AN ALEX CHEN SUMMER AT MOXIES

My sister and I decided to take my father out for a special Father’s Day dinner at Moxies.    Moxies is known for the usual fare of pasta, wings, burgers and steaks.   However, what drew my attention to Moxie’s is an exciting summer menu designed by chef Alex Chen.

Alex Chen, for those that are not aware, is the former executive chef of the Beverly Hills Hotel, and received mentorship training under Lynn Crawford of the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and Robert Sulatcky at the Four Seasons Chicago.   Mr. Chen describes his cuisine as a cross between classical traditions with some modern influences thrown in.   My entire three-course meal was dishes specially designed by Mr. Chen to enjoy a very unique dining experience.

I started off with the Iceberg Wedge Micro Salad, dressed in a blue cheese dressing topped with bacon bits and radishes.    While scraping the bacon aside, it was a great salad, something simple, refreshing, and setting the palate well for the upcoming main course.

For the main course, I decided to have the Top Sirloin Steak, served with a red wine braised onion jam, rustic point neuf potatoes, grana padano crisp and seasonal vegetables.   The steak was cooked to a perfect medium, retaining the juiciness and the flavour of the meat.   The onion jam was a great condiment that added the sweet and sour kick to the dish.    The rustic point neuf potatoes were French-fried to a golden brown and accentuated the dish well.   The grana padano crisp added the sharp saltiness that takes the steak meal to another level.   The vegetables were cooked perfectly, retaining its crispness and texture throughout, nothing soggy, droopy, or overly tender.   All in all, a great main course meal from start to finish.

I ended the meal with an orange scented vanilla panna cotta, which is Italian for cooked crème.    I tasted the wonderful accents of the orange, and the panna cotta tasted creamy and lush.   A wonderful ending to the meal.

If you decide to go to Moxies for the summer, take a break from the ordinary and sample the menu prepared by a great chef.  You will be glad you did and in the long run you will get more bang for your buck if you were to eat elsewhere at a five star establishment.

ALEX CHAN AT MOXIES WEBSITE:

http://www.moxies.ca/AlexChen