Today in Ottawa, I decided to take my sister to lunch to show my gratitude to her for driving me to Ottawa for my conference and back. We chose to visit Domus Cafe whose talented young chef uses ideas borrowed from Canadian country food by takes them in the direction of haute cuisine (I still can’t get out of my French-speaking mode, so please bear with me until I go back to the US).
Here is how Domus Cafe looks inside:
It is located in Ottawa’s vibrant Byward Market, so it’s very easy for any tourist to find. Here is how Domus Cafe looks on the inside:
We came right after the restaurant opened at 11 am, so it was still empty. It really filled up for lunch, however, even though this is not a cheap place. Of course, the food is so good and the service is so spectacular that there is no mystery to Domus cafe’s popularity. Here are the lattes we ordered with our lunch:
I’m trying to learn to take better photos. How does this one look? I think it’s better than the ones I usually take. W
We had a long way back to Montreal ahead of us, so we decided to order a big lunch. For appetizers, we got mushroom bisque. I loved it because it was not oversalted, like mushroom bisques often are. One huge differences between US restaurants (even very expensive ones) and Canadian restaurants is that food is always grievously oversalted in the US. Here is this beautiful bisque that smelled and tasted of mushrooms:
As an entree, my sister had a mushroom barley risotto. I’d never tried a barley risotto before and I’m glad I did because it’s a very interesting dish that I now plan to recreate at home. The risotto was very delicately seasoned and perfectly done. Here it is:
And I had smoked trout with rosti, apple and endive salad and caramelized pearl onions. This dish was divine. The rosti were very crisp and fresh and the salad was very refreshing, offering a great counterpoint to the saltiness of the roasted trout:
Of course, after this kind of lunch, neither of us was interested in the dessert. In order to fulfill my role of a blogger who faithfully records all aspects of reality, I even took a photo of the bill:
This was an expensive lunch but we were enjoying a special occasion, so it was absolutely worth it.
Clarissa's Blog 
Very strange indeed. There is something kind of dark and European about that place. I imagine it looks Scandinavian. In Australia, all the best restaurants are Italian. The tables are helter skelter and there’s often some kitsch attempt to depict ancient Rome on or around the walls. Apart from that, there are some rather stiff and cheap south-east Asian restaurants.
LikeLike
Are there any typically Australian dishes?
I don’t think I ever tried Australian food. Does it exist? (Excuse my grievous ignorance.)
LikeLike
No– a typical Australian dish is multicultural.
LikeLike
That seems odd. I would haver thought that dishes made with kangaroo meat were clearly Australian.
LikeLike
Damn, its pretty bad when an American/Ukraine points out a restaurant in your own city that you dont know. 😉
I think the wife and I will be checking it out in the near future. 🙂
LikeLike
Cool! I’m totally happy to help Ottawans rediscover their great city. I wish I could have stayed longer, though.
LikeLike
Next time you are around look us up. The wife and I would love to take you out for a drink and lunch. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! Next time I’ll announce my visit in advance!
LikeLike
Kind of like a dish made out of racoon is quintessentially American?
LikeLike
In Canada it must be beaver. 🙂
Is kangaroo meat edible?
Maybe I should start a thread on the weirdest things everybody has eaten.
LikeLike
“Kind of like a dish made out of racoon is quintessentially American?”
Absolutely! Where else but here can you get raccoon chili?
LikeLike
Now I don’t know if raccoon chili is a joke or if it’s real. I’ve barely had time to get over deep-fried butter and fried Snickers.
LikeLike
There was a restaurant here in Newark until recently which served kangaroo.
LikeLike
I’m getting more convinced with every passing day that I need to visit Newark.
LikeLike
I suppose there is no acounting for tastes. I love kangaroo. I dislike ostrich intensely. I have declared myself a second-order vegetarian: I will not eat my fellow (mammalian) carnivores. Venison, is wonderful, as are elk, bison, and wild boar. Alligator (not a mammal) does not taste good to me at all. Turtle does taste quite good.
Sorry. I suppose I was supposed to wait for the new thread.
LikeLike
I don’t think I will be able to compete with David’s extremely varied culinary experiences. 🙂
LikeLike
Raccoon is one of many wild meats that some people use as an ingredient in chili. I have never tried it but I will if I have an opportunity.
LikeLike
I’d try a raccoon chili, too. It would make for a great blog post even if it doesn’t taste fantastic. 🙂
LikeLike
Some people in Texas eat armadillo. I have also not tried this.
LikeLike
Kangaroo is very tasty and if they are farmed for meat, rather than caught wild, they are not infested with myriads of parasites. The meat is better marinaded and then sliced relatively thinly. I eat mine with olive oil and black pepper.
LikeLike