Yang Teashop has opened its North York location in time for those frigid winter months, It offers customized premium tea lattes, special nitro tea lattes (which are infused with nitrogen gas through a pressurized valve) and fresh fruit blends, and you can customize your own favourite cuppa of boba from a variety of globally sourced leaves and ingredients on offer at the shop. It’s also a great spot for refreshing iced teas when those warm summer days finally arrive (5295 Yonge St. 647-352-8840).
Fill up on super-fresh seafood and tiny, warm cups of sake at Mikaku Izakaya, a sleek new izakaya and sake bar tucked away on Yonge Street, just south of Steeles. This modern and cosy spot opened just before Christmas and already has fans coming back for fresh oysters, uni and beef tartare and the generous selection of premium sakes. Is there any better place to while away a chilly night? (6180 Yonge St., 647-748-2340).
Yorkdale has given fashion worshippers another excuse to hit the mall. Over the holiday season, the 5,719-square-foot Michael Kors Flagship was unveiled. It’s the largest Michael Kors store in Canada and the first to carry the Michael Kors Collection for women. Men can also get runway ready with the menswear line (3401 Dufferin St., Suite 158, 416-907-7871).
After noting the dearth of cosy brunch spots in the 905, the owners of Elephant Grind Coffee decided to open one in Richmond Hill. With a menu balancing comfort with some Asian-inspired eclecticism (yuzu avocado spread on a vegetarian frittata, for example, and lap cheong hash topped with gochujang and two poached eggs), and a focus on fine gourmet coffee, this place might just be an instant hit with the locals (10 East Wilmot St., Unit 7, 905-597-6880).
Owner and head chef Matthew Fatouhi has opened Kansas Kings Chicken N’ Ribs. It serves Kansas City–style barbecue, specializing in slow-cooked meats that are tender and fall off the bone. A variety of mouth-watering sides is also available, and the gravy is homemade, making it the closest you are likely to get to Kansas City, Mo., without crossing the border (10447 Yonge St., 905-780-6265).
Lace up your skates and unleash your inner Tessa and Scott at the Shops at Don Mills Skating Oval, which is open to the public Jan. 16 to March 31. The oval will operate within mall hours and will feature firepits, events hosted by mall retailers, like Murale by Shoppers Drug Mart, and even Friday night skates hosted by an emcee (1090 Don Mills Rd.).
F45, the Australia-based fitness studio that’s used by Hugh Jackman to get into Wolverine shape has opened a location in Empress Walk. It uses high-intensity interval training with a series of 45-second workouts, followed by 15-second rest periods, for 45 minutes. It’s done in a group setting for those looking for a social atmosphere while they get in shape (5095 Yonge St., 416-742-7771).
