Boy Wonder - the Food Version

Trying to separate Luke’s the restaurant from Luke’s the story is tricky. Luke’s the story the story is a heartwarmer all about achievement and creativity. Luke’s the restaurant is a little rougher around the edges.

Luke, the Chef, has been making waves since 2006 when he took over the kitchen at his parent’s establishment. Now some of the attention was gained from the ambition and the audacity of his menu. However a large part came because Luke at the time was 16. If you go in the average kitchen the 16 year kitchen worker is peeling carrots, not designing Tete du Cochon appetizers (the link to the Toronto Like article which does an excellent job in recounting the how and why behind Luke, the prodigy in the kitchen, is below and I’ll let you read rather than summarize) Suffice to say it’s a great story; bright, socially awkward child given the freedom and guidance to flourish in an unconventional environment. As I’m not too many years away from being a (reasonably) bright and socially awkward child myself, I was legitimately touched. However, as much as I wanted it to, Luke’s the restaurant did not touch me.

The small dining room seats 22 and manages to evoke precisely the ambience of a first year dorm. Dark, with shear curtains cordoning off tables, the room décor is partly created by the maestro himself (one large semi abstract painting behind us sported his signature circa 2006) and supplemented with generic African style masks. I find it a little claustrophobic, even though we shared the room with only one other couple. The menu itself is impressive in ambition, leaning heavily on the molecular gastronomy trend of playing with the form of the ingredients – salad is both liquid and solid, pork belly is ‘cigars’ and so forth. The wording is literary, one dish depicted as ‘a culinary stroll through 1st century Rome” another ‘ a Canvas’. As an thoroughly intellectual exercise the menu was fascinating. It just didn’t make me hungry.

The appetizers delivered the one knock out of the evening and one serviceable dish. First the Tete du Cochon kicked ass. Honestly, I didn’t care for the presentation and the size was incredibly large, however after tasting it all complaints became moot. Gribiche sauce, something I dimly recall from food theory, delivered a rich punch to the crispy yet ethereal pork head medallions. This was a dish rooted in the classics but yet not tasting dated. Think a gastro version of that new book out that has both Jane Austen and Zombies. Very, very good. Our other appetizer was neither unfortunate nor inspiring. Chevre Neopolan, was composed of sweet oat tuiles, sweet honey and sweet balsamic and left an overwhelming (wait for it) sweet impression that the tangy chevre and salty olives just couldn’t balance. It was neither complex, nor interesting.

With the mains things got a little hairy. My duck dish did something to a duck breast that has confused me ever since. Pitched as ‘pulled duck breast’ somehow it came out tasting like a charred loosely ground beef burger. I have nothing against burgers, but I don’t want my duck breast to resemble one. Things were not improved by a house made, overly sweet, tomato jam. However the onion pain perdu accompaniment was gorgeous – full of sweet, caramelized, onion goodness – again though not requiring the ubiquitous jam accompaniment. The next effort was stronger with solid crisp leg confit – oddly paired with an uber sweet marshmallow (I think Luke may have a sweet tooth). Too extreme for me – more interesting in theory then on the palate where the sickliness of the marshmallow overtook any of the richness of the duck.

I want to go back to Luke’s in a year and be amazed by the growth; it’s easy to see the potential here. I wonder if perhaps receiving the bulk of his food knowledge through books (the only restaurant website I‘ve seen that comes complete with reading list) may limit the prodigy – perhaps he should venture out into the world a little? For the most part the food, like the décor, reminds me of first year university; students itching to show off all their new knowledge with essays that use ten words where one would suffice, and attempt to cram in all the shiny new ideas floating in their head instead of favouring clean, efficient simplicity. I want to see Luke’s idea’s when he’s achieved the kind of elegant prose I think he’s going to be capable of.




Luke’s Gastronomy
264 Princess St
Kingston
613-531-7745

http://www.lukesgastronomy.com/

http://www.torontolife.ca/features/prodigy/