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Irish
Mountain Bed and Breakfast -Pamper Yourself- |
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Kimbourne FarmBy Roberta Avery - back to list KIMBERLEY - The meal served in the intimate dining room of the restored century farmhouse at the end of a dusty road was so outstanding that it brought the diners to their feet to give the chef a standing ovation. Initially Louis-Charles Desjardins, the chef and owner of Kimbourne Farm just outside of this Beaver Valley village, seemed embarrassed by the accolades of his guests, but that changed as soon as they got him talking about his passion for good food. "It's all about using the very best ingredients and everything is always fresh," Desjardins enthused. A great meal, is also about attention to detail and Desjardins and Sue Troch, who managed table service, never missed a beat. My husband John and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at Kimborne farm one Saturday night in June. At $130 per person for a six-course meal we were hoping for something special and we weren't disappointed. The evening started out perfectly with cool drinks - non-alcoholic or your own wine if you had brought it along - on the beautiful deck overlooking Old Baldy, the valley's famous outcrop. It was a chance to meet the other guests, two couples from Toronto celebrating their anniversaries and a Woodbridge couple celebrating a birthday. It felt as if we were guests at an intimate and dinner party and Troch our gracious host. Soon we were escorted into the attractive dining room, where Troch brought us heated wet towels so we could freshen up before dinner. Meanwhile, Desjardins, 43, who trained under famed chef Daniel Dunas in Montreal in the 1980s, was serving up an incredible clam and mussel chowder topped with asparagus and parsley oil. Desjardins, who said he "hated" working in a hotel kitchen, but loves to cook for the small groups who come to his farm, had planned a perfect meal. Poached pear served with feta cheese and seared foie gras, was followed by catfish in a red pepper coconut sauce and spinach flavoured with fresh ginger and cured daikon - (a Chinese radish). After a refreshing lavender strawberry sorbet, the main course was the best roasted venison I have ever tasted. No marinade, just perfectly cooked meat so tender that yes, you could cut it with a fork. Even the vegetables were an exquisite mix of tiny green beans, carrots and white asparagus drizzled with a beet and port sauce and served in a tuiles (sweet almond basket) seasoned with sesame seeds. Dessert was a warm date and pecan cake in rum syrup. Desjardins is not as well-known as chef super star Michael Stadtlander, whose farm in neighbouring Grey Highlands has been named the ninth best restaurant in the world, but all of the diners agreed that dinner at Kimborne Farm compared favourably with the food at Stadtlander's table. Desjardins, who became a consultant in the hospitality industry after graduating from Cornell University in New York state with a degree in hotel administration, had originally purchased Kimborne farm in 1995 with the idea of building an inn there. "Then I asked myself if I needed that kind of stress in my life, and I decided to keep things small," he said. Kimbourne Farm, which is also a bed and breakfast, is open to the public for dinner Friday and Saturday nights, but you usually have to book several weeks ahead. Desjardins will also open mid week for groups of eight or more. For more information click on www.kimbo urne.com or call 1-519-599-7801 |
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