🕒 9.5 min read

Historically, January is the slowest month for restaurants. People are beyond broke and exhausted after the holiday frenzy, and thanks to the blistering cold spells, ordering in takes on greater appeal. Restaurateurs hang on for dear life, hoping their empty dining rooms will see warmer days.

Keep that in mind when I tell you I’ve uncovered 20 new places to eat and drink for this week alone.

And it’s so busy, I’ve already started on next week’s list (If you need me, I’ll be at the bar).

In the meantime, here’s the very latest:

OPEN

From Aburi Restaurants Canada Ltd. (Vancouver’s Miku, Minami, and Gyoza Bar; in Toronto Miku and Aburi Tora) comes Aburi Hana (102 Yorkville Ave., Unit 4, in the alley between Chanel House and Stone Island) a modern kyō-kaiseki restaurant in Yorkville. Two 15-course dinner menus ( Aburi $195, Hana $330) -are available at four seating times (5:30pm, 7pm, 8:30pm, 8:45pm) at the the chef's counter and Kakurega private dining rooms. Despite prices not for the faint of heart (it is steps from Brunello Cucinelli after all), reservations for Day One (Wednesday), are booking swiftly, with just two time slots left at press time.

Bar Biltmore (1006 Bloor St. W.) debuts Saturday with Spritzes, Sours, Negronis and bar bites. That’s what I’m talking about. Find it on the second floor of Paradise On Bloor above Osteria Rialto (Note: Enter on Westmoreland Ave., just north of the patio).

Despite protests, American chicken chain Chick-fil-A debuted the first Toronto outpost in September. The second launched on Tuesday at Yorkdale Mall (3401 Dufferin St.).

Cho-kwok-lat (31 Main St. N.) isn’t your average chocolate shop. The new patisserie and  chocolaterie in Markham comes way of Chef Chris Kwok, one of Canada’s most inventive chocolatiers and pastry chefs (i.e. His AI robot with a single-wheel motorcycle on her shoulder showpiece was just one of three items that won him the World Chocolate Masters for Canada in 2017, while he was at Cluny Bistro and Boulangerie in the Distillery District).

Not far from its original location (5 Coady Ave.) comes Completo No. 2 (337 Broadview Ave.). The Latin fast food eatery (think grilled cheese, hot dog or poutine covered in diced tomato, mashed avocado, roasted red pepper sauce, and housemade hot sauce) softly opened yesterday in East Chinatown in the former home of longstanding Chinese housewares store, Mei King Co.

What was once (and seemingly forever) Pan on the Danforth is now District 34 (516 Danforth Ave.), a seafood-ish* restaurant, complete with belly dancing.  *Vegetarians, carnivores and flexitarians have options from Greek mezes Vine Leaves ($7) and Halloumi ($11), to meat-centric starter Beef Liver ( $10) and mains: 8 oz Burger ($16), Chicken Schnitzel ($19), 8oz NY Steak ($24).

Divine Dumplings (478 Dundas St. W.), a “virtual” restaurant by Superfine Food & Entertainment, is serving up an array of meat, seafood and vegetarian options including: Seafood Medley ($10), Mushroom Tahini ($10), Pepper Chicken ($7.50), and Mapo Tofu ($8.75).

Faz’s Burrito (733 Bloor St. W.) has touched down at the corner of Bloor and Christie.

Leslieville’s The Green Wood (1402 Queen St. E.) just got a sibling in the west end (461 King St.). Tuesday marked the first official day for the Fashion District destination. To celebrate, enjoy free coffee and tea until Sunday (any size, at this location only).

Lims Chicken (623 Bloor St. W.) takes over from Do Eat in Koreatown.

Lobster Burger Bar (214 King St. W.) has set up shop across from Roy Thompson Hall. On the dinner menu: apps (Roasted Root Vegetable Salad $15, YYZ Lobster Tacos $12), burgers ($14-$28), lobsters ($42 for 1.5 lb to MP for 2+lb) and desserts ($6-$18).

