Ottawa Restaurant: Domus Café in the ByWard Market

John Taylor's Domus Café at the Byward Market in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada).

The ByWard Market in Ottawa, Ontario is stuffed full of tasty eateries. How’s a girl to choose? On my first night in town, I decided to go with Domus Café, a casual but upscale restaurant with regional cuisine that changes with the seasons.

First glance at the menu revealed a few interesting west coast seafood options, which pleased me just fine. I tried to choose something else, but how can you beat west coast seafood?

So I started with Chef John Taylor’s Pickled Summer Vegetables and Organic Quinoa Salad ($15), which had lots of ferme floralpe feta and was drizzled with cranberry apple cider vinaigrette and candied pumpkin seeds. I loved the hint of sweetness.

I ended up changing my mind from the Vegetarian Canadian Prairie Barley “Risotto” (starter: $14, main: $20) and going with the West Coast Sustainable Seafood Trio ($35). Three plump pieces of fish appeared on my plate, each garnished in its own way. Qualicum beach scallops, spot prawns and ling cod taste just as good here in Ontario

John Taylor's Domus Café at the Byward Market in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada).

As with my meal at Zen Kitchen, the wine pairing was perfect. I tried the 2007 Arrowleaf Pinot Noir from the Okanagan. I added it to my list of wines to look out for. It was a gorgeously light, smooth red that was just right for a seafood and salad meal.

Did I stop there, though? Of course not, there’s crème brulée on the menu! As much as I appreciate a Chef’s ability to re-create this traditional French dessert, it’s also nice to have it presented just the way it was meant to be.

At Domus Café, they serve a classic vanilla bean crème brulée ($9) and it’s worth every bean. The dish was flawlessly velvet-smooth and came with three thin slices of apple on top of the burnt caramel. Utter perfection.

Tags: Arrowleaf Pinot Noir, ByWard Market, crème brulée, Domus Café, John Taylor, Ontario, ottawa, Ottawa Restaurant