Showing 1-22 of 22 results
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Akane-Ya
You'll swear you can feel the North Pacific breeze when you bite into tender eel sushi and yellowtail sashimi at this modern dining room, filled with black lacquer, mini origami and shoji screens. The prices are high, but so is the quality. Try something with uni (sea urchin) in it, knocked down with some Asahi or Sapporo.
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Ali's Tandoori Curry House
There aren't many tables at Ali's, and the kitchen is pretty much in the middle of the room, but it all adds to the atmosphere. Ali is from Bangladesh, and he uses a lot of Bangladeshi techniques in his cooking. Feel free to specify exactly how hot you want your curry cooked (mild to molten magma), peruse the wine list then kick back into a low-key beachy evening.
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Bar-Be-Que Hut
They could probably change their name now (designed not to threaten virginal North American palates in 1976) but it's so well known it'd be business suicide! The fantastic funk of spices welcomes you at the door, luring you towards succulent North Indian tandoor slabs of chicken, sizzling curry pots or assorted naan , paratha and kulcha breads. Live Bolly-rock on weekends.
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Bymark
Celebrity chef Mark McEwan of North 44° brings his sophisticated menu of continentally-hewn cuisine to this hip, bilevel room, a favorite with the Bay St Boys. His crew of genuinely creative kitchen operators whip seasonal regional ingredients (wild truffles, Niagara quail, the season's first soft-shell crab) into sensational combinations, each with its own suggested wine or beer pairing. Super-professional floor staff complete the picture.
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Byzantium
Slick interior design, hip young staff and lots of laughter - get your doting sugar-daddy/mommy to take you to Byzantium. Soften them up with a breakfast martini (gin, Cointreau, marmalade, lemon juice and sugar syrup), then direct them towards the signature Caesar Salad or more adventurous offerings like ostrich medallions with summer ratatouille and roasted sweet potato.
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Canoe
Toronto's definitive dining space may still be Canoe, and what a space it is! Sweeping views of choppy Lake Ontario and the Toronto Islands extend from the dining room, about half-mast to the CN Tower. Intriguing regional Canadian haute cuisine is on offer - find your sea legs after the elevator ride then tuck into a plate of pan-seared Yarmouth scallops (around C$23 ) or Nunavut caribou hind (around C$44 ). Reservations essential.
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Fire on the East Side
A stone's throw from Yonge St, this ultrachic neighborhood dining room feels just like someone's living room. A haywire fusion kitchen works variations on African, Caribbean, Acadian French and Cajun themes, from spicy crab cakes (around C$12 ) to 'kitchen sink' omelettes (containing everything but; around C$12 ). Desserts are chef-made.
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Fujiyama
Enter this low-key Japanese diner through a traditional timber arch wrapped in flickering fairy lights, then plant yourself at a blonde-wood timber booth surrounded by rice-paper lanterns emanating a soft glow. The scene is set for non-greasy tempura and moist teriyaki dishes, plus sushi, udon and soba noodle fare. Most orders arrive with miso soup and salad.
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Furama Cake & Dessert Garden
Always bustling, Furama sells lotus seed cakes, almond cookies and curried buns for pocket change. Wash down some pineapple butter cake and some silky, melt-in-the-mouth egg tarts with a butt-kicking Chinese coffee.
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Katmandu
If 13 different types of naan and roti bread doesn't spark you're interest, you're probably reading the wrong guidebook. Use the aforementioned breads to mop up your selection from the huge menu of beef, goat, lamb, chicken and vegetarian curries. And check out the amazing clear-day photo of the Himalayas by the door!
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Latitude
A Uruguayan chef takes care with pan-Latin American fare, and although the menu occasionally speaks of Asia, there's always fried yucca or plantains on the side. Looking for a romantic tree-draped back patio? Head past the intimate wine bar, where the mojitos and margaritas kick like a mule.
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Monsoon
Clean Zen lines, outrageous tropical flowers and mid-century modern designs mix harmoniously in this sexy subterranean lounge. The menu offers a downpour of flavors, listing the likes of halibut seared in ginger-saké sauce or Bangkok bouillabaisse along with lemongrass sorbet to refresh your palate between glorious courses.
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Nami
The name means 'wave' (as in tsunami) - look for the curly neon version on the sign out the front. Bustling about the sleek, black lacquered interior are kimono-clad matrons and intense-looking sushi chefs, who make only small concessions to North American palates. Robatayaki grilling is a specialty.
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Nevada
Painted in warm adobe hues, Nevada's menu isn't quite sure where it's from, wandering the map from Thai chicken salad to Shanghai cashew chicken stir-fry to vegetarian fajitas. Confusing, yes, but impressively versatile. Brunch plates are stacked high with blueberry pancakes or Montréal corned beef hash.
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Okonomi House
Authentic Okonomi House is one of the only places in Toronto, and perhaps North America, dishing up okonomiyaki , a savory Japanese cabbage pancake filled with your choice of meat, seafood or vegetables. It's perfect cold-weather comfort food (just ask Toronto's police force).
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Red Tea Box
The jewel-like Red Tea Box has genuine South Asian flair. Handwoven Thai textiles drape the walls and locals queue for their monthly changing bento boxes (around C$25 ), a fusion world of taste-bud temptations. Everything's gorgeously presented, and seasonally inspired. Exotic and inviting afternoon teas are held Monday to Saturday from , and noon to Sunday.
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Rice Bar
Create your own rice bowl at Rice Bar: choose your rice (basmati, jasmine, rice noodles or a daily infused-rice special), add protein (tofu, chicken, beef or shrimp), sauces (everything from coriander to miso BBQ), garnish to taste then hurl your chopsticks into the bowl. They also do salads, sandwiches, organic tea and coffee and a sensational vegan stew.
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Saffron Tree
Readers rave about Saffron Tree, an unmissable saffron-hued bastion of spicy delight in the dull hospital wastelands north of Dundas St. Service is utterly polite, and classics like butter chicken and lamb vindaloo won't let you down. There's a 10% discount if you want to get take-out and impress your hotel's management with curry aromas.
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Siddhartha
Siddhartha's special chicken korma (vegetables cooked with Indian spices and garnished with dried fruit; around C$9 ) may sound a little weird, but it's utterly delicious. So too are their classic curries, served with the humility of Siddhartha himself. They're also south of Queen West.
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Spices Café
Lost in a realm of fat wallets and million-dollar deals closed with the snap of a cell phone, Spices presents an incongruously affordable and atmospheric option for lunch or an early city dinner. A sitar soundtrack twangs seductively, and there's a homemade feel to the food, served buffet-style or packaged up for a quick-fire take-out. Grab some samosas and a mango lassi and head for the Cloud Forest Conservatory down the street.
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Spring Rolls
One of five Spring Rolls around town, the Old York dining space is a cool mod room casting culinary net from Vietnam to China. Bowls of Vietnamese pho (noodle soup) mingle with spicy Sichuan wok dishes, classic pad thai (stir-fried noodles), curries and banana fritters. And yes, they have spring rolls too (two for around C$4 ). Energetic after-workers unwind at sidewalk tables.
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Swatow
An extensive menu covers cuisine from Swatow (a city now known as Shantou, on the coast of China's Guangdong province), nicknamed 'red cooking' for its potent splashings of fermented rice wine. The house noodles are fiery. Cash only; be prepared to queue.
Showing 1-22 of 22 results
