Origin

Despite Chef Claudio Aprile’s rant about bloggers and wannabe food critics, I still made my way to Origin to give it a go (I thought it in poor taste, but I’m not one to hold a grudge. I also don’t break out a camera during dinner.)

The location is great. I’m a huge fan of the St. Lawrence market area so that was a no-brainer. In my opinion, the décor is near perfection. The different light fixtures were definitely one of my favourite parts, while the patio is one of the better ones in the city.

I start the meal with a dirty Grey Goose martini, my staple, and my friend, a Pimm’s cup. We then go ahead and order: potatas bravas ($5) shrimp ceviche ($4) oysters ($12) burrata ($19) Italian ham ($15) grilled lamb chops ($15) and seared scallops.

For dessert we ordered the lemon tart served with blueberries. It was runny, which was different than I was expecting, but it was sweet, sour and wonderful.

All of the food was good. The two dishes that stood out to me were the shrimp ceviche, first and foremost and the scallops. I’m a sucker for scallops and will often find myself ordering it if it’s available.

I’ve only had shrimp ceviche a few times before, once being at Buona Notte in Montreal. This was definitely the best I’ve tried.

Origin is located at 107-109 King Street East and is wheelchair accessible. Call for reservations 416.603.8009

Image kindly borrowed from Origin