2014 in Review: Toronto’s Best New Restaurants
Three hot restos making their mark on the city’s culinary scene by fusing food and design
Byblos brings eastern Mediterranean to the Entertainment District
The two-storey homage to Mediterranean cuisine in the 170-year-old Storys building feels laid back, offering family-style dining downstairs and in a speakeasy-ish lounge above. The distinct look is courtesy of Commute Design: throughout, glass hookahs, vintage silver and pewter serveware, and intricately cast porcelain pendants vie with skeletal gilded steel lighting. Exec chef stuart Cameron deftly prepares authentic, aromatic fare. 11 Duncan St byblostoronto.com
DaiLo serves up #sickasianfood like Big Mac Bao – and we’re lovin’ it
Here, New Asian Cuisine is served up at tufted teal banquettes partitioned by elegant filigree screens. Chef Nick Liu brings a promiscuous high-low sensibility, drawing on his family’s cooking from the Hakka region, classical French training and a flair for local ingredients. Try the sweet and sour pork hock, a recipe cribbed from his grandmother but elevated with a palate-cleansing jellyfish slaw. 503 College St dailo.com
Hudson Kitchen adds Filipino flare to Dundas West
UPDATE: CLOSED AS OF JAN 15, 2015
With its exposed brick walls and antique metal host stand, Hudson Kitchen seems to embody Dundas West’s deliberately scruffy vibe. The space, courtesy of the Design Agency’s Jamie Phelan, combines simple wooden chairs, Calder-like matte black fixtures, and a whole lot of framed artwork. Chef Robbie Hojilla combines the prevailing local-and-seasonal ethos with bold flavour combinations and dramatic plating. He also sneaks in a few dishes inspired by his native Philippines. 800 Dundas St W hudsonkitchen.com
