Claudio Aprile, the chef and owner of molecular gastronomy temple Colborne Lane, has announced that he’ll be opening two new locations of his more accessible Origin in the new year. The first, according to The Grid, will be a 150-seat restaurant in Liberty Village, complete with lounge, open kitchen, raw bar and patio and set to open in April. The second will take over the space vacated in November by the decidedly more casual Sierra Grill at Bayview Village, and will open by Christmastime next year, if all goes according to plan. The new locations will apparently share the “DNA and core values” of the original King and Church space, but will have menus more tailored to their surroundings. Aprile has often hinted that he wanted to be running a chain of restaurants. Indeed, he told Chris Nuttall-Smith last year that he could see himself running six restaurants within a decade. Judging by this new announcement, that might happen a lot sooner. Read the entire story [The Grid] »
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True Grits: Chris Nuttall-Smith on Acadia’s sublime Lowcountry cooking
(Image: Emma McIntyre)
There are things you don’t expect in a cheap, casual Little Italy restaurant with a mediocre wine list. You don’t expect to find grits like these, for instance: melting, creamy, aggressively, exquisitely corny grits that the chef has mail-ordered in from South Carolina, because that’s where the best grits on the planet come from. They’re stirred through with pimento cheese that unfurls like a warm southern front on the tender stretch at the back of your throat.
There’s a broth around the grits, clear as glass but evil-deep and smoky from ham hocks, and there are shrimp, which are sweet, of course, but more than that. These are Gulf shrimp, mild and clean-tasting, whereas shrimp at other restaurants almost always taste like mud. The whole dish is sharp, focused, super-seasoned but not salty, a burst to the mainline. I have to shush my giddy tablemate. He’s dropping F-mother bombs because the food is so good.
The scoop on Claudio Aprile’s one-day-only nitrogen ice cream parlour at Origin
(Image: Trevor King)
Those strolling around the King and Church area on Saturday evening were surprised to see silky mist pouring from a small alcove outside Claudio Aprile’s Origin. From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, Aprile dished out free cones of the stunning ice cream that he perfected at his more modernist digs, Colborne Lane.
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Fish, meet citrus: a tour of some of Toronto’s most alluring ceviche dishes
Milagro’s ceviche de pulpo (Image: Renée Suen)
Sushi, the star of a previous edition of our Food Porn series, is far from the only raw fish game in town. Ceviche, the Latin American standby that relies on acid from citrus fruits to cure fresh fish, bivalves or cephalopods, is also well represented. While some Toronto chefs stick to tried-and-true preparations for “cooking” their catch, others transform the already magical dish—believed to have originated in Peru—with surprising inventions. Either way, we recommend enjoying with a cold beer. Here, 10 of the city’s most delicious and alluring ceviche dishes.
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Although inspired by the cantinas of their native Mexico City, brothers Arturo and Andrés Anhalt have created a ceviche dish with some decidedly non-traditional twists, like the tender octopus that’s been braised for an hour and a half. Forgoing the standard red-white-green theme of most Mexican ceviches, lime juice–marinated tentacles are tangled up with red onion, tomatillo, cilantro and smoky chipotles in adobo paste, all doused with a hearty dose of Spanish olive oil. The flavourful mix is piled high over shredded lettuce—an edible strainer—and served in typical cantina style with a package of saltines and a lime wedge. It’s even better when chased with a bottle of Negra Modelo and fresh lime juice.
$11.95/medium, pictured; $16.25/large.
Milagro, 5 Mercer St., 416-850-2855, milagrorestaurant.com.
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Chris McDonald’s buttery smoked kingfish ceviche uses diced tomatoes and bright kumquat zest to cut through firm and slightly salty kingfish that’s been bathed in a light citrus marinade. Fruity extra-virgin olive oil helps bind the components together while fresh house-fried tortilla chips and a delightful frisée salad lighten the palate.
$13.50.
Cava, 1560 Yonge St., 416-979-9918, cavarestaurant.ca.
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Chef Luis Valenzuela salt-cures meaty Georgian Bay bass, then cooks the diced flesh in lime juice and olive oil. The milky-white nuggets end up with a scallop-like texture and stand out against the red onions, cilantro, sweet corn kernels and crunchy cancha (inflated corn nuts). Served with paper-thin sweet potato chips, this Peruvian- and Ecuadorian-inspired dish uses sustainable ingredients sourced from suppliers that treat their workers fairly.
$10.
Torito, 276 Augusta Ave., 416-961-7373, toritorestaurant.com.
