/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Food & Drink

Introducing: Loka, the city’s first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West

By Renée Suen
Copy link
Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Name: Loka Neighbourhood: Queen West Contact: 620 Queen St. W., 416-995-9639, @LokaToronto
Owners: Dave Mottershall, Paul Campbell (Aft Bar) Chefs: Dave Mottershall (Terre Rouge, The Chase, Loka Snacks)

The food

Mottershall says the food at Loka is an exploration of Canadian cuisine. Menus change frequently based on ingredient availability, and Mottershall, who only buys animals whole, adheres to a zero-waste policy—which means many dishes include offal and off-cuts. The charcuterie program rotates and a chalkboard indicates what’s in the curing chamber and when it will be ready. The $100 tasting menu (which includes a little of everything from the à la carte menu) is only available at the two-seat chef’s table. Dishes from a recent tasting menu are shown below.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

House-made soppresseta with red-wine syrup as an amuse bouche.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

House-cured pancetta served with Forno Cultura’s potato-balsamic bread.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Beef carpaccio with shaved foie gras, red wine syrup, breadcrumbs and chives.

Advertisement
Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Shaved lardo with chicharrones and milk-stout raisins.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Pheasant terrine with liver terrine and pickled lobster mushrooms.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Leek ash cavatelli with smoked fennel, in a cherry-bomb broth

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Crispy pig’s head with pickled strawberries and ramp mustard.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen) Photo by Renée Suen

Blueberry-braised venison neck with aligot (so, cheesy and mashed) potatoes and roasted carrots.

Advertisement
Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Vanilla goat yogurt with Newfoundland partridge berries.

The drinks

Wine and a short list of (mainly) Canadian draught and bottled beers. Cider, produced by Mottershall’s childhood best friend Chris Whitney, is also on tap.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)
The space

Mottershall renovated the 32-seat space with assistance from his staff, and (given their tight Kickstarter budget) used tables and chairs left behind by the previous tenants. Ten seats line the front bar, 22 take up the sparsely furnished dining room and there’s room for two guests at the chef’s table.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

The chef’s table.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

Mottershall puts the finishing touches on a dish.

Advertisement
Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)

A mural showcasing all 453 of Loka’s Kickstarter supporters.

Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Image: Renée Suen)
Introducing: Loka, the city's first successfully Kickstarted restaurant, on Queen West
(Images: Renée Suen)

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Big Stories

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber
Deep Dives

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber

Inside the Latest Issue

The June issue of Toronto Life features our annual ranking of the best new restaurants. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.