Forget my burger fetish, minced ground beef in a bun is fun and all, but nothing beats an imported cut of some of the world’s finest line up of filets cooked to pure perfection prepared by Executive Chef Giancarlo Gottardo, and that’s exactly what The Grill Room at the Four Seasons had in store for my man and I last Friday.
Our gastronomic journey began as soon as our waiter placed a freshly baked loaf of warm bread alongside butter, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
We had set our eyes on a fine high-end Lebanese red wine, Marsyas 2008, with a distinct darkness in colour but tenderness in taste. It made for a perfect preface to the carnage we were about to inflict on some seriously thought out dishes.
We started things off with a light entrée, thinly-sliced marinated strips of fresh salmon combined meticulously with crispy radish, sweet chunks of Granny Smith apples and parsley.
Little did we know that it had paved the way for one of the best salads we would have. Smoked duck on a bed of frisée lettuce with red onions tossed in a splendid seedy mustard dressing. But that’s not even the half it; drizzled atop your salad you will find golden caramelized pecans that will take your taste buds on an emotional rollercoaster. But in case you still had any doubts, the deal breaker will present itself to you in the form of four gloriously fried pieces of Camembert in a velvety tempura coating.
Here’s where things started to get hot following all that foreplay. The Grill Room has an already precedent reputation for serving the crème de la crème of internationally imported cuts of meat, and from the minute we were handed the oversized genuine leather menu of popular yet posh selections the word “tenderloin” kept jumping out at us. Mind you we weren’t planning on playing it safe. My man had the Charolais Tenderloin and I, the US Tenderloin filet both on the bloodier side of things. Our filets arrived like kings, with a simple bay leave on to their right and a glistening whole garlic cooked confit-style that served as their thrones.
We loved that the side dishes were à la carte and were able to share all three we had ordered; the creamy rich mashed potatoes, the sautéed wild mushrooms and the unforgettable duck fat fries. And if that wasn’t enough three different sauces also make an appearance, a sharp pepper sauce, a buttery béarnaise and the original steak sauce. I couldn’t help but close my eyes as I placed each crimson piece of meat in my mouth that fell apart as soon as my knife barely scathed it. My senses were on overdrive as each flavor announced itself and lingered until the next bite. A cloud of silence fell over our table and every now and then each one of us would utter an “mmm” or a “ahh” as we stripped our meals down.
I was happy to go home without dessert; I thought nothing could possibly satisfy me further until I impulsively ordered the Délices au Chocolat Valrhona, the after party of all after parties, Caraïbe chocolate with hazelnut and praline sweet dough.
There’s a reason why the Four Seasons gets to bestow 5 Stars on its title, and walking in, you somehow feel you’re in the right hands. It could be the understated beauteous elegance that greets you, or the team of top-notch staff that makes you feel so important, or the ingredients that captivate you, or perhaps the right combination of all those things in one place.
Price Range: $120-$150 per person with wine.
Verdict: The Ultimate Gourmet Steakhouse
