Rorschach Brewing Co. (Toronto)


Admittedly, if it weren’t for Rorschach Brewing Co.’s ability to accommodate large tables and its proximity to History, a music venue on Queen Street, I’d be an unlikely customer of the brew pub. Beer is a beverage I’m still trying to expand my palette to enjoy, and getting gassy before a night of dancing was something I was trying to avoid. Accordingly, I was one of those annoying customers that went to a brewery to not drink beer.

Luckily, Rorschach offers two cocktails from a can, an espresso martini and margarita (both $15) that our server warned isn’t made fresh. Got it, I lowered my expectations and found both drinkable but diluted the margarita to combat its excessive sugariness.  

If anything, their menu was the perfect hearty base before a night of drinking. Having shared two of their sandwiches, the smashed burger ($21) was a hit. The potato bun was topped with two generous sized beef patties that are a little thick for a smashed burger but still had a nice crust. I liked that there was plenty of fixings including lettuce, tomato, cheese, caramelized onion, pickles, and a house sauce to give it interest. This was a tasty burger.

Meanwhile, the potato bun disintegrated with the Korean fried chicken sando ($21) making it difficult to eat. Still, the chicken breast was hot and juicy with plenty of breading to give it a crunchy bite. But despite the liberal smear of gochujang mayo, it wasn’t overly spicy and needed more heat. Adding some lettuce with the pickles may also help create a barrier between the bun and sauce to ensure the bread can hold up better.

Maybe Rorschach’s supplier gave them a bushel of the tiny potatoes, but their fries were cut so small… it’s like eating Hickory sticks in fry form. You’d think a smaller fry means more crispy edges, but we just found they were really dried out.

Rorschach Brewing Co’s dining room is surprisingly spacious with picnic tables scattered throughout to accommodate varying sized tables. They were understaffed for a Friday, but the two servers did their best and made sure our large table was served and out in time for the concert. Perhaps they even breathed a sigh of relief once we vacated. So long loud ladies, we can go back to swigging beers.  

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1001 Eastern 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!


Is That It? I Want More!

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Aburi Hana (Toronto)


At first glance, dining at Aburi Hana reminded me of Tokyo. The restaurant’s entrance is tucked amongst an alleyway on Yorkville and situated downstairs in the basement. It was Tokyo all over again – locating the establishment after arriving at the address.

Yet, after checking in with the hostess, it felt like arriving at a spa. We were five minutes early, so they sat us in a small lounge playing tranquil music with a floral scent permeating the air. When we finally sat down at the “chef’s counter”, the L shaped dining area allowed us to see the kitchen but felt removed from the action. It’s the only chef’s counter where the chef didn’t even acknowledge the diners – not as a whole and definitely not intimately.

And so, we settle in for the 8-course tasting menu ($300 per person) and 6-drink pairing ($150 per person) as different staff come and went to present items. Everyone was polite and friendly but also seemed to be regurgitating a well rehearsed script. It’s felt oddly formal even as I tried cracking jokes with them.

Oh well, I’m here for the food. The meal starts with the lobster usuimame a piece of barely cooked lobster wrapped around a delicate fish paste that’s well… fishy. A swig of water helps dissipate the bad taste in my mouth as does drinking the silky sweet pea infused dashi at the bottom of the bowl. I even admire the cute bird carved from an heirloom carrot before popping it into my mouth and enjoying the sweetness.

The meal improves as the otoro and caviar sushi monaka is presented. The crispy mochi wafer is filled with a layer of well vinegared sushi rice and topped with tuna belly, pickled daikon, creamy dollops of uni (?), and of hefty teaspoon of caviar. Each bite is deliciously fresh and flavourful.

It’s then a glass of hot sake is poured for the lamb yuba, a cube of four-hour braised lamb belly topped with silky layers of yuba mixed with Japanese mustard. It’s a dish that goes well with the theme of the “early spring” menu: a reminder that sometimes in the spring, a hit of winter comes back, and you’ll want something hearty.

