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| - I dined at Origin last month as part of an epic 'five dinners in seven hours' food safari around Toronto.
The chic restaurant bills itself as a "high energy global food bar that celebrates the diverse cuisines of the world" and boasts an eclectic menu.
Everything from sushi hand rolls to deviled eggs to panner and dried fruit samosas to Peking duck pancakes is served so don't be surprised if you can't pigeonhole the food.
I'm left scratching my head and wonder how a restaurant can possibly execute such a wide array of dishes, but because variety is its selling point, we order five plates.
Based on our server's recommendation, we start off with the tostones and guacamole.
Tostones, we are told, are flattened plantains that have been deep fried twice. For the record, anything deep-fried is a winner in my eyes, so I was immediately sold on the dish even before tasting it.
The cookie-sized discs are crunchy and subtly sweet. They are also incredibly dense and after a couple of bites, I feel as though I've just devoured a whole entree. Hold on, I already have o_o
The refreshing guacamole also pairs brilliantly with the plantain chips. The dip is smooth and creamy but the flavors strike me as being out of kilter - it has the barest hint of citrus and far too much onion. I suppose it doesn't really matter anyway given that you only get a tablespoon scoop of it.
We bounce from Latin America to Japan within a heartbeat and indulge in our next course, the sushi hand rolls.
I end up having the spicy beef hand roll with apple, shiso, miso mayonnaise and amaranth, while Robin enjoys the spicy tuna roll.
The dish is elegantly presented on a wooden stand with the miso mayonnaise on the side, but unfortunately the hand roll is a major letdown.
The rice is so overcooked, it borders on being defined as congee. The juvenile error not only renders the dish a complete disaster but it also means each bite tastes like baby food, regardless of which part you consume. Nevertheless, props must be given to the kitchen for having the guts to combine apples with sushi.
I wouldn't say the apple works to enhance the dish but it does impart texture and sweetness to the otherwise disappointing roll.
Our next dish, the pan-seared scallops with quince puree, bacon and rapini arrives shortly afterwards and gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, sizzling hot.
The scallops haven't been given the usual two minutes resting time and has been taken off the burner so recently, they are actually still sizzling when they arrive to our table!
While we patiently wait for our scallops to rest, we savor the accompanying elements and are surprised by how well they combine with one another.
While the quince puree tastes more like parsnip, the sweetness plays off the smoky and savory elements of the bacon perfectly. The scallops are also plump, juicy, moist and tender. It's just a pity the kitchen couldn't wait two minutes to share their joy with us.
Our hit-and-miss experience at Origin continues into our final course - the Chinois duck wrap with pickled cucumber, hoisin, sriracha and sour cream.
The duck is cooked perfectly and boasts a deliciously crispy skin but the dish is let down in part by the condiments and poor execution. The drizzle of sour cream underneath is excessive and basically masks the delicate taste of the duck. Meanwhile, the pancake, which bears gorgeous grill marks, is served at below-room temperature and jars with the warmth of the duck and the heat of the sriracha.
Read more and view photos at http://www.gloriousgluttony.com/toronto/food-safari-1-five-dinners-in-seven-hours
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