Winterlicious is a seasonal dining event sponsored by the City of Toronto. This event gives diners the opportunity to sample a number of notable restaurants in Toronto through a set prix fixe program for either lunch ($15–25) or dinner ($25–$45). If you missed Winterlicious this time around, there’s always the summer version of this event, Summerlicious, to look forward to in July.
Aria is a popular lunch destination for those who work in the Financial District. During the evening, the restaurant is less busy, which makes it a nice place to have conversations over dinner. There’s a gorgeous bar with a wide selection of wine; if you’re a beer person, then you’re out of luck — Aria has a limited amount of beer on tap.
Seared Hokkaido Sea Scallops
“Seared Hokkaido Sea Scallops with cauliflower purée, golden raisin vinaigrette, pine nuts, lemon, and capers”
This scallop dish was quite refreshing. The scallops were, paired with a bed of rich cauliflower purée and garnish. If the proportion of the scallops and the purée was not on point and the chef used too much butter, you’re going to get that sickening feeling you always get from eating too much in an all-you-can-eat buffet.
The citrus flavour of the lemon brings this dish to a whole new level. It balances the dish and makes it less heavy. The lemon purée also works well with the cauliflower purée.
The scallops were seared perfectly: crispy on the sides, tender and moist on the inside. Of course, fresh-tasting scallops are always good. This dish was very well-thought out and the flavours melt into your mouth in harmony.
Braised Veal Cheeks
“Braised Veal Cheeks with truffled pumpkin and potato mash, rainbow chard, and chestnuts”
Usually, ordering the meat entrée is a fail-proof option; however, this was not the case with the braised veal cheeks.. The truffle sauce was good — but then again, truffle anything is always good. The mashed potatoes were exactly that, which was good; I’m glad Aria didn’t experiment with them. The chestnuts, which I’m pretty were canned instead of fresh, were a disappointment. The use of canned versus fresh chestnuts makes a whole world of difference — canned chestnuts don’t have that woody and sweet flavour that fresh chestnuts have. In this case, the chestnuts were just an unnecessary and unfortunate add-on.
The veal cheeks were all kinds of tender, but, sadly, were over-seasoned. Considering it was the main component of the dish, if it fails (and it did), there is no saving grace; the whole dish falls apart.
Casatta Sciliana
“Cassata Sicilianare interpreted with ricotta cream, candied fruit, pistachio gelato, and 70% chocolate”
After that wretched main dish, dessert was a breath of fresh air. There is no way of describing the ricotta cream other than very fluffy and nice. The cream was airy and light, which is a nice canvas for the other components of the dish.
What I loved about this dish was that it had different flavour profiles and textures. The chocolate was bittersweet and hard, the candied fruits were sugary and chewy, and the ricotta cream and pistachio gelato were light and soft. Overall, the components worked well together, and it was an exciting dish to eat.
Service: 5/10
Although the restaurant manager was a very warm and friendly, the staff was inattentive; you could see the difference in their Winterlicious services versus regular service. Also, I was not happy about being charged $5 for water! The waitress offered us only two options: still or sparkling water. It would make sense if they offered a tap water option, if they were going to charge for both still and sparkling. We were also charged $17 for a $12 drink — something they call “bar tax”.
Food: 7/10
The scallops were mouthwateringly delicious, and the ricotta cream dessert was great. However, the main dish — the star of the show, so to speak — was lackluster and disappointing.
Ambiance: 8/10
Aria is a great place to have conversations over food and drinks. The music playing in the background was not intrusive, and complements the vibe of the restaurant very well.
Price: 4/10
Again, we were not happy about the additional charges, which we were not aware of until the bill arrived. The food and drinks were not worth the price we paid. I would have had no problem paying if the service and everything else had been better.
Final Verdict: 5.5/10
I don’t think we will visit this restaurant again.
