Tucked away on a quiet street in Yorkville, just across from the Toronto Reference Library, is Kiro Sushi. The storefront doesn’t look like much, but through word-of-mouth, people have found the restaurant as it’s packed to the gills during my Friday visit. Even the walk-in closet sized “party room” in the back is occupied, seating an additional three tables.

I can see why patrons are drawn to the restaurant. It’s a cozy place that seems more at home in a suburb than amongst the Yorkville set. Their menu’s extensive and prices are very reasonable, especially given its location.

Five large prawns arrive with the shrimp tempura ($12), freshly fried so it’s wonderfully hot and crispy. While it could have benefited from being drained a bit longer and the dipping sauce less watered down, it’s a great way to get the meal started shared amongst a table.

I was astounded by the size of the hamachi kama ($9) given the bargain price point. Sadly, you get what you pay for as the generally tender fish jowl was overcooked leaving the dish too dry and a bit chewy.

Always go with a restaurant’s namesake menu item as the Kiro roll ($15) was my favourite bite that evening. The rice was pressed to a cardboard thinness, the California roll base (imitation crab, avocado, and cucumber) topped with salmon, scallop, and tobiko before having a light torching.

Try as I might, I could not get the entire bite into my mouth in one go. There was a great number of toppings and the julienned cucumbers so crispy and fresh that it brightened up the entire maki. If only the spicy mayo had some heat, this would have been perfect.

If you’re not a fan of oily aburi, you’ll love Kiro’s ebi pressed sushi ($16). The shrimp topping didn’t have an ounce of mayo instead relying on tobiko, scallions, and furikaki (a rice topper) to give it texture and flavour. Of course, that dryness doesn’t lend itself to capturing that smokiness and caramelized colour you’d expect from a torched sushi but does create a lighter bite.

Despite having plenty of leftovers, I just scratched the surface of Kiro’s offerings. Their donburi bowls were substantial and generously topped, the sushi dinner a great mix of fan favourites, and even the neighbouring bowl of udon had me second guessing my initial order. It’s a restaurant that’ll bring people who are in the know back, to try that one dish they couldn’t get to on their last visit.

There’s been significant press for LSL (Leroy, Saito and Le Squer) so my post isn’t going to re-hash the pedigree of the restaurant with three Michelin chefs at it’s helm. If you’re interested in learning more about these aspects, read Toronto Life, which wrote a very in-depth article.

Even before stepping into the restaurant, I received a text from Matthieu, their maître d’, inquiring about celebrations or food aversions. It’s reminiscent of an Eleven Madison experience, except Matthieu’s message was punctuated with an emoticon so there was a polished but friendly-casual quality to the interaction.

The experience continued at the restaurant, each team member introducing themselves by name as they welcomed, took our jackets, and led us to our seats. The introductions and casual banter put us at east to strike up conversations… the once quiet dining room was soon buzzing by the end of the first course.

Their 9-course tasting menu ($680 per person) started with a trio of small bites that we’re told to eat from the front to back:

• Beginning with a ginger and citrus Campari foam that burst in the mouth. It’s not overpowering but did wake up the palette and cleanse it for the second.
• The hairy crab tart’s briny flavour screamed of ocean (in a good way) so the crustacean was highlighted in the bite. We go from sour to salty.
• Lastly, a sweet bite with a generous portion of foie gras sandwiched between crunchy coffee crisps and topped with passionfruit jelly. Imagine having a really decadent sweet-and-salty candy bar.

LSL doesn’t keep you waiting for their signature dish: a peeled Amela tomato stuffed with finely diced tuna and topped with Kristal caviar. It’s something Chef Didier Leroy created for a dinner with Yo-Yo Ma that made him cry. It looks deceptively simple and features expensive ingredients (an $8 tomato for one) that gets diners excited. Having tried the caviar by itself, the ingredient solo would have been very pungent but once combined with the fruit and fish became amazingly fresh and light.

That natural sweetness continues with the Hokkaido scallop crudo, a dish that sounds Japanese but has a unique European flair. The scallop was meaty and fresh, topped with top-shelf uni flown in from Japan. It makes for a lusciously creamy bite. Yet, what surprised me most were the crunchy bits of dehydrated scallop reduction that gave the dish crunch and an umami touch.

My favourite plate was the crispy scale amadai where the fish was flash fried, so the meat becomes flaky, and the scales create a crunchy topping. It arrived with a warm ball of brioche that was perfect for wiping up every drop of the delicious beurre blanc. Good to the last drop.

