Boralia features Canadian cuisine without being kitschy - there's no wooden log or beaver in sight. Instead, the Canadian theme is focused on the menu which is composed of dishes from the 18th and 19th centuries. From delicious wild game that the Aboriginal enjoyed to the pigeon pie of early settlers, the dishes are different but still approachable. Boralia also celebrates Canada’s diversity by featuring Chinese chopsuey croquettes, Polish pierogies and the Austrian linzer torte; reminding us of all the cultures that contributes to the Canadian landscape.
Their l’eclade ($15) is probably the most photographed given
the impressive presentation of being brought tableside in a cloche of smoke. As
the lid is lifted, the pine needle smoke slowly escapes permeating the table
with a forest smelling smoke.
When the smoke dissipates what remains is a delicious bowl of mussels. Its meat is
tender and silky, while the broth has a hint of creaminess from the butter but is relatively light and tangy. Despite being encapsulated in smoke,
there’s no char taste in the mussels so its natural sweetness comes through.
On the side, they suggest ordering some of the red fife
levain bread with cultured butter ($3). The slightly warm spongy dense bread is
perfect for soaking up the cooking liquid.
One of my favourite dishes of the night was the pan roasted
elk ($15). The lean meat was prepared rare to allow it to retain its
tenderness. There was no gaminess to it, yet doesn’t remind you of beef … after
all, its elk and should taste different.
In the centre sits a wild rice crusted egg, which when cut
through oozes onto the plate and mixes in with the cranberry gastrique and
burnt onion puree. The crust goes quite nicely with the liquid yolk and has a
sweet nuttiness to it. Crunchy paper thin radish slices and a pieces of tender
braised turnip round out the dish.
Their pan roasted trout ($17) was moist with a thin crispy
skin. Being a milder and less fatty fish it went well with the sweet Iroquois
popcorn grits. The salad of thinly sliced heirloom carrots and parsnips dressed
in birch syrup vinaigrette was also light and refreshing. This is a wonderful
dish for the warmer weather.
Thankfully, the lighter trout came before the rich pigeon
pie ($23). The golden brown crust was so flaky yet rolled thinly enough that it
didn’t become too heavy. Chunky pieces of tender pigeon, potatoes, carrots and
other vegetables were packed into the pie within a light gravy.
But what stole my tastebuds were the succulent pieces of
lean roasted squad breast on the side. Boralia seriously does meat well with a
quick sear and light seasoning so that the meat's flavour profile shines through.
In all, dishes are artfully presented and constructed to offer different tastes
and textures while relying on natural ingredients.
The caramelized onion and potato pierogies ($13) were large
and a great combination of thin outer crispy crust and a generous filling. The
crispy onions topping it went so well with it that I wish there was more of it
to balance out the smooth stuffing. After the heavier pigeon pie and pierogie
the crispy sauerkraut on the bottom contained just the right amount of sourness
to provide a refreshing quality to everything.
At Boralia, there’s no maple syrup with snow desserts. But,
their Louisbourg hot chocolate beignets ($9) sure did hit the spot. Unlike
other beignets that tend to serve the sauce on the side, at Boralia the ganache
is piped into the centre and oozes out like a molten lava cake. The darker
chocolate, paired with the beer batter dough and lemon sugar ensures the
dessert isn’t overly sweet.
But, it could have been flipped in the fryer more liberally
as I found for a couple of pieces, although mostly golden and crispy, contained
spots which were pale and doughy.
So, what will I say next time someone asks what Canadian
cuisine is all about? It’s about the abundance of delicious proteins we have
from the elk and squab found on land or the fish and mussels of the sea. Or the
wonderful dishes that gets invented when different cultures collide. And
although our climate doesn’t provide any tropical fruits, there are many
delicious root vegetables and corn which is just a juicy and sweet.
Boralia is a place you should bring out-of-country visitors
who appreciate good food. Although they won’t be eating in the former tallest
free standing building, they will learn that Canadian cuisine is filled with
delicious fresh ingredients and goes beyond beaver tails and poutine. After
all, isn’t the diverse offerings and approachable nature of our cuisine which
really represents the Canadian culture so well?
As an aside, you may notice in the title photo that their name is spelt “Borealia” and on various sites such as Urbanspoon and Instagram that’s also how it’s found. There’s no confusion amongst the community. Originally, the restaurant was opened as “Borealia”, which happened to be the name of another restaurant. So, to avoid trademark issues they have had to drop the “e” and the name morphed to “Boralia”. So, if you’re searching “Boralia” and there are no results, try the first spelling and you may find what you’re looking for.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 59 Ossington Avenue
Address: 59 Ossington Avenue
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
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