This place looks like where fancy vampires come to eat – dark and sexy, shiny gold stairwell, sleek black marble, structural fixtures and a hushed atmosphere.

I’ve sat at both the chef’s table – where you can watch the chefs cook (my fav spot) – and for my holiday party at work in their private room with a prix fixe menu and free run at the cocktail menu!

Must-Eat:

+ Tuna / Mushroom Pizza – thin slices of tuna and mushroom on crispy quesadilla with heavenly drops of truffle oil.

+ Salmon Tataki with Mustard Su-Miso: Luscious cuts of fish with a spicy kick tempered by rich miso.

+ Grilled Alaskan King Crab Legs: Stuffed with jalapeño, pickled shimeji and dynamite crisps

+ “Brother From Another Mother” Maki: Unagi, anago tempura, foie gras and ponzu aioli

+ “Magic Mushroom” Maki: Bulgogi portobello, king oyster and  truffle paste (b/c you had me at “mushroom”)

Fav Cocktails

I drank the entire menu for research purposes (you’re welcome!)
+ Enomoto Margarita: While I love any cocktail with a foamy egg white in it, this drink won me over with cinnamon infused tequila, citrusy lime and grapefruit with thai chili agave and a spicy sesame salted rim.

+ Yasuke Sour: I gravitate towards drinks that are like pisco sours and this one has a Japanese twist. It was charcoal black with green tea bourbon, yuzu, lemon and topped with an egg white foam.

Of Note:

+ Attached to the Bisha Hotel, there’s another restaurant on the 44th floor – Kōst – that is the opposite of Akira Back. It’s bright, airy and serves Bajan-inspired cuisine with a gorgeous view of the city below. Although, if you’re Chinese, “44” is veeerrryyy inauspicious number.

+ If you’re waiting for your reservation, go to the Mister C Bar Room to see the oddest characters congregate…great for people mocking watching.

Akira Back | 80 Blue Jays Way

Always looking for a new brunch spot, The Federal has a very cozy vibe with solid wood tables and chairs with specials scrawled on a chalkboard. It’s pretty small so it’s more ideal for a one-on-one brunch (vs. a group situation)  or even a solo hang on a stool by the glass window to watch people stroll by while sipping a coffee.

Must-Eat:

+ Eggs Federal: It’s a safe bet to order the house dish so I went with their version of an eggs benny, served with crispy potato latkes and some greens with pickled onion. The poached eggs were smothered in a mushroom tarragon cream on top bacon and an English muffin. Probably my fav eggs benny I’ve found to date!

+ The Caesar: It being brunch, naturally I ordered a Caesar (on the side of my Americano). It came in a mason jar (as expected for a hipster joint) brimming with pickled veg, a LOT of horseradish (I like it wth a kick), and nachos. NACHOS, guys!

Of Note:

+ The Federal collaborated with Gold Standard to sell breakfast sandwiches and bomb Detroit-style burgers from a side window at the Roncesvalles cafe, Reunion Island.  You can also get these heavenly sandwiches at The Federal from 9am – 3pm every day!

+ The food is quality, the place is small, and Torontonians love their brunch to aim to arrive early or plan to wait.

The Federal  | 1438 Dundas St. West

You’re welcomed to the sleek blonde wood and white interior of Quetzal – named after a tropical bird that was sacred to the Mayans and Aztecs – with a comforting smoky bonfire smell. This is due to the food being cooked with a traditional Mexican technique over a 24-foot long open flame in the kitchen.

This upscale Mexican spot is very spacious with friendly and accommodating servers, perfect for entertaining important clients, fancy meals with friends or your S/O.

Must-Eat:

+ Tiradito Estilo Baja: The Latin version of sashimi, it’s meaty slices of soy and lime seasoned kampachi seasoned topped with avocado, minced charred serrano and cucumber.

+ Aguachile de Camaron: A refreshing combination of juicy little shrimps, crunchy jicama, orange and habanero, topped with slivers of avocado, swimming atop a delicately smoky racado negro sauce – a mole of chiles.

+ Mollejas: Tender almond-braised sweetbreads with olive, caper, jalapeño, and sesame seed. Not for the faint of heart but was veerrryyyy tasty.

+ Scallops in a shell: Once this daily special arrived, I couldn’t focus on what the server was telling us was in it BUT it was amazeballs. I think it was scallops but in a clam shell? If it’s available, get it!

Of Note:

+ The benefit of a chef’s tasting is to sample a little bit of everything at a set price without having to order the entire dish. We assumed it’d be like that here but according to our bill at the end, it was the full order (and price) but the items were selected by the server or chef. If I were going to do it again, I would just choose myself. BUT it was a nice variety and we pretty much liked everything we ate.

+ It’s one of Grant Van Gameran’s projects so if you like Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, El Rey, the list goes on…then you will like here.

Quetzal | 419 College St.

Right by my work, as I pass by I can see the chefs kneading dough through the big glass windows and airy space. I love the use of colour – teal walls, cyan tables, yellow seats – as well as the abundance of plants! It’s great to go in a group or if you work in the area, a casual brainstorming session over shareable food because the pizzas come out quickly and who doesn’t like pizza? Monsters.

Must-Eat:

I went with one other person so having normal-sized stomaches, we only ordered 2 pizzas.

+ King ‘Shroom: Are you noticing a trend in my favs? Mushroom and cheese everything! This was the pizza of my dreams with a flavourful mix of mozzarella, gorgonzola and grana cheese, heaps of cremini mushrooms, crunchy slivers of garlic, white balsamic, and black pepper. So good!

+ Fern Fully: This was a vegan-friendly option (good for that token vegan friend) with roasted oyster mushroom, cremini, caramelized onion, walnut, parsley and herb oil.

Of Note:

+ Tipping is firmly insisted against!

General Assembly Pizza | 331 Adelaide St. West

The sign-less, graffitied exterior of Seoul Shakers looks like where drug deals go down but I assume either they ran out of budget for a sign or they were going for a speakeasy vibe? Luckily inside is retro cute with plants hanging from the ceiling and complete with a vintage, neon-lit jukebox.

Must-Eat:

+ Roast Kimchi Chopped Cheese Sliders: OMG it was one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth! It comes in 2 sizes – “biggie” (4) and  “smalls” (2).  It’s overloaded with chopped ground beef, roasted kimchi, pickles, lettuce, cheese and a tangy special sauce.

+ Hwe Dup Bap: Korean-style sashimi salad brimming with seafood delights like albacore tuna, yellowfin tuna, salmon, sweet shrimp, mongo squid, ikura, and a house red chili pepper sauce.

+ Steak and Potatoes: A much pricier dish at but features a parrilla-grilled beef rib, crispy potatoes with a gochujang-tomato sauce, shishito peppers and saamjang sauce.

Of Note:

+ Seoul Shakers is the latest addition to Leemo Han’s restaurant enterprise. If you like the food here then you’re in luck because he has 4 other spots – Hanmoto, Oddseoul, Pinky’s Ca Phe and Juanmoto.

+ The chef de cuisine, Jason Poon, comes from another meat-lover Toronto gem – Beast.

Seoul Shakers | 1241 Bloor St. West

Have any recommendations for where I should eat? Is there somewhere you’ve been meaning to try but want someone to try it out for ya first? Comment below!

For more recommendations for where to eat in Toronto, check out this post.

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