OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News April 8-14, 2021

My iconic OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of restaurant openings (virtual/brick-and-mortar/popups/allll the things) and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #ifyouknowyouknow

🕒 13 minute read

Yesterday’s announcement of another stay-at-home order issued for at least 28 days means you’re going to need serious takeout and delivery options to get through. Luckily, I’ve discovered some pretty outstanding options. Twenty, to be exact. And rest assured – this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The restaurant industry has suffered yet another devastating blow with the closure of patios, again, so please support local businesses whenever possible.  Just remember: call first. Getting it delivered? Do this if available to help our beloved locals keep as much of their hard-earned money as possible.

In the meantime, thank you for reading and your continued support.

And stay tuned – more news ahead in The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR newsletter. 

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

Chef Lili Linda, currently head of pastry for Hexagon Restaurant and 7 Enoteca in Oakville, and originally from Indonesia, has launched Bak Kwa Toronto with her mother-in-law Lay Lee Yang, who’s originally from Malaysia and owned one of the first Chinese restaurants in Bangladesh for over 30 years. BakKwa (pronounced bah koa) translates to dried meat or jerky in Hokkien, Yang’s dialect. Linda says, “She grew up having this as a snack. This type of jerky is very popular among the Chinese community in Southeast Asia (Singapore and Malaysia). It’s traditionally consumed during special occasions, but that has changed a lot recently.” The duo gave   some to friends in the industry and they loved it, leading them to make it available to a wider audience. Made in small batches without preservatives, the Hokkien style meat jerky is oven baked, resulting resulting in a tender, flavourful snack that pairs well with beer and champagne. The jerky, it turns out, is just the start of what’s to come. Stay tuned.

Bloorcourt’s newest burger joint Banquet Burger (940 Bloor St. W.) is earning high reviews online, thanks to quality ingredients including fresh ground chuck, real Canadian cheese, and toasted brioche buns.

That was fast. CoMMO on King just launched last month, and quickly followed with a second bottle shop, complete with frozen meals – in Leslieville at The Burren Pub (1301 Queen St. E.), which is temporarily closed due to provincial shutdown.

If you’re one of the remaining few wondering if “coming east” is “worth it,” I give you COPS x East Room. Get fresh hot donuts tomorrow 9am-11pm (4 Matilda St.) in the south courtyard.

Chef Matthew Ravenscroft has been crafting delectable fare at the city’s top restaurants (Rosalinda, The Drake, Parts & Labour) for over a decade. Now he’s sharing his own enticing plant-based creations, Friday Night Delights, via weekly drops. How it works: Menus are available online Sundays at 5pm. Place your order by Tuesday, but be quick - items are limited. Pickups are Friday nights in the Dundas/Dovercourt’ hood. The two-course meals ($35pp) include a starter, main, and $5 donation to a local food justice organization.

Ghost Pizza, a new ghost kitchen by Bar Poet (1090 Queen St. W.), offers 13 pies, some featuring hypebeast monikers: Life is Gucci, Off White™, MicroDose. Other notable selections include a ‘nduja and Stratchatella combo, Shrimp Rosé, and appetizer size Garlic Fingers ‘za with roasted garlic, mozzarella, butter, parmesan, fresh herbs, donair sauce, and truffle hot sauce. 

Owning a restaurant has always been a dream of Red Seal Chef Janrikk Millan. When the pandemic started, the restaurant industry was hit the hardest. With some time off work and reduced hours, it was the perfect time to get creative. He and his wife, “travel for food, but burgers are our favourite.” Seeing there weren’t any classic smash burgers in Vaughan, they launched Just Another Burger Spot (JABS). “We've done a lot of work to get our meat ratio, buns, produce, cheese, and JABS sauce just right. We use fresh ingredients and real Cheddar cheese, no processed ingredients. We pickle our own sweet onions and we've created our own green papaya radish - it's a must try.” The home-based online venture offers curbside pickup during the week, with popups on weekends (this weekend Saturday 3-7pm, Sunday 12-4pm). Is there a brick-and-mortar spot in the future? Keep your eyes locked here.

Jessie’s Café (100 Sorauren Ave.) in Parkdale does more than just coffee. In amongst the housemade granola, cinnamon rolls, muffins, brownies, and cookies, find savoury items including soups and array of sandos (Banh Mi, Spice Cauliflower & Chickpea, Kimchi & Frieed Cheese, Monte Cristo) that can be paired with the-side-we-all-need-more-of-right-now, home fries.

Psst. I was the first to tell you about Iki Shokupan By J. last week. Continuing in that vein, Scarborough’s Katsupan Japanese Sandwich (3262 Midland Ave., Unit E111) does traditional shokupan, but shakes things up with Vanilla, French Cocoa, Sweet Matcha - and for one day only canned - varieties.

Lina Khoun is a full-time barber, but always has “one-foot-in/one-food-out” of the hospitality industry including previously tending bar at a few spots in the College West area and organizing private dinners. Her newest venture, Mama Lina, came out of the second lockdown. “I knew I couldn't sit still while not being able to work in the barbershop,” so she launched the weekly prefix dinner delivery program. I've been eating more vegetarian these days, so I style the menu as such with meat or seafood add-ons. Which seems to be a big hit.” This week’s menu: Fennel/Grape Salad, Fried Stuffed Perilla Leaves, Braised Eggplant, and Coconut Tapioca Pudding.

