Loire

Loire, located at the corner of Harbord and Major, is named after the region where childhood friends chef Jean-Charles Dupoire and sommelier Sylvain Brissonnet grew up and became friends. For many years, they traveled around the world for their careers, both together and apart, and eventually reunited in Ontario. After years of experience abroad and in Toronto, where Jean-Charles was Chef du Cuisine at EPIC at The Fairmont Royal York and Sylvain's ten years at the Relais and Chateaux Landon Hall, the two childhood friends thought it was time to work together again. They found a spot on Harbord Street and in the fall of 2008, the two friends opened Loire.  

I like the decor at Loire, very clean lines, very modern. Those colourful paintings really "pop" on those white walls. Pretty.

I only ate one piece as it was cold and hard.

APPETIZER

Ontario Goat Cheese Cake - Pistachio Crusted, Roasted Beets, Arugula Leaves, Red Pepper Coulis, Charred Lemon Dressing.

I didn't expect the "goat cheese cake" to look like this. I thought that it would resemble a cake of some sort, like a fish or crab cake, rather than a goat cheese crostini. Anyway, taste wise, I liked it; the pistachio gave a crunch to the otherwise heavy, thick goat cheese. Unfortunately, the crositini was the same cold / hard bread as above. Overall I was disappointed with this appetizer simply because it was a goat cheese crostini with a salad on the side. Note that the app was split for us.

MAINS


Maple-glazed Pork Belly & Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs - Confit, Shallot, "Puy" lentils, Carrot-Cumin Puree, Romesco Sauce and Crispy Pork Rind.


This is the dish that's currently competing in Dish Duel. Click here to see what I thought of Loire's Pork Belly & Slow Braised Short Ribs. In case you are too lazy to click the link, I should let you know that 1) chef Jean-Charles created this dish specifically for the Dish Duel tournament and 2) this was the best dish I've tasted in the tournament and I gave it a 24/25. 

I took my sweet time eating the pork belly. I took small bites (MUCH smaller than usual) because I really wanted to savour it and make it last as long as possible lol~

Fish of The Day - Parsley Root, Leek & Potato Fricassee, Salsa Verde

The striped bass was delicious! It was seasoned well and had a thin, slightly crispy skin... really tasty.  It had a really nice texture too and very moist. The sweet vegetables and salsa added a lot of different flavours to the dish (although I thought the piece of bok choy seemed a bit out of place).

DESSERT

Creme brulee 

A special dessert that night and not on Loire's regular menu, this was a pumpkin creme brulee with a crushed cinnamin hearts layer on top. In terms of taste, this was probably one of the most unique creme brulees I've had in my life. Imagine the spiciness & cinnamon-y taste of cinnamon hearts combined with the distinctive taste of pumpkin custard, all in one bite. Really interesting combination, I liked it!

Tarte au Sucre - Canadian Whisky & Maple Mascarpone, Vanilla Mascarpone, Almond Tuile 

Whisky + Mascarpone + Ice cream = Greatness.

Here's what I thought of Loire...

♥ Besides the goat cheese appetizer, I liked everything I had

♥ I've read reviews where people had less than enjoyable experiences at the restaurant but personally, based on this experience, I would go back again.

♥ I hope chef Jean-Charles will consider putting their pork belly & slow braised short ribs on their menu and not just a limited time Dish Duel special. It deserves to be a staple dish at Loire - it was so beautifully presented and extremely delicious - a definite show-stopper in my books.