Introducing: Dyne, the Iberian-Asian restaurant that took over from Maléna

By Megan Leahy | January 11, 2013

By Megan Leahy | 01/11/2013

Introducing: Dyne — (Image: Megan Leahy)

Last weekend, Richard Andino, a chef with 22 years experience in Toronto’s restaurant scene, opened Dyne in Maléna’s old space at Av and Dav. His menu draws from the cuisine of Spain, Portugal and the Philippines, but the item that’s gotten the most attention to date is the over-the-top Chef’s Last Meal ($325), which comes with a 34-ounce bone-in rib-eye, fingerling and bone marrow mash, chili-garlic egg rice, butter poached lobster and two pieces of foie gras, an ingredient Andino heartily endorses. His more down-to-earth dishes include hot and cold sharing plates like a braised pork trotter raviolo ($14) and grilled calamari ($12) accompanied by aïoli that’s flavoured with calamansi, a kind of Filipino citrus (calamansi trees also dot the room). There are more substantial mains, like a half Cornish hen ($23) marinated in fermented pepper (a play on Portuguese grilled chicken) and apple honey–smoked mackerel ($23) with shishito pepper paste. The room’s decor hasn’t changed much since the days of Maléna, save a few new light fixtures, a fresh coat of paint and new artwork, including an oversized reproduction of Andino’s prized Japanese knife.

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