#WheresAtelier? – Restaurant Review

Above: Atelier kitchen staff grilling wild Quebecois hare loin in Dundonald Park.

Atelier is one of Ottawa’s best known restaurants, and consistently ranks in the top 10 nationwide (not to mention it’s inclusion in the 2014 Black Ink ranking of best restaurants worldwide). Its food seems like it comes from a wonderful chemistry lab. The restaurant offers a 12-course tasting menu for $110. I’m not reviewing that menu today; unsurprisingly, its a wee bit steep for my student budget – although I do hope to go before I leave Ottawa for good.

This post is about the incredibly creative, spur-of-the-moment event that Atelier ran this past August. #WheresAtelier was a chance for people who aren’t normal clientele to try their creations on the cheap. One of the chefs told me that they started planning only the week before, since they had no reservations lined up.

Restaurant Review – Dim Sum at Hung Sum 恆心食馆

Dim Sum is not a type of meal I’m very well-versed in, but when you’re given a chance to try all sorts of succulent little dumplings, you have to take it.

Hannah, resident dim sum aficienado, goes on and on about this tiny place in Chinatown. The staff know her at this point. It’s a brightly colored house, staffed by old Chinese ladies, and full of some of the tastiest dim sum in Ottawa. You have to be prepared to wait if you’re going to Hung Sum, but it’s totally worth it.