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Frilu Toronto, One Michelin Star Restaurant in Thornhill

Frilu Restaurant is a One Michelin Star Canadian restaurant in uptown Toronto, specifically in Thornhill, offering an Asian-inspired seasonally changing tasting menu.

Did you know? The restaurant name’s Frilu is short for “friluftsliv” which refers to the Scandinavian lifestyle of being outdoors and one with nature.

Opened in June 2018, Frilu is a welcoming change to the uptown Toronto food scene since most tasting menu restaurants are in downtown.

Frilu Entrance Door

Executive Chef and Owner John-Vincent Troiano brings his culinary expertise from world-renowned tasting menu restaurants.

He has worked at Noma in Copenhagen, where he interned, 3-Michelin Star Benu in San Francisco and 1 Michelin Star Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto in Toronto, where he shadowed Chef Masaki Hashimoto for three years.

Did you know? Frilu was one of the contenders for Canada’s Best New Restaurants by Air Canada in 2019.

You can see these inspirations from his tasting menu at Frilu which combines the simplicities of local and seasonal ingredients with complex Asian flavours and techniques.

On September 13, 2022, Frilu was awarded One Michelin Star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Toronto, making it one of the first Michelin restaurants in Toronto and Canada.

On September 27, 2023, Frilu returned not only as one of the One Michelin Star restaurants in Toronto in the 2023 Michelin Guide but as the only starred restaurant to received a Michelin Green Star designation.

Frilu is also the only Michelin Star restaurant in the Ontario York Region!


Tasting Menu at Frilu Restaurant Toronto

Inside Michelin Star Frilu Toronto

Frilu Restaurant’s interior is small, intimate and minimalistic.

The restaurant seats a total of 28 people inside: 6 on the bar and 22 in the dining room.

Travelling Foodie Tip: There is free parking behind the restaurant.

The space is designed similar to its namesake of being with nature.

When you enter Frilu Toronto, you’ll find the dining room with the wood-paneled wall and copper-tipped light fixtures.

Interior of Frilu taken from outside

Turn right and you’ll find the bar with the small kitchen right next to it.

The back wall has real moss preserved by oil.

Bartender pouring sake on jigger

If you want to be where the action is, you’ll definitely want to be sitting at the bar seat closest to the kitchen.

This was my view from the right-most seat at the bar.

Chef JV Troiano and So Sakata at Frilu working in the kitchen
Executive Chef/Owner John-Vincent Troiano and Head Chef So sakata

Frilu Restaurant Menu and Prices

The menu at Frilu Toronto is very simple.

You can only book one thing, and that is the Chef’s Tasting Menu that’s available for the season.

The tasting menu changes seasonally, a total of five times: one per season, plus a Holiday menu during December and January to reflect Christmas and New Year.

Expect a farm-to-table experience at Frilu using sustainable and seasonal ingredients on the owners JV and wife Sara’s farm, Willowolf Farm, a small 15-acre farmstead in Tottenham, Ontario, which is what helped them achieve the Michelin Green Star.

Squeezing crab oil from bottle into noodle soup

When I dined at Frilu Toronto twice back in 2019, the tasting menu was $95. At that time, Frilu’s curated beverage pairing was optional: Alcohol pairing was $65. Non-alcohol pairing was $35.

As of Michelin Guide Toronto 2022, Frilu’s tasting menu price was $150 with 8-12 courses

As of Michelin Guide Toronto 2023 in September, Frilu’s Chef’s Tasting Menu was $260 consisting of 12-14 dishes of contemporary Canadian menu, a culinary journey curated by Chef JV Troiano that lasts roughly 3-4 hours hours.

With the Chef’s Tasting Menu, drink pairings (alcoholic or non-alcoholic options) are now included in the price, and is not optional.

Sake from Japan
Kome Kome from Kamoizumi in Hiroshima

Due to having a small kitchen, Frilu cannot accommodation modifications and dietary restrictions so be sure to inquire about the menu prior to booking.

Maximum group size is 4 people per table.

To provide a mature dining experience, children under 12 years old are not allowed.

Note: 18% gratuity is applied for groups of 6 and more.

Also Read: Alo Restaurant, Michelin Star Tasting Menu Restaurant in Toronto


Frilu’s Summer Tasting Menu

I visited Frilu Toronto in summer 2019 when the menu was a 9-course tasting menu: Warm Nights, Calm Skies. It had a very good mix of meat, seafood and vegetarian courses.

