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| - What I learnt today: Marche does not equal Richtree. Never confuse the two.
I had heard about how the original Marche (the one I frequented often as a kid with my parents and then later in high school) closed down and reopened again, but never read about the entire story (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/restaurants/article/756413--m-ouml-venpick-regains-yonge-st-march-eacute)
Basically the original Marche and Movenpick were one company, and then through a slew of lawsuits became Richtree vs Movenpick. Richtree kept their flagship, renamed a bunch of restaurants and opened Richtree express. Then, as the lease expires at BCE place, Movenpick buys back the space, and re-opens the restaurant (with lots of renovation). The original owners of Richtree don't even work there anymore.
It's quite interesting that if you google Marche Restaurant, the first item is Richtree.
But. It is not the same. Sure, they made renovations (more seating, slicker design, rearranged the marketplace, changed the entrance) but it's the same concept. And the confusing parts is that both restaurants look the same, have similiar green and white colour schemes, and serve similar foods, but are incredibly different.
The food here was not just mediocre, but some was down right inedible. My friend's Banana Cream cake, had the most artificial tasting whipped cream on top, and a sponge cake that tasted like sugar. My Rotisserie Chicken ($8.99 with potatos or veggies) had half uncooked skin that was still PINK (but chicken meat was cooked), and soggy skin - it did not help that I did eat at Richtree last week, and the chicken was delightfully flavourful. I had to put salt on this to make it edible.
The Rosti, the brown half burnt bits were soggy, and the creamed mushrooms tasted like melted butter in heated cream.
The crepe was okay. For $7.99 get crepe with one fruit and sauce. Note, 'fruit' means one small scoop (about 0.5 a cup). If you ask for more she'll give you a few pieces if you're getting one kind of fruit. For another small spoonful of fruit it's $1.99 !!!! This is just robbery, i may as well cut a bucket of my own strawberries. And it's not like she gives you MORE, it's just about the same amount. Anyway, it tasted not bad, nothing spectacular.
The arrangement here is weird. They keep their supplies of salts, oils, flavoured spices underneath the glass panel at the food stall. I understand its for decoration, but I really don't care for it when workers constantly have to come in, bend down and cut through customers to get their supplies. Just put them away.
The wait staff here was non existent. I remember that when you come with your tray, there would be someone there taking it away for you, and bringing you cutlery if you forgot. Then they would take away your empty plate when you went to get more food. None of this happened during the 2 hours we were there. The only reason he cleared our plates was because I put the dirty plates on an empty table. Our plastic lids stayed at our table the whole time!
It wasn't until we were about to leave, I finally saw someone, and he asked "can I take your plate" and took only mine, and no one elses (we had a party of 10).
The worst part? At the cash, we all paid 12% of gratuity?!?!
For what? For the guy cutting my chicken to chit chat with me?
(In a North American society where gratuity it NOT normally auto added to my bill, I was upset, but anyhoo)
Gone are the unique baskets and bear on a unicycle that rides across a tightrope and the fountain of the little boy peeing to get your water. Instead, mediocre food and a green cow that shows you their udders.
P.S. There's a candy stop as you exit with bowls of hard mints and what not. There's really no need to grab a bag and fill it with candy then block the line from exiting.
For a $22 meal, I think you're better off going to O&B across the street or Vagabondo or any of the restaurants in the St. Lawerence area.
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