This is a picture of a fabulous lamb burger from Burger Bar on Augusta in Kensington Market. That’s all I’m going to say about it since I’m writing about Burger Bar for Zoomer magazine, where I have the signal honour to be the new restaurant critic (I urge you to invest in a subscription).
Instead, we will cross the street to Le Kensington Bistro, the new venture by front-of-house guru and sommelier Sylvain Brissonet and chef Jean-Charles Dupoire, who are also co-owners and operators of Loire on Harbord Street. Certainly, Loire is still doing well, and the two Tourangeaux are devoted to their firstborn. But they also tell a tale of how Loire slipped away from their original intention for the place, becoming a tad too posh and educated. Le Kensington is deliberately more “of the market.” So we see Brissonet in jeans (which merits a ! when we remember how proper he was during his years as maitre d’ of Langdon Hall) and Dupoire cooking in a sport shirt instead of chef’s whites (he was much more formal as the wunderkind chef of Epic in the Royal York hotel, once the tallest building in the British Empire).
But casual is the mood in the market, cheri! Behind the yellow façade, La Palette’s old premises have been cleaned and repainted a warm terra cotta but the floor is linoleum tiles, the tables are plain wood and the lighting something less than atmospheric. There are some odd touches that don’t work (Ignore the – I say ignore the kitch Foghorn Leghorn chicken signage and logo, for example) but Brissonet smooths over any cracks in the experience with his welcome and his charm. He’s also responsible for the tiny wine list, literally 13 bottles long – but they are all good wines and available by the glass.
That chicken logo, incidentally, is to remind the world that this is also a Rotisserie, with Dupoire roasting whole chickens (from St. Andrew Poultry) for only $32 – a take-home bargain since they come with sauce of the day and a lightweight summer ratatouille or succotash or frites.
Another speciality is charcuterie – delicious salami; creamy, smooth-as-satin chicken liver parfait; pork rillettes of a correct and delectable fatty weight and density; salty but exceptionally tender duck breast prosciutto; a sweetish, well-seasoned, slightly gelatinous terrine made from slow-braised oxtail with a nice prickle of horseradish. Boudin noir is a starter in it’s own right – a soft, loose-textured version that isn’t as spicy as, say, David Lee’s version at Nota Bene, but has a beguiling richness that is nicely cut by slices of baked apple and salt crystals.
And how lovely to come across really good skate wing meuniere – a classic version that has just enough walnut butter to make the dish’s point without swamping everything in fat. The juicy fish comes with a scrumptious heap of diced root vegetables, baby red potatoes and wilted spinach.
Desserts didn’t wow me. Poire Belle Hélène (yes, this menu would have seemed perfectl à propos in the 1980s) had fine chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream but the pear itself had a mealy texture. Crepes filled with apple compote and topped with caramel sauce needed more apple and caramel to be truly sinful.
Still – it’s a lovely addition to the Market and the street patio will be much in demand next summer. Prices are great ($22 for a striploin steak frites) and locals already love it.
Le Kensington Bistro and Rotisserie is at 246 Augusta Avenue (a short walk south from College Street), 416 792 9440. Open noon-10 pm, Wednesday to Sunday. www.lekensingtonbistro.com.