A tiny doorway leading to an “exotic” piercing parlour is
your first step to entering Alo. You’ll realize you’re in the right spot when
the narrow hallway leads to a hostess that’s there to greet, check-in and call
down the antiquated elevator. Alo’s third floor dining room is a complete difference:
swathed in shades of grey with a polished charm (for anyone who’s visited
Geranium, they feel similar).
 |
| Tilting at Windmills and Armagnac Old Fashioned (each $15) |
French gougères
charms the tongue, prepping it for the rich foods to come. The creamy cheese
filling spiked with jalapeno that’s mellowed by a sweet brûlée crust on the
pastry.
The five-course meal ($89; extra $65 for wine pairings) actually turns into ten dishes
served at a reasonable pace (we had a two-hour meal). Diners are offered a
choice of two dishes for each course – one rich and the other sounding a touch
lighter.
Bowls of foam and cream start each segment: for the savoury
courses, a smooth broccoli cream studded with crumbles from the vegetable’s florets.
Yet it was the tart lemon foam that ends with a ginger sting that’s most
unexpected and revitalizing. The dish would have worked so well after the
second course, the snails, to cleanse the taste buds before the seafood dish.
The aged ribeye carpaccio
was beautiful and intricate. Rolls of seared tender beef tongue, crispy nuggets
of bone marrow and finely chopped beef tartare
sat atop the thinly slice raw ribeye, what a feast for meat lovers. Lightly
pickled onions, grainy mustard, crispy rind and dots of aioli are also scatted
throughout so each bite presented a different taste or texture. What a
fantastic start!
In a heartbeat I’d trade my dessert for another pain au lait, the hot milk bread
presented in buttery soft layers and capped with a shiny salty crust. Our
server advised the bread was made with the leftover buttermilk from their house
churned butter, the condiment having a slightly sour taste to balance the
opulent bread. Alo, please open up a bakery and sell these… I NEED another one.
The emulsified parsley sauce gives the Burgundy snails a
Ninja Turtle glow but the dish is good, the tender neutral snails flavoured
with sweet black garlic and onions. With the cream sauce it’s a heavy dish, so
unless you really want to indulge, I’d suggest ordering the alternative (pine
nuts with celery root) and sharing.
One dish you’re not going to want to share is the Nova
Scotia lobster, the de-shelled claw meat so sweet and succulent. A protein so
often served with butter and cheese, at Alo it’s instead paired with butternut
squash and earthy hazelnuts (as a sauce and pieces) that surprisingly works. It
was delicious, but then again, it’s hard to go wrong with lobster.
It was the meat course where my husband and I finally
deviated. Him enjoying the Provimi veal tenderloin that’s accompanied with
tender braised cheek, chewy pan fried sweetbreads that were delicious, various cauliflower
garnishes and a great swiss chard relish.
The Muscovy duck didn’t disappoint, the skin crisp and
relatively rendered. The meat was kept rare and since the winter fowl was
capped with a good layer of fat, remained juicy and moist. On the side, a piece
of the duck leg made confit style and rutabaga served as leaves and in a sauce
combined with white chocolate.
To start desserts, the second cream and foam bowl. In this
case, vanilla ice cream with a sweet foam and a crisp salty sunchoke chip to
transition the taste buds from salty to sweet.
The second dessert was my favourite of the three: cool ice
cream combined with coffee, crunchy walnuts and discs of Dulcey chocolate,
which has a great buttery undertone.
Ending with the actual dessert course (carrot cake or
parfait as our choices). We both opted for the interesting sounding sea
buckthorn and Earl Grey tea parfait. It’s an underwhelming ending, the aromatic
tea non-existent, so it’s closer to ice cream rolled in cookie crumbs.
The service at Alo is an interesting mix of French elegance
and Canadian charm. The crisp cotton shirts, suspenders and sockless oxfords
the servers were dressed in so effortlessly chic. If only I could pull off the
ensemble!
Moreover, with the open kitchen, what a treat to see Chef
Patrick Kriss front and centre at the pass, ensuring no dish was presented
without his approval. He’s serious but calm, so don’t expect a Hell’s Kitchen
freak out to occur at Alo. Call me old fashioned, but it’s refreshing to know
an Executive
Chef is actually overseeing the kitchen’s operations.
With my love for tasting menus, a return visit will
inevitably occur. I wonder what the warm weather will bring. Hopefully, another
set of tasty, beautiful but not overly fussy dishes.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 163 Spadina Avenue
Address: 163 Spadina Avenue
Website: http://alorestaurant.com/
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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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