Introducing: Yours Truly, a new Ossington restaurant and bar with a chef whose resumé includes Per Se, Alinea and Noma (no, really)

By Renée Suen | January 12, 2012

By Renée Suen | 01/12/2012

A cook does some prep work at the bar before opening (Image: Renée Suen)

Yours Truly, a new restaurant and bar on the still-hot Ossington strip, opened with no great fanfare in mid-December, but now it’s causing quite a stir. Behind the place are ex-Vancouverites Matt Cherkas, Dan Hawkins and Aleem Jamal-Kabani, who found that Toronto put up a less fierce barrier to entry than their hometown did. Initially, they’d planned on opening a little watering hole to call their own with a few bar snacks, but everything changed after they found their new chef, Jeff Claudio. At only 28, Claudio has an impressive pedigree: he’s worked at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York, Rockpool in Sydney and the Toronto branch of Scarpetta, where he was chef de cuisine. He also staged at Noma (a.k.a. the best restaurant in the world) and two of Chicago’s best restaurants, Alinea and Charlie Trotter’s. Hence the buzz.

Claudio, also a B.C. native, tells us his modernist-tinged food is the result of close collaboration with his kitchen crew. The daily four-course prix fixe menu ($45 for meat, $35 for vegetarian) is inspired by ingredient availability—not to mention the kitchen’s lack of storage space—and available until 10 p.m. On a given night, selections might include a roulade of Chanteclair Rouge chicken from Sheridan Specialties dusted with a toasted shallot and chicken skin crumble; pan-seared Kolapore Springs trout on a pool of whipped potatoes with lovage, crisp torn croutons and potato chips; or a meaty roasted heirloom carrot on yogurt, topped with a rainbow of thinly sliced persimmons, nasturtiums, purslane and toasted wheatberries. The main event is preceded by a parade of amuse-bouches, like whimsical “truffle” falafel balls, lobster bisque topped with lobster powder or compressed spinach with cider vinegar gel, whipped buttermilk and rye crumbs. There’s also a menu of Asian-inspired bar snacks, which include celery aïoli–dressed lobster tucked inside masa bread ($14 for two), pork ssam ($7) made from pan-seared and honey-glazed pork belly that’s cooked in duck fat, and sweet inari tofu pockets stuffed with a mixture of Portuguese salted cod, sesame, toasted seaweed and sushi rice ($6 a pair).

Set to seat 52 by February (currently there’s room for 38), the former Galaxy Donuts space is full of all kinds of repurposed chic. Jason Stroud (Stroudfoot)—who designed Kultura, Colborne Lane and Origin—was responsible for outfitting the open room, from filling in the 100-year-old polished terrazzo flooring to procuring the warm copper pendant light shades and the custom-made lacquered concrete tables below. Perched high on a shelf near the centre of the room is the restaurant’s mascot, a walking figure with a top hat, created by B.C. sculptor Logan Sturrock; across the room is the bar, complete with a bar top made from reclaimed Distillery District wood and beer taps fashioned out of old steam pipes. Bar manager Shane Roberts’s drink list includes select wine and beer, as well as classic cocktails like French 75s and Sazeracs, and house specialties like the clementine-infused Alibi and bourbon- and Fernet-dominated Rare Earth ($9–$12).

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The Alibi ($12): gin, Amaro Montenegro, dry vermouth, clementines and creole bitters

Lobster roll ($14 for a pair): celery aïoli–dressed chunks of lobster tucked inside toasted masa bread (picked up from a neighbourhood bakery)

Pickles ($6): pickled pepper beets, spicy green beans, turnips and garlic-rubbed grilled Petite Thuet multi-grain toast. The pickle plate is sided with smoked onion bagna càuda, seasoned with mustard, extra virgin canola oil and Maldon salt

Salt cod ($6 per pair): inari tofu pockets stuffed with Portuguese salt cod, sesame, toasted seaweed and sushi rice mixture, served with a horseradish Kewpie mayonnaise. Claudio tells us this snack plate was an attempt to combine sushi with the cuisine of Yours Truly’s Little Portugal neighbourhood

Winter dessert ($7): silky applewood panna cotta topped with crabapple jelly, compressed apples and pears, meringue, molasses powder, buttermilk snow and mint leaves

Daily special: chorizo mash with fried duck egg from Sunrise Farms, mashed potatoes and smoked migas bread crumbs ($13)

Smoked potato purée with lovage, crisp torn croutons and potato chips, topped tableside with a cider cream and dill sauce (this replaces the trout dish on the tasting menu, for vegetarians)

