Hôtel-Herman has been on my list of resto's to try for the longest time. I finally decided to bite the bullet and make it happen on a Monday night with Mon and her bf. It blends in with its surroundings - kind of discrete and hidden but it's far from it with a steady reputation (#40 on Canada's 2016 100 Best List).
The horseshoe shaped bar that takes up most of the restaurant is stunning. Very modern and sleek interior. Cool that they have a turntable near the front. So hipster.
The dinner menu reminded me a lot like the one at Cadet. Simplistic front and simple, short descriptions.
The food here is all about small plates. Creative, sophisticated brilliance.
- Bread ($2.00) - the bread is made on site (which I'm a bit surprised at given Guillaume is across the street from them) but that shows the extra effort they put into the food. Nice crusty exterior, soft airy inside.
- Shrimp ($14.00) - horseradish and daylil. Super interesting dish as the flavours and textures were unique and inventive. Shrimp were perfect and the foam/crumble thing was nothing like I've had before.
- Chicken ($18.00) - coffee and morel. I would never have expected coffee and chicken to pair well together but lo and behold, it works. Earthy, rustic aromas.
- Eel ($14.00) - peas and lemon balm. This was HH's special of the night. Couple asparagus thrown in for good measure. The eel was an interesting texture.
- Lamb ($23.00) - white turnip and camelina. Lamb was tender, juicy and paired well with all the fresh vegetables.
Great spot to enjoy a couple small plates and drinks. Love the cool vibe, modern space and unique flavours.