MIA Brunch Bar (2140 Yonge St.) softly opened just south of Eglinton. The crowd-pleasing menu includes Halloumi Cheese Sliders ($9), Chicken Belgian Waffles ($17), Fluffy Pancake Trio ($16), and Portobello Quinoa Burger ($17).

Japanese-style café Ninetails Coffee Bar (651 Bloor St. W.) just moved into Koreatown.

Osteria Rialto kicks off Tuesday inside Paradise On Bloor (1006 Bloor St. W.). With folks including Executive Chef Basilio Pesce, Chef Ryan Baddeley, and Pastry Chef Jill Barber behind the ingredient-focused, Italian-inspired menu, it’s going to be one of the hottest spots of 2020. (Note: Enter on Westmoreland Ave., just north of the patio). See you there.

Pi Co. (160 Bloor St. E.) is slinging free Margheritas from its new digs at Church and Bloor on Tuesday [Deets: Available Noon to 3:14pm (line cut off at 2:30pm), in store special, limit one per person, no gluten-free].

You can get your hands on Primrose Bagel Company’s (317A Oakwood Ave.), fresh hand-rolled, malt-boiled Toronto-style bagels starting tomorrow at 7am.

Smokeshow BBQ and Brew (744 Mount Pleasant Rd.­) opened earlier this week in the same spot once home to The Mt Pleasant Rose and Chicken ‘N’ Deli. Menu items include BBQ mains, burgers, sandwiches, starters, salads, sides, desserts, shakes and floats.

Bubble tea meets bakery Tea 18 Genuine Tea Store (495 Bloor St. W.) nabbed a spot in the Annex.

World Food Market (335 Yonge St.) near Dundas just added two vendors to its roster:

1. Montreal Smoked Meat with iconic deli sandos.
2. Go Cup, specializing in Korean BBQ in a cup.

CLOSED

Yesterday the owners of Leslieville’s popular haunt for six years, Brooklyn Tavern (1097 Queen St. E.), announced the restaurant will close after service on Saturday January 25th.

Further east along Queen, Meat on the Beach (1860 Queen St. E.) shuttered Friday after more than 20 years of serving the community.

It’s peace out for Wildfire, the nightclub inside The Thompson Toronto (550 Wellington St. W.).

The first Sukhothai (274 Parliament St.) has closed to the public, and now serves an an expanded kitchen for the brand. Sukothai’s three other locations remain open.

NEWS

Cannabis edibles were supposed to be available December 17, 2019, but the date got pushed to January 6, 2020. This past Monday however, they were hard to come by.

There’s a lot of insane news this week, including: Timbits Cereal, and Martha Stewart X Subway.

Sobeys is getting rid of plastic bags as of January 31st.

Speaking of the environment, in reusable cup news: This, and also this.

If you’re look to start a COR certified food biz, Kosher Tank might be for you.

Machines are replacing humans. For example, Meowing cat robot waiter .

ICYMI

Chef Emma Herrera of top bar, bottle shop + music hall Burdock Brewery, dishes on what’s in her fridge, advice for chefs just starting out, her favourite bars and restaurants in the 6ix, and much more in this month’s At The Pass.

If you haven’t been to Chefs for Change before, this is the year to go. Discover who’s cooking and how to get tickets now.

FYI

Do you have an upcoming food, drink or chef event coming up?. List your event in a few seconds for FREE.  

Hear of a place that’s about to open or just closed? Have an upcoming food or restaurant event? Want to get the word out about your business or service to an exclusively food-hungry audience? Shoot me an email -> writerscramp@stephaniedickison.com.

---

p.s. Be sure to subscribe to the fab Toronto Restaurants Newsletter to stay up-to-date with the latest resto news + events, receive exclusive content, get in on contests, giveaways, etc., and follow Toronto Restaurants on Insta and FB for announcements. Big news coming soon!