I’ve never liked flowers, but the maguro flower is one I’d love to get. The rose petals, made from two type of lean tuna, sit on a bed of grated radish. The tender aged tuna goes wonderfully with the thickened daikon soy and scallion oil that surrounds the plate. I can see why this is considered a timeless dish, beautiful to look at and a treat to eat.

Every restaurant seems to be doing the flash fried scale-on amadai. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dish and am not complaining, but it’s such a fan favourite that it’s gracing everyone’s menu. Aburi Hana creates an amadai cauliflower, where the tilefish is charbroiled then flash fried. We’re told that if we want a spoon to enjoy the dashi and cauliflower sauce at the end to just ask. I got it right at the beginning and was glad that I could have a spoon of the savoury sauce with every taste of the fish.

My heart went a flutter seeing the kamo akamiso containing two of my favourite ingredients – roasted duck and maitake mushroom – on one plate. While the fowl is a touch chewy, it’s nonetheless flavourful from being smoked and the skin having lovely crispiness. You really need a strong protein to hold up against the deep rich miso sauce, that gives the dish a savoury taste that’s balanced off by a sweet burst from the honey pearls. My only complaint is the wine pairing, which tasted off and was much too light for the dish.

Aburi Hana ends with what they think is their WOW dish, the wagyu uni. Essentially, a roll of sushi rice topped with tons of uni, wagyu, and black truffle shavings, I can see it’s an expensive dish. But expensive ingredients don’t always make for a delicious dish. Firstly, the seared on “just one side” wagyu needed blowtorching before serving as cold fatty beef is not for me. When something is so fat, I find it best served hot so the blubber melts. After all, bacon is also fat and does anyone want to eat raw bacon?

We’re then told it’s been cut into two to help us eat the roll. If that’s the case, it’d be even better cut into four for more manageable bites. Ever try to shove a Twinkie sized item wrapped with chewy meat and wispy shavings in your mouth? It isn’t pretty or easy. Alas, the dish was a lot of flash, but no wow.

If anything, what I enjoyed most was the shot glass of condensed Kyoto miso soup included as the chaser. The thick umami broth was tasty and special.

How the chocolate Japanese ginger dessert came to be Aburi Hana’s most “timeless” dessert is beyond me. Ultimately, it’s a fluffy flourless chocolate cake topped with ginger crème anglaise and cubes of poached pear. I like to think it’s Chef Nakagawa’s way of leaning into showcasing local Canadian ingredients but then am told that the chocolate comes from Madagascar. It was a weird ending for a kaiseki meal.

I much preferred the yuzu macaron and caramel tuille petit fours that ended the dinner. Certainly, more French than Japanese, but at least better than something I could have ordered at Moxies.   

As much as I’ve pointed out the flaws of some dishes, there were also some incredible ones in the meal (I would love to eat the monaka and maguro flower again). And while there was little chef interaction at the “Chef’s counter”, Aburi Hana offers attentive service – my water glass was never more than two inches empty; chopsticks were replaced if there’s even a drop of sauce left; and they even replaced the toothpick dish for my Manhattan just because it wasn’t shiny enough.

Maybe Aburi Hana’s description of being a modern kaiseki restaurant is fitting. The desserts certainly lean away from Japanese traditions and the experience has an efficient but detached feeling. It was not a bad meal, but maybe modern just isn’t for me.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 102 Yorkville Avenue


Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!


Is That It? I Want More!

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Jump Revisited for Winterlicious in 2025 (Toronto)

With hundreds of restaurants taking part in Winterlicious, deciding on which one to try can get difficult. I still remember when Winterlicious started in 2003 as a response to SARs, there were a few dozen options. Oh, how times have changed.

One restaurant that’s participated since the beginning is Jump. Their three-course dinner ($55) continues to attract diners with the plethora of options and relatively low price point. And their central location in the Financial District makes it a great option for pre-theatre or sporting event dinners.

In fact, the catalyst for my return was a pre-show dinner at the Meridian Centre. In the mood for a “classic” meal, I started with the Caesar salad that’s made with a base of romaine and kale. I recommend ordering it lightly dressed as it was much too salty, especially with the generous sprinkling of bacon crumbles. Thankfully, the Parmesan focaccia croutons were left neutral, although they were stale and hard.

