Aiāna elevates Canadian cuisine with a luxurious dining experience

There was something different about dining at Aiāna Restaurant Collective that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was a feeling, almost a frequency, that lingered in the air.  

From the moment my husband and I walked through the door of the upscale dining room in downtown Ottawa, I felt it in the warm welcome from our hostess as she led us to our table. It was at the heart of our table service, as our server, Sean, attended to our every need with the perfect balance of professionalism and intimacy. 

A menu rooted in Canadian ingredients 

More than anything else, it infused everything we ate at Aiāna, an Indigenous word meaning “eternal bloom.” Since it was our first time there, Sean suggested the tasting menu to allow us to experience the breadth of the kitchen’s repertoire. With a nod to the current season, executive chef Raghav Chaudhary’s menus embrace a range of uniquely Canadian ingredients, blending lost traditions with multicultural influences and a dollop of traditional French techniques. 

The food experience began with a trio of canapes: a single, perfect PEI oyster topped with crème fraîche and dill, a tempura Digby scallop (the tenderest scallop I’ve ever tasted), and a tomato cappuccino (no coffee, just the foamy inspiration). 

Next up was an ethically sourced sturgeon pâté, light and fresh, not the slightest bit fishy, topped with caviar and edible flowers, served with nori. 

The third course, an Alberta-sourced bison tartare, was exceptionally tender with a rich yet delicate flavour. 

Before the fourth course, we were pleasantly surprised when Chaudhary sent over a tantalizing Maritime roll for us, even though it wasn’t part of the tasting menu. The lobster was perfectly sweet and succulent, while the saffron brioche bun nearly melted in my mouth. Then a rich, umami dish arrived that I’ll be dreaming about for a long time: A Chanterelle soup, made with a koji foam that completely bowled us over. Anchoring the dish was a large, pickled chanterelle, topped with freshly shaved truffle. 

For the fifth course, Chaudhary personally presented us with one of his favourite dishes, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Artfully presented in a small pool of corn and cheddar velouté sat the crown jewel – pasta stuffed with ricotta and preserved corn, with Poblano relish, tahini foam and cilantro. The playful contrast in textures, with the pleasant crunch of preserved corn, made this dish an absolute delight. 

Next to arrive was Arctic char from Nunavut, a refined, slightly sweet-tasting fish, served with apple butter, Peruvian peppers, flying fish roe, a tangy sea buckthorn gel, and an orange wedge. The main dishes came to a crescendo with two small slices of Quebec-sourced duck, tender as can be, served with B.C. morels. 

A decadent chocolate foie gras macaron cleverly transitioned the palette from savoury to sweet, making way for two modest dessert courses. The final bites went to a miniature birch ice cream cone, woody and faintly minty, topped with gold leaves. It was the perfect, understated bookend to a luxurious and distinctive dining experience, and it’s not hard to see why Aiāna recently received a four-diamond appointment from CAA/AAA. 

Our table was the perfect vantage point for observing food preparation in Aiāna’s open kitchen. Like the rest of the restaurant, the kitchen was airy and sleek, and the organization and efficiency of the large staff struck me. As dishes were plated, I noticed the smallest, aesthetic finishes, a sprig of dill or an edible flower, were positioned with surgical precision before delivery to the table. Everything was a true blend of food, science and art. 

Meeting executive chef Chaudhary 

We had the pleasure of meeting Chaudhary several times throughout the evening. An Ottawa native, he worked at Vittoria Trattoria while attending Le Cordon Bleu for a semester. He then moved to Napa Valley, where he studied and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. Chaudhary worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco and Sweden, and represented Ottawa at the 2024 Canadian Culinary Championship. 

At the end of the evening, we were treated to a copy of Chaudhary’s beautiful cookbook, Gather, Savour, Share: Beloved Staff Meals from the Aiāna Kitchen. The book centres on the concept of the family meal, and he shares how he was introduced to it in the hospitality context while working at the Michelin-starred COI in San Francisco. “These shared meals dissolved hierarchy, creating a space where chefs, line cooks, and dishwashers came together over food,” writes Chaudhary. Today, he’s bringing that tradition to his team at Aiāna, with a shared breakfast, lunch or dinner that brings the team together for a brief sanctuary. 

As Sean bid us goodnight at the end of the evening, I realized what I’d sensed throughout our extraordinary experience: pride. Not in a boastful, pretentious way; quite the contrary. While Aiāna offers an elevated dining experience, they somehow make it feel so comfortable –even homey. It left me with the intangible feeling that I’d stumbled into something truly unique, a place where every staff member brought their best effort with passion and intention. When it comes to fine dining, that’s something worthy of a return visit. 

Ontario dining at its finest 

Looking to experience the best in fine dining? We’re proud to highlight the exceptional talent across North and East Ontario! Several restaurants and hotels in the region have been highlighted by CAA/AAA’s prestigious Diamond ratings. Learn more about CAA/AAA diamond ratings.