restaurant week rage begins

One of two favourite times of the year.

An excuse to mass text everyone and eat myself into a coma multiple nights in one week and spend myself into a depression with the intention to never eat out again, 

otherwise known as Restaurant Week.

Kick starting the weekend with a $15 lunch at Buku.

Icy winds are not my thing...and cue the screaming.  Alicia, Laura, and I desperately ducked into a modern-looking business building to ask security where Buku was.

"It's... right there."

"Oh... it's so cold outside!"

The venue was beautiful.  Maybe minus the awkward booth that, in Alicia's words made us all feel like "little kids trying to sit at the grown up table."  But the koi fish logos/designs/mascots were cute.  And the waterfall behind the inviting wall of alcohol was pretty.  Gotta love the bowl of mints in the bathroom that allowed me to shamelessly grab a hefty handful.  The fact that we were the only people there was lovely.

Easy start of a mixed greens salad with hearts of palm, corn, pepitos, and most importantly... goat cheese.  I'd say I was a fan.

Went back and forth a bit because all the entrees sounded just amazing... but let's be serious.

Filipino duck adobo

seared duck breast - yes, Laura, it's supposed to be pink, and yes, Laura, we eat the fat

duck leg adobo confit - nom nom nom, delicious with a bite of coconut rice and a bite of pickled green papaya

coconut rice - because... coconut rice

pickled green papaya - thought it was dikon, mind kind of blown, I would like a jar of this shit... and the recipe

fried duck egg - because eggs always get me

I've already gotten some "you are nuts" looks for saying runny egg yolk is sexy, but this was a damn sexy dish.  I wanted to send Logan (our waitress) back to bring it out again just so I can experience again the excitement I felt when I first laid my eyes on it.  Dat egg.

[oh my god, I'm so weird, my apologies]

Palate cleanser, palate cleanser, palate cleanser.

Especially after something this rich.

When given the option of dessert or sorbet, 8 times out of 10, I go for the sorbet (or seasonal fruit).  The flavours just sounded so delicious, so exotic, resist... I can't.

Mexican sorbet duo

prickly pear-lime - unique, indescribable, because I've never had prickly pear, it had a smoother and...grainy-thick texture... like... eating the feel of velvet...?...or like Haagen Daaz raspberry sorbet.

grapefruit mescal with smoked seal salt - just because I was surprised Alicia and Laura don't salt their pineapple... might I recommend next time you eat fresh pineapple, sprinkle it with salt and let it set over night, brings out the sweetness, love the subtle saltiness, never knew there was any other way to eat it - this was my favourite

Had to photograph Laura's bowl from across the table (on zoom x6) because I just couldn't not make my bowl look like a colorful penis.

You do see what I'm saying...