LOUIX LOUIS

Where? LOUIX LOUIS (Financial District, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map Menu

When? Thursday May 16, 2024

Who? Kieran

Food Style? Fine Dining

I think this is probably the fanciest restaurant I’ve been to in Toronto, and really the only reason I’m here is because I’m not paying. LOUIX LOUIS is a classically French restaurant in the top floor of the St Regis Hotel, right in the center of the Financial District, and naturally, is a popular spot for all the finance bros to have a drink after work. The interior is absolutely beautiful, with the centerpiece of the restaurant being the two-storey shelf on the bar displaying an impressive collection of alcohol. Despite the temptation to choose one of them, I've opted for a non-alcoholic cocktail, since this is a work function, and getting drunk on a relatively new job is a big no-no.

Drink

Louix Spritz: lychee syrup, passionfruit puree, rose water, lemon, non-alcoholic sparkling wine
It's fragrant and refreshing, it's difficult to stop gulping this down. I'm still a little warm from biking in, so it's nice to have something to cool the internal engine.

I've joined the company at the perfect time, apparently. FuzzyBot has given us a generous budget for the meal, and the executive producer has explicitly told me, and I quote, “go wild”. Don't mind if I do.

Appetiser

Foie gras: Hudson Valley foie gras, brioche, pistachio, Ontario rhubarb, fig
It’s soft and delicious with a wonderful, crispy brioche base. The contrasting crunch of the pistachio adds texture while the fig and rhubarb help to cut the richness of the foie gras itself. Liver and fruit is such a classic combination and I'll never get tired of it. I’ve paired it with the complimentary brioche and truffle butter for maximum deliciousness. It’s a great start to the evening and I feel like I’m maximising opulence with an appetiser like this.

Mains

NY Steak and Fries: Canadian Prime 11oz NY Striploin, frites, Cafe de Paris butter, red wine jus
Steak is beautifully cooked and seasoned well, it’s soft and tender and delicious. The fries are a tad salty but they pair well with the jus, surprisingly. I really like the herby butter on the steak, it feels very French, but I can’t help but think I would prefer chimichurri. It’s not the best steak I’ve ever had but it’s very good. I wouldn't pay this much for what I got though, I don't think it's worth it, and I find a lot of steakhouses here tend to be overpriced. But for free? Hell yes.

Dessert

The King's Cake: thirteen-layer chocolate cake, 64% Guayaquil ganache, hazelnut-chocolate buttercream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce
It’s f%&#ing massive. I cannot believe my eyes. 13 layers, 24 carat gold flakes, 64% Guayaquil ganache. It’s super decadent, fit for King Louis XIII himself. Absolutely delicious. I feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s lost a bit of moisture from being in the fridge but it’s still quite soft. There’s no way Kieran and I can eat all of this, maybe a group of eight of us could have managed. We end up splitting the leftovers very unevenly, Kieran’s got a single portion and I’ve got one that will last me for a few days. Commentary on my Facebook post about this reveals I've got a reputation for consuming over-the-top desserts in one go but alas, in my old age I am no longer able to metabolise the things I could when I was a youthful foodie.

Though I still enjoyed the meal, I don't see myself coming back to dine here - even if it was for free. At least the novelty of the King’s Cake was worthwhile experiencing, but I feel there are better, more affordable places to spend your money.

Further experiences with the cake at home: microwaving for ten seconds softens it and gives it a much more pleasant mouthfeel than eating it straight out of the fridge, and eating it with Greek yogurt and nuts - walnuts, peanuts, almonds all seem to go well - definitely helps give the cake some variety so I’m not absolutely sick of it by day four. Yes that's right, the cake lasted four days with me.

Posted by Jeremy at 11:23pm on Wednesday October 22, 2025 :: 0 comments ::

Richmond Station

Where? Richmond Station (Financial District, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map Menu

When? Wednesday July 27, 2022

Who? Marc

Food Style? Elevated Canadian

My Catalan friend has been staying with me for the past three weeks and as his time in Canada comes to a close, he’s told me to choose a fancy restaurant and he’ll shout dinner. After pouring over several lists of Toronto’s best restaurants, and cross checking reservations and menus available for tonight, I’ve settled on Richmond Station, right around the corner from Queen Station in the heart of downtown. Most attractive though, is this little blurb on top of their online menu: "We are a Hospitality Included restaurant. The prices you see in this menu include the cost of service. Tipping is discouraged." A growing number of restaurants are beginning to include tips in their prices, and I cannot wait until this dumb practice is completely gone from North American culture and we just pay the staff a proper wage.

