No. 1
Haisai
794079 County Rd. 124, Singhampton, 705-445-2748
Michael Stadtländer has always played by his own rules—it’s one reason why he is Canada’s most revered and influential chef. No surprise, then, that his unique new restaurant draws people two hours north of the city. It took him two years to turn a dull building on Singhampton’s main street into a handmade fantasy space, covering twisting tree roots with glittering mosaic and smoothing the walls with clay from the pond at nearby Eigensinn Farm, his home and principal restaurant. The result is part Gaudí, part Dr. Seuss—and entirely Stadtländer. Such creative control, coupled with a mystery tasting menu of small dishes and obsessive seasonality, reminds me of Japan’s kaiseki tradition. But these days, there’s almost nothing Asian about his cooking. Most of the ingredients are familiar from past dinners at Eigensinn Farm, sourced from the property or from neighbours, though here the treatment is simpler, at times radically so. I found a small slice of slow-smoked ham on a piece of bread brilliantly minimalist; my wife thought it was just cheeky. 
The chef’s technical mastery and mature vision turn mundane ideas into serious art: for example, an impeccable fat-fringed pork chop with crackling and morsels of the pig’s kidney needs no more than a selection of red, yellow and orange heirloom carrots. Working in the granite-lined open kitchen, chatting with guests, Stadtländer seems happy and relaxed, joking that he finally has the wine list he could never have at the farm. Haisai may not offer the deep magic of a feast in the forest at Eigensinn, but it has a liquor licence, it’s much more accessible, and dinner is half the price. Any chance to taste Stadtländer’s food should be seized—but hurry. Come May, he’ll be sharing Haisai’s kitchen with a co-chef, easing back the menu to lunch, a four-course dinner and barbecue, and spending most evenings at Eigensinn.
So Toronto’s best new restaurant is 2 hours north of the city? Hmmm…I don’t get it.
April 9, 2010 at 1:11 pm | by MattagascarJames Chatto pontificates on the best new restaurants in Toronto, and as usual appears to dwell in some mysterious and utterly boring alternate reality, where ‘foodies’ strike up conversations with their fellows at the next table to discuss the relative merits of what’s on their plate or in their glass – if a stranger were in fact to lean over to me in real life and pick apart the ingredients in my meal, I think I’d probably ask him to leave the restaurant and never attempt to dine in public again.
While I enjoyed his book, The Man Who Ate Toronto, for its insights into the dawn of Toronto’s culinary scene, his choices here are largely predictable, from the preamble claiming that these recessionary times call for modesty through to his inevitable contradiction by noting the presence of truffles, foie gras, ingredients flown in from Japan, and vaguely nauseating charcuterie as the measure of a menu’s excellence.
I’m sure food writing, like travel writing, is not nearly as appealing as a career to those who actually practice it, but that does not excuse the casual abuse of terms like ‘beau monde’, prose which should be taken out to the yard and put out of its its misery.
April 13, 2010 at 8:35 am | by MartinDon’t hate…participate!
April 13, 2010 at 9:37 am | by cToronto Dead.
April 17, 2010 at 10:13 am | by yyzdavidYou guys are so worried about giving away free information that you won’t actually say anything on your website. Thanks for being irrelevant.
Why…Gee Beav!
April 20, 2010 at 8:18 am | by gbbWe don’t have to yell… we have to taste…I support James.
May 2, 2010 at 6:15 pm | by Francis KInteresting, Martin, how you don’t mention any praise or criticism of the selections rather simply criticize the ‘style’ of writing. Your biggest gripe is an inconsistency between philosophy of the selections and the selections themselves but only in a very general sense.
Perhaps you should comment on the actual selections based on their merits rather than your incessant digressions.
May 2, 2010 at 11:03 pm | by JeffAs this column in effectively Chatto’s swan song with Toronto Life, I say we recognize him for tremendous work over the last 20+ years. Good luck and bon appetite, James!
May 7, 2010 at 2:32 pm | by Jerry O'ShaugnessyPersonally, I find myself in conversation with near neighbours in dining rooms frequently. This is especially true in the more tightly packed places. Since when did it become bad form to be friendly and engaged? Obviously to do so in a hoity toity establishment like Canoe would be a little over the top, but the writer was describing a far more casual and convivial joint in the article. You will note that he did not describe similar experiences at Hashimoto or Splendido. To make a general assertion from a specific occurrence is just a little disingenuous, no?
May 7, 2010 at 3:02 pm | by munchieHKI’m sorry to see James Chatto leaving Toronto Life – due to its “new direction”. I’ve always enjoyed his writing even if I didn’t necessarily agree with him.
I wish him all the best.
I don’t agree with some of TL’s new directions which seem to be heading towards shorter and thinner on a lot of topics.
May 21, 2010 at 10:21 am | by LynneTo put a plate of pasta and tomato sauce on the cover of Toronto Life and suggest that it is good proves that Chatto and Toronto Life readers will eat again that’s bland and lacking innovation. For good food, tell him to visit New York, Chicago, San Francisco etc… If he can’t afford that, try Vancouver or Montreal. Even tiny Quebec City has more good restaurants than all of Toronto combined. Pasta and tomato sauce, indeed. Why not Chef Boyardee?
May 24, 2010 at 12:00 pm | by davidTORONTO HAS HAD THE ONLY CANADIAN RESTAURANT TO EVER MAKE THE TOP 10 INTERNATIONALLY! HAVE YOU EVER EATEN IN MONTREAL OR VANCOUVER? IT MAY BE CHEF BOYARDEE IN TORONTO, BUT IT IS ALPO AND SPAM IN MONTREAL AND VANSNOOZER. OBVIOUSLY, YOU ARE A TORONTO HATER AND PROBABLY HAVE NEVER VISITED LIKE MOST TORONTO CRITICS!
May 26, 2010 at 12:45 pm | by D. POWELLDavid, you serious? Clearly, haterism is the primary reason for your post. Although you cite great food cities, it’s rather ludicrous to think that Toronto doesn’t compete. A solid argument can be made to say that Toronto’s restaurants are, overall, superior to Vancouver, Montreal and Chicago.
The fact that you think that Toronto is so far behind those cities is laughable and surely indicates that your post is essentially spam… Therefore, unfortunately, the joke is on me for taking a few seconds out of my day to even reply.
May 31, 2010 at 1:40 pm | by Val SteChicago?. I think Toronto is a pretty solid city for food and restaurants but it certainly isn’t close to Chicago. Montreal and Vancouver – yes a solid case can be made that Toronto is somewhat better.
June 3, 2010 at 11:06 am | by GeoffI think Toronto has a good restaurant scene. But lets face it, it’s not New York, or San Fran; but I think we can compete with Vancouver or Montreal. That being said, I am glad for certain Vancouver restos like Guu coming here…however, Au Noir from Montreal…I can do without.
It’s not perfect…sure we have Colborne Lane, and I visit often, but it’s no WD50. However, I think Canoe, Scaramouche, and George are amazing restaurants. One thing that we do better than anyone else in North America however, is East Asian cuisine!
June 9, 2010 at 11:09 am | by James