People ask me this a lot: "So where have you been lately that's good?" and of course by "where" what they really mean is "what new restaurants". Normally I would need at least a good 20 seconds to recap in my head all the places I've been to in the past couple of months (which is usually a lot) and at times, to his / her disappointment, my answer would just be "Nowhere really". Sure I may have had a few good / decent meals but to specifically name a place knowing that the person may end up going because of my recommendation? That's pressure, guys. Major pressure. In my head their question actually becomes "So where have you been lately that's spectacular? Somewhere you would go back to again and again" Well, these days my answer would be "Boralia". No hesitation whatsoever. Boralia (Twitter: @Boralia_To, Facebook: Boralia Restaurant) is certainly one of the tastiest, and one of the most interesting dinners I've had in a very long time.
Unlike the other two memorable dinners I had earlier this year at Buca Yorkville and Splendido, Boralia doesn't offer a tasting menu. Instead, a group of us (five to be exact) ordered Boralia's entire menu minus three dishes (that would be a total of nine "To Share" dishes, three "Snacks" and three "Desserts"). The actually worked out quite well for us; we didn't leave feeling gross or overly stuffed. Just right.
So, what makes this cozy little restaurant on Ossington so unique? Well, it's the fact that there's no other establishment in Toronto that serves their kind of food. Boralia's menu showcases Canada's indigenous cuisine; think dishes inspired from historic recipes of Canada’s early settlers and First Nations, with some plates dating back as far as the 1600's. As Boralia puts it, their dishes are
"...created through the inspiration provided by the wealth of tradition and history in old recipes melded with the simplicity of Chef’s preparation and modern techniques and a lighter, more sophisticated touch."
Chef and owners Evelyn Wu and Wayne Morris' distinctive dishes celebrates the rich bounty of Ontario farms, and feature game and sustainably sourced seafood. Long story short, prepare yourself for one-of-a-kind dishes like braised whelk, bison bresaola, mussels smoked in pine needles and pigeon pie. To me, Boralia's menu is a breath of fresh air in a city saturated with fried chicken, bone marrow, and Mexican food (there's a time and place for all of those things but it's getting extremely redundant).
Boralia’s space is modern and polished, with a definite European feel to it. I really like all the wood accents especially the arched thick wood beams wrapping the ceiling.
Love their leather-bound food and drink menus. They tie everything in place, doesn't it? In case you're wondering what the blurb on the left says:
"Derived from the Latin word for "northern", Borealia* was one of the names proposed for the country at the time of Confederation. Our menu draws inspiration from the historic foods of the natives, early settlers, and subsequent immigrant groups who arrived in the 18th and 19th centuries."
"Derived from the Latin word for "northern", Borealia* was one of the names proposed for the country at the time of Confederation. Our menu draws inspiration from the historic foods of the natives, early settlers, and subsequent immigrant groups who arrived in the 18th and 19th centuries."
Cocktails for everyone! From top left to right:
SORREL SWITCHEL ($14)
Appleton Estate Reserve, Domaine de Canton, Ginger Peppercorn Syrup, Late Harvest Cider Vinegar, Lime, Ginger beer float
ROSY-CHEEKED ($14)
Tequila Tromba, Grand Marnier, Grapefruit and Lemon, Strawberries, Angostura Bitters
GRAPEFRUIT SHRUB SPRITZ ($12)
Aperol, Grapefruit Shrub, Lemon, Cava
LEMON SAGE ICED TEA ($14)
Bulleit Bourbon, St. Germain Elderflower, Lemon Sage Shrub, Earl Grey
CALVADOS OLD-FASHIONED ($15)
Calvados, Honey Syrup, Orange Bitters
Feast your eyes to one of my favourite meals this year:
BEACH GEM OYSTER WITH SPLIT PEA MISO HOLLANDAISE (amuse)
BEACH GEM OYSTER WITH SPLIT PEA MISO HOLLANDAISE (amuse)
DEVILLED CHINESE TEA EGGS ($7)
CHOPSUEY CROQUETTES ($6)
RED FIFE LEVAIN BREAD & CULTURED BUTTER ($3)
L'ECLADE ($15)
Mussels smoked in pine needles, pine ash butter
Mussels smoked in pine needles, pine ash butter
BRAISED WHELK ($14)
Kombu beurre blanc, seaweed & burdock
A closer look at the meaty sea snail.
SPICED SCALLOP CRUDO ($16)
Fermented chili, late harvest apple cider vinegar
Fermented chili, late harvest apple cider vinegar
KEDGEREE ($14)
Smoked pickerel, rice crackers, curry mayo, parsley puree
Smoked pickerel, rice crackers, curry mayo, parsley puree
BISON "PEMMICAN" BRESAOLA ($15)
Wild blueberry juniper vinaigrette, lardo
Wild blueberry juniper vinaigrette, lardo
SUGAR SHACK 'HAM' ($15)
Smoked Pork Cheek, Maple Cider Glaze, Crispy Potato, Glazed Rutabaga
PAN-ROASTED VENISON ($15)
Wild rice-crusted egg, cranberry gastrique, burnt onion, radish
CARAMELIZED ONION & POTATO PIEROGIES ($13)
Crispy onions, red cabbage, horseradish sour cream
Crispy onions, red cabbage, horseradish sour cream
PIGEON PIE ($23)
Roast squab breast, parsnip
Roast squab breast, parsnip
AUNT LUCY'S APPLE 'TART' ($9)
Apple brown butter filling, apple sorbet, streusel, torched meringue
CLOUDBERRY LINZER TORTE ($9)
Coffee cream, hibiscus gel
Coffee cream, hibiscus gel
LOUISBOURG HOT CHOCOLATE BEIGNETS ($9)
Spiced chocolate ganache, beer batter, lemon sugar
Spiced chocolate ganache, beer batter, lemon sugar
Go to Boralia. Round up five or six friends and order everything. Just trust me on this. I personally would order everything again the next time I'm there just because each dish is exceptional in their own way (okay maybe not the smoked pickerel, not that it wasn't good it just didn't stand out to me like how the other plates did). I would most definitely try the dishes I missed this time around: the Stuffed Onions, Mushrooms Salad and the Pan-Roasted Trout.
Boralia's menu is modern Canadiana inspired by historic dishes. The plates were all wonderfully composed, inventive and remarkably delicious. My favourites are as follows: Oyster with Split Pea Hollandaise (this one-bite flavour explosion knocked my socks off, a great start), the L'éclade (excellent presentation, and I could literally still taste the pine needle smoke infused in those steamed mussels), Braised Whelk (the tender sea snail is sliced, grilled then bathed in a creamy kombu seaweed beurre blanc), Spiced Scallop Crudo (I enjoy raw scallops so this dish really appeals to me, it also had a good balance in sweetness and acidity), Bison "Pemmican" Bresaola (all-around amazing textures and flavours with the silky lardo, the savoury bresaola and the tartness of the berries), Sugar Shack Ham (love the combination of sweet and salty in the pork cheeks and the maple cider glaze in between bites of crispy potatoes), Pigeon Pie (the rich and saucy meat pie had a flaky crust and was served with a pan-roasted squab breast). All three desserts were nice, but the Louisbourg Hot Chocolate Beignets filled with spiced chocolate ganache and dusted with lemon icing sugar was by far my favourite.
*The restaurant name, which used to be Borealia, has been changed to Boralia since my visit. The modification has been made to avoid confusion with another trademark.