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Some might balk at the thought of Asian–Latin American fusion, but David Lee’s pretty floral ceviche, arriving on a bed of crushed ice, actually works. Corn nuts provide a salty crunch against silky strips of lime-marinated hamachi (yellowtail) and almost grassy chunks of still-firm avocado. The sweet, buttery fish is seasoned with cilantro and finely minced jalapeños, the latter’s heat quelled by a golden pool of olive oil and coconut milk.
$16.
Nota Bene, 180 Queen St. W., 416-977-6400, notabenerestaurant.com.
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This Peruvian outpost serves two types of lemon-marinated ceviches, both based on a time-honoured recipe. The first and more popular version features dense filets of basa (Asian catfish) that have been briefly cooked in lemon, salt and garlic before being tossed with finely sliced celery, red and white onion slivers and chopped parsley. Keeping with tradition, the mountain of fish comes with chunks of cooked corn cobs and thick slices of sweet and regular potato. Spice fiends can ask the kitchen to pre-season their ceviche with their fiery chili-garlic dip, but take heed: it’s tongue-searingly hot.
$14.95.
El Fogon, 543 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-850-8041, elfogon.ca.
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The mixed seafood ceviche at this mid-town restaurant named after Frida Kahlo is a smoky, mouth-watering affair. Chef Jose Hadad separately prepares meaty shrimp, velvety sheets of sliced sea scallops and creamy poached mussels in a vibrant lime juice marinade laced with chili oil. Finely minced tomato, red onion and bell pepper are a visual nod to Mexico’s national colours: red, white and green. Thin curls of homemade potato chips are an inventive alternative to the usual crackers.
$16.
Frida, 999 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-787-2221, fridarestaurant.ca.
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Claudio Aprile uses modern culinary techniques to construct this off-menu hors d’oeuvre, which uses the same sweet-spicy Thai flavours as his seared scallop course. Beads of finger lime pulp deliver a caviar-like pop and crunch, while the yuzu-ponzu vinaigrette echoes the mild citrus zing of the bivalve’s grapefruit juice marinade. But the liquid nitrogen frozen crème fraiche pearls steal the show, creating a luxurious sauce as they gradually melt into the tiny pool of coconut milk that lines the scallop shell. A deseeded chili ring, cornflower blossom and Thai basil brighten the canvas with pings of colour.
Colborne Lane, 45 Colborne St. (at Leader Ln.), 416-368-9009, colbornelane.com.
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Tom Thai sticks with the cool-and-spicy formula, seasoning his lightly seared B.C. scallops with peppery grilled jalapeño and shimeji chili powder. A slightly bitter dollop of kumquat jam crowns each fleshy, olive oil–slicked medallion, and the whole thing is buried under a tower of chopped scallions, organic micro-greens and popcorn shoots with a soy-reduction dressing. The result is a dish that’s fragrant, sweet, grassy and hot.
$15.
Foxley, 207 Ossington Ave., 416-534-8520.
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Named after owner Sylvia Llewellyn’s mother, this kitschy 14-year-old grocery-store-turned-restaurant is popular with those seeking a taste of Havana. Julie’s no-fuss ceviche features marlin cooked in freshly squeezed lime, orange and red grapefruit juice. The fragrant fish mingles with crisp red onions, plump corn kernels, bell peppers and parsley. The mild ceviche is finished with a tiny touch of chili and stacked high over a cool bed of chopped tomatoes.
$8.95.
Julie’s Cuban Restaurant, 202 Dovercourt Rd., 416-532-7397, juliescuban.com.
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Toronto’s only Nicaraguan restaurant serves a ceviche mixto with firm diced shrimps and cod. The confetti of lime juice–marinated seafood is mixed with crisp bell peppers, red onions and cilantro, then served with ribbons of fresh fried plantain chips and sliced avocado. It’s a loose and refreshing starter that satisfies both mouths and wallets. Particularly refreshing when washed down with a glass of cold orange-cantaloupe juice.
$9.25.
La Bella Managua, 872 Bloor St. W., 416-913-4227, bellamanagua.foodpages.ca.
With Acadia, Scott Selland and Matt Blondin aim to shake up conservative Toronto palates
Blondin and Selland, fomenting revolution (Image: Will Fournier)
Despite the ethnic diversity of cuisine in Toronto, the city’s dining scene sometimes comes under fire for its lack of innovation. Acadia, a new venture by first-time owner Scott Selland (Splendido, Colborne Lane, Susur) and chef Matt Blondin (Colborne Lane, Senses, Rain), hopes to change that by bringing the unique flavour profiles of the east coast—from Louisiana and both Carolinas all the way up to the Maritimes—to Toronto’s sometimes conservative palate. We caught up with the pair to find out just what they’re up to.
