Annona – Winterlicious

Annona Restaurant is the first of three restaurants I visited for Winterlicious 2012.  Annona Restaurant had always been on my list of places to visit but sadly I didn’t find their Winterlicious menu to be anything special. However, a foodie friend of mine had visited the day before and raved about it so I decided to make some last minute reservations =D

Annona Restaurant is an award-winning restaurant, located in the beautiful appointed hotel of Park Hyatt of Toronto.  The restaurant itself offers a very intimate setting, lots of blue and gold decor and large windows overlooking the fashionable Yorkville.

My view:

The bar on the left side of the restaurant:

Table setting & Licious Menu

Bread to start: The bread wasn’t warm or anything special but we managed to finish most of it throughout the course of the meal. The reason being that service was leaning towards the slower end and felt like we had to wait for some time in between each course. 

For drinks I ordered a whiskey sour ($11) -which is a combination of lemon juice and whiskey-  I loved my drink and enjoyed sipping away throughout the course of the meal but found it a bit stronger than usual.  For starters, my friend and I opted for the same thing : )

Coq au Vin

  • Frenched Chicken Drumstick with Red Wine Gastrique, Potato a Croquette, Fresh Herbs
  • Both of us really enjoyed this dish – but the chicken drumstick was a bit dry, no juice
  • I absolutely love the red wine Gastrique that was lightly drizzled on the dish – gave the drumstick that much more flavour – sweet and light

The Potato a Croquette was amazing – very crispy and hot on the outside and soft & fluffy mash potato on the inside – I love Croquettes

Grilled Park Cut Ribeye 

  • Boursin and Mushroom Gratin, Onion Rings, Red Wine Jus
  • Omg this dish was mouth-watering – the ribeye was cooked perfectly and seasoning was spot on
  • Very Juicy & Tender – I wish I had ordered this for my entree =(

Boursin and Mushroom Gratin was so scrumptious – the soft creamy cheese with mushroom literally melted in my mouth – honestly couldn’t get enough of it. The red wine Jus is the perfect pair for it – gave the overall dish a nice hint of flavour. The onion rings were just average.

Pan Roasted Halibut

  • Barley Risotto with Napa Cabbage, Root Vegetables, Parmesan Reggiano, Tarragon & Tomato Concasse
  • The pan roasted Halibut really stood out for me – The halibut was very soft and smooth – cooked perfectly
  • The risotto, however, was a bit overcooked – nothing special, I wasn’t able to finish it all

As part of Annona’s Licious Menu, each person was allowed to pick  2 of the 4 desserts available =D So obviously we ordered one of everything, hehe!

Starting from Top left to Bottom Right

S’More Tart – Caramel and Chocolate Sauces

Mango Sorbet – with a Shortbread bite

Mini Warm Molten Chocolate Lava Cake – Caramelized Hazelnut Ice Cream

Warm Pear Bread Pudding – Calvados Creme Anglaise

My favourite were the Mango Sorbet & the Chocolate Lava cake with the hazelnut Ice cream. I think I was just in a dire need for something cold and refreshing

I really enjoyed my overall Winterlicious experience at Annona. Some restaurants tend to dismiss customers that come through the doors for a prix fixe menu – this was not the case at all. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The verdict on the food depends on entirely what you order. My halibut was delicious but the risotto was mediocre. I would have much preferred the Ribeye. Everything else was pretty satisfying =D I will definitely check out their Summerlicious 2012 menu

Thanks for a memorable dinner – Cheers!

Price: $35 + tax + gratuity

Annona Restaurant - Park Hyatt Hotel on Urbanspoon

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2 Comments

  1. Sarah
    February 11, 2012 / 3:25 am

    I love Annona! We frequently go there for afternoon tea but have never made it for dinner. Glad to hear it was a good experience – and I must agree, the service is very good!

    • graceyyyy
      February 14, 2012 / 12:48 am

      Thank you for reading ~ How are your afternoon tea experiences at Annona?

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