Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

By Annabelle Goodman –

Half the fun is finding the restaurant. Atlantic Avenue south of King St (Liberty Village) will take you to Hanna Ave. Cross the road at the beginning of Hanna Ave. There is a small sign that leads you behind a large apt. building. The entrance is literally at the back of the building. I do confess that it was no fun when I first found this place in a snow storm. However long it takes to find the place you are in for a magical surprise. Ask anyone in the neighborhood for directions.

This is a very large restaurant. The decor should be featured in a magazine. The hanging lights are spectacular. The lounge area is sexy and inviting. The tables are well spaced and there is a lot of floor room so that you have the party atmosphere but personal space. Donna Dewar was the owner of the former Mildred Pierce Restaurant. That also was mysteriously entered from a parking lot and the place seemed like a movie set. Donna has created this theatrical experience of a restaurant. You are greeted at the door as if you are a well known star. The service at the table is superb. We were delighted to meet Rhys, our charming server. He was a teacher in Perth Australia. I bet he was good at that as well. He charmed us and looked after us. We felt special and dined superbly.

The potable water is somewhat pretentious but does fit in with the total atmosphere. The water served at Temple is local ‘eau’ that has been filtered by reverse osmosis. We are told that ordering this water helps support the sustainable future of lakes. It is available in still and sparkling. There is a $2.50 charge per person if it is ordered.

You can see much of the food being prepared. We gasped with delight when we saw the creations being delivered to the tables.

The MTK Burger is a creation.($18.00) The bread is of the highest quality. The burger is a mile high. I suggested that it might be necessary to sit on it in order to eat this gastronomical wonder. The crispy tobacco onions were piled on top of the choice meat in the burger. Salad or f rites came with this dish.

I opted for the Curried Cauliflower with quinoa, caramelized onions and spinach.($18.00) It was served in a metal pot. Every bite was exquisite. What a healthy delicious creation!

The guest of honor enjoyed the Grilled Calamari marinated in Thai yellow curry with scallions, garlic chips and lime.($12.00) A small salad was not listed on the menu but our server was happy to oblige the request.

We were all tempted by the Eat Shoots & Leaves Salad. House smoked salmon is served with sprouted legumes, spelt, leaf lettuce and maple Dijon vinaigrette.($18.00)

The Warm Beet Salad with Ontario baby beets with Monforte pecorino fresco is served with candied pecans and concord grape vinaigrette($15.00)

Shrimp and Crab Cakes are served with chili lime emulsion and frisee salad ($13.00)

The Chocolate Bread Pudding was ambrosia from heaven. Apparently croissant type bread is used so we didn’t inquire further about calories. We just kept quiet and devoured a large portion.

This is a very special restaurant. You will never forget the experience. The high tech design is exquisite. It is a fun experience just trying to find the place. The food is creative and a gourmet delight. It was a perfect lunch experience in every way possible.