INSPIRE RESTAURANT
144 Main Street Markham N, Unit 1
Markham, Canada
Asian Fusion - Brunch/Lunch/Dinner - Closed Mondays
$$

Located in Unionville, Inspire Restaurant couldn't have chosen a better location for them to truly shine! It is exactly the charm that I expected, and plenty more. I've had this spot on my mind for the longest time, but, their beautifully crafted dishes and fair pricing - it all seemed much too good to be true. All I knew was that I wanted that funky looking dessert with the eggshells and whimsical caramel swirls. Parking can be found right behind the restaurant. Seated for lunch for two with a reservation at 2PM on a Saturday, this was the perfect time. The crowd was dwindling down and we had the option between Brunch and Lunch, the latter appealed to us. Selections made, deeply facinated by the modern interior, we were twiddling our fingers in anticipation of the quirky dishes to come.

1. Panko Scotch Egg ($5)

Pork, Gold Nori Egg & Spicy Berry Compote

2. Oysters "Casino" ($4)

Preserved Chinese Sausage, Mango Scotch Bonnet, Panko Crumbs & Wild Salmon Roe 

I've actually been dreaming of trying a Scotch Egg since the peak of my curiosity at the age of nine in my good ol' Neopets days - I still love you every Advent Calender event. Finally, there is an Asian-inspired one in my presence - but this still counts! This was delicious. The egg also seemed pickled with it's rubbery texture... But, that wasn't what we fell in love with. It was the encasing of Nori, and then the crisp Panko-crusted Pork evenly coated around. It was savoury, and with the lining of Berry Compote along each bite, it sure made a surprising fork-full of beautifully balanced flavours. The "Casino" Oyster oozed of Asian Spices and flavouring. I could get a slight crispness from the flakes of Panko and juicy bites of Salmon Roe - the Oyster was eensy compared to all of these overwhelming flavours. Tasty, but it was on the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

The ideal "Panko Scotch Egg" bite

3. Far East Burger ($13)

Grade Prime Beef with Grilled Pineapple & Mango Mayo - served with Frites

The Frites along this already show-stopping charm was tasty. It's also available topped with Pulled Pork (+$2) or Duck Confit (+$4), but we already had too much going on. The Far East Burger was super tasty. I was just hoping that it would never end! On point with it's heavenly sweet bun, and juicy, juicy Prime Beef Patty, and to balance all of that out, Grilled Pineapple pieces and Mango Mayonnaise. Gosh. Nibbling throughout, there are also shreds of crispy Taro Chips which escalated the bites further more, A true beauty.

4. Chicken & Waffles ($12) 

With Ginger-Maple Syrup

We are all in luck. This mouth-watering darling is available for both lunch and dinner! The beautifully crisp Chicken is brined and battered in almighty goodness; it was full of flavour and had a light crunch! The Waffles were also perfect, sweeter than your usual, it also had an interesting lightly spiced batter. The two drops of meringues actually complimented the dish so well.

5. De-constructed Trinity Creme ($9)

Ginger Cardamom Custard, Spun Candy & Meringue Base

It felt like the expected torched topping of the Creme Brulee came up to play with us (but, got stuck there). This was delicious. The Creme Brulee had a lovely texture, very light in both Ginger and Cardamom spices. We only devoured the legs of the Spun Candy, the bits got stuck into our teeth real quick. This was a beautifully executed dish, incredibly fun to eat.

Cracked and enjoyed

My reconstructed De-constructed Trinity Creme

Using all of the bits and bobs, emptying out my egg shell, scooping out all of my creme brulee, placed onto the Meringue base, with bits of seasonal fruit, this was a life altering bite. 

If this restaurant could create a new way of life, and I would follow it. Service was quick, pricing was fair. I fell in love with the perfect complexity in each dish. Absolutely incredible. I want to come back for so many more items. Inspire Restaurant is the only reason why I would ever wish to become an uptown girl.