooked medium rare), and even then, it was very gamey, but far more tender than I was expecting it to be. There was quite a bit of flavour to the meat, but it was very subtle -- if you were to have served it to me without telling me it was horse, I would've just thought that it was simply a very seasoned steak (but gamier).
I regret not bringing a camera with me to document the event, but I think I'll definitely be going back again, if only to try a few of their other dishes -- more meats that I have not had before, like elk and caribou. It's a little more expensive than your usual fare (the cheval was $31, the most expensive item on their menu), but well worth it, in my opinion. Also, the opportunity for horse jokes lasted well into the night as well. :)
In short, La Palette: highly recommended.
BUT. The real reason for this post? I ate horse for the first time ever.
It was really good! Specifically, it was horse tenderloin (cooked medium rare), and even then, it was very gamey, but far more tender than I was expecting it to be. There was quite a bit of flavour to the meat, but it was very subtle -- if you were to have served it to me without telling me it was horse, I would've just thought that it was simply a very seasoned steak (but gamier).
I regret not bringing a camera with me to document the event, but I think I'll definitely be going back again, if only to try a few of their other dishes -- more meats that I have not had before, like elk and caribou. It's a little more expensive than your usual fare (the cheval was $31, the most expensive item on their menu), but well worth it, in my opinion. Also, the opportunity for horse jokes lasted well into the night as well. :)
In short, La Palette: highly recommended.