Rain Restaurant

Rain Restaurant - 19 Mercer Street, Toronto

Heard good things about this place...and I definitely agree! The food was awesome..but the presentation and experience was what made this little restaurant unique. I didn't know what to expect since it was "Asian Fusion" cuisine..which seems soo overrated these days...but this place was definitely "east meets west" asian fusion. We opted for the a-la-carte menu. Each dish was prepared in small portions suitable for sharing, which was great since we got to try almost everything on the menu amongst the seven of us. Portions seemed small..but at the end of the night..I was soo full!

For my main, I had the Pairing of Lobster and Muscovy duck. Duck was made just right! But my favorite was still the Pairing of Blue Fin Tuna & Kurobuta pork...mmmm..a must try. For sides, we tried the Asparagus and Somen Okaki Tempura and Steamed Japanese custard "Chawan Mushi" style - lobster and crab. I liked the lobster and crab custard...I gotta post the pix..cuz they were really creative with the baby lobster claw =) Portion looked small, but there was a sizeable amount of lobster and crab...definitely worth it for a $12 side dish. The pairings of different flavours was very unique and soo delicious. Everythings a must try!

Now for Dessert, we couldn't resist their taster menu! My favorite was the pairing of pumpkin and apples - pumpkin pie and eggnog foam, cinnamon parfait, and buttermilk sherbet. The cheesecake brulee was good..but really rich. For a small piece, it was definitely the filler.

Food was great, waiters were helpful in explaining each creation...I say "creation" because each dish was presented like a work of art. Desserts were ok..I still like the desserts at Amuse Bouche better..but the taster desserts had enough variety to tickle the tastebuds.

Overall, I'd give it a 9/10. I still think the desserts could have been better.
I'd recommend going with a group...preferrably 4 people, since most dishes were portioned to share amongst four..and it gives you the chance to try a bit of everything.

Thanks Tammy and Will for the recommendation! Jay..the next one's gotta live up to Rain!