Ice Queens: four extravagant seafood platters perfect for ringing in the New Year
Ice Queens: four extravagant seafood platters perfect for ringing in the New Year
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- Bay Street’s sleekest subterranean dining room is known for its power broker crowd and extortionate prices, but chef Brooke McDougall’s Asian take on the traditional platter is a relative steal at $39. The plate is packed with more ocean creatures than <em>Finding Nemo</em> and includes fresh ingredients like watercress, shiso, hanna nori, yuzu, pickled ginger and coriander. <em>66 Wellington St. W., 416-777-1144. </em>
- Bymark’s shellfish platter
- Bymark’s shellfish platter
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- A whole butter-poached lobster is the star of The Fifth’s minimalist ice boxes (arranged more like centrepieces than plates of food). They’re accompanied by six Malpeque oysters, freshly grated horseradish and apple-shallot mignonette. $59. <em>225 Richmond St. W., 416-979-3005.</em>
- The Fifth’s platter for two
- The Fifth’s platter for two
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- Whatever’s on the table—purses, cellphones, elbows—clear it. You’re going to need the space for La Société’s gargantuan, three-tier seafood feast, brought out by a procession of servers (one to carry the tower, one to carry the garnishes, and one to explain what everything is). All the fish is sourced from Toronto-based Allseas Fisheries, which means it’s sustainable, organic or otherwise virtuous.$149. <em>131 Bloor St. W., 416-551-9929.</em>
- La Société’s grand plateau
- La Société’s grand plateau
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- Chef Basilio Pesce’s traditional platter is exactly what it should be: an uncomplicated expression of the sea, with the fish seasoned as simply as possible—salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil and a few herbs. $38. <em>4 Front St. E., 416-860-0086. </em>
- Biff’s <em>plateau de mer</em>
- Biff’s plateau de mer
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- 108932
- Bay Street’s sleekest subterranean dining room is known for its power broker crowd and extortionate prices, but chef Brooke McDougall’s Asian take on the traditional platter is a relative steal at $39. The plate is packed with more ocean creatures than <em>Finding Nemo</em> and includes fresh ingredients like watercress, shiso, hanna nori, yuzu, pickled ginger and coriander. <em>66 Wellington St. W., 416-777-1144. </em>
- Bymark’s shellfish platter
- Bymark’s shellfish platter
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens1-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens1.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens1.jpg
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- https://torontolife.com/food/ice-queens/slide/jan12icequeens1/
- jan12icequeens1
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- 108931
- A whole butter-poached lobster is the star of The Fifth’s minimalist ice boxes (arranged more like centrepieces than plates of food). They’re accompanied by six Malpeque oysters, freshly grated horseradish and apple-shallot mignonette. $59. <em>225 Richmond St. W., 416-979-3005.</em>
- The Fifth’s platter for two
- The Fifth’s platter for two
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens2-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens2.jpg
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- Whatever’s on the table—purses, cellphones, elbows—clear it. You’re going to need the space for La Société’s gargantuan, three-tier seafood feast, brought out by a procession of servers (one to carry the tower, one to carry the garnishes, and one to explain what everything is). All the fish is sourced from Toronto-based Allseas Fisheries, which means it’s sustainable, organic or otherwise virtuous.$149. <em>131 Bloor St. W., 416-551-9929.</em>
- La Société’s grand plateau
- La Société’s grand plateau
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens3-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens3.jpg
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- 650
- https://torontolife.com/food/ice-queens/slide/jan12icequeens3/
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- 108929
- Chef Basilio Pesce’s traditional platter is exactly what it should be: an uncomplicated expression of the sea, with the fish seasoned as simply as possible—salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil and a few herbs. $38. <em>4 Front St. E., 416-860-0086. </em>
- Biff’s <em>plateau de mer</em>
- Biff’s plateau de mer
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens4-96x96.jpg
- https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jan12IceQueens4.jpg
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By Matthew Hague | Photography by Christopher Stevenson. Food styling by Linsey Bell/Judy Inc.
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Great post, but just because the seafood comes from Allseas does not mean it is sustainable or organic – they sell plenty of seafood that is neither.
Dear Matthew.
A New Year’s Celebration for most people is about turning a new leaf and celebrating the accomplishments of the past. My question: How does eating copious amounts of seafood celebrate successes of the past year? How does this indulgence look towards the future to improve on our past? Having spent the past month in Vietnam seeing horrific examples of fishing trawlers draining the sea and fish farms in fields with ducks. We need to make progress the world over. Canada hides our shame a bit better but we are a nation looked up upon by many less developed countries. Truth is, as we consume fish platters and aim for “sustainable” fish, its just throwing money at a problem to feel better about ourselves. We aren’t making progress. By promoting this as an acceptable New Year tradition in a publication to the volume of people in the GTA, your only exacerbating the problem.