The menu showcases the season of Summer and the bountiful produce from Ontario farms and farmers’ markets through dishes with bright and refreshing flavours.

At that time, Frilu’s tasting menu was $95.

Warm Nights, Calm Skies

There were no amuse-bouche or extra sides at Frilu aside from the bread that came after the first course.

The drinks showed here are from the non-alcoholic pairing, which mostly consisted of teas and juices.

Re: Freshing

This scallop dish at Frily was a re: freshing way to start the tasting menu at Frilu.

The raw sea scallop was paired with sake gelee, Italian cucumber, musk melon ice, lime juice and shaved fresh horseradish.

Refreshing Course
Scallop, dill, cucumber, sake

The sake gelee was made with sake and set with agar.

The cucumber was made as nukazuke, pickled in fermented rice bran, which was a traditional Japanese way of making pickles.

The pear was pickled in rice wine vinegar

Tableside, they poured a cucumber, dill and wood oil vinaigrette on top of the dish.

This course was paired with cucumber lemonade cut with honeydew purée.

Scallop Course with Cucumber Lemonade at Frilu

After this course came the bread course which was the only off-menu item.

We received a Sourdough Bread made with hard whole wheat flour, white flour, buckwheat, and barley.

It was paired with their seasonal spreads:

  • pork fat mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove
  • black sesame butter

The pork fat spread was so addicting!

It was like having the Chinese roasted pork but in butter form.

Filet Américain

The next course at Frilu Toronto was playful and had a delicious layering of flavours.

The Filet Americain was inspired by the traditional Belgium dish with thinly sliced horse carpaccio, sitting on top of a coddled Chanteclaire heritage egg.

Filet Américain Course at Frilu
Quebec horse, coddled egg, bread miso

The egg was sitting on top of a bread miso sauce made from bannock, and julienned endive and kale, and Romain.

The dish was then finished with a roasted garlic and anchovy powder, and green onion oil.

The best way to eat it was to try a small taste of each layer, then mix everything to taste the difference.

Filet Américain Cut Open

This course was paired with Gyokuro Gokou, a first harvest organic green tea from Japan.

It was shaded for 30 days prior to harvesting and produced as a green tea with vibrant green colour.

Horse Course with Green Tea

Cold Claw / Swelling Fruit

Switching back to a refreshing yet umami-filled course with the Cold Claw / Swelling Fruit.

This course at Frilu was a cold dish made with crab, Farina Plus chitarrini, sea urchin and tomato.

At the bottom of the bowl was a tomato dashi broth, which was made by lightly cooking the tomatoes until they release their flavour.

Sitting in the broth was Farina Plus Chitarinni pasta, topped with fresh Dungeness crab that was mixed with a seafood bisque made of fermented tomato, crab shell, and shrimp shell.

The dish was finished with shrimp oil, then topped with raw uni.

Cold Claw / Swelling Fruit Course
Crab, Farina Plus chitarinni, tomato

“Little Pepo and Her Chicken”

This course at Frilu Toronto reminded me of a vegetable version of the Chinese rice-stuffed cornish hens that I used to enjoy as a child.

The flower of pepo, a name for a female zucchini, was stuffed with sweet glutinous rice that has been cooked in chicken stock.

The rice was mixed with ground chicken, ginger, soya, sesame seed oil, chicken skin, and garlic scapes.

The flower, lightly steamed, was set on top of roasted eggplant jus.

Little Pepo and Her Chicken Course
Zucchini flower, sweet rice, eggplant

The dish was finished with a drop of roasted duck garum, which was made by mixing the roasted duck with salt and letting it ferment in the fermenting room of Frilu for a year.

This course was paired with sparkling grapefruit juice with a rosemary simple syrup.

Zucchini Course with Grapefruit Juice

Also Read: Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Jordan Station, Ontario

Haly Butte, Young Plume

The main seafood dish was the Haly Butte, Young Plume with halibut, Ontario plum, black garlic.

Lightly roasted halibut paired with a young, green plum miso sauce.

The halibut was topped with Dried Tuscan kale (or Dinosaur Kale), which had been dusted with kombu powder made from soya sauce and sugar, and black garlic.

The dish was finished with a little prosciutto oil.

Halibut with Kale Course
Halibut, Ontario plum, black garlic

The star of this dish at Frilu was the plum miso sauce, which brought complex bold flavours of sweet and savoury.