Knowing that the 6oz coulotte steak is a tougher cut of sirloin, I lowered my expectations that it wasn’t going to be a juicy tender steak. And while I did find it a bit chewy, the beef was flavourful and thankfully my piece didn’t have much of a fat cap, so it was entirely edible. Cooked to a decent medium rare, the accompanying scallion whipped potatoes were silky and roasted broccolini crisp. And there was plenty of au jus and chimichurri to flavour.

The spiced apple crumb cake was fluffy and moist with plenty of diced apples baked into the cake. It was a satisfying finish, not overly heavy with a ginger crème anglaise for an added creaminess.

My friend had to get their white chocolate cheesecake ($14), which isn’t part of Winterlicious but considered a signature dessert for Jump. The cheesecake is wrapped in phyllo pastry then topped mulled cranberries. It needed more than one layer of the pastry to provide textural contrast, and it was disappointingly served cold. I’m told it’s usually a lot better, served hotter so it’s crispy outside and cool and creamy at the centre.

Looks like Jump was too focused on Winterlicious. Ultimately, I had a quintessential classic Financial District meal. While it didn’t blow me away, it was still satisfying and a great start to the evening.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $55
Regular menu - $67 - salad ($18), steak ($35*) and dessert ($14)
Savings - $12 or 18% 
* Based on the lunch 8oz coulette that's $39 reduced slightly for the 6oz portion 

 

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 18 Wellington Street West

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!


Is That It? I Want More!

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aKin (Toronto)

I wonder if I’m judging aKin harder than similar restaurants because I’m Chinese. You won’t find me complaining about the price of the Lunar New Year tasting menu ($275 per person) or the portion sizes because I agree that Chinese cuisine is just as intricate to prepare as any other country. And it should be given the same level of recognition as other tasting menus.

aKin’s menu isn’t purely Chinese. Dishes also include Japanese, European, and other Asian influences. Yet, there’s also a host of dishes Ihave grow n-up eating and therefore can’t help but compare. Still, after discussing the dilemma with my fellow diner and reflecting on the experience, I feel the mark is justified.

Starting with the auspicious vegetables, where I found the collection of small bites a bit fussy. With five items, there were a lot of dishes so it may be better served as a platter (like a BBQ starter), in keeping with the Cantonese theme. We’re advised it’s a nod to Buddhist traditions, even though they’re dishes monks hardly consume. And while I do appreciate restaurants becoming more plant-forward, aKin’s dishes fell flat:

  • Don’t bother smelling the celery martini, it smells like earth. At least it did its job: the light tomato consommé with a drizzle of watercress oil was a refreshing palette awakener.  
  • The heirloom carrot was too flaccid to pick up making it awkward to eat. Yes, the black garlic and tempura bits added crunch, but not enough structure to ensure it’s a handheld bite. I see this working as a garnish.
  • A similar story with the lettuce cone, the delicate shell was starting to get soggy. So, I quickly popped it in my mouth to get a salty juicy blast.
  • Of all the canapes, the scallion tart was my favourite. The XO sauce mushroom centre topped with Emmental foam was flavourful and a nice combination of textures.

The leek crystal bread, aKin’s take on a fried dough stick, was an intriguing canape. It’s certainly the most difficult to make, a clear paper-thin crunchy exterior with a hollow centre. But this is not the same as a yau tew, which has a webbed interior so there are layers. If aKin could add a few layers inside, or better yet something chewy at the centre, it may help give it more textual interest as it’s currently like a cylindrical cracker. Of course, topping the creation with Perigord black truffles adds a decadent touch.

Yet, anything would be 100x better than the oyster. Every bite of it was wrong. From the harshly alcoholic Prosecco foam, the lack of natural brininess, to the extremely fishy finish… from the oyster, caviar, or fat choy, who knows? Regardless, it had us chugging water to get rid of the awful after taste. I understand an oyster is a key ingredient to any Lunar New Year menu, but if an oyster isn’t fresh, it’s better cooked and masked with stronger garnishes.

