Selina P.
Yelp
We went for a late Mother's Day brunch at Hexagon, sampling their 3 course $75 prix fixe menu. The reservation required a deposit of $30 pp, so we were definitely committed to go!
Perhaps it was because we were a late seating, but the service and food were very subpar compared to our expectations, especially because we love 7 Enoteca as well, and they are run by the same owner.
Food: Overall, I was expecting more innovation in their menu items, especially after reading the wonderfully detailed Toronto Life article (https://torontolife.com/food/restaurants/whats-menu-hexagon-chef-sean-macdonalds-fancy-new-french-restaurant-oakville/). However, the dishes we had were not very exciting, quite standard, and the flavours did not balance each other well.
Appetizers: There was the choice between an Asparagus Salad and a Warm Potato Salad. The asparagus salad was essentially charred asparagus doused in bearnaise sauce, with no other texture of taste profile except for the charred bits, a touch of rye bread crumbs, and an overwhelming butter flavor (which usually, is by no means a bad thing).
Main: This was one of the biggest disappointments, but I had the braised beef short rib with a deep fried potato rosti, with egg yolk and morel mushrooms. The egg yolk was interesting, but the morel sauce on the rosti was extremely salty. The braised beef was, to its credit, very tender and flavorful, but coupled with the very salty and flavorful morel/rosti combo, it was just too rich, with nothing to balance it off. Braised beef also generally feels like a cop out on prix fixe menus (I feel like almost 2/3 summerlicious menus will offer some variation of it), so I was disappointed in the selection.
Dessert: Japanese cheesecake with pop rock berries, and a chocolate cake. The Japanese cheesecake dessert was fun and interesting, mainly because of the mix of texture and flavor from the pop rock berries and the cake. The chocolate cake was a disappointment, and I liken it to those wedding cake slices at the very end of the night that nobody wants to eat. It was tasty, but it broke apart in ways that indicated it had been left out for a while.
Service:
There was nothing particular to complain about the service, apart from the fact that it just felt generally cool (as opposed to warm and friendly). He said all the right things, the plates were served mostly simultaneously for the 3 parties, and service was prompt, but it felt a little on the robotic side.
The kitchen is very open, so you're able to watch the chefs cooking and plating. Despite it being very interesting and cool to watch, you definitely could smell the butter and everything they were cooking because the restaurant is relatively small (for restaurants with an open concept kitchen like this).
Cocktails:
These were quite delicious! The L'hexagone ($24) with the lavender and basil was strong, tasty, and pretty, and very appropriate for a summer drink. The pine nut old fashioned ($18) was also interesting, but you can find better cocktails in Toronto for the same price.
Tips:
- It's hard to find if you're unfamiliar with the area, but it is the corner of the town square, between Ben Thanh and Piazza Bistro.
- If you have some time to kill before / after dinner, head to the lake and take a walk around the lake and dock! It's a lovely park by the water, with the occasional rock sculptures, and on a clear day you can see a clear outline of the city of Toronto.
