The Berlin - Kitchener
We’ve been meaning to get out to former Langdon Hall chef Jonathan Gushue’s new restaurant, The Berlin, since we heard he was opening back in the fall.
Life gets busy, and they’ve been open since just before Christmas, so my husband’s 30th birthday this past week was reason enough to finally book a table.
We were greeted on a sudden cold snap of an evening to a warm restaurant with great visual design. I had been following the construction and menu development on the chef & restaurant’s Instagram, so I had a good idea of what to expect. My eyes were drawn initially to the beautiful reclaimed board floor, which was done by a local Cambridge shop, Galt Wood Co. Our own dining room table at home was crafted by this shop, so I was excited to see the gorgeous floors in person. The music, decor and ambiance was just right.
We were seated in a comfortable booth near the middle side of the restaurant. We could gaze up to the back of the restaurant where the open kitchen is in full view, as well as down toward the front of the restaurant out to the blustery flurries outside.
Our server was Jesse, and she was fabulous! She had just served the last bottle of Cab Sauv we wanted to enjoy, but was quick to recommend another wine she thought we’d like. She was attentive and checked in at the perfect times throughout the evening (not when we’d just taken a bite of food like so many other servers seem to do). She was always there when we needed something, but never interrupted our group’s conversation. As I said, her attention and timing was great all night.
I started with the Potted Duck with Salted Cream, Foie Gras Parfait and Picked Pear Jam. To. Die. For. The sourdough that the pastry chef puts out is incredible as well. The other two appetizers we tried were the Loire Goats Cheese, Grilled Treviso, Dried Fruit and Earl Gray Vinaigrette, and the Salmon with Fennel, Blood Orange, Basil & Toasted Almonds. Both perfectly balanced and delicious.
My main was Grass Fed Beef, Creamed Parsnip (wasn’t creamed), Coal Roasted Onion, with Crushed Herb Sauce. Three out of the four of our group had the beef, and we all enjoyed it. The other had the Elora Hen, French Green Lentils, Toasted Leeks, Cranberries & Almonds. Ugh, those lentils. Perfectly cooked, and the whole dish was full of simple but refined flavours. The food was what I had expected: simple yet polished, and it all tasted great. Our only criticism was the temperature of our food. The plates were obviously warmed, however the food itself when it reached our table was warm, not hot. All four mains had this problem. None of us had an issue finishing our plates, but it should have been hot to begin with.
We tried two of the dessert offerings; Burnt Lemon Curd (with a chocolate crumb & ice cream) and the Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Pie with Espresso Ice Cream. Yes, and yes.
We will definitely be back, and I look forward to trying one of the amazing looking Terrines the chef creates. And the dumplings.
Bad lighting = bad photos. Sorry.