TASTE TORONTO.

A place like Mademoiselle needs a menu as varied and full of life as its atmosphere. Taking up this challenge is Executive Chef Evan Dickinson (Vertical, Aria, Crush Wine Bar), who also heads the kitchen at MARBL. For someone who’s spent enough time in the world of fine dining, Dickinson sees Mademoiselle as the chance to do something new.

“I’m excited for this space to become a staple on King West,” says Dickinson. “It’s definitely a unique venue—not just in Toronto, but in Canada.”

The Ultimate Seafood Tower is one extravagant example of how Mademoiselle reinvents celebratory items that people already love.

“Everybody does a seafood tower, but I wanted it to be different,” he says. “Having our own Sushi Chef is such an asset, too—no other restaurant has sushi in the seafood tower. I had a vision of what it could be, and this surpassed my imagination.”

Standing at three levels high, Mademoiselle’s Ultimate Seafood Tower has it all: whole lobster, king crab legs, tuna tartare, mussels, oysters, a tin of Osetra Caviar, a shrimp cocktail with colossal shrimps and, topping it all off is a box of sashimi carefully arranged by Sushi Chef Daniel Ken (Blowfish, Lavelle, Lobby).

As a coastal-themed restaurant, Mademoiselle had to ensure a high level of quality and artistry behind each of their seafood dishes, and Ken was the perfect person to take that on.

“Sushi is such a specialty item, I’d only be doing it disservice,” Dickinson admits.

“We wanted to bring in somebody very talented that could reflect the brand. Now, Daniel just does his own thing. I wanted it to be his own expression of the menu, and I just let him run with it.”

With a Japanese-Brazilian background, Ken is someone who understands how different cultures can complement each other under the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, a philosophy of aesthetics of beauty.

The Wagyu Tataki, for instance, is one of his most elegant dishes on the menu, and it’s a work of art. Half-cooked slices of A5 wagyu sit in a thin layer of spicy ponzu, finished with lines of crispy quinoa and garlic, chives, and sesame.

“In hospitality, wabi-sabi can be the idea that very high-end experiences can be made simple to create a unique type of beauty,” says Ken.

At Mademoiselle, you’ll find Ken behind his own interactive sushi counter, where guests can take a seat by the bar to watch him work his sashimi knife and assemble his creations.

Another “Daniel Ken signature” is the Hamachi crudo, a colourful and lively dish that just feels like summer, especially with the caramel-coloured usukuchi ponzo and accents of bright accompaniments like sliced serrano peppers, micro cilantro, watermelon, radish, and gooseberries.

Mademoiselle’s menu has such a range that you can find everything from classic and familiar to simply elegant, all the way to downright adventurous.

Mademoiselle is the kind of inspiring, grand undertaking that requires a full team of dedicated minds. With Girges, Butcura, Dickinson, Ken, and Vanacker leading their own areas of the concept, it’s come to life with the full force of King West energy. The best part? The Mademoiselle life is here whenever you need it—they’re open every day from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Written by: Sandra Lau
Taste Toronto

Full Article : https://www.tastetoronto.com/spots/mademoiselle