Mississauga folks, you have a Meat & Pie Co. (10 Kingsbridge Garden Circle) to call your own now.

The dreamy Bar Mignonette x Barbershop Patisserie collab this weekend is going to sell out quickly, so act fast. To get your hands on Siu Mai Sausage Rolls and Salted Duck Egg Puffs by Chef Craig Wong and Chef Jill Barber, here’s the drill: Bar Mignonette (794 Dundas St. W.) Pre-order pickup, and walk-ins from noon; Barbershop Patisserie (859 College St. ) Walk-ins only  from 11am.

There’s much to love about the new Mira Mira Diner (1963 Queen St. E.) in the Beach, officially open Saturday. First, if you visit tomorrow, there’s free ice cream to be had. Second, the interior’s exquisite. But most importantly, chef/owner Amira Becarevic’s menu. Current takeout items include Jerk Banh Mi, Shrimp Burger, Veggie Burger, Maple Sriracha Wings, and Buttermilk Fried Truffled Mushrooms, with more dishes to follow once patios reopen (Shrimp Cocktail, Deviled Eggs, Hot Turkey Sando, Fish & Chips, Steak & Eggs). And yes, their renowned Chicken Caesar (chicken marinated in honey and kimchi served with a kale sunflower Caesar) is available here, too.

Il Covo hasn’t let the pandemic slow them down one bit. In fact, it’s sparked creative businesses that are blowing up the internet. First it was Gertie’s in January. Now there’s mortadella-centric Morts (585 College St.) – even the salad and slaw features the iconic Italian cold cut. p.s. That’s not all: Pasta Kits in collab with pasta whisperer Chef David Marcelli go on sale this weekend. Aaaand there’s more. Keep reading…

New Persian pizzeria Noon Eatery (3190 Yonge St.) combines Persian and Italian style pies. Think crispy, crunchy crust topped with fresh veggies and halal meat (Persian sausage, pastrami, sliced steak).

Il Covo (see above) just launched Radio Cocktails, “the first virtual bar in Toronto,” born “from the desire to bring the feeling of being at the bar into people’s homes.” On the menu: bottled tipples (Negronis, Boulevardiers, Margaritas), wine and beer, coupled with aperitivo kits, and a la carte bread, preserves, cheese, and salumi. Read about Chef de Cusine Samantha Lamanna in At The Pass.

Recently I revealed that fusion pizza is on the rise. New Canadian ‘rapid pizza’ chain RAPiZZA is getting in on the game with pies that “combine the flavors from India, Korea, Japan, the Middle East, and Mexico with the art of Italian pizza baking.” Launched in December, the company currently has six locations across the province with two in Mississauga, one in Vaughan, and more in the works.

Ruru Baked has set up shop, brick-and-mortar shop for realz, at Bloor and Landsdowne (659 Lansdowne Ave.). Pro tip: Go early/often.

A few weeks ago, I let you in on Chef Andrew Moore’s new concepts Breakfast Club, Dolores, and Good Burgers. Today his Sunday Chicken launches, centered around fried chicken brined overnight with buttermilk and secret blend of spices.

Newsletter subscribers got the scoop this week on exciting new Latin American antojería popup Xolo, launching this weekend at The Little Jerry. Pre-orders are open until Wednesday April 7, 8pm. Ordering on location will also be available with social distancing and other Covid safety protocols in place. Bonus: Get to know the wildly talented chefs behind the project - Ashley McKay and Aldo Camarena in this week’s fascinating At The Pass. 

EVENTS 

Taste of Mississauga is on until May 10.

NEWS

Chef Moffat Kiloh (Lake Inez, The Harbord Room) has passed away.

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been identified at Cafe Landwer’s Vaughan eatery.

Restaurants Canada and the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) sent an open letter to the Premier on behalf of Ontario’s hard-hit foodservice industry, calling on the government to take immediate actions, including supporting restaurants financially to mitigate rising debt, keeping patio dining available “as an alternative to private gatherings, as safe options for enjoying outdoor activities are important for people’s mental health,” and eradicating the six per cent markup that restaurants pay for alcohol from the LCBO.  

Antler Kitchen + Bar’s owners Chef Michael Hunter and Jody Shapiro sent Doug Ford a bill for spoilt beer.

ICYMI

Radar alert: Exciting new Latin American antojería popup Xolo is launching this weekend. Get to know the wildly talented chefs behind the project - Ashley McKay and Aldo Camarena - in this week’s fascinating At The Pass. 

Pancakes make people happy. Especially Mildred Temple Kitchen’s Famous Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes. Chef/owner Donna Dooher shares her secret recipe to making pillowy pancakes that you’ll make time and again. Not just for breakfast or brunch either. Get the must-have recipe.

There are many reasons to visit Pepper’s Food & Drink. These are just the beginning.

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