Origin

 

Chef Claudio Aprile’s downtown tapas lounge is tricked out with exploded aluminum tabletops and a shocking pink accent wall, and the speakers brazenly blare ’90s grunge. It looks great, but sometimes the self-consciously hip façade distracts from the kitchen’s accomplished cooking. Even the most zealous brussels sprouts haters will succumb to the charms of Origin’s caramelized orbs garnished with sherry vinegar and bacon. A fillet of sticky, sugary miso black cod makes a rich centrepiece for a bowl of soba noodles swimming in an umami-packed yuzu broth. Sensational desserts include a modernist twist on trifle, layering yogurt, dulce de leche, and liquid nitrogen–blasted raspberry shards.