The duo of squab was a close second place, the breast cooked beautifully with its tender meat and crispy skin. Sitting on a layer of rich pâté and crispy toast, the fowl becomes a sweet and delicate contrast. I don’t know how I feel about the pâté, it felt like too much. I feel the squab would work better on its own or with something more neutral like fish liver mousse and crispy potato.

I’m glad they brought out moist napkins and welcomed us to eat the squab leg with our hands. The savoury crispy bite was a star, and if I were at home, I’d probably continue nibbling on the bone to get at all the flavours. And not a drop of the citrus red wine jus was wasted given it’s paired with a heavenly crispy baguette.

How did the chefs prepare the rack for the seared lamb? The lollipop was so big that it must have been carefully carved to ensure all the adjacent lamb stayed on one bone. Regardless, LSL knows how to prepare meat well, the lamb was tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I liked that the chefs showed restraint with the salt and allowed the sauces to flavour - mustard, black garlic puree, and a jalapeno sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed the accompanying crunchy relish and had every bite of it.

Some of the refreshing relish would pair nicely with the goat cheese tarte. Other diners were raving about the pastry – all the melted cheese, a buttery tart shell, and the Périgord black truffle shavings didn’t hurt.  Indeed, it’s a rich finish (likely a stand-in for the cheese course), but I felt it lacked something. After all, it’s just cheese. Perhaps a larger portion of salad, a creamy element within the tarte, or maybe more accompaniments. Something more than just melted cheese.

A trilogy of grapefruit didn’t sound like the most interesting dessert but was a great finish… especially following the decadent tarte. Layers of citrusy sugar crisps sandwich grapefruit and other sorbets to create a refreshing, not overly sweet, but satisfying ending. LSL marinates the grapefruit to remove bitter elements, and you’re left with a great winter dessert providing a boost of vitamin C.

The mignardises arrive with glass of tea that’s tempered perfectly so it doesn’t scald but is still hot and flavourful. It’s paired with a just-out-of-the-oven madeleine that’s oh so airy. And after a delicious bite, when you’re disappointed it wasn’t larger, you get a second one – Halleluiah! The raspberry and chocolate tarte was crispy and well balanced, but it’s the last jammy kumquat bite that’s so surprising. A stream of sunshine floods the mouth that finishes savoury. Is summer around the corner?

We each left with a little box of treats: nutty almond cake bites and more madeleines. Great for a late-night snack, a sweet for breakfast, or a nibble to accompany an afternoon tea.

All the wine pairings ($360 per person) balanced out the food, never fighting to be the star but complimenting it well. At one point I was falling behind with four glasses in front of me but was assured not to rush. Saving a taste for the other dishes isn’t a bad idea as it’s always nice to contrast different flavours.

And if you have any questions about the food, Chef Didier Leroy is on hand the entire night taking time to chat one-on-one. He’s like a homeowner welcoming a guest to the table: building a rapport, while doing a huge push to explain why LSL is Michelin worthy. It’s as if there are Michelin inspectors sitting amongst the diners and we’re going to get the hard sell.

At times, it became awkward. It’s one thing to be proud of the team, the luxe ingredients being imported, or even highlight the special touches like always having Didier at the helm and the handwritten affirmations in the bathroom. But, once we get to comparing LSL to other Michelin starred restaurants and always referencing the rating agency, it becomes too much.

Personally, I have no doubt LSL will be presented a star, if not two, in 2025. I would just encourage the team to let it happen naturally and focus on what they’re already doing well: they’re such a welcoming restaurant that makes me want to return; and the food was inventive but approachable, respectful to the ingredients themselves. The star(s) will come, no campaigning required.

Toronto’s diversity of Chinese restaurants is increasing. Once primarily populated with Cantonese and Shanghainese style cuisine, there are now so many establishments focused on distinct regions of China. A newcomer is Bao & Broth, which spotlights dishes from the Henan region.

Being one of the northern cities of China, Henan cuisine consists of warm broths and comfort food. At Bao & Broth they focus on both, with of course their bao (Chinese for bun) being a staple item. The four fresh fried bao with shrimp and pork ($10.99) was stuffed with chives, scrambled egg, pork, and a full shrimp, all encapsulated into a thin lightly pan-fried wrapper.

The dough to filling ratio was great with the palm-sized baos only having a thin layer of bun that’s elastic enough to withstand being poked and prodded. Yet, it desperately needed more salt and more cooking time in the pan to really give it a crisp exterior.