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Introducing: WVRST, King West’s new sausage and beer hall
Wvrst’s dining room features long, communal tables (Image: Signe Langford)
More and more, it seems as though Clubland is outgrowing its old epicentre at the Richmond and John area and oozing west along King Street into what was once a much more sedate dining destination led by Susur, Lee, Marc Thuet’s nom-de-jour resto, Brassaii and Rodney’s. As we reported back in April, it’s into this shifting scene that chef and simple food enthusiast Aldo Lanzillotta has opened his first restaurant, Wvrst, which serves up artisanal sausages and brews in a casual beer hall setting.
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Bringing Sexy Back: Chris Nuttall-Smith takes on Aria and Toca
After three years of restaurant restraint, Aria and Toca, two unabashedly flashy new spots, are giving diners a reason to get dressed up again
Opulence, I missed you. I missed high thread-count table linens and hand-blown water glasses and even edible gold leaf a little. I missed the dining rooms whose owners gave carte blanche to talented designers, insisting only on “something grand.” But mostly, I missed gasping when I walked into restaurants—having to stop to take a space in, to admire. Though restraint wasn’t all bad for dining culture these past few years, it wasn’t always easy on the eyes.
Two ambitious, expensive, flashy new dining rooms have opened downtown in recent months, one of them from a hotel chain that’s synonymous with conspicuous luxury, the other from a pair of neighbourhood restaurateurs who’ve come out shooting for the moon. Both are fine dining (more or less), and both are likely to make you gasp when you enter.
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Introducing: Briscola, Cinq 01’s rustic Italian successor
Inside Briscola Trattoria (Image: Gizelle Lau)
Briscola, the new rustic Italian restaurant from Ink Entertainment’s Charles Khabouth and Amber’s Toufik Sarwa, opened last Friday to the packed crowds one would expect from a collaboration between the two nightlife vets. After taking over the space of Sarwa’s short-lived Cinq 01 restaurant, Briscola apparently saw visits from Ben Mulroney and Galen Weston Jr. on its first weekend.
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A sneak peek at Claudio Aprile’s Origin brunch menu
Origin’s fabulously mustachioed bartender Taylor Corrigan prepares cocktails (Image: Davida Aronovitch)
Claudio Aprile is about to dive into the most sacred of Toronto meals: brunch. Starting Saturday, February 5, Origin, the chef’s ten-month old restaurant, will serve the ritual feast on both Saturday and Sunday. The menu will feature Aprile’s unorthodox twists on classics, like dim sum-inspired French toast and elderberry mimosas. We caught up with Aprile to get a preview of what to expect.
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A photographic tour of Toronto’s unique sushi and sashimi experiences
If Bloor Street and Queen West are any indication, Toronto is flooded with a sea of all-you-can-eat restaurants serving raw fish with or without vinegared rice. Most provide a quick fix, but only a handful of establishments in this city promise unique experiences that will satisfy all senses. Here are nine gorgeous examples, from the delicate and rare to the dramatically innovative.
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- It’s not exactly a vacation to Tsukiji, but at least a visit to chef Johnny Zhenge’s Kokyo will help you save for a trip to the real deal. Here, the sweet and meaty spot prawns are three times the size of their sweet shrimp cousins, and the crunchy tsubu-gai clam tastes like fresh seawater. Other delicacies include herring flesh pressed with crisp herring roe and monkfish liver that earns its designation as foie gras of the sea. $2.50–$3.50 per piece.
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- Chef Bruce Bu takes pride in the details, from his house-made miso and soy sauce to his meticulously crafted array of nigiri sushi. Bu torches scored ends to give silky squid fillets texture and depth, and tops sea eel with fried seaweed. Other thoughtful surprises include using spicy yuzu pepper paste to cut through the fat of the red sea bream snapper, aromatic fried leeks that add sweetness to B.C. albacore tuna, and topping fluke with grated daikon, scallions and a yuzu-ponzu jelly. $6–$20 per pair of conventional and customized nigiri; $70 per person for the omakase for two (sushi course pictured).
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- Leslieville’s Sushi Marché operates as a takeout shop, but chef John Lee’s competitively priced and well-composed products are anything but humdrum. In his signature special maki, Lee, who trained under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, wraps spicy salmon with crisp tempura bits, cucumber and fish roe in rice and nori. All orders are accompanied by decorative elements, like shiso flowers or orchids. Ample vegetarian options. Delivery available. $7 per roll (five pieces); omakase platters start at $60 for two.