It’s highly addicting that you’d want a bottle of it at home.

Haly Butte, Young Plume Course
Halibut, Ontario plum, black garlic paired with chilled Brandy Oolong tea from Taiwan.

The course was paired with a chilled Brandy Oolong tea from Taiwan blended with a touch of plum purée to enhance the flavour of plum in the dish.

Bartender pouring Cold Brew Tea on a jigger
Chilled Brandy Oolong tea from Taiwan
Pouring Cold Brew Tea from jigger to glass

Peaches and Cream

The main meat course at Frilu Toronto was Aged Duroc Pork done two ways: Northern Ontario Duroc pork tenderloin was aged in-house for 6-7 days and fried pork belly.

Peaches and Cream Course at Frilu in Toronto
Aged Duroc Pork, smoked peaches, local corn

The pork sits on a bed of smoked peaches and a puree of cream corn, vanilla and saikyo miso.

Pork Two Ways Course
Aged Duroc Pork, smoked peaches, local corn

This course was paired with peach & grapefruit juice.

Peach & Grapefruit juice at Frilu in Thornhill

Pulling Weeds

One typically doesn’t enjoy mowing the lawn or pulling weeds.

But Frilu Toronto will make you enjoy Pulling Weeds with this palate cleanser course.

I loved the playfulness of this dish.

At the bottom of the dish was a traditional Italian custard dessert, zabaglione, with fresh Ontario Strawberries.

It was then topped with “dirt” made of lavender and brown butter shortbread crumbles.

The “weed” was a pea shoot.

Zabaglione Dessert
Zabaglione, Lavender, strawberry

Did you know? Frilu used carbonized coconut husk to give the dirt it’s colour.

The Pulling Weeds course was paired with lavender-infused sparkling water

Pulling Weeds Course

Anguria con Ricotta

This next dessert was a medley of refreshing, savoury and nutty.

It was my favourite dessert.

The watermelon was served three ways: watermelon ice, fermented watermelon, and watermelon syrup.

The dish was complemented with hazelnut purée, an addicting ricotta ice cream, and finished with olive oil, micro mint and a phyllo chip.

Anguria con Ricotta Course at Frilu
Watermelon, ricotta, hazelnut

This was paired with watermelon Lemonade crushed with mint.

Watermelon Lemonade
Watermelon Lemonade crushed with mint

Some More’… …

The last course for the night at was Some more’… Somemore… S’more!

The Frilu s’mores are made with Hojicha marshmallow, smoked chocolate ganache, toasted graham cracker.

Smores
Marshmallow, chocolate, graham cracker

The hojicha was cooked into the sugar syrup and whipped it into the gelatine and water base.

Toasted Marshmallow Course at Frilu in Toronto

The Smore was paired with coconut water & cashew milk, which brings back nostalgia of having graham crackers with milk.

Coconut water & cashew milk with smores
Coconut water & cashew milk at Frilu in Thornhill

Also Read: Gallery by Chele, Filipino Tasting Menu Restaurant in Manila


Frilu’s Winter Tasting Menu

I visited Frilu Toronto again on December 2019 to have my sister try the tasting menu.

This time it was the $95 winter tasting menu called Icy Water, Snow Pine Trees.

The menu showcases ingredients from the North through more bold and earthy dishes to evoke a sense of comfort and warmth for the season.

Icy Water, Snowy Pine Trees

We did the Alcoholic pairing, and I can honestly say that it was so much better than the Non-Alcoholic pairing.

The drinks included wine and sake.

Some were pretty unique and uncommon like the 2007 vintage Kirakucho Jukusei Junmai (aged sake) and Xixarito Manzanilla Wine from Spain that tasted like whiskey.

There was no bread course this time, but we did get a petit four.

Solistice Snack

Frilu’s winter tasting menu started with earthy flavours from the beef tartare on top of pumpkin seed miso Rye crisp, accompanied by charred lettuce.

Beef Tartare at Frilu Restaurant in Thornill, Ontario
Solistice Snack – Charred lettuce, pumpkin seed miso Rye crisp, beef tartare

Oyster-Oyster

Next course was a light yet delicious dish of oyster with mushroo and vinegar then topped with caviar for a salty finish.

Oyster with Caviar at Frilu Restaurant Winter Tasting Menu 2019 in Toronto, Ontario
Oyster-Oyster – Mushroom, vinegar, oyster

Turnip in Dirt

I always enjoy the creativity and presentation of the courses by Frilu Restaurant.