Similarly, the rocket leaves mung bean soup noodle ($8.99) was very bland. Such a shame as I rather enjoyed the mixture of vegetables contained in the thick broth. The lack of seasoning could easily be rectified if Bao & Broth just left some salt and soy sauce at the table.

I’d also urge the chef to cook the noodles less as I found the ones in the mung bean soup too soft. Meanwhile, the pasta was perfectly cooked in the Henan braised noodles with pork and veggies ($13.99), wonderfully chewy and having an aromatic wok hay. Unlike the other two dishes, the scallion soy sauce added much needed flavour and even the pork belly slices were previously braised before being stir fried then steamed.

Bao & Broth dining room is small so you may want to go during off hours to avoid waiting. Even during our Tuesday lunch visit, the restaurant was 80% filled before noon. Tables of two, of different ages, sat around chatting while enjoying their soup, noodles, and buns. A comforting sight indeed.

In late 2024, Lobster Port became the “go-to” restaurant for family dinners with my dad. It’s centrally located for our clan, parking is easy, the food is good, and it doesn’t take too long to get through a multi-course dinner (about an hour and a half on most visits). Service is fairly friendly, albeit not the most attentive. They’re not perfect, but hits most of the elements we look for in a place to gather.

And since we generally visit as a large group, their set meals are a staple order. The Peking duck and lobster menu ($528) easily feeds ten and begins with one of our favourite dishes, a Peking duck. It’s carefully sliced table side and presented with a host of garnishes: traditional hoisin, cucumber, and green onion, but also cantaloupe and plum sauce as well.

The duck was lean but tender and the skin crispy without being too fatty. Their wraps are on the smaller site – so it’s difficult to put more than a slice of duck if you’re a fan of garnishes - but they did provide ~16 wrappers, so it was enough for most people to get a second.

Restaurants tend to offer either lettuce wraps or chopped up duck for the second course of the Peking duck. At Lobster Port, they switch it up by cutting the carcass into bite sized pieces and stir frying them to create a sautéed duck with scallion in soy sauce. It radiates wok hay, and the sweet soy makes the bony duck so tasty that we finished the dish.

During busy weekend visits, you may have to serve the fresh crab meat and fish maw thick soup yourself, as was the case with our table. In this instance, I would have preferred the soup in a deep bowl as the large shallow dish makes spooning difficult. Nonetheless, the soup was good, a nice consistency with tons of seafood scattered throughout and enough flavour.

Of course, most patrons visit Lobster Port for lobster and the stir-fried lobster with Maggi sauce didn’t disappoint, all six pounds of it. Rather than providing one large lobster, the dish was made from three smaller ones. Personally, I don’t mind this combination as I find the shell isn’t as thick and the meat more succulent. Plus, there are more claw and tail pieces to go around.

Their lobster was lightly dusted before being flash fried and then stir fried with the ideal amount of Maggi sauce, it was flavourful without being overly saturated with the sweet sauce that can sometimes overpower. It was also cooked well so the lobster remained sweet and tender.

While I’m not a fan of sea cucumber, their stir-fried king mushrooms, fresh abalone, and sea cucumbers had the ingredient chopped into small pieces, so they soaked up the satay sauce without becoming mushy. Some people found the dish salty, but it was perfect for me, especially paired with the abalone that would otherwise be tasteless.

The crispy salt and pepper beef bites looked weird arriving heaped into a bowl with fried King mushrooms and asparagus on the side. Did they run out of serving platters, so they had to present them separately? Still, the lightly battered beef bites were tasty, tender with a slightly crunchy coating. If you like popcorn chicken, you’ll love this dish.

Their steamed green bass with green onion presents the soy sauce in a separate vessel so it remains hot. Poured on table side, you can customize how salty you want the fish, which was steamed well – just cooked through so it’s flaky and moist.

With all the heavier dishes, I would have preferred a lighter vegetable dish, such as a simple snow pea shoot with garlic. Rather the meal comes with stir-fried pork jowl and green beans, which would be okay if the green beans weren’t flash fried so that they feel a little greasy and heavy. It’s not a bad dish, at least the pork jowl slices were tender and meaty and the seasoning well balanced.

While the garlic seafood fried rice lacked colour, it wasn’t missing any aroma. The dish smelled incredible and was a solid finish. The best part was it didn’t too long to arrive, a common occurrence with set meals where the final dishes sometimes get forgotten and put on the back burner.

Fully sedated after the filling meal, I forgot to take a picture of dessert: a white fungus and date sweet soup. It was surprisingly hot containing a generous amount of ingredients. I don’t always like this dessert, but during the winter it does feel soothing on the throat. A platter of delicious lychee and goji berry jelly and crumbly butter cookies also arrive for one last sweet bite.

