Amuse Kitchen & Wine
500 Eagleson Rd., 613-880-8883, amusekitchen.ca
Open: Monday to Friday noon to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to closing, Saturday 5 p.m. to closing, closed Sunday
Prices: Small plates $17 to $21, large plates $31 to $39
Access: No steps to front door or washrooms
While Kanata South has restaurants aplenty, most of them, from familiar chains to chip trucks to pho shops, satisfy desires for a meal that’s quick and casual. But where’s a foodie to go for something fancier in that suburban neighbourhood? Where is there a place to linger for, say, grilled octopus with chorizo or duck breast with black cherry and brandy compote?
I can recommend the Eagleson Road strip mall that has not only a shawarma joint and a well-established Chinese-Canadian restaurant, but also Amuse Kitchen & Wine.
Two and a half years ago, I was less keen on Amuse, when the then-fledgling restaurant served me a few too many ambitious dishes that struck me as unevenly made. But after two dinners and a recent lunch there, I have a better opinion of chef-owner Josh Gillard’s food. This year, I’ve found more consistency as well as creativity and generosity evident in his kitchen’s work.
This summer, my table enjoyed well-made starters and mains that in some cases featured bright-flavoured accents and Mediterranean or Spanish inspirations. A plate of cleanly battered and fried portobello mushrooms with parsley gremolata, smoked cashews, a perky lemon dressing and a dollop of rich garlic sour cream was tops among appetizers. A beautiful bowl of crab-stuffed arancini was nearly as good — had its lobster bisque been more luxurious and lobster-y, it would have been my favourite.
Mushrooms appetizer, a summer-menu dish at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Crab arancini, a summer-menu appetizer at Amuse Kitchen & Wine
We were in a red-meat mood that night, and both Gillard’s Dijon- and merguez-crusted lamb rack and hefty “gaucho” steak with chimichurri were smartly conceived, expertly cooked and chock full of flavour. A massive S’mores-inspired creation was filling and skewed, as desserts seem to do here, in a homier, comforting direction.
Lamb chops at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Gaucho steak at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
S’Mores dessert at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Last month, we enjoyed our meals at Amuse even more.
Our November dinner kicked off with two on-point seafood appetizers. Plump, lemony shrimp swam in a zippy cocktail-style sauce that had been bolstered by capers, Dijon and anchovy. Even better was a deluxe rendition of salmon tartare, which had superior flavour and mouth-feel thanks to the addition of a sesame-infused crema and smears of chipotle-bolstered tahini.
Shrimp appetizer at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Salmon tartare at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Then came main courses of lamb shank and duck breast, both prepared with care to bring out their best and made better still with punchily flavoured accompaniments. The massive lamb shank came in with a slick of sage-y goat cheese and a puddle of concentrated, fermented garlic-infused lamb demi-glace, while the well-seasoned, crisp-skinned duck breast was offset by a deeply flavoured black cherry and brandy compote and its own richly ducky sauce.
Lamb shank at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Duck breast at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
I usually think “Shortcut!” when various main courses emerge from a kitchen with the same set of vegetables on the side. But that night, the lamb and duck both came with Gillard’s spin on colcannon that mixed mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts and instead I thought: “More please!”
Dessert that night was a dauntingly large and definitely boozy ice cream sandwich made with chocolate stout cake, marshmallow ice cream and stout caramel. If you guessed that we could not polish it off after the meal’s earlier indulgences, you were right.
Ice cream sandwich at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
At lunch last week, slightly smaller helpings of Gillard’s food were, despite being a little less complex, very satisfying.
A creamy mac and cheese, bolstered by perfect morsels of duck confit and a splash of duck gravy, was a big hit. Tomato soup was fine of flavour, although its shards of prosciutto could have used a good trim. Amuse’s version of chicken and waffles looked lovely and delivered in terms of flavour and crispness, but its boneless breast meat was, as is often the case, on the dry side.
Mac and cheese with duck confit at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Tomato soup at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Chicken and waffles at Amuse Kitchen & Wine in Kanata South
Since its early days, the decor at Amuse has remained constant. The narrow but spacious place seats about 30 at blue banquettes along its long walls or on hard seats that would be improved with cushions. Splashy abstract paintings and mirrors hang along the walls and Edison lights dangle from the high ceiling. The music tends to soft remixes of classic rock and pop.
Josh Gillard and his wife Laurie, owners of Amuse Kitchen & Wine
At our visits this year, general manager Eric Murrell has struck just the right note with respect to service. He was attentive without being intrusive, and he knew the ins and outs of Gillard’s detail-rich menus as needed.
That kind of professional but un-snobby representative always helps to soften the blow of a bill that can mount up as it does at Amuse, where a main course can go for the same as a dinner for three at that Chinese-Canadian restaurant a few doors away.
But if you had left home in the first place for a special night out, then you were more likely seeking a premium cut of meat with a distinguished sauce and a memorable glass of wine, all served warmly and in relaxed but classy quarters. If that’s case, Amuse Kitchen & Wine now meets that high bar.