Richmond Station is one of those trendy places that’s always got some buzz about it, and today, the restaurant is almost full, even at 8.45pm. We’ve been seated on the long communal table and we’re here for the Chef’s Menu, a six course degustation.

Canapés

Selection of canapés: Salmon tartare; Oysters; Torched scallops; Parmesan foam
I suppose "salmon tartare" is just a fancy way of saying sashimi but there's a nice flavour and savouriness. The oysters were okay, no strong flavour that stood out. These were apparently from New Brunswick, but I couldn't quite catch the variety. The torched scallops had a beautiful, smooth texture and were sweet and tasty, and finally the parmesan foam had a nice tomato base, with a rich, cheese finish on top.

Appetizer #1

Duck liver pâté: sour cherry, chicory, black pepper meringue
Amazing. Fantastically smooth and rich, perfectly paired with that sweet fruit and crispy meringue, great texture, for a well balanced dish. Pâté and fruit, usually as a compôte or chutney, is a very common combination that I've encountered multiple times, and have always enjoyed it.

Appetizer #2

Ontario new potatoes: sea lettuce, trout roe, dashi beurre blanc
Great presentation - lots of colours on the plate. Absolutely fantastic, I’ve never had such luxurious potatoes before. Such an amazing taste, buttery and rich. I would love to lick my plate. Or failing that, at least some bread to soak up that delicious sauce. To be honest, I was kind of skeptical about the dish to start with (come on, it's just potatoes, how good can they be?) but by the end, I was fully on board.

Seafood Mains

Butter-poached pacific halibut: courgette-basil purée, summer squash, fermented jalapeño emulsion
It takes a while to arrive and the waitress is super apologetic so she gets us some bread and olive oil. Eventually, the halibut arrives, and it’s soft and buttery, cooked perfectly. The purée and emulsion are tasty and add to the dish. There's a strong basil flavour, almost like it’s pesto. However, it’s a bit small and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, especially because it took so long to come.

Meat Mains

Good Family Farms Berkshire pork: charred sweet corn, hakurel turnips, truffle jus
The waitress says it’s the best dish the chef has ever made so expectations are through the roof. It’s 10.15pm and the restaurant is slowly emptying. The pork arrives and smells amazing. It’s cooked perfectly, juicy but a nice crispy crust for texture. The truffle is subtle but enriches the jus and the corn is sweet with a hint of the bitterness from the char. Well balanced and great complimentary flavours. A little disappointed at the portion size though, again.

Dessert

Chocolate crêpe: blackberry and blueberry compôte, milk chocolate, crème de cassis chantilly
Beautiful vanilla aroma, you can see the seeds in the chantilly creme. The crêpe is chocolatey but not too rich, and the compôte is tart to balance it all out. Fantastic end to the night.

Surprise petite fours

Lemon tart: chantilly blackberry and blueberry; Compressed powdered fruit cubes
I thought it was the end of the night but we're given some petite fours. The lemon tart has a wonderful citrus tang, almost effervescent in its taste. The fruit cubes (the waitress couldn't provide a better description) are sweet and floral, packing an intense berry flavour in a small space. A lovely finish to send us off to the night.

All in all, an extremely enjoyable night with some fantastic food boasting great flavours and great emphasis on local food. A bit small in portion though, and I’ll have to grab some extra dessert at home, but a worthwhile visit especially for those who want to experience some of Toronto’s finest dining. The entire experience took 2.5 hours. As Marc pays, our waitress makes some conversation with us and she asks us where we’re from, and when I say New Zealand, she calls over the bar manager, who reveals she lived there for a few years. Ka pai!

Posted by Jeremy at 10:25pm on Saturday January 28, 2023 :: 0 comments ::