I sense visits to Lobster Port will continue into 2025, with the biggest dinner challenge to come… Lunar New Year. How will the restaurant fair during the most manic times of the year? More to come.

I stumbled upon the Pho Hue while looking for another restaurant. Ultimately, I never did find Le Pho so maybe they have already been replaced. That’s the danger of being in a plaza where noodle restaurants are a dime a dozen, it’s difficult to stand out and thrive.

Pho Hue has an extensive menu with a variety of traditional dishes along with some speciality items and sandwiches as well. Their actual pho is slightly smaller than other restaurants, but prices trend lower as well so it’s a good choice for smaller appetites. I easily polished off the large ox tail rice noodle soup ($19.95), as there wasn’t a lot of noodles. But it did have plenty of fall-off-the-bone ox tail, which was a nice change from the typical flank or brisket and easier to eat than a hulking beef rib.

The broth was satisfying - piping hot, salty enough, and relatively clear. Perhaps, not quite as nuanced in flavour as some places, it still hit the spot on a cold winter day. I enjoyed all the fresh herbs garnishing the bowl, they gave the dish a bright punch.

Their noodles were 100% better than the complimentary vegetarian spring roll (normally $7.95 for two pieces) that was given in return for posting a Google review. I’ve had better spring rolls at buffets: at least they’re not as oily and even buffet fillings are more substantial than the paltry cabbage and carrot that makes up Pho Hue’s. It’s a shame Pho Hue serves their spring rolls plain… a vinaigrette would really help cut through the oiliness.

At least service was friendly and because it’s not overly busy very attentive. During their grand opening period, they’re also offering 10% off, so the meal was at least budget friendly. Just make sure to bring something other than a credit card as they are cash and debit only.

If Pho Hue were situated elsewhere, I could potentially return for another meal. But since they’re in a plaza with so many other options, their offering wasn’t overly impressive, even though I do like ox tail. Good luck to you.

As a brunch staple goes, eggs benny still tops my list. Still, there are times I’m craving something different, even if it’s just slightly enhanced for brunch. Enter Le Lert, a Thai influenced restaurant located near College Station. Don’t worry, they still serve a plethora of egg dishes, it’s just that it’s paired with pork belly and tom yum instead.

Such as the pork belly avo ($20) where a silky scrambled egg omelette is covered with slices of roasted pork belly and placed on avocado toast, which is great for soaking up the other ingredients. The dish is drizzled with thinned hoisin creating a sweet and savoury flavour that’s so different from the traditional salt and pepper.

And for vegetarians, their vegan menu offered some of our favourite dishes of the meal. The coconut curry used in the jackfruit curry ($22) was fragrant and just flavourful enough to entice you to have one more bite. Using large chunks of the fruit, it soaked up the sauce’s flavours and provided a meaty texture to the dish. It’s not exactly brunch but add some of the omelette to the curry to create a hearty meal.

Even though it was the last dish to arrive, the jackfruit dip ($13) could be a great starter. Jackfruit is tossed with Thai salsa, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and a chili jam, creating a flavourful concoction that’s spicy, sour, and slightly sweet. It’s great spooned onto the extra-large pappadums or works wonderfully as a condiment.

You’ll want to make sure you order the jack fruit dip and pork belly avo to go with the salmon tom-yum quesadilla ($18) as there wasn’t an ounce of tom-yum in the dish. Still, the well toasted quesadilla contained a generous portion of salmon fillet, and the poached egg added a nice rich saucy element. Yet, add some of the extra smashed avocado and the jack fruit dip onto the tortilla and the dish is perfect. And for the price, it’s a very big portion.

The umami pasta ($26) sees spaghetti swimming in a creamy miso sauce liberally topped with tobiko. Topped with seaweed and scallop, Le Lert’s not kidding when they say this is an umami laced pasta. Though I’d find it too rich for a single person, instead great for sharing.

Le Lert offers an extensive drinks menu – both alcoholic and virgin. The black jack matcha highball ($14.95) could have used a bit more of the jasmine honey syrup to sweeten the whisky, matcha powdered, and blood orange juice, but it was refreshing and had a floral element from the mint syrup, yuzu, and orange blossom.

Some customers may find the font a bit hard to read but since a lot of their cocktails are card inspired (Black Jack, Queen, King, Ace, Joker) maybe you just close your eyes and pick a card. Sometimes in life you need to try something different, give it a chance.