To signify togetherness, aKin served scallop in sashimi and ceviche form. Other than the two dishes arriving on top of each other, it missed its mark. If I were to create a dish that was going to represent togetherness, they should have made something that is tasted separately and then combined to really wow the palette.

As is stands, the red chili flakes overpowered the sashimi, completely masking the natural sweetness of the shellfish. An ingredient like a surf clam may hold up better against that much heat. The spiciness continued into the ceviche, but at least this was balanced by coconut milk and other Thai flavours, which complimented the ingredient.

After the first three dismal dishes, I was getting worried. And that’s when Chef Eric Chong appeared to present a dish of nostalgia, explaining it reminds him of the slowly steamed chicken soup of his youth. Of course, his version gets a molecular touch encapsulated into a sphere that we’re told should be eaten quickly while at the optimal temperature. And boy was it heavenly. Once my mouth fully closed around the bite and the spoon was removed, the burst of hot but not scalding consommé flooded my mouth with a rich umami essence. The little bites of bean curd noodles gave it some texture. The meal was finally making a comeback.

The chawanmushi continued to impress. The steamed egg studded with diced butter poached abalone, charbroiled kombu, and topped with a red vinegar foam to lighten the rich dish. There’s a silkiness to it that reminded me of a rich fish maw soup and was a wonderful combination of Asian and European elements.

I thoroughly enjoyed the well toasted steamed bao in the bread course. We’re instructed to rip the bun and spread the lap cheung hollandaise sauce onto the bread. The scalding oil made ripping difficult, I somehow managed and was treated to a lovely creamy savoury sauce, which could be balanced by the refreshing kimchi style daikon ribbons.

While the ginger scallion fumet (a concentrated fish stock) was very salty – bordering on bitter when tasted solo – combined with the amadai it was perfect. Flakey with a crispy skin, the thick piece of fish was kept neutral as the fumet was all it required.

I’m glad they picked a stronger ingredient like lobster to go with the powerful laksa. aKin’s interpretation of laksa had the heat but was more restrained and still very creamy. I savoured it by the spoonful.

While I enjoyed the dish, I feel the silver needle noodles were a bad pairing. They probably chose the hand rolled noodles because it’s different and requires effort to prepare, sort of like gnocchi. However, the point of a noodle dish is to signify longevity. Are small stunted, sharp-edged noodles really the greatest representation? A flat hand-pulled noodle would work better, kept as a long strand (i.e., a long life) and would also help the laksa stick.

A piece of deboned and stuffed fowl gets me excited. So, upon seeing the 8-treasure pigeon, the dish had me ready to dig in. Rather than mixing the ingredients, aKin created a paste with chestnut, lotus seed, barley, and salted duck egg to stuff into the leg. It was nicely flavoured, but the softness also meant a lack of texture.

Overall, the pigeon’s skin needed to be crispier, as a textural contrast for the leg and especially with the breast, which is served plain. And while I enjoyed the side of sticky rice, it wasn’t overly exciting. It was a missed opportunity to wrap the grain in lotus leaf or an edible collard green, which would provide the dish colour and extra boost of something aromatic. At least the Jinhua ham au jus was delicious, I swiped up every drop of the sauce.

Being a blind tasting, I couldn’t tell where we were in the dinner. Since the meal is described as 10-courses, I thought the following mango pudding was the last item and our dessert. The rich pudding augmented with coconut cream, pomelo and sago was good but would have been disappointing as a lone dessert. Luckily, this course acted as a palette cleanser as there were plenty of sweets to come.

It wouldn’t be Lunar New Year without a tang yuan or glutinous rice balls. Chef Chong morphed theirs into a stunning fortune bag that’s an inside out version of the dessert. The chewy glutinous rice was found in the handle and the centre... all surrounded by a fluffy black sesame mousse wrapped in fondant. A much more impressive ending.

