It is rare for one entrepreneur to get food, service and price fine tuned, in one month. Segar Kulasegarampillai has managed this and more.
Hailing from Sri Lanka, Segar honed his skills at Mildred Pierce, and put in a productive stint in Vancouver.
He has bravely and confidently opened on Bayview, in modest but funky digs, and is hoping to bring a new cuisine to a neighbourhood festooned with a variety of Italian and Indian fare.
A learning moment: the cuisine is billed as “spice route,” and we have to be walked through this concept. In Segar’s hands, it means taking French classics and tweaking them with spices from India, Thailand and Morocco.
He has wisely started with a menu that does not overreach: six appetizers and eight mains comprise this carte. We make our choices while munching on crispy pita, baked with yogourt, that has been put in the oven as we walk in the door and arrives with three chutneys. Good start.
Roasted parsnip and cauliflower soup arrives steaming. It is naturally thick and dairy-free, relying on the inherent sweetness of the winter vegetables when they are slow roasted and touched by cumin ($5). Cumin reappears in our other appetizer — sautéd chicken livers, accompanied by spinach and onion sambal, all of which is enlivened by a splash of marsala. This humble part of the bird is scarce in the city, and I hope other kitchens will take note ($7).
For our entrees we seek the advice of our sharp-as-the-proverbial-tack waitress who, without hesitation, recommends the lamb and the duck. I am considering the Seared “dry” sea scallops, but the look in her eyes steers me away.
Lamb shank braised in Madras spices is tarted up with fried shallots and is perched on a bed of basmati rice pilaf. It has been cooked slowly to break down the fibre of this tough meat and is falling off the bone by the time it is placed on the table.
By using “Madras” spices, Segar has no constraints as to how he builds the taste, and he is not sharing the formula. I love this dish ($17).
Roasted Muscovy duck breast more vividly illustrates the spice route philosophy. This bird is rarely seen in South Asia. It is displayed in a fan of medium rare slices and, instead of the rice pancake with Peking duck, we see a new presentation that features an ultra-thin dal pancake.
Instead of hoisin, the condiment of choice is a date-ginger compote that balances the rich meat ($17).
Not only is the quality of desserts impressive, but Segar does something that every woman has on her wish list. Each sweet is complex and perfect, but they are also small and all are priced at $4.
I settle on a feuillete (layers of flaky pastry) interwoven with intensely lemony custard and strewn with fresh berries. Perfect flavour, perfect size and perfect price. It is my hope that Segar prospers with its current profile. We must reward a restaurant that shows us that fine cuisine can be gracious without being exorbitant and that there’s real joy in the creation and presentation of food.