In Ferno's Bistro - Part Deux

In Ferno's Bistro
312 Des Meurons St.
(204) 2627400

Nic and I took Marge, Arno, Ian, and Mell to In Ferno's for their Christmas present this past weekend. We had never been there during a busy weekend supper time, and I now understand why some folks are bothered by the noise level. The restaurant itself is really a renovated house that has had all of its walls knocked down, so the many patrons packed into a tiny space and the noise they produce really adds up.

I ordered the Prawns Pernod again, and they were just as fabulous as last time. The prawns are small, but the garlicky cream sauce combined with the tempura fried leeks are so tasty! This dish is the most expensive appetizer at $12.95 and is only offered occasionally as a feature. Nic had the crab cakes again. He loves them here. Ian had Le Billy-bi, which are the mussels. Though I found them chewy last time, he thought they were divine, so perhaps it was just an off night when I had them. Mell had the scallops, which she also thought were done very well.

For the next course, most of our main courses came with soup or salad. Ian had a cream soup with beet greens, which he said was good. Mell, Nic, and I had a Mushroom Cognac soup, which I found to be too strong and almost too salty. The broth was very dark and rich and the mushrooms are simply saturated with flavour. I prefer a lighter soup. Nic said the broth itself reminded him of German borscht. Odd.

The features this evening included pork loin, lamb shank (their signature dish), bison ribs, duck confit, swordfish, and beef medallions for $16.95, or a lamb duo for $26.95.

I had the mushroom stuffed pork loin. It came with a zippy coarse grain dijon rub. The taste was very enjoyable, complex with hints of other spices, like cinnamon. The sides for this evening were stuffed baked potato, steamed broccoli, and pureed squash--all done very well.

Nic ordered the bison ribs. Unfortunately, he didn't like the anise in the rub, and ended up trading dishes with me. Though I am not a huge fan of anise, I found the ribs to be very tender and flavourful. I had never had bison before and my expectations of a drier, leaner meat were not met. Instead, the ribs were moist. They seemed to have been slow-cooked and then finished over a grill. The rub gave the meat a smoky taste and the sauce a sweeter taste, but the meat itself I found to be quite mild.

Marge had the duck confit with orange brandy glaze, Ian the lamb shank, and Mell the beef tenderloin medallions, done medium-well. Judging by their plates, they were all pleased by their choices and impressed by the kitchen's ability to produce such different dishes so well. Arno had the filet mignon, done blue rare, off the menu. The filet is only about 5-6 ounces, but for $12.95, you can hardly complain. I had never had blue rare beef that I enjoyed before, but Arno convinced me to try a piece. The kitchen obviously has someone with a good hand for steaks because the filet was buttery in texture, moist, and warm, and not at all bloody.

In Ferno's has certainly redeemed themselves. The kitchen seems more attentive to detail at supper time and when I go back, I think I will go for an early supper once more. The food was delicious!