Lake Inez — Restaurant in Toronto

Dishes are presented with eccentric names that has a Trader Joe-like feel, such as the Hand Upstream Rolls ($22), which presents the upstream swimming fish, salmon, cured into gravlax form and covers it with cream fraiche and plum sauce. I enjoyed the meaty chunks of fish but wish the chefs weren’t so heavy handed with the sauce, it masked the salmon’s flavours and made it difficult to wrap in the nori.

While pairing tomatoes with bonito seems strange, the Tomato Tonnato ($21) was one of our favorite dishes of the night. Somehow, the fish flakes’ umami essence and the juicy heirlooms just work, bringing out the freshness of the fruit but giving it a bit of je ne sais quoi as well.

In fact, Lake Inez’s most simple sounding dishes were the tastiest. The Humble Potato ($19) featured big chunks of well-fried, roughed up potatoes that have a lovely crispy coating and tosses it in a flavourful Gouda queso. While the dish may sound heavy, the addition of herbs and anise hyssop (an edible flower) added a freshness to the cheesy potatoes.

Along the same vein, the Corn Puddin’ & Baby Shrimp ($23) was a lovely dip of hot gooey Fresno sauce studded with sweet corn and a fair amount of just cooked through shrimp. While it was tasty, it would be even better with more seasoning and salt. Still, the bread plate sized tortillas added a sunniness to the dish that I couldn’t help but smile when seeing it.

The Wham! Bam! Thank You, Ham! ($22) started with promise with slices of lightly cured country ham paired with sweet Korean melon and pears. But then the pickled watermelon rind and pickled peanuts were so pungent that after getting a bite of these that’s all I could taste.

It seems Lake Inez really likes sour flavours as the Cucumber?! I Hardly Know Her! ($19) was also too tart for my taste. The diced crunchy cucumber was tossed with a cashew cream that seems to contain a fair amount of preserved lemon. Aside from the refreshing cucumber and lemon, the other flavours were rather muted as I couldn’t really taste the curry leaves or much salt. This was a divided dish for the table.

The Miami Memory ($28) contained a piece of well-seasoned blackened snapper that had a nice spice but was over cooked. While it was considered a larger “main” dish, there was a scant portion of snapper, and the shredded greens and couscous side didn’t increase it’s substantialness by much.

Mama’s Meatballs ($28 for two; $10 for an additional meatball and bread) was more generous and the better of the two mains if you’re hungry. Mama makes moist and not overly dense meatballs and the peach ragu and mostarda lightens the otherwise hearty dish. Serving these with a large hunk of buttered toast was smart to help mop...

I recently planned an elaborate "outdoor adventure game" (think: real life D&D/escape room vibes) birthday surprise for a friend's 30th, and wanted to get a couple of local establishments involved. My first choice was Lake Inez, as I was planning to have the birthday dinner there anyway.

I cannot even begin to explain how above and beyond Lake Inez and their incredible staff went for us. They truly demonstrated with all of their heart how genuinely they care for their customers. Just one example: I asked them if they could write a single letter on a plate for one of the "clues" in the adventure game. I figured they would write it in a chocolate sauce or something along those lines. So, you can imagine our total delight and wonder when they revealed that they had instead baked a cookie for us in the shape of the letter and incorporated it into their dessert! WOW. We were all speechless. I will attach a pic.

These little details made my friend's 30th one that he will never forget. He said it was the best birthday he's ever had, and attributed a lot of that to Lake Inez, for multiple reasons. Every favour I asked of them, they countered with "We can do more than that!". Our server roleplayed and stayed "in character" for the entirety of our meal, and was so kind, funny and theatrical. This was not an expectation whatsoever, but he did it anyway. Lake Inez is such a special, heartfelt and caring place.

I swear, there is some sort of magic in the air here. Even as we were entering, another diner was standing outside. As we went in, they exclaimed that we were about to have the best meal of our lives. This is just the vibe of the place. Everyone is so happy to be there and every meal leaves you feeling in awe.

Beyond their enthusiastic participation in my adventure game, the food was outstanding, creative, fresh, innovative and visually stunning as per usual. The pricing is also not egregious and worth every penny. We shared 6 beautiful dishes (almost tapas style but quite generous, we left full and we aren't small appetite people), three mocktails and a dessert; for $195. Like I said, WORTH. EVERY. PENNY. And then some.

I've been here twice before, with different groups of people each time, and every person I bring says it's their new favourite place in the city. I completely agree that it's the best restaurant in Toronto. Check out their creative writing style on their social media posts. You will quickly understand that they put a lot of thoughtfulness into their dishes. Thanks again Lake Inez, you guys are so kind and you're...

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Tasting Menu: From the stories told through mouth or through food and drinks, Lake Inez makes any tale one worth listening to. The amuse is uncharacteristically large, which is amazing since your first bite will lead you to want more. The buckwheat focaccia has a fragrant olive oil touch with a little bursts of umami from the pieces of pork meat, pork sausage and bacon embedded within. Balanced with a melody of charred sweet corn and nixtamalized corn that also pop with a delightful sweetness, the flavour is further heightened with a tangy lime aioli and cojita cheese.

The dishes will be easy tonight, especially with the Tuna Tomato Tonnato. Beautifully fresh heirloom tomatoes and Canadian bluefin tuna create an unforgettable bite with its tangy sweetness and savory aroma respectively. None of the tuna is wasted - first, a truckload of tuna bones are and roasted reduced down into a concentrated sauce with some cognac to add a deep and rich umami base in each bite, with a pronounced tuna flavour that's not overly fishy. The leaner fish collar is smoked to bring out its savoriness while retaining its tender, meaty texture. The best part though, are the thick-cut slices of chutoro, that melt in your mouth into a buttery, indulgent bite. Everything is then rounded out with a lovage and garlic oil that provides a touch of earthiness, along with some scallions for freshness. Notably, the red wine that goes along with this tones down the fishiness of the tuna, making for a surprisingly harmonious pairing.

The duck breast had a luxurious sear, served on top of a memorable croquette coated with breadcrumbs and filled with tender potatoes, escarole, carom puffs and meaty pieces of duck confit. I liked it better than the duck itself, honestly. Everything else, however, is all delicious and you won't regret your visit.

A la Carte: Pastrami that's so tender it crumbles in your mouth, with a pleasing fatty and smoky aroma. The tangy thousand island sauce dressing the fingerling potato salad provided a refreshing refuge to potentially weighty bites of brisket.

A smooth and savory chicken liver mousse topped with creamy artichoke dip on top, accompanied with a super crisp slice of sourdough bread and none of...