Canlis, now in the hands of the third generation, was opened
in 1950 as a high end seafood and charbroiled steak house with a staff of
Japanese ladies in kimonos and fresh orchids flown in daily from Hawaii. Since then, its interior has been renovated three
times. These days the inside is cedar,
stone and glass, in complete harmony with the time-honored architecture. Spacious tables with perfectly smooth and crisp
white tablecloths are kept reasonably apart for privacy (the waiters steam iron
the tablecloths after they lay them on the tables). The walls of slanted windows offer a grand
view of the lake below and the city skyline in the far. ‘Updated retro’ food -- classic dishes with
current cooking techniques and presentation styles -- has replaced steaks long
ago.
Arufa & M arrived early for their 6:45 reservation. They were shown to the bar, and soon informed
by a maitre’d that their table would be available on time. They were amused as there were a couple of open
tables nearby. At 6:45, they were seated
at one of them. Why the wait, they
wondered; could that be a way for Canlis to manage the kitchen workflow?
Their dinner began with a trio of amuse-bouche – a croquette
encasing a soft egg yolk, a cornet of salmon foam and wasabi tobiko, and a tiny
tart topped with a bit of morel – followed by their first course of foie gras
and steak tartare. The foie gras was
plated with blanched celery and leaves, tiny pickled red onion rings, cherry
puree and clear Sauternes gel. On top of
the torchon were candied pistachios and celery powder that melted in the
mouth. The accompaniment of a thick slice
of cocoa brioche toast was delicious but very crumbly, making it a mess to eat.
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| Foie gras |
The steak tartare was made with raw local Wagyu tenderloin in the original Canlis’ recipe. Instead of the typical meat patty, the chopped meat was formed into two ‘quenelles’ and decorated with edible flowers. Interestingly, the meat was not mixed with egg or strong seasoning. Instead, it had a refreshingly clean, mild flavor.
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| Steak tartare |
The second courses were the ‘Peter Canlis Prawns’ and pan
seared halibut. Five large prawns, sautéed
in dry vermouth, garlic and lime, were perfectly cooked. They looked plain with just a pale-colored sauce
drizzled over them, but their taste had made up for the lack of decoration.
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| "Peter Canlis' prawns |
The halibut was served with cauliflower, quinoa and
taggiasca olives.
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| Halibut |
One of the meat courses was a roasted dry aged Muscovy duck. The whole duck (for two) was presented to the
table before craving in the kitchen. The
breast was halved, sliced and plated with rillettes of leg meat, orange
marmalade, green fennel puree and pearl onion brulee. The duck was cooked well to near perfection. There was very little fat under the crispy
skin, and the medium rare meat was tender.
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| The duck on a tray |
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| The duck on a plate |
Another meat course was two grilled lamb chops with braised
lamb croquette, fried leeks and piquillo pepper marmalade.
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| Lamb chops |
Both Arufa & M had Grand Marnier soufflé with orange zest and crème Anglaise for dessert. Afterwards, their waiter brought them two kinds of macaroons with coffee, and each a parting gift of chocolate bar in a box.
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| Grand Marnier souffle, creme Anglaise |
Arufa and M were very satisfied with their dinner. Their concern that the restaurant might be
riding on its past glory was unfounded.
The professional and nonintrusive service at Canlis was almost
impeccable. There were a couple of minor
hiccups that were quickly rectified. They
were also impressed by the valet system (there is no self parking). The friendly valets did not hand them a claim
ticket, and yet their car was waiting outside the door for them before they
walked out of the door.
Canlis prides itself as a swanky restaurant. It reminds its guests during reservation that
there is a dress code, meaning no casual attires and a jacket for men. But that is more a request than a requirement,
as the restaurant recognizes that nowadays many people do not care to dress appropriately for an elegant meal. Sadly time has changed, even for an
institution like Canlis.
