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Taberna LX
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Taberna LX is a sexy, vibrant, detailed celebration of Portuguese food, wine and culture. A spot that took years to painstakingly piece together, it partners style with substance, staples of Portuguese cuisine with a global approach to cooking, and Dundas West edge with the reassuring expertise of a crackerjack team.
The restaurant, or at least the root upon which it was founded, was a Portuguese grocery store opened in the 1950s by co-owner Kelly Amaral’s parents. Immigrants from Pico Island, in the Azores, they were the first to introduce the Dundas West neighbourhood — which would eventually become known as Little Portugal — to their traditions, one unique import at a time.
The cradle of a shifting community, that grocery store and the passion behind it also gave Amaral a deeply-rooted admiration for her heritage. As an adult, her dream was to honour Portugal and its traditions in a modern, elegant restaurant that delved beyond the clichés.
If you ever visited the former Paris Paris location, the home of Taberna LX, it’s safe to say you won’t recognize a thing. Emerging from a gut reno that included adding a second floor and a sun-soaked patio to the building, Taberna LX’s glow-up also introduced scores of hand-painted tiles to the space, along with Portuguese ceramics, lustrous expanses of marble, and a subtle colour scheme meant to subtly echo the Portuguese flag. By Lisbon-based designer, architect and artist Joana Astolfi, the restaurant is eye-catching and chic, oozing with proud nods to Portugal.
Service at Taberna LX is “direct and precise in execution but casual in approach,” says general manager, Aaron Joseph Bear Robe. It’s a style that mirrors the level of care taken to craft menus that articulate connection to the past in contemporary ways.
In the kitchen, executive chef and co-owner Jonathan Poon honours Portuguese culinary traditions while managing to escape their confines. “Modern is the keyword,” says chef de cuisine, Jeffrey Yap. “Chef has told me on many occasions, ‘We’re not aiming for authentic or traditional.’”
Certain dishes — think Chilled Octopus Salad and Shrimp Patty — seem instantly recognizable. Yet in the team’s hands, they’ve shed the predictable, instead appearing tightened and refreshed, revamped by ingredients or techniques borrowed from other locales. “All of our food has a Portuguese starting point or reference or is recognizably Portuguese in some way, but then we’ve given ourselves the flexibility to reference a lot of places outside of Portugal,” says Yap.
Wrapped around smoked tomato, plump bundles of prosciutto prime the palate for one of bar manager Isabo Leblanc’s animated cocktails. “I’ve worked at places where everything was very big and showy,” she says. “For me, this was a refresher in going back to the roots. Letting the spirits, the ingredients, speak for themselves and not doing anything unless it actually has meaning.”
From Licor Beirão and ginjinha to divisive aguardiente, Leblanc’s cocktails revive traditional spirits, many of which are exclusive to the space, in exciting ways.
“We’ve developed a really great program that complements and accentuates the cuisine itself,” says Bear Robe. “The craft cocktail list uses traditional Portuguese liquors and liqueurs as well as things that are from the exploratory phase of Portugal’s history, like Cachaça from Brazil.”
Sample Grahams 10 Year Tawny Porto and Per Se, a Portuguese aperitif, mixed with cherry cola syrup in the Porto Cola. Or revisit aguardiente, essentially Portuguese moonshine, in the Xodó. “People tend to be like, ‘Oh, it’s cool,’ or ‘Eww, I remember by grandparents drinking that!’” says Leblanc. “I love being able to flip that on its head and put it into our most popular cocktail.” A milk punch made with coconut, yuzu, spiced brown sugar syrup and Beirão, it’s soft and finessed, the aguardiente muffled to a dainty whisper compared to its characteristic, throat-burning bellow.
Displaying a similar level of patriotism, Taberna LX’s wine list is wholly dedicated to Portuguese bottles, including a vast selection of volcanic wines from Pico.
“People gloss over Portuguese wine and Portuguese cocktail culture, and I feel that it’s something that, equally with the food, should be celebrated,” says Bear Robe. “We’re educating our team and our diners about Portuguese wine. Learning to create those reference points.” Simply divulge what makes you tick (in terms of wine, that is) and the team will find a sip to suit your tastes from the lengthy list. “It’s surprisingly easy to walk people through the wine menu,” affirms Leblanc.
Brimming with confit meat and chouriço, Duck Rice is a sophisticated update on the comfort-food classic. Made with Carnaroli rice, it’s pressure-cooked to order, landing, texture-wise, somewhere between the firm tenderness of paella and the relaxed fluidity of proper risotto.
Inspired by Lisbon café culture, Taberna LX’s Café Steak features beef tenderloin served with house Russett chips, a flawless fried egg and a slurpable sauce made from veal stock, brandy, cream and aromatics.
A pasteleria classic, Pão de Ló is invitingly bouncy and rich with the nuanced flavours of imported olive oil. Restrained in its sugar content, eggy, light and discernibly savoury, it’s a dish that evokes the bread basket all while satisfying the need for a little something sweet.
“Se não pode ir a Lisboa, vá à Taberna LX,” declares the restaurant’s website, encouraging those who can’t go to Lisbon to, instead, visit Taberna LX. Designed for an audience that craves escape, novel experiences and Europe’s indelible charms, it’s an irresistible invitation.
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