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- Leave all decisions up to chef Mitsuhiro Kaji when partaking of the omakase dinner at his namesake restaurant. The multi-course meal starts with a parade of cooked courses followed by some of the country’s best sushi and sashimi. On one occasion, we were greeted with pressed oshizushi (brick-shaped sushi); on another, loose thimbles of warm vinegared rice were topped with feathery minced tuna belly, crisp herring roe with bonito flakes and barbecued eel finished with unagi sauce and fine omelette threads. $80–$120.
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- Chef Ken Zhang may be new to the Annex’s sushi row, but his aim is to elevate neighbourhood standards by offering affordable omakase experiences. Diners enjoy eight seasonally inspired dishes from both kitchen and sushi bar that go beyond Bloor Street’s usual rundown of teriyaki chicken and California rolls. Of the fish-focused plates, we were drawn to a perfect tower of tuna tartare with tiny edible shiso flowers. A quick blast from a butane torch gives the lemon- and soy sauce–seasoned fish complexity in aroma and flavour. Mixing the diced tuna with a raw quail egg creates a silky finish. Omakase requests should be made a week in advance. $70 per person.
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- There are a few reasons why chef John Lee’s creations are easy to swallow. He applies contemporary techniques to traditional Japanese ingredients—think white tuna in garlic oil confit or slicked with house-smoked soy sauce and sweet chili—and 90 per cent of Omi’s menu uses sustainable fish. Bite-sized sushi pizzas feature flame-licked Hokkaido scallops over panko-crusted sushi rice. They are topped with flying fish roe, Kewpie mayo (Japan’s most popular brand), fresh grated ginger and scallions. Roasted garlic oil harmoniously binds all the elements. $8.95.
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- Serious Japanophiles head to this local treasure to sample the only known traditional kaiseki in North America. Chef Masaki Hashimoto expertly prepares the finest ingredients, sourced locally or imported from Japan, in ways that enhance their natural characteristics and find balance between taste, texture and aesthetics. One of the nine seasonally driven courses pairs sculpted pickled vegetables and mirin-braised tree seeds with delicate porgy. Fresh grated wasabi and house-blended soy sauce accompany the dish, which is served on a platter that, like the food, reflects the season. $300 per person.
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- Challenge sense and senses with bites of hamachi that are marinated in calamansi vinaigrette and served with such Asian-inspired components as sliced scallions, pickled ginger, puffed tapioca chips and black sesame powder. Avocado and cauliflower purées complement the dense and buttery fish while adding dramatic visual impact. Compressed cucumber spears, radish rounds and cress from Cookstown Greens are the final tweezer-set finishes. $17.
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- Chirashizushi, the traditional Japanese dish of sushi rice mixed with various ingredients, rises to new heights at this Scarborough gem. Chef Kosuke Oi tops a bowl of rice with an assortment of fresh fish, including velvety sea urchin, sweet shrimp and a whimsical wasabi mayo–dotted tuna temarizushi (ball-shaped sushi). Also in the bowl: slices of snapper, squid, octopus and salmon. The real surprise lies between two layers of sushi rice: a thin omelette blanketing warm fillets of barbecued eel made more fragrant by minty kinome leaves. $35 per set; includes tea, seaweed salad and a slice of cake.
Nine amazing kitchen gadgets from Toronto’s restaurant kitchens
We’re all for home-cooked meals and comfort food, but let’s face it: people go to restaurants to order stuff they can’t duplicate at home without the right skill set, equipment or the $625 to buy Nathan Myhrvold’s Modernist Cuisine cookbook. We talked to nine Toronto chefs about their weird, famous or indispensable food-making gizmo.
Where to eat lunch this week: Origin
Take a culinary world tour during lunch. Point of departure: Claudio Aprile’s latest restaurant
Wokked and fried calamari with caramelized chili-peanut sauce
The place: Claudio Aprile’s three-month-old hot spot is just around the corner from his first establishment, Colborne Lane, but in terms of approach and price, the two restaurants are worlds apart. Origin’s small-plates menu spans the globe, taking inspiration from Asia, Europe and South America. An industrial chic aesthetic with a touch of whimsy dominates the interior (check out the elaborate monster toy light fixture above one table), but the sizable patio offers a bright, panoramic view of King and Church as the clock tower at St. James Cathedral counts down what’s left of the lunch hour.
The crowd: Amped-up financial talk swirls around the tables as Bay Streeters decompress, but that all stops once the food arrives—it’s that good.
The deal: Sure, there’s a combo (beef burger, Spanish fries, cream soda float, $29), but we recommend rounding up a large number of co-workers and sharing as many of the small dishes as possible.
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Four of Toronto’s best food splurges
Despite the ascendancy of comfort food, some occasions still require more than a tricked-out sandwich. These four posh dishes are worth the splurge.
The chitarroni all'astaco from Mistura (Photo by Daniel Shipp)
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