harvest room

i always wanted to try harvest room and got to come here during my birthday this year. i love the romantic atmosphere and the opportunity to dress up nice for a dinner. the service wasgreatand the servers were really friendly and accommodating. they first served as cute salad before the start of our meal. it was refreshing to start up our appetite.

great night andgreatfood at the harvest grill. everything was perfectly cooked and tasted exquisite.
they brought us a variety of bread and honey lavender butter as well as a smoked duck amuse bouche.
we started with the lobster chowder. delicious and generous pieces of seafood. the scallop served with a broth. original and so good.
we had beef tenderloin and duo of lobster for our main courses. amazing.
the desserts were delightful. spice peach crème brulée and the chocolat fondant served with caramel popcorn. my god!!!
the chef created a really interesting and diverse menu. loved it.

had agreatweekend breakfast/brunch here. dining rooms is beautiful and the service is awesome. the view makes everything better too! some of my family members opted for the buffet and loved it. i went for the breakfast croissant and was pleasantly surprised. summers on their patio are awesome.

everything was perfect except for a big crowd next to us who were very loud but nevertheless enjoying themselves.  i felt happy for them but i wasn't all too happy myself, but you just gotta let things slide and enjoy the wonderful view and food right? :)

the outdoor patio view was magnificent and it was just a perfect day to be seated outside.  i didn't make a reservation (called in 15 mins before to make sure there was a 2-person seat though) too far ahead of time and got lucky.  the menu was not insanely expensive but it was on the higher side.  the harvest room was thoughtful enough to offer an express lunch though, which was ofgreatvalue and perfect for people who aren't real foodies and have difficulty choosing something unique and specific and adventurous.  as for me, i'm the crazy foodie who likes weird things, so i picked the foie gras burger (yes i condemn force feeding of ducks but just let me go this one time ok?!  stone me later!).  i shouldn't say good things about this burger to encourage others but for once i can actually taste the foie gras (since my paris trip).  the bacon was crispy and the beef patti was juicy and succulent.  the foie gras, i believe, was just smothered on top of the patti and blended in with the bacon and mushrooms.  best burger ever.  well worth my hefty $25 on that one.  the fries were a little thick cut for my taste (lacks flavour) but it was nevertheless light and crispy.  the sorbet was pretty light and refreshing as a summer dessert too so i enjoyed that too.  the quiche was kinda just meh in comparison to my burger so i didn't give it much thought.  other than that, this was my hidden gem of the year in edmonton.  never knew this place existed until our friends went and raved about it.

after an hour of sipping tea and sharing bites, a tour of the historic hotel is offered to all guests at high tea. it's agreatway to learn about this landmark in the city, and you can even visit the grand queen elizabeth ii suite (subject to availability). at at $39 (+ tax&tip) per person you can expect to havegreatfood (the scones are my absolute favourite!) and even better service. it can be fun to indulge in a fancy tea service from time to time, especially when they have special themed menus. reservations are required so make sure to book ahead of time!

exactly what you'd expect at the macdonald hotel!. attentive service,greatfood, lovely room. we had the express lunch and both chose the roasted pear salad, salmon with quinoa and asparagus. outstanding. both deserts were also wonderful.

our meal that night was fantastic! so many flavourful bites from the foie gras to gouda mousse tarts, sous vide duck-stuffed chicken & pea puree to the refreshing strawberry sorbet. the fact that we all played a hand in the tasty end product made the experience even better. it was interesting to see how many different components go into each dish. chef jost had really wanted to let us experience the fairmont behind-the-scenes, as opposed to just inviting us to come eat. it was agreatopportunity and i am excited i got the chance to learn more about the hotel and meet the talent behind the food. it speaks volumes when a kitchen welcomes – even invites – people in and the chefs are eager to answer questions.

fantastic. very attentive to guests with food allergies.greatfood in lovely surroundings.

clean up the kitchen. agreatview all depends in which way you are facing,
you either have a beautiful view of edmonton's river valley or
a view of a messy kitchen!

open concept kitchens are tricky, they need to be operational yet
have some characteristics that make them visually appealing.
plastic pails with micros chits, shelves with buckets of oil,
clutter on the "pass".
wonder if the hotel gm or director of operations has ever sat facing the kitchen?

food: overpriced, yes i know its "fairmont" and all the food reflects the city where the hotel is located,
but at what price to the guest?

service: what happened to fairmont's grooming policy? multiple coloured nail polish, two tone hair colour,
and uniforms that don't fit....
guest at next table dropped fork, server walked over it, only picked it up when guest mentioned she had dropped it.
if you are going to charge and preach high standards.....then you need to live them.

still waiting. we did enjoy thegreatservice at the harvest room. santana is one of, or thee best server in the city. still waiting for the room to reopen soon.