L’Ouvrier

 

It's become cliché to describe west-end restaurant as gallery-like, but L'Ouvrier fits the description. A series of industrial art pieces by local artist Courtney Wotherspoon adorns the whitewashed walls, and one hot pink table could be an installation on its own. The emphasis on design transfers to the plate: each of chef Angus Bennett’s dishes is prettily presented, particularly a black marble slab splayed with soy-caramel-tinged tuna tartare, edamame, crunchy house-made kettle chips and a dangerous dollop of wasabi. A six-course tasting menu for $50 offers great value and a handful of off-list items, including expertly rendered butternut squash ravioli, the dense pasta only slightly spoiled by a saccharine drizzle of maple syrup. A basic pork chop with mashed potatoes and green beans is pedestrian in concept but highly edible nonetheless.