Sunday, May 8, 2011

Cafe du Lac


On Urbanspoon, out of 104 votes only 50% of the people actually liked Cafe du Lac. Not so great. Against the reviews I wanted to go see for myself. Mostly because when I glanced at the menu my eyes went straight to the short rib poutine with foie gras. Even better when there was a deal for it so I was still excited to try it out despite the negative reviews.

Wow I should have listened for once. It really was pretty bad.

Let me just warn you first. The pictures may appear
mouthwatering but in reality they did not taste as great as it looked. In this case, looks are really deceiving.

The place is cozy and I like the little blue pillows on the seat which gives the place a nice pop of color.


Here was the complimentary onion bun with truffle butter. This was nice. The bread was fluffy and once I teared it apart there was steam coming out of it. Once the butter touched the bun it melted quickly into the pores of the bun. It was luscious. Great start so far however, after this sadly it was just downhill.


Here was the poutine I was so excited to try. The all-dressed poutine with cream sauce sprinkled with beef short-ribs and curds topped with foie gras. Question. Can you spot the beef? Well, it wasn't there. I called the waitress over and she apologized and brought the dish back to the kitchen. I swear I heard the microwave open and once the ding sounded our plate came right back out to us. That got us wondering.


Here was the poutine with the beef added. It did taste like it was heated in the microwave. The meat was dried and wasn't even hot. The cheese curds were slightly still cold. Guess they didn't microwave it long enough. As for the foie gras it was the size of a quarter. Also it was burnt. I have never tasted nor seen burnt foie gras and I NEVER want to see or eat it again. Also the cream sauce was suppose to be a mixture of foie gras and brie cheese and it was not very tasty. Wow $20 for a microwaved dish. Not too pleased at all.


My boyfriend had the roasted 6oz wild boar tenderloin with crispy garlic chips, jus and mashed potatoes. The presentation was great. I thought it was delicious but my other half begged to differ. The only thing he enjoyed on his plate was the vegetables.


Here was the bacon wrapped venison meatloaf topped with another quarter-sized piece of foie gras in a balsamic jus accompanied with a side of potato gratin. Well at least this foie gras wasn't burnt however; I think it was slightly undercooked. It just did not taste right at all. Now the description said bacon wrapped and I examined the whole piece of meat and just couldn't find the bacon. Was there even any to begin with? I don't know and at this point didn't feel like asking the waitress.


Here is a closeup of the meatloaf. This was pretty dry and once again wasn't even hot. Was the food frozen for so long that they didn't heat it up long enough to make it hot? Such a disappointment. I can't believe I am paying for something that is just preheated food that was probably just leftovers from yesterday. It may look juicy in the picture but believe me it was far from it.


Also there's a window at the back so you can see the cooks. There were 2 kids in the back that didn't look like chefs to me. I didn't see anyone else except for their heads. Let's just say I heard the microwave door open and close a lot. It was like a fast food kitchen where all they had to do was preheat the food. No cooking necessary. Wonder why I had to wait so long in the first place for my food when it wasn't even warm when it arrived. Yes I am quite bitter since I was looking forward to trying this place but only to end up being very disappointed.

The waitresses were great but the food I am just appalled that they would charge that much for microwaved food. MICROWAVED FOOD!!!

TOTAL BILL $80...ONCE IS ENOUGH!!!

Cafe Du Lac on Urbanspoon

8 comments:

kiki's B.F.F said...

LOL, I was just just going to start my post on my visit.... our food was great =P I guess it's not consistent that's why 50% review

Eat Here Next said...

lol can't wait to read your post then maybe it just wasn't my luck @kiki's B.F.F

The Food Junkie said...

Yeah I took my parents to Café du lac for winterlicious and we all enjoyed our dinner, so yeah, probably the inconsistency issue and bad luck on your part lol

Eat Here Next said...

yea read ur post it's just my luck i got microwaved food:(

Anonymous said...

I had a few shreds pork, the cheece curds were cold and they forgot the sauce! Just aweful!!! The owner was so rude!

Eat Here Next said...

thanks for sharing at least im not the only one that had a bad experience but for me it was just the food...the service was fine

Anonymous said...

HORRIBLE!!!!!! I should have read this before I wasted my $$. The owner was the server and she was an absolute B#$%#! Probably why no one is eating here.... the fois gras tasted like dog food...but my dog probably wouldnt even eat it!

Bryan Waters said...

WHAT A WASTE of money. I work so hard for my money and it's a shame when I go out somewhere and feel so disappointed in what I get for my dollar. My girlfriend and I rarely go out, we eat in a lot, and going out is an occasional thing. We ordered their 'special' poutine that came with foie gras. LET me start by saying it was a joke. the only way I can think of describing the fries is ''they sucked'', no crisp texture or flavor to them - tired and dried out, chewy sticks of potato - empty calories, garbage. The gravy sauce had clumps like lard, similar to when oil sits too long, it starts to solidify, as if they reheated the gravy from the night before.

Worst part about the gravy was that it tasted like it was from one of those instant gravy mixes - gone stale. DEFINITELY not worth $25 + tax and tipping the RUDE psycho server who made us feel like we were cheap b/c we ordered only one item for sharing and no drinks - we were (fine) with Lake Ontario's finest sewage-treated water.

At the end of it, it cost me close to $40 for slop. I hate to say it, but this place should call it quits or go bankrupt, which ever comes first. My experience confirms what I later read from online reviewers - the service is 120% as terrible as the food.

If you want a poutine par excellence, definitely go to a true poutinery like Smoke's or elsewhere, even Harvey's or BK serves a nicer poutine than this slop - without the hefty price tag that'll hurt your wallet.

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