PASS BACK @ PECHE

before corey introduced me to peche patisserie, i thought the picton street set up was just a spot for fresh bread...

some of the best croissants around... 

 and fancy desserts and cakes.

so when i met up with trinichow, sarina from trinigourmet, sharon from my chutney garden and for the second time at peche corey from learning patience, i was glad i didn't have to wonder how much desserts i would have to struggle through. the baskets of herb olive fougasse and focaccia bread was extra evidence that this wasn't going to be a dessertathon. 

 we started out with one of the things i can't get enough of but hardly ever have... oysters. one platter was oyster rockerfeller made with roasted cream herb, shallots, spinach and topped with panko crumbs. 

and a platter of fresh raw oysters. 

i had the rockerfeller on top of the cheesy focaccia. very nice. i could do this often.

some of the bloggers who shall remain nameless (*cougheverybodyexceptsharonandmecough*) weren't really into oysters, so it was more oyster lovin' for sharon and myself. i had mine as recommended. a lil horseradish chimichuri, a squeeze of lime and a generous splash of tabasco sauce. p.s. i will eat both of these everyday if i could. seriously. 

next we were served a smoked salmon and egg salad made with mixed artisan greens, feta cheese, parmesan crisps and a honey garlic vinaigrette  

of course i neglected the eggs and focused heavily on the delicious smoked salmon. oh yeah, that's another thing i can't get enough of. 

salad number two was my introduction to paneer, which i understand is an indian cheese. it was interesting. a nice light flavor that went well with the mixed greens and passion fruit vinaigrette. . 

our host suggested that we try them together, because they actually compliment each other. who am i to argue right? couldn't get me to have the egg though. 

as usual, sarina's dietary restrictions got her something special. she had the egg norwegian. poached egg in an english muffin with a lemon and paprika hollandaise, smoked salmon and parmesan brulee. i hear it is highly nom worthy. i took my usual peep and even as a  mostly anti-egg man, it looked delicious. 

back to the folks getting the regular line up, snow crab legs were up next. they came next to butter cassava, greens and a herbed garlic and chardonnay butter. 

not bad, but i'm not a huge fan of snow crab legs. a lil too much work for me. but these were not bad at all. i don't think i would order it or crave it when i'm in the mood for crab, but it was workable.  

for the main, we sampled a tandoori shrimp dish made with atlantic jumbo shrimp marinated in tandoori and served with basmati rice and greens.

i tasted the shrimp before, so i just took one to remind me of the flavor. tasty. spicey but not hot. cooked just right. 

the floral iced tea was recommended. good recommendation. a nice blend made with fresh flowers and other secret ingredients that result in a refreshing brew. i used it as a little break between the main course and the desserts... as if i was going to partake! haha! 

sooo...out came the desserts and the ladies went wild. i tried to hide behind their euphoria to avoid the "you don't want any q?" that always comes. more for them is the way i see it. it started with a blueberry and saffron cheese cake served on an almond pecan streusel base.

this chocolate one escaped me. didn't get the name, but it was all chocolate so the reviews were great. 

the chocolat seemed to be the favorite on the table. 60% belgian couverture chocolat mousse infused with creme de cacao and grand marinier ganache. as if that wasn't enough niceness, all this was sitting on an amaretto soaked almond sponge with vanilla bean syrup. 

the gateau opera is an attractive, seven layer composition of  roasted almond sponge soaked in amaretto syrup, house made coffee extract buttercream and ganache, finished with cocoa glacage. 

the pannacotta was a little less celebrated than the others on appearance because of its simplicity. but to me, french cream infused with cardamom and white chocolate sounds like a simple delight. 

for the bonus round, there was creme brulee. a surprise at the end that stole the show. i wasn't able to escape this one, so i had a taste and was glad i did. not overpoweringly sweet, but silky with a rich creamy flavor. it didn't convert me to a dessert lover, but i could appreciate how people could trip over this. it tasted like a breezy, relaxing sunday afternoon. who could say not to that?

all in all, the revisit of peche patisserie was an enjoyable one not only because this time i was with more friends, but more so because this time i saw more variety. i'll be putting it on my list of monthly treats.