Must-Try: Ruby Watchco’s velvety chocolate chestnut soup

A surprising appetizer at Ruby Watchco makes chocolate the star

Photograph by Raina and Wilson

Desserts with savoury ingredients are nothing new, but sweets for starters? Chef Lora Kirk of Riverside’s Ruby Watchco has created a delicious anomaly with her velvety chocolate chestnut soup. A nage is thickened with a purée of fresh, earthy chestnuts and made creamy with organic milk chocolate. A swish of milk foam, a sprinkle of deep-fried celery leaves to offset the sweetness, and a drizzle of Pernod and dark chocolate reduction finish the warm, savoury dish. It’s an appetizer to get diners talking, sure, but it also shows chocolate in a whole new light. 730 Queen St. E., 416-465-0100.