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Marquis Bistro Raises the bar for Hilton dining June 25, 2009
As a hotel chain, Hilton has never been known for its food and certainly not for it’s commitment to healthy eating and sustainability (not like Fairmont, for instance). But Marquis Lounge & Bistro at the new Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Toronto, could be a whole new beginning for Hilton F & B .
Located on the second floor of the contemporary boutique hotel, Marquis is a comfortable, intimate restaurant with classic décor and lots of rich dark woods.
The menu features what the hotel marketing team calls “nouvelle continental.”
“It’s a small menu,” says executive chef, John Lee. “It’s not overreaching and it’s very focused.” That focus can be pretty much summed up with four words: fresh, local, seasonal and sustainable. Nothing new and revolutionary but certainly a focus we are seeing more of on the restaurant scene.
Lee subscribes to the “clean eating” philosophy and describes his cooking style as “simple, clean ingredients and techniques.”
To further keep dishes on the healthy side, he serves what he calls “the evil starches” (think white flour, pasta, potatoes) in “rational portions.” So don’t expect a mound of mashed potatoes with heaps of butter.
When I visited a couple of weeks ago, the summer menu had just launched. “It’s as seasonal as we can be,” says Lee, “and right now it’s a greenhouse season. Lee is passionate about using “local” and sits on the committee of Slow Food Toronto and is a member of the Ontario Tourism and Culinary Alliance.
He is also passionate about fish and sustainability. You won’t find tuna or other top feeders on the Marquis menu, and the only salmon he serves is line-caught in the waters around Alaska. He explains that catching them that far north means they have already spawned. He stays away from farm salmon and also sets a limit for the amount of salmon served daily.
Korean born Lee grew up in downtown Toronto where he says visitors will find a “compendium of flavours” sprinkled throughout the multi-cultural city and they often work their way into his menu. He says there’s a rhyme and reason for every dish he serves. Tonight’s starter of Wild Mushroom and Shellfish Risotto with Saffron & Savoy Cabbage, for instance, was influenced by his recent month-long visit to Spain. And, the cabbage, he says, adds an “earthy” quality – “not uptown but mid-town.”
Other menu favourites include the Wild Mushroom Ravioli (made from scratch, of course) with Sage Butter and Aged Balsamic; the Seared Scallops with Charred Leeks and Capers in a light Calvados cream; and the Grilled Jerk Pork Chops that according to the chef practically “scream summer.” Yes. It’s Ontario Pork. When buying ingredients, he makes sure his suppliers stay within the 100 km parameter. So you won’t find strawberries from California, or New Zealand lamb. If you go, try the Herb Encrusted Halibut (line caught on Canada’s West Coast) – loved it. Entrees are priced between $19 and $29.
Are other Hilton hotels taking note? Send comments to editor@traveltowellness.com
More on Marquis at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Toronto
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