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| - It was about 5PM when I arrived with Mum B and our intention was to sit out on the patio. However, the weather was uncooperative yesterday, and the restaurant's patio was closed. The manager asked us if seating in the lounge area would be agreeable, but we preferred the dining room. The restaurant manager appeared to be manning the reception area and telling the hostess where to seat everyone. She was also in charge of the telephones. From a logistics point of view, this became a bit of a hassle as we were kept waiting for about 5 minutes while the manager was on the phone taking down a reservation, while the hostess stood there like a statue just waiting for the manager to delegate where we should be seated. This didn't make sense logistically. When we were finally seated at our table, it made even less sense as to why the manager was trying to cram us into the lounge area when there were plenty of tables available in the dining room. Again, point deductions for customer service.
Upon seating, our server came to our table with the menus and to take down our drink requests. PORT does not offer their wine by the half litre, its either a 6 oz glass, a 9 oz glass, or a full bottle. The 2 of us managed to polish off an entire bottle. We were informed that if we did not finish the full bottle that they could cork it back up for us to take home - real classy! Bread is not complimentary and comes at an added cost, and water was not brought until we asked for it. Two seemingly standard features that I would expect at a restaurant charging the prices PORT does.
The ambiance of the restaurant is that of Milestone's/Moxies but with a view and a much higher price tag. This is one of the busiest restaurants in Pickering - so busy that they don't do weddings here because the cost of buying out the venue is just so costly and that is before the cost of food even comes up. If we had come around prime dining hours (6:30PM or after) I doubt we would've nabbed a seat.
For starters we ordered the Seafood Charcuterie Board which consisted of a Tuna Tartare, Shrimp Ceviche and Calamari Salad served with Mini Toasts. The portion sizes were quite small, and each item was about the size of an appetizer spoon. That being said, the items were very fresh. The tartare was served with a caramelized onion which Mum B. and I thoroughly enjoyed. The ceviche as it had a nice citrus flavour to it that was quite refreshing. The mini toasts provided a different textural component which made for better stimulation of the tastebuds.
For my main I ordered the Organic Arctic Char which was served atop a bed of seasonal vegetables and a mélange of tomato & pearl couscous. It was topped with a tempura pea tendril. Mum B. ordered the Cashew Chicken which was served with the same accompaniments. The portion sizes were quite small, but gets top marks for presentation and taste. The arctic char was extremely moist and tender with a crisp skin. This is the most memorable fish dish I've had in Canada. The pearl couscous was very savory with a hint of acidity coming from the tomatoes which went well with the seasonal vegetables which had a slightly pickled taste to them (e.g. sweet and tangy). The tempura pea tendrils were something I've never experienced before, but I thoroughly enjoyed them. The batter was nice and light without being too overpowering. The cashew flavour was lacking in the batter of the chicken. I also felt that the chicken itself was rather bland and lacking seasoning of any kind. It was a chicken breast, and being white meat, meant it was also rather dry. If the side dishes were not as flavourful, this dish would've been unappetizing.
After we finished our mains, we requested to go out on the patio. For dessert we ordered the Hazelnut Dome to share, an Espresso and a Latte. The dessert was not PORT's forte. Although they get top marks for presentation, I found the dish to be rather deconstructed upon contact with my dessert fork. The ganache that covered the outside was great, but the inside of the dessert didn't seem to stay together and had a rather "crumbly" texture which made it hard to pick up. The espresso was great. They use the Lavazza brand of coffee at PORT.
PORT is a great place to go to, especially in the summertime when the patio is open. We spent a grand total of 4 hours here and never felt rushed to leave. I would give top marks for the ambiance and quality of food, but dock a couple of stars for consistency of service. As the evening grew later, our server was MIA and I had to go inside to get the bill processed. This could be ddue to the fact that they are understaffed as the restaurant does get quite busy toward the latter part of the evening, especially on the weekend. The damage at the end of the day was $126, which is not on the cheap. All in all, the portion sizes could stand to be a bit bigger, and the service, more attentive.
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