Beast

We were so grateful when our friend Jodi sent us a gift card of a dinner for two at Beast restaurant.
Beast is one of those restaurants for very very special occasions. This award winning restaurant is both intimate and communal. They have only two seatings each night, 6pm and 8:45pm. There's no menu to pick from. You get a six-course prix-fixe dinner, wine pairing optional.

We reserved two seats on a Friday evening at 8:45pm. The 6pm group was still finishing up their meal, so we waited outside of its unassuming store front. Beast is located in the general Alberta art district, a rapidly gentrified, artsy and fun neighborhood.

Once the 6pm group has cleared out, the restaurant crew was busy setting up the space for us. It's a fairly intimate space with an open kitchen. The L-shaped dining area houses two big communal tables. You share tables with other people. Cross-party conversing is encouraged, but not required.

an intimate space with communal tables

We sat at the end of a table. People at our table were more reserved and kept to themselves, while the other table was bustling with chatters. After a long work week, we were okay with the low level of social interaction. I also had a great vantage point to see some of the actions in the kitchen, while Jose intently studying the menu for the night.

menu of the night

The dinner started promptly after everyone was seated. Jose chose to do wine pairing for his meal. So before each course, the server would introduce him to a different wine. The first course was a chilled tomato soup, perfect for a warm summer night.

Second course was a charcuterie plate with six different bite-size morsels. Our favorites were the "steak tartar & quail egg toast", "buff pastry with pork filling (not the actual name of course)" and "fois gras bon-bon". There was woos and ahhs from the table while sampling these tasty bits. Although I can't help but shaking my head at the serving size. I'm clearly not cut out for high-end dining.

The third course, which is the main course, was lamp chop with bing cherry reduction and prosciutto salad. I am typically not a fan of the gaminess of lamp meat. But these lamp chops didn't have that overwhelming gamy taste. It was cooked to perfection, medium. Eating it with a knife and fork is really not the most efficient if the goal was to get as much tasty meat off the bone as possible. In the presence of company, I had to refrain from picking it up with my hands. =) This was also perhaps the only course served with a red wine.

The main course was followed by a palate cleansing salad and a cheese course. Again look at the serving size of the cheese course. It's like feeding a cat. The brie cheese was particularly stinky. I liked the other two cheeses better, and thought the cardamom shortbread cookies were excellent.

cheese course with three tiny pieces of cheese

The last course, the dessert course, was a chocolate torte with crushed berries, lemon ice cream with cracked pepper tuille. Tuille is this thin crackling decorative thing that's big in pastry world these days. It certainly looks impressive. The chocolate cake was out of this world rich and yummy. What a great way to end an expensive meal, I thought. Coffee and tea was also served during the last course.

amazing chocolate torte with pretty lacy decor to end the meal

As we walked out of Beast at passed-midnight, we both agreed that it was wonderful food and we were glad that we tried it, and that we would never pay for it with our own money. The dinner itself was $136 for both of us. The wine pairing was additional $35 on top. And I know I'd be hungry in about hour.