Chef Didier Leroy is certainly one of the most understated but highly accomplished chefs in Ontario.
I visited his restaurant, Didier, for one of his signature dishes that, to my palate, he seems to do better than anyone — beef tartar. Of course, I also enjoyed his perfectly rendered classic French cuisine.
We began with an amuse-bouche of a single organic cherry tomato, stuffed with finely-diced green beans and asparagus, and topped with a mayonnaise dressing.
My first course of oeufs en cocotte "Diane" followed — soft poached eggs topped with coarsely-minced sauteed venison and sauce poivrade. The coarsely textured venison and its savory sauce were a flattering complement to the richness of the soft poached egg.
The dish I came for followed: hand-cut, traditionally-dressed beef tartar. I love this with lots of freshly ground pepper and crispy thin toasts. The dish came with a picture perfect presentation of carrots and green beans from which this exceptional chef coaxed an amazing sweetness in a way rarely accomplished.
I then shared my partner’s fall off the bone succulent lamb shank, presented with some nicoise olives, a single carrot, a cherry tomato and a potato pancake. Again, Didier, a master saucier, created the "dipper’s paradise." Every little bit of sauce was mopped off the plate, leaving no residue.
Finally, tarte au citron with raspberry meringue delighted our eyes as well as our mouths. A richly thick marshmallow-like toasted meringue topped the tarte lemon custard… quite fabulous and presented with gracefully sliced strawberry.
And all this, with the choice of the shank or the beef tartar, for a prix fixe of only $58.00 per person!! What an amazing value!!
Didier Restaurant, 1496 Yonge St., (416) 925-8588
Dr. Josh Josephson is the owner of The Cookbook Store and Josephson Opticians. He is a chevalier of Les Chevalier du Tastevin and the Le Chaine des Rotisseurs, a member of L’ordre Mondiale and a member and former president of the International Wine and Food Society, Toronto chapter.