At this point, we were satisfied but not full. This quickly changed with the platter of lunar treasures. While the egg tart was mediocre, the other items were tasty. The macaron had a crispy exterior and a hawthorn taste reminding me of the pay pa muy candies of my childhood. The chocolate and milk tea canelé screamed of flavours in the airy pastry. And the mandarin jelly a wonderful refreshing finish.

We’re even given a to-go bag containing a Singapore crunch that we’re instructed to add to noodles, rice, vegetables, or even buttered toast. I’ll admit, this had me rethinking my meals for the upcoming week and ended up trying the sweet and crunchy topping on crispy noodles. It’s fine, but I still rather use sambal any day.

After all this, let’s circle back to my mark on the dinner. I really wanted to see if aKin could be an 8. But with the weak opening dishes and the satisfactory but not wonderful final savoury course, I really can’t say it’s an experience I’d recommend. And while my first instinct was to grade it as a 7, I ultimately settled on a 7.5, let’s say it’s a little something to combat my potential bias of being Chinese. 

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 51 Colborne Street


Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!


Is That It? I Want More!

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Little Sister Portland (Toronto)


Don’t we all like a great comeback story? A situation when things are spiraling downwards, then out of no where it turns around ending with victory! That’s a bit how my experience at Little Sister Portland played out.

We visited for their Winterlicious prix fixe ($45 per person) and was seated at the worst booth on the main floor: above us was an air vent blowing cold air (in the winter) and beside us was a speaker blasting music. Needless to say, we were shivering and shouting.

Luckily, before we ordered, the booth behind emptied. When asked if we could shift over, we initially received pushback from the hostess but bar manager, Robin Wynne, heard the exchange and stepped in to help facilitate the transfer. Hurray! We can now enjoy the music and I’m no longer a popsicle.

And boy did we enjoy the music – a combination of 90s and millennium hits that hadn’t been over played, yet still popular enough to bring back a sense of nostalgia.

For someone who loves vegetables but dislikes salads in the winter, the charred green bean salad was perfect. The charred beans provided a smoky aroma studded with sweet peas and fragrant pops of lime leaf and lemon grass. Despite not having much of a sauce, the vegetables were well flavoured from the herbs and a mellow heat from the chilis.  

The sapi bakar is Little Sister’s steak frites with an Indonesian Dutch twist. A hefty portion flank steak gets marinated in a spicy and sweet soy marinade and then crusted with a lime leaf and galangal sauce. The beef was flavourful and cooked to a decent medium rare.

If only the kitchen took the time to double fry the rendang-spiced fries they would be hotter and less dry. Oh well, at least there was a bit of crunch. They did pair nicely with the fresh tomato and red pepper sambal, which tasted like juicy spicy ketchup.

While I stuck with my own meal – a safety measure during the winter to avoid getting sick – sharing works best at Little Sister. Dishes are so flavourful that a few bites are generally satisfactory, and the portion sizes generous enough to go around. Even their Indonesian spiced cake arrives as two slices. The fluffy dessert topped with whipped cream and sitting in a lovely pineapple rum sauce.

In fact, if it weren’t for our conversations with Robin, I wouldn’t have known that Little Sister has such an extensive rum menu. He piqued my interest to return for one of their rum-tasting dinners where they attract distilleries worldwide. A little bit of food, a sip of rum, and maybe a tune or two spun by former DJ Wynne himself? Sounds like a winning night.
 
Overall mark - 8 out of 10
Is Winterlicious worth it (based on my meal selection)?
Winterlicious - $45
Regular menu - $59 - green beans ($15), steak frites ($34) and dessert ($10*)
Savings - $14 or 24%

* Estimated as we didn't see a dessert menu 

How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 102 Portland Street

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!


Is That It? I Want More!

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Kiro Sushi (Toronto)


Tucked away on a quiet street in Yorkville, just across from the Toronto Reference Library, is Kiro Sushi. The storefront doesn’t look like much, but through word-of-mouth, people have found the restaurant as it’s packed to the gills during my Friday visit. Even the walk-in closet sized “party room” in the back is occupied, seating an additional three tables.

