Food as performance art

We went to a restaurant called Awai in Bloor West Village tonight. I expected food and got something much much more.

I write a lot about food although I’m not a food writer and I couldn’t craft words to do it justice; but to be honest I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It didn’t feel like we were eating, more taking part in a performance. It was fine dining as audience participation. Every one of the eight courses we were given was beautifully, almost lovingly described. We weren’t waited on, we were guided through what we were about to eat. The combinations were like poetry; who would have thought that celeriac and coffee would pair on the plate? That a dish of mushrooms could be cooked with so much diversity of texture that a meat eater would recognise them as calamari or jerky? That ravioli stuffed with artichoke would not cloy but burst like pods ready to seed the tongue?

Picasso said that there was no real way of explaining why "two colors, put next to each other, sing" and implied that the artist doesn’t learn, rather continuously experiments. I think the people behind Awai are on a similar mission. They try to make ingredients sing to you. The Girl Racer and I were just blown away by the whole experience. You cannot understand this place through looking at their website or reading reviews, you just have to go there and trust them. Resistance is futile. Surrender. Enjoy. Allow yourself to be part of the performance for a couple of hours.

For the record, their wines were fantastic (including a little gratis number that reminded me of drinking white sherries in Seville). And the whole place had a relaxed but refined atmosphere in which everyone was clearly absorbed in their experience. I hardly saw a mobile on the table all evening; there was no need for the distraction of the outside world...


As for the rest of the day, we took a walk over to Kensington Markets which was more or less dead due to power cuts; had brunch in Hogtown Vegan (a huge plate of huevos rancheros); shopped for clothes for me (I got two pairs of my favourite Jack and Jones trousers) and presents for home; and drank beer in the Craft Beer Market on Yonge Street. Their beer selection is enormous. We actually went back after our meal for a nightcap and watched the Toronto Raptors lose narrowly to the Cleveland Cavaliers at basketball (and I mean narrowly - 103 to 105). Fantastic atmosphere.

Great day. Couple of extras. Don’t do it justice, but still a great day.