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| - I dined at Ame last month as part of an epic 'five dinners in seven hours' food safari around Toronto.
Ame, which means 'rain' in Japanese, is a swanky restaurant owned and operated by brothers/restauranteurs Guy and Michael Rubino.
As soon as I walk through the imposing solid oak entrance doors, I feel as though I've been transported to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Plush dining banquettes covered in Japanese silk kimono prints are contrasted with patterned wooden screens and polished concrete floors.
Even the table settings exhibit an extraordinary level of thought. Chopsticks, which rest on grey pebbles, are held together by a small sticker emblazoned with the Japanese Kanji character for 'rain.'
The space is warm, striking and is full of nice, little touches, I instantly feel at ease.
We proceed to order just two dishes - the Miso Black Cod and the Kanzani Miso Butter Fish - and although I'm not even that hungry, my tastebuds begin to salivate when I find out our latter dish will be cooked on the restaurant's infamous Robata Grill that was custom built and shipped specifically from Japan.
The first of our two entrees arrive and it's the Miso Black Cod. The fish is presented on a sizzling hot plate with a handful of wakame and a sliver of crispy skin.
The presentation may be simple but the flavors are bang on target.
The fish is cooked to perfection and is so succulent, it simply melts in your mouth. The subtle miso glaze also works to enhance the flavor of the mild-tasting fish, rather than overpower it. It's a fine line between failure and success but the kitchen manages to strike a balance while demonstrating restraint and refinement.
I would question the use of the wakame as a garnish, but the dish is executed so brilliantly, it's merely a minor blip.
Our highly-anticipated Kanzani Miso Butter Fish follows and I'm taken aback by the unorthodox plating.
A gigantic wafer-thin crisp disc basically covers the entire plate and only upon moving it, do you discover the real delights of the dish - four perfectly cooked slices of butter fish surrounded by mushrooms, cucumber and black sesame seeds.
The fish boasts a wonderful charcoal flavor and tastes great refreshing brunoised cucumber. The miso glaze is also justifiably far more robust and intense in this dish, which really compliments the natural sweetness of the fish.
Read more and view photos at http://www.gloriousgluttony.com/toronto/food-safari-1-five-dinners-in-seven-hours
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