I can see why patrons are drawn to the restaurant. It’s a cozy place that seems more at home in a suburb than amongst the Yorkville set. Their menu’s extensive and prices are very reasonable, especially given its location.

Five large prawns arrive with the shrimp tempura ($12), freshly fried so it’s wonderfully hot and crispy. While it could have benefited from being drained a bit longer and the dipping sauce less watered down, it’s a great way to get the meal started shared amongst a table.

I was astounded by the size of the hamachi kama ($9) given the bargain price point. Sadly, you get what you pay for as the generally tender fish jowl was overcooked leaving the dish too dry and a bit chewy.

Always go with a restaurant’s namesake menu item as the Kiro roll ($15) was my favourite bite that evening. The rice was pressed to a cardboard thinness, the California roll base (imitation crab, avocado, and cucumber) topped with salmon, scallop, and tobiko before having a light torching.

Try as I might, I could not get the entire bite into my mouth in one go. There was a great number of toppings and the julienned cucumbers so crispy and fresh that it brightened up the entire maki. If only the spicy mayo had some heat, this would have been perfect.

If you’re not a fan of oily aburi, you’ll love Kiro’s ebi pressed sushi ($16). The shrimp topping didn’t have an ounce of mayo instead relying on tobiko, scallions, and furikaki (a rice topper) to give it texture and flavour. Of course, that dryness doesn’t lend itself to capturing that smokiness and caramelized colour you’d expect from a torched sushi but does create a lighter bite.

Despite having plenty of leftovers, I just scratched the surface of Kiro’s offerings. Their donburi bowls were substantial and generously topped, the sushi dinner a great mix of fan favourites, and even the neighbouring bowl of udon had me second guessing my initial order. It’s a restaurant that’ll bring people who are in the know back, to try that one dish they couldn’t get to on their last visit.

In a nutshell... 
  • Must order: Kiro roll
  • Just skip: hamachi kama

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 4 Collier Street    


Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
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!


Is That It? I Want More!

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LSL (Toronto)


There’s been significant press for LSL (Leroy, Saito and Le Squer) so my post isn’t going to re-hash the pedigree of the restaurant with three Michelin chefs at it’s helm. If you’re interested in learning more about these aspects, read Toronto Life, which wrote a very in-depth article.

Even before stepping into the restaurant, I received a text from Matthieu, their maître d’, inquiring about celebrations or food aversions. It’s reminiscent of an Eleven Madison experience, except Matthieu’s message was punctuated with an emoticon so there was a polished but friendly-casual quality to the interaction.

The experience continued at the restaurant, each team member introducing themselves by name as they welcomed, took our jackets, and led us to our seats. The introductions and casual banter put us at east to strike up conversations… the once quiet dining room was soon buzzing by the end of the first course.

Their 9-course tasting menu ($680 per person) started with a trio of small bites that we’re told to eat from the front to back:

  • Beginning with a ginger and citrus Campari foam that burst in the mouth. It’s not overpowering but did wake up the palette and cleanse it for the second.
  • The hairy crab tart’s briny flavour screamed of ocean (in a good way) so the crustacean was highlighted in the bite. We go from sour to salty.
  • Lastly, a sweet bite with a generous portion of foie gras sandwiched between crunchy coffee crisps and topped with passionfruit jelly. Imagine having a really decadent sweet-and-salty candy bar.

LSL doesn’t keep you waiting for their signature dish: a peeled Amela tomato stuffed with finely diced tuna and topped with Kristal caviar. It’s something Chef Didier Leroy created for a dinner with Yo-Yo Ma that made him cry. It looks deceptively simple and features expensive ingredients (an $8 tomato for one) that gets diners excited. Having tried the caviar by itself, the ingredient solo would have been very pungent but once combined with the fruit and fish became amazingly fresh and light.

That natural sweetness continues with the Hokkaido scallop crudo, a dish that sounds Japanese but has a unique European flair. The scallop was meaty and fresh, topped with top-shelf uni flown in from Japan. It makes for a lusciously creamy bite. Yet, what surprised me most were the crunchy bits of dehydrated scallop reduction that gave the dish crunch and an umami touch.

