Luma

Toronto has an excellent new spot for lunch (and dinner too, of course) in Oliver Bonacini’s spiffy Luma, up on the second storey of the new TIFF Bell Lightbox building. Appropriately enough, the space is awash with daylight flooding through the wall of south-facing glass that loooks down over the King West restaurant strip. Architects Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg have designed the interior – all very cool and laid back but with enough visual drama to delight rather than bore the eye. Finishes are in different woods on the floor and high partition walls, chairs in mushroom leather, sofas more of a butterscotch while a massive planter filled with curly willow wands gives focus to the centre of the room.
The chef is Jason Bangerter who has finally left his beloved Auberge du Pommier to come downtown, running Luma and its attached BlackBerry Lounge, the much-more-casual Canteen downstairs and the parties and functions that occur up on the rooftop and in other areas of the building. For Luma, he has put together a menu that doesn’t make a massive opening impact. Sandwiches, salads, tuna, chicken, beef tenderloin, steak frites… At first glance it seems determinedly middle-of-the-road, without any of the haut French glamour of Auberge – rather in the manner of Nota Bene (I suspect Luma is destined to be NB’s most signifcant rival). But Oliver Bonacini is nothing if not detail-oriented and both Bangerter and general manager Richard Arnold (also from Auberge) have never been known to drop the ball. It’s true my friend and I virtually had the place to ourselves on Monday at lunchtime (Luma’s opening was overshadowed by the Film Festival and OB has done no publicity since) but service was impeccable and the dishes we tried thoroughly delicious.
Burrata is the fromage du jour in Toronto these days and some impressive versions are being made in Ontario. But Bangerter gets his flown in from Italy through Cheese Boutique, barely a day or two old and still oozing rich buffalo cream when one slips a knife into its glistening, tender, snow-white heart. The cheese is set on top of a thin but richly flavoured slice of grilled eggplant and surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colourful beets, some cut into soft chunks, others firmer but thinly sliced. A marjoram and pine nut vinaigrette echoes the earthy sweetness of the beets and it’s impossible not to mop the plate with chunks of the lovely crusty breads baked by David Wilson, that masterful artisan of the ovens and the man responsible for Marc Thuet’s loaves, back in the day.
Foie gras torchon appears on the dinner menu and it’s a fine version, a slice of the pink cylinder that’s as smooth and soft as a baby’s arm, served with square-cut blocks of toasted brioche. Bangerter usually likes to pair it with pineapple but today sliced fresh peach and morsels of soft stewed peach nuzzle up to the foie while pretty green coriander seedlings do their undetectably subtle thing.

Pale seafood is something of a speciality here but luckily it’s exactly what I feel like at lunchtime. Pan-seared scallops are meticulously timed, surrounded by tiny grilled artichokes and perched on top of a disc of smashed potato. Curls of cured ham are the crown, lemon vinaigrette the dressing. Another dish poses tender grilled octopus with soft, delicately earthy orange lentils, tucked in as if they were some kind of roe. Cleverly orchestrated, secondary flavours don’t mask the octopus’s own taste – preserved lemon, baby arugula, honeyed olives, piquillo peppers – while a tangy arugula pesto brings everything to attention.
We weren’t going to have any dessert but the pastry chef sent out some miniature treats – a creamy finger of lemon curd on ethereal pastry, a doll-sized opera cake. Certainly that end of the experience requires further exploration.
Wines? Quite properly, Ontario is the principal provider abetted by a couple of BC reds and a good back-up from the rest of the world. Incidentally, there are still restaurants in Toronto that don’t have Ontario wines on their lists. I’m thinking of writing a little note on the bill where it says “tip:” Offer Ontario wine. That’s my tip to you, buddy.
Meanwhile, I see a bright future for Luma. It’s luxuriously spacious, elegant but not posh, unhurried and airily contemporary – and the prices are pretty reasonable. It’s funny how many of our best lunch restaurants are in institutions – a phenomenon started by Jamie Kennedy at the ROM, I suppose. These days we have Frank at the AGO, c5 at the ROM, the Gallery Grill at Hart House, Osgoode Hall and now Luma in the Lightbox. Long may it shine.
Lunch: Daily, 11:30am-3:00pm. Dinner: Daily, 5:00pm-11:00pm

Luma. 330 King Street West (at John Street). 647 288-4715. www.oliverbonacini.com