I have been itching to get to Origin for months now, after a friend had gone and raved about the food. I dug the concept: tapas with a twist. This is definitely not your traditional, Spanish tapas. At Origin, you’ll sample small plates with Asian, Italian and Latin influences. I didn’t find the menu overwhelming, but our server was more than happy to help steer the meal so that similar and complimentary flavours were eaten together.
So what did my companions and I choose for dinner last night? It was tough to narrow it down as we would have been happy with just about anything on the menu. We started with the tostones: smashed, flattened and deep-fried plantains with guacamole on the side. The plantains were very well seasoned, with generous use of kosher salt and a light dusting of curry powder. This particular dish inspired J to try to make it at home and I, for one, am looking forward to being the taste tester.
Tostones.
Next up were the deviled eggs with smoked bacon and gremolata and the smoked cod croquettes with saffron aioli. Both were a big hit at the table, disappearing in a flash. I preferred the croquettes of the two, but I didn’t exactly NOT eat my share of the deviled eggs.
Everything is better with bacon.
Smoked Cod Croquettes
Those scrumptious bites devoured, we ordered another bottle of wine (three cheers for Monday night dinners with lots of wine!) and anticipated the arrival of more delectable plates. In the meantime, we marveled at the strangeness of the cutlery provided. The only way to balance your knife was blade up. That seemed…dangerous. Especially after the third glass of cabernet sauvignon.
Happily, our next dish appeared and we dove right back in (carefully, so as not to cut ourselves on our upturned knives). A gorgeously-presented order from the Mozzarella Bar: bufala mozzarella with pear, rosemary oil, pine nuts that was drizzled with honey and placed on a crunchy, toasted slice of calabrese bread. Want it? You know you do:
Fancy Cheese!
Creamy, gorgeous cheese eaten, next up was the Bangkok beef salad with peanuts, mint, mango, fried shallots and a sweet and sour dressing. There was a moment of hesitation while we all tried to dance around the fact that splitting this thing among the three of us might get violent. In the end, however, we shared well. Our kindergarten teachers would be so proud! This wasn’t an exceptionally complicated dish, but it was done to perfection: the beef was tender and pink; the mangoes were ripe and slippery; the shallots and peanuts added the crunch the dish needed; and the cilantro added the wonderful, bright note at the end. It should be noted that my friend said it was the third time she’d had this particular dish and it was exactly the same every time. THAT is a sign of a great restaurant.
Bangkok Beef Salad.
Our final round of food was to arrive and we were practically giddy with excitement. We had decided on the Chinois duck with pickled cucumber, hoisin and sriracha sauce on a chive pancake, the curried shrimp with naan and the miso-glazed black cod with soba noodles and a ginger vinaigrette. We knew each dish would be good, but didn’t know HOW good. We had spent the first half of the meal happily eating away and we were by no means disappointed with our choices. But these last three dishes absolutely blew it out of the water.
The duck was crispy and, I must say, substantial. The kitchen does not scrimp on the portions! The sweet hoisin sauce was a great compliment to the duck and the heat of the sriracha. A definite must-order.
More, please.
Next up, we attacked the curried shrimp which was intensely flavoured. In fact, it was quite spicy which is just fine with me. The soft, aromatic naan bread sopped up the spicy broth that was left after devouring the plump, juicy shrimp. Another dish that hit its mark!
Curried Shrimp
Finally (and kind of sadly), we came to our last dish: the black cod. Black cod is one my favourite fish and I have it a fair bit. When I was out in Vancouver earlier this year, I had it almost once a day. This black cod might be the best I’ve had. Ever. It was flaky, tender and moist. The miso glaze was pleasantly salty and the skin, importantly, was crispy. (Soggy fish skin? Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.) The soba noodles were slurped up along with the ginger vinaigrette and, literally, there was nothing left when we were done with it. In all likelihood, the best dish of the night though the three of us never could decide on a clear winner in that category.
This bowl was bare in minutes flat.
All in all, I would definitely recommend Origin to anyone who has some reasonably adventurous taste buds and who is willing to share! There is one composed plate that makes a meal – a burger combo with Spanish fries and a float. I have no doubt it’s delicious, but it seems kind of beside the point of a restaurant like this. Go with friends, go on a date, go with family. It’s not a cheap night out, but it is most definitely money well spent.
Food Nurd 
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