5th Elementt

The Fifth Element is a 1997 movie starring Bruce Willis. It also has nothing to do with this blog post, so if you want to learn more about the movie you should go back to the search engine.

Interior shot of 5th Elementt. Sorry no outside shot, what can I say…my mom forgot

In case you were wondering, the two “t”‘s is not a typing error, that’s actually how the restaurant name is spelled. We came to this Indian Fusion restaurant via Summerlicious 2012. There has been some discussion among foodies that the “Licious” programs are not a fair representation of the restaurants. These rumours were started by some of the fancier food critics who had tasted from these restaurants off their regular menu and found the food to be much better. After hearing this I was reluctant to use “Licious” at all for my blog posts. And this is why we were so surprised by the outcome of our trip to 5th Elementt.

The above picture is of the appetizer portion of the prix fixe menu.

This is the entrée part of their Summerlicious menu.

And their dessert selection.

For the appetizers I had the Crab, my mom tried the Chicken Pakora and Nana ordered the Mango Salad.

There is one word I can use to describe this dish: exquisite. The crab was surprisingly fresh given the restaurants location (nowhere near a coast or fish market) and was really tender. The curry sauce was an excellent pairing without overpowering the delicate flavour of the crab.

Generous pieces of chicken, fluffy batter and sweet mango dipping sauce made for a pleasant appetizer.

As demonstrated by the appetizers, 5th Elementt’s plating is beautifully done. Nana found this salad light and refreshing as well as generous with the mango and clementine segments.

This was so good I actually scraped off all the sauce that was left at the bottom of the plate. Flavourful beef with just the right amount of chewiness was complimented by the savoury/spicy sauce.

My mom ordered the salmon as that is her favorite fish and she wasn’t disappointed by this dish. In fact, it was so good that she continued to eat it until it was finished, even though she was full and making herself uncomfortable. Perfectly cooked salmon (firm, not mushy) was paired with a delicate but flavourful curry sauce. The rice in all the dishes was fluffy and perfect for absorbing all those gorgeous sauces.

Nana was very happy she went with this choice instead of the Butter Chicken, which let’s face it you can get anywhere. In fact, she liked the Paneer so much, she wouldn’t even let us have a teeny-tiny taste.

This is Mom and my first time trying a souffle. It actually tasted a lot like a molten cake but none the less was extremely tasty. With a rich chocolate taste, they were not too sweet and had a wonderful soft (not molten) center. It also went really well with the ice cream.

Nana is a cheesecake snob and was originally reluctant to try this. For one thing she never orders “flavoured” cheesecakes, or one’s that are topped with fruits. So she was pleasantly surprised by this one. She found it light, refreshing but still “cheesy” enough and enjoyed the two sauces that decorated the plate.

But the food is not the only highpoint of 5th Elementt. The service was very gentlemanly and attentive, and it all took place amongst slick European decor with Indian music in the background.

I’m pretty sure this clears up those rumours about Summerlicious and we will definitely be visiting this restaurant again and again.

5th Elementt 506 Queen St W

Something is Wrong with This Picture

As you may or may not know, The Burger’s Priest has been chosen by Toronto Life magazine with having the burger of the year (2011).

The Offender

I got this news at the mall this past Tuesday, Jan 17th. Since then I’ve been trying to puzzle over how it’s popularity spread. I don’t know if maybe its because Now Magazine likes them and other people think because an important critic likes these burgers, they MUST be good?!? Or maybe its because someone has a secret alliance with this restaurant and has made it their mission to make this restaurant popular (no I’m not looking at anyone as I say this). Or it could be that our tastes are different than the other people that eat here. Clearly someone that enjoys exotic cuisine is not going to get excited by greasy, processed, bland food. Or an alien pod arrived, enjoyed the food and got other pods to inhabit people and make them like it.

Pod Food

As if this is not enough, I also learned on that terrible Tuesday, that The Real Jerk may be closing. For a place that by its outward appearance I originally thought was a tanning salon (come on, the big sun, the magazines at the front door and the big tinted windows), it turned out to be a remarkable Jamaican food place (except for the dry jerk chicken).

The Real Jerk is closing because the location was rented and the building owner decided to sell. Fortunately there is one lifeline: an on-line petition. http://www.savetherealjerk.com So we are going there on Sunday for what might be our last meal at The Real Jerk. Nana is going to miss the cod fritters and my mom the oxtail gravy. For me, I’ll miss all their food.