Inspire Restaurant - Markham

Tonight, the FoodCrew gathered at Inspire Restaurant in Markham Village. It was our first time there and we were glad we had made reservations in advance, as the place was quite busy on weekends. The restaurant had trendy and inspiring decor, with a color scheme that matched the food perfectly. Our servers were attentive and friendly throughout our visit. The kids enjoyed the handmade beef patties on fresh rolls with a generous portion of hand-cut fries. I started with their popular Duck Tacos, which were delicious with Duck Confit, Jicama Orange Salsa, Duck Egg Curried Mayo, Feta, and served on Flour Tortillas. The main course was Simple Short Ribs with Blue Cheese, Shiitake Demi glaze, Spinach Truffle Mash, Potato Strings, and Sweet Corn. The short ribs were cooked to perfection and incredibly delicate. For my main dish, I tried the Shitaki Udon Carbonara with Spicy Italian Sausage, Braised Beef, Creamy Shiitake Sauce, Seasonal Mushrooms, Parmesan, and a Quail Egg on top. It was larger than expected and I had to take some home because it was so filling. If you're looking for creative and inspiring cuisine, Inspire is the place to visit.

Excellent food and attentive service, but the restaurant is too cold, because the front door is not properly isolated from the cold explosion of winter....... makes for an unpleasant evening! Not cheap, so I'm sure I'm not the first to be unhappy about it....Dear the consistent kitchen, so I'm regular.

We made a reservation for 8 people to celebrate my birthday at the end of September 2019. As it is a small and popular restaurant, they asked me to confirm the number of reserved spots for the evening. My family and I easily found parking nearby. The interior was small but had an interesting decor, and the kitchen's food had received high recommendations. We were not disappointed. The menu had a variety of options and the conversation at our table was stimulating. The atmosphere reminded me of a place bustling with people, music, and laughter. The bill was on the higher side, but the excellent reviews I had heard and the promises from my tablemates to return made it all worth it.

I recently dined at this restaurant and would recommend making a reservation. It is a lovely establishment. However, I was disappointed to be seated near noisy children, so if you prefer a quieter dining experience, I suggest going later. The chicken burger was delicious with no complaints. As for the Panna Cotta, I found it lacking and could use some improvement or perhaps be removed from the menu altogether.

Very impressed with a first visit to Inspire. Thoughtful details distinguished each dish we sampled variety of flavours, textures, cooking styles. Everything was enjoyable, satisfying and often surprising. Started with a California Nachos with taro chips, ahi, avocado, pickled onion, jalapeños and spicy mayo,...which was excellent. Hanoi Greens salad was enlivened by pomegranate, radish, beats and more chilies. Our three entrees were all delicious. A playful Udon Carbonara with spicy sausage instead of bacon, and served with a raw quail egg. Thai meatballs with coconut, which were succulent and pricked with spicy heat. The Moco Loco, with both a dutiful observance of traditional Hawaiian composition a housemade medium rare burger served on rice, but it was taken a notch higher with Shiitake Demi glaze, crispy onion strings and sautéed shrimp. (Unfortunately, the must have fried egg atop the gorgeous plate, was quite over cooked which took away from the unctuous blend of gravy and runny yolk... Service was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Definitely planning a return visit. Lots of similarly adventurous items we were tempted to try!