What’s on the menu at Bar Mignonette, Craig Wong’s new spot for seafood and wine above Patois

What’s on the menu at Bar Mignonette, Craig Wong’s new spot for seafood and wine above Patois

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Name: Bar Mignonette
Contact: 794 Dundas St. W., 2nd floor, 647-350-8999, barmignonette.com, @barmignonette
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Owners: Craig Wong and Ivy Lam (Patois, Jackpot Chicken Rice)
Chefs: Craig Wong and executive chef Alex Nacinovich (Patois)
Outdoor seating: Twelve seats
Covid-19 safety measures: Guests are temperature screened and asked to fill out contact-tracing information; hand sanitizer is available; tables are sanitized when guests finish their meal; masks are to be worn when not at the table; plexiglass barriers between open kitchen and bar seating; patio seats are reserved for those who have a table indoors (or vice-versa), just in case the weather changes and they want to move in or out.
Accessibility: Two steps at the entrance, then 19 more to reach the second floor space; washroom is down a step; roof top patio is two steps up from main room

The food

Named for the classic oyster accoutrement, Ivy Lam says the space is also “tres mignon,” French for “very cute.” The short menu at Patois’ new second-floor sister spot is equally influenced by Wong’s Caribbean-Asian background and his training in French cuisine. Customers can expect starters like warm crab dip, garlic shrimp and seasonal veggies dishes (right now that means asparagus with sauce gribiche). There’s also a raw bar stocked with East Coast oysters, wild cold-water shrimp and lobster.

The cracker plate changes daily but always includes Ritz topped with various cured meats and seafood. Pictured here: trout with horseradish and grape, and saucisson sec with cheese and mustard. $8.

 

Crumpets are made daily using freshly milled prairie red wheat from Brodflour and come with shaved Seed to Sausage ham, grass-fed butter and Headwaters summer honey. $14.

 

Freshly shucked East Coast oysters are served with watermelon red chili mignonette, fresh horseradish and Patois’ signature mango-habanero hot sauce. $33 for a dozen.

 

The show-stopping shrimp cocktail features wild cold-water shrimp from northern Canada. It’s served shell on with cocktail sauce and mayonnaise. $16.

 

Sous chef Daniel Shin is behind this dish that features B.C. clams and spaghetti in a black garlic and sake sauce. $19.

 

Here’s that display case, chock full of fresh seafood.

 

This vintage IBM deli slicer was refurbished by Wong’s friend chef Michael Olsen. The machine’s finish is what inspired the room’s emerald green paint job and tiling.

 

The crew, from left to right: Front-of- house manager Rob Sage, executive chef Alex Nacinovich, sous chef Daniel Shin and cook Shaya Ilgacs.

 

Nacinovich and Shin, doing their thing.
The drinks

There are a few house cocktails and some beer, but the real focus here is on low-intervention and biodynamic consignment wines, available by the glass or bottle.

A sample of what’s on the current wine menu: 2019 Domaine Serol Turbullent, a natural sparkler; 2019 Neon-Eon Tropicalia, an orange wine from B.C.; 2018 Rosewood Estates Night Moves; and the unfiltered and sweet 2018 La Ferme de la Sansonnière Rosé d’un Jour.

 

The space

Previously an apartment, the room has been transformed into a 14-seat space decked out with shells and tropical plants. Vintage trinkets and family heirlooms line shelves made from repurposed church arches finished with red lacquer. Just off the room—and perfect for these pandemic times—is a small patio overlooking Dundas West that can seat 12.