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“The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!”
Jabberwocky Supper Club borrows its whimsical name from
a nonsense poem about a beast featured in Lewis Carroll’s novel
Through The Looking Glass. Located on the second floor of the Union Local 613 building, which also houses The Staffroom speakeasy in the basement, Jabberwocky lives up to its name with peculiar beauty. Open for two years before the pandemic shuttered its doors for 18 months, it reopened a year and a half ago to present Chef Razmon Poisson’s creative and experimental dishes in a light, quirky environment without a hint of pretension.
Directions. Photo: Shaily Allison.
There are thick printed plastic tablecloths on the metal tables, reminiscent of mid-century modern style and your grandma’s house. The chairs match the tables with comfortable cushioning for your derriere. Built-in lit-up dioramas of insects and critters pay homage to the restaurant’s name. There are original oil paintings, wine bottles dripping with colourful candle wax, and wooden beams contrasting the stark white ceiling and dark green walls. The lighting is dim and intimate, while the music is cool and not too loud. It’s thoughtful, kitschy, and weird; we love it.
The dining room at Jabberwocky. Photo: Shaily Allison.
Jabberwocky’s executive chef is Razmon Poisson, who also runs the kitchen for Union Local 613. An Ottawa native, Poisson started working as a dishwasher at age 16. Then came coveted Chef positions at respected Ottawa restaurants like Oz Kafe, Navarra, and Orto Trattoria, before Poisson found his creative calling at 315 Somerset St. W. He also competed on the first season of Iron Chef Canada and appeared on the Great Canadian Kitchen Party and CBC Canadian Shorts. Safe to say, we were excited to dig in, especially with both of us having prior positive experiences downstairs. (Seriously, the basement speakeasy is behind a bookshelf — so cool!)
The wine selection is thorough, with a lovely selection by the glass and bottle. You can score a great glass of vino for under $20, a rarity in fine dining. Bottles range from $55 to $225, but “the top tier is a bottle of nice champagne,” says my friend. The selection features many European wines like Chianti and Beaujolais while honouring Ontario wines.
We opted for seasonal cocktails to start. My friend went for the Werthless Nostalgia, which tasted like a caramel apple with a hint of spice—Jabberwocky’s take on Werther’s candies. It includes cinnamon and thyme-infused Evan Williams bourbon, Casa Dos Vinhos madeira, and Werther’s Original syrup. It would be great in the fall or with dessert.
Mine was titled Rum Ham! and it came with a delightful ham and rum-soaked-cherry skewer. The drink features bacon fat and pineapple-washed El Dorado rum, maple butter-washed Casa Dos Vinhos madeira, and Angostura bitters. It was alcohol-forward but refined, with an aroma that reminded me of expensive leather. A little too sweet for me on the palate.
Rum Ham cocktail. Photo: Shaily Allison.
We settled in for an evening of tasting and conversation and were warmly welcomed with an amuse-bouche from the chef—the vegan soup (you’d never know it!) was rich and creamy, comforting, yet bright from the vegetables. The roasted cauliflower and toasted coconut came together in a perfectly smooth bite.
Flank steak tataki. Photo: Shaily Allison.
Our first small plate was the flank steak tataki. A generous portion, it was rich and decadent on the palate. The medium-rare fatty beef married well with the flavourful tomato chutney, whose acidity helped cut through the fat, while the double-smoked basil breadcrumb completed the bite with a delightfully crispy texture. If I got this plate all for myself, I would’ve loved a fresh baguette to soak up the juices and cleanse the palate between bites.
Vegan Japanese eggplant with chilli. Photo: Shaily Allison.
Our second small plate was the vegan Japanese eggplant. Warm, medium-spicy, and soft, the eggplant melts in your mouth while the overall bite reminded me of southern BBQ. A herb-panko crust gives the cooked eggplant enough structural integrity to hold the tofu and kidney bean chilli on top. It’s savoury, sweet, and hearty—honestly, I’ve never had vegan food like this and would order it again in a heartbeat. Also, what ingenuity to put chilli on top of crispy eggplant? We paired a crisp white wine and a Texan (!) rosé with this dish.
Gumbo. Photo: Shaily Allison.
Now we come to the main dish, the “Gumbo.” It’s a creative take on the Louisiana Creole-Cajun staple, with some similarities to the original. Layered with pickerel filet, scallops, gnocchi, octopus, and bone marrow butter, the seafood sits on top of silky miso squash purée. We found some pan-fried gnocchi at the base, which we felt were not a must for a dish that can stand on its own with that delicate, perfectly cooked seafood and flavourful sauce/soup base. My friend says these were the best clams she’s ever had, and the basil oil (the green in the photo) is to thank for that.
Brandy snap banoffee. Photo: Shaily Allison.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying dessert. The brandy snap banoffee offered a satisfying crunch when we broke the shell housing a roasted banana, pistachio crumb, vanilla bean whip, and dolce. While the restaurant didn’t have espresso, the regular coffee was served in a cool mug.
The pacing of the dishes was perfect, and the service was warm, welcoming, and courteous without being overbearing. We spent a solid three hours enthralled in conversation. It’s a good place for friends, for date nights, and to bring the in-laws.
“When the dad is happy, we know we did a good job,” laughs our server.
We’d like to graciously thank Chef Razmon Poisson and the Jabberwocky team for their kind invitation.
Jabberwocky’s menu changes every week. Plates start at $13 and increase to $40, including a superb array of vegan options. The main building has walk-up stairs, and Jabberwocky is on the second floor, up a flight of stairs.