This course reminded me of the Pulling Weeds dessert from the summer tasting menu 2019 because of the dirt.

Here, turnip tops was mixed with dirt and lemon.

This was my least favourite course as I found the lemon overpowered the entire dish.

Turnip and Lemon from Winter Tasting Menu 2019 at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario
Turnip in Dirt – Lemon, turnip tops

Ground and Sea

Going back to a lighter course, the next one was Ground and Sea, made with celeriac, scallop and beef garum.

Scallop and Celeriac from Winter Tasting Menu 2019 at Frilu Restaurant in Thornhill, Ontario
Ground and Sea – Celeriac, scallop, beef garum

Also Read: Kame Omakase, Best Omakase in Las Vegas

“Cod Roe with Dark Flour”

I’ve been such a big fan of the unique pasta courses at Frilu Toronto.

This one used strips of cod row on buckwheat noodles with smoked butter sauce.

Cod Roe on Buckwheat Noodles at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario
“Cod Roe with Dark Flour” – Smoked butter, buckwheat

Northern White

The Northern White course featured cod with horseradish and cabbage.

It was initially supposed to be with pickerel instead of cod, according to the menu.

I was disappointed Frilu Restaurant changed the pickerel because the story behind the winter menu specifically indicated ice fishing for pickerel in the North.

Also, pickerel was quite a popular local fish from Lake Erie in Ontario’s Southwest.

Cod on Cabbage Puree at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario
Northern White – Cod instead of Pickerel, horseradish, cabbage

The Bitter Bison

A very tender and fall-of-the-bone bison rib with sweet potato and bitter sauce bring out rich and earthy flavours.

A nice comfort food for a cold winter night!

Bison Rib from Winter Tasting Menu 2019 at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario
The Bitter Bison – Bison rib, sweet potato, bitter sauce

Waterfowl, Marsh 2019

This course at Frilu was the star of the night, a mindblowing dish made with charcoal duck breast with koshihikari rice, furikake, burnt onion.

Charcoal Duck Breast, Furikake, Burnt Onion Course at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario
Waterfowl, Marsh 2019 – charcoal duck breast with koshihikari rice, furikake, burnt onion

The pot was presented table-side prior to plating.

Charcoal Duck Breast and Koshihikari Rice on Pot at Frilu Restaurant in Thornhill, Ontario
Waterfowl, Marsh 2019 – charcoal duck breast with koshihikari rice, furikake, burnt onion

Aged Peaches & Cream

This goat milk with aged peaches from summer was very refreshing, a great palette cleanser!

Aged Peaches and Cream from Winter Tasting Menu 2019 at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario
Aged Peaches & Cream – Goat milk, peaches from summer

Filbert and the Earth Apple

A unique dessert at Frilu featuring hazelnut tofu, sunchoke, chocolate.

I was impressed with the tofu having the proper texture inside and a crispy exterior, all with a strong hazelnut flavour.

Hazelnut Tofu and Chocolate at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario

Petit Four

White Chocolate with Mint Powder

White Chocolate with Mint Powder at Frilu Restaurant in Toronto

Verdict on Michelin Star Frilu Restaurant

Overall, I highly recommend Frilu Toronto.

The tasting menu at Frilu was quite unique as not a lot of tasting menu restaurants in Toronto use Asian influences in their courses.

I love that the flavours of courses have multiple layers that combine to create something new, which make it all the more special.

This was typically what I look for in a tasting menu.

I wish Frilu can explore the same for the non-alcoholic pairing by having crafted mocktails instead of just juices and teas.

But I highly recommend the alcoholic pairing if you enjoy drinking and can afford the extra cost.

Service at Frilu was quite attentive and a conversation.

The staff at the bar were friendly and talking with us.

With its creativity and uniqueness, Frilu was definitely one of the best tasting menu restaurants under $100 when I first dined in 2019.

I told people to better go soon as I predict the prices will raise since it was one of Canada’s Best New Restaurants, and will deservingly be on the list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

And my predictions have come true along with the fact that they’re one of the Michelin restaurants in Toronto.

Start booking!


Hope this Toronto restaurant review helps you know what it’s like to dine at Frilu Restaurant and have the tasting menu experience with non-alcoholic pairing.


Frilu Restaurant
Website / Address: 7713 Yonge St, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2C4
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday from 5pm


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