This contemporary Richmond Hill eatery serves a mix of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine with a French influence. After opening in Toronto in 1987, Saigon Star moved north to the suburbs in 1993 and has been bringing the flavours of Southeast Asia to Richmond Hill (and those making the trek there) ever since. The menu features

These days, Food Dudes Inc. is a booming business. The company caters around 1,000 events per year from its massive kitchen in Toronto’s east end, resulting in millions of dollars of revenue per year. So it may seem strange that the owners have spent the last eight months and nearly half a million dollars setting up a 50-seat restaurant near Harbord and Spadina.

The food now is classic bistro with a luxurious twist. There’s plenty of personal Boulud touches (the beignet de calamar include deft Southeast Asian flavours) and nods to Toronto (the quenelle de brochette is made with Ontario-sourced pike.) In short, the rethink worked and Café Boulud is in a class by itself.

Opened on Ossington earlier this week is the long-awaited Côte de Boeuf, a project from Chasen Gillies and Teo Paul of the nearby Union restaurant. The store, previously a flower shop, bills itself simply: “select grocer, butcher, meals.”

With its prime location, lickable decor and roster of menus that simply don't quit, La Palma was destined to be a hit from day one. But for chef Craig Harding and his designer wife, Alexandra Hutchison, opening a new Dundas West eatery wasn’t actually in the plan.

Caribbean meets Asian soul food at the Dundas West hot spot Patois. Chef and owner Craig Wong named the restaurant after the primary Jamaican national language because it represents the merging of cultures, which is exactly what Wong is doing with the food. The menu features a variety of Asian staples and classic Jamaican influences,

For over 10 years, 7 Numbers has been showing Toronto how to put, and keep, the “family” in family style. This southern Italian restaurant is serving its country’s version of soul food cooked up by the owning family’s matriarch, Rosa. Once a month, Mama Rosa opens her kitchen doors to teach others how to make

Award-winning chef Lorenzo Losetto is cooking up Canadian fine dining fare at his Moss Park restaurant, George. Expect to eat from an inventive tasting menu that highlights locally sourced ingredients and other innovative dishes that celebrate flavours of the world, such as the lobster with artichokes and guanciale. The refined space includes a dreamy private

Translating loosely to “I stay at the sake house”, Kintaro Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant on College Street that specializes in the culture’s version of tapas. The design is very intimate as the floor is filled with booths, allowing you to directly enjoy your company and the time you spend together. They specialize in a

Open for only “Brunchy and Lunchy,” as they like to call it, owners Ali and Tolga Yalcin are using their Turkish influence to produce damn good food. The pair find themselves on Dundas West, where they’ve decorated their venue in traditional decor with bright, inviting colours. Originally, Good Fork was located on Bloor West but

Sometimes, what you’re drinking is more important than the meal itself. That has never been the case more than at Melrose on Adelaide. Inside the dimly lit, romantic space is a group of bartenders that are waiting eagerly to wow you with cocktails. With a drinks list more extensive than the food list, you probably

At this sushi restaurant, experience the one and only thing on the menu: Chef Kaji’s Omakase. The Omakase experience is where you let the chef take you on a culinary journey based on availability, quality and freshness. At Sushi Kaji, you begin with appetizers selected by Chef Kaji, and then sashimi. From there, he invites

Congee Queen is a multi-location Chinese food restaurant with six restaurants across the GTA. Its flagship store is located in Thornhill, although its most popular is in Mississauga at Dundas Street and Highway 427. Congee is a type of rice porridge which tends to be served alongside protein and other side dishes. At Congee Queen,

One can be overwhelmed with choices when it comes to choosing a spot to eat in Chinatown. House of Gourmet is one of those one-stop-spots. Its extensive menu covers the gamut of your Chinese food craving du jour from Hong Kong-style cafe dishes such as baked rice in an assortment of sauces to congee and

Azhar has been turning heads on the Ossington strip. The brainchild of partner and executive chef Stuart Cameron, this new marketplace marries Middle Eastern influences with local ingredients, all prepared in a state of the art wood-fired oven. Cameron, who is no stranger to Middle Eastern cooking, is focusing on sustainability and authenticity with this

Found on an ever-livelier strip of Dundas West, Sakai Bar is easy to miss while walking by. But once inside, it’s unforgettable. The slender room boasts tables to one side and a bar at the back, with soft Japanese-style light fixtures and screens lending it a tranquil vibe. Leather-bound menus house a diverse sake list

We may no longer have to venture out to Little India to find great Indian food anymore, but MotiMahal Restaurant has been a standing favourite for locals and those willing to make the trek. It is a popular take-out spot that doesn’t have much by way of decor where food is served on plastic trays

The stalwart of the rapidly trendifying Ossington strip, Pho Tien Thanh still has a packed house every night. Its candy floss pink walls and I LOVE PHO FOREVER sign might have been considered slapdash when it opened over 20 years ago, but it has settled into a quirky and enduring charm. The menu is at

Maple Leaf Tavern has reopened with an upscale renovation and a menu of classics by a kitchen led by Jesse Vallins.

Gusto 501 was six years in the making. Janet Zuccarini, owner and CEO of Gusto 54 restaurant group, bought the building at 501 King St. E. in Toronto’s Corktown neighbourhood in 2013. Since then, Gusto 54 has been working diligently to bring the concept of an innovative trattoria to life. ‘ Award-winning Toronto design firm

King Street West is home to many massive restaurants that feature a corporate flare more than rustic kitchen, but at Cibo Wine Bar we may have found a happy medium. This industrial restaurant can seat over 200 people on a busy evening, but the staff and the welcoming atmosphere manage to make us feel right

Philoxenia means “friends to the stranger,” a feeling that is instantly met when you step inside this fine-dining Greek restaurant. Located on Yonge Street in Thornhill, Philoxenia offers traditional Mediterranean food with a haute cuisine twist. Outside, the walls are decorated in the same blue and white that is found on the Greek flag. Inside,