My favourite plate was the crispy scale amadai where the fish was flash fried, so the meat becomes flaky, and the scales create a crunchy topping. It arrived with a warm ball of brioche that was perfect for wiping up every drop of the delicious beurre blanc. Good to the last drop.

The duo of squab was a close second place, the breast cooked beautifully with its tender meat and crispy skin. Sitting on a layer of rich pâté and crispy toast, the fowl becomes a sweet and delicate contrast. I don’t know how I feel about the pâté, it felt like too much. I feel the squab would work better on its own or with something more neutral like fish liver mousse and crispy potato.

I’m glad they brought out moist napkins and welcomed us to eat the squab leg with our hands. The savoury crispy bite was a star, and if I were at home, I’d probably continue nibbling on the bone to get at all the flavours. And not a drop of the citrus red wine jus was wasted given it’s paired with a heavenly crispy baguette.

How did the chefs prepare the rack for the seared lamb? The lollipop was so big that it must have been carefully carved to ensure all the adjacent lamb stayed on one bone. Regardless, LSL knows how to prepare meat well, the lamb was tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I liked that the chefs showed restraint with the salt and allowed the sauces to flavour - mustard, black garlic puree, and a jalapeno sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed the accompanying crunchy relish and had every bite of it.

Some of the refreshing relish would pair nicely with the goat cheese tarte. Other diners were raving about the pastry – all the melted cheese, a buttery tart shell, and the Périgord black truffle shavings didn’t hurt.  Indeed, it’s a rich finish (likely a stand-in for the cheese course), but I felt it lacked something. After all, it’s just cheese. Perhaps a larger portion of salad, a creamy element within the tarte, or maybe more accompaniments. Something more than just melted cheese.

A trilogy of grapefruit didn’t sound like the most interesting dessert but was a great finish… especially following the decadent tarte. Layers of citrusy sugar crisps sandwich grapefruit and other sorbets to create a refreshing, not overly sweet, but satisfying ending. LSL marinates the grapefruit to remove bitter elements, and you’re left with a great winter dessert providing a boost of vitamin C.

The mignardises arrive with glass of tea that’s tempered perfectly so it doesn’t scald but is still hot and flavourful. It’s paired with a just-out-of-the-oven madeleine that’s oh so airy. And after a delicious bite, when you’re disappointed it wasn’t larger, you get a second one – Halleluiah! The raspberry and chocolate tarte was crispy and well balanced, but it’s the last jammy kumquat bite that’s so surprising. A stream of sunshine floods the mouth that finishes savoury. Is summer around the corner?

We each left with a little box of treats: nutty almond cake bites and more madeleines. Great for a late-night snack, a sweet for breakfast, or a nibble to accompany an afternoon tea.

All the wine pairings ($360 per person) balanced out the food, never fighting to be the star but complimenting it well. At one point I was falling behind with four glasses in front of me but was assured not to rush. Saving a taste for the other dishes isn’t a bad idea as it’s always nice to contrast different flavours.

And if you have any questions about the food, Chef Didier Leroy is on hand the entire night taking time to chat one-on-one. He’s like a homeowner welcoming a guest to the table: building a rapport, while doing a huge push to explain why LSL is Michelin worthy. It’s as if there are Michelin inspectors sitting amongst the diners and we’re going to get the hard sell.

At times, it became awkward. It’s one thing to be proud of the team, the luxe ingredients being imported, or even highlight the special touches like always having Didier at the helm and the handwritten affirmations in the bathroom. But, once we get to comparing LSL to other Michelin starred restaurants and always referencing the rating agency, it becomes too much.

Personally, I have no doubt LSL will be presented a star, if not two, in 2025. I would just encourage the team to let it happen naturally and focus on what they’re already doing well: they’re such a welcoming restaurant that makes me want to return; and the food was inventive but approachable, respectful to the ingredients themselves. The star(s) will come, no campaigning required.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 2066 Avenue Road


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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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