A fillet of pan-seared Kolapore Springs trout on a pool of smoked potato purée with lovage, crisp torn croutons and potato chips, drizzled with a salted milk–canola sauce

A roulade of Chanteclair Rouge chicken, a heritage breed from Sheridan Specialties in Waterloo, that comes on a bean ragout seasoned with parsley oil and sautéed dandelion. The plate is dusted with a fine toasted shallot and chicken skin crumble

Roasted heirloom carrots on yogurt with marinated carrots dressed in watercress vinaigrette, topped with a rainbow of thinly sliced persimmons, nasturtiums, purslane and nutty puffed wheatberries

In this amuse-bouche, bite-sized falafels shaped like truffles—complete with wrinkly charred shell and a fluffy moist interior—are presented in a glass jar with Arborio rice, just like how real truffles are stored

Sous-chef John Vetere (ex-Scarpetta) bathes a fresh Perth pork belly with cans of duck fat (we’re sure it’s all very healthy)

Chef Jeff Claudio shows us the kitchen planning board

The Yours Truly crew: Marc Villanueva, David Chang (“snack guy”), Jeff Claudio (chef de cuisine), Chris Jang and John Vetere (sous-chef)

Your’s Truly’s mascot is a sculpture by Logan Sturrock that owner Aleem Jamal-Kabani picked up at an exhibition by the Vancouver artist

Bar manager Shane Roberts works with co-owner Dan Hawkins on Yours Truly’s drinks, with Roberts specializing more in the classics and Hawkins focusing on more modern and “molecular” concoctions

The bar taps are mounted on reclaimed steam pipes

The Stroudfoot-designed dining room has many repurposed elements, from the bar top to the beer taps

The owners: Aleem Jamal-Kabani, Dan Hawkins and Matt Cherkas

The scene before service. Since the kitchen is relatively small, prep work gets done wherever there’s space—like at the bar

Yours Truly, 229 Ossington Ave., 416-533-2243, yours-truly.ca

12 thoughts on “Introducing: Yours Truly, a new Ossington restaurant and bar with a chef whose resumé includes Per Se, Alinea and Noma (no, really)”

Cucina Geek says:

January 12, 2012 at 2:27 pm

…you had me at the Kitchen Planning Board/Clipboard shot..no running outta stuff at this joint…
Restos in TO says:

January 12, 2012 at 3:59 pm

Cannot wait.
Jane says:

January 12, 2012 at 4:41 pm

This is one of the great things about life in Toronto. Great food and lots of culture!

http://rentstarlight.com/toronto/
ebs says:

January 13, 2012 at 2:50 pm

I’d hardly call YT an addition to the hot Ossington strip…it’s almost at Dupont. Which is great, because Duponters need better places to eat.
ebs says:

January 13, 2012 at 2:52 pm

I spoke too soon. So what’s that lonely resto on Ossington south of Dupont, then?
rico says:

January 13, 2012 at 2:55 pm

@ebs uh… it’s just south of Dundas. And duponters definitely need better places to eat. desperately.
Emma says:

January 13, 2012 at 7:48 pm

I just note that you are missing the last digit in the phone number, it is 2243 not 224! For those of you that wanted to call the restaurant like I did. Thanks!
Toronto Life Staff says:

January 14, 2012 at 2:48 pm

Thanks Emma—we’ve updated the post.
Jen Crinion says:

January 14, 2012 at 5:34 pm

Not only is Jeff a super nice guy and down to earth ( I shared nachos with him at Sneaky Dees once with the Scarpetta crew), his local menu is truly inspired and inspiring. Can’t wait to try it out!

http://jennysfood.blogspot.com
Helen says:

January 14, 2012 at 6:52 pm

had my bday dinner her last night and had a great experience. food was delish, nice atmosphere, amazing value, good service. will definitely be back!
Pat says:

January 16, 2012 at 2:32 pm

My girlfriend and I have eaten here twice already and we are frackin’ in love with it. The staff is so knowledgeable, the food is unreal and the vibe is super chill. All of this awesomeness and $5 beers? Yeah, I’d say we’ve found or new spot!
tartytatin says:

February 12, 2012 at 5:32 pm

Excited to get a table last night. Huge disappointment. Food wavered between unappetizing to off-putting. Staff lacked any passion for the food – especially as a hot new spot. After loving Ursa last week, we had such high hopes for another great addition to the Queen/Ossington ‘hood. Sadly, we wouldn’t recommend Yours Truly even to people we dont like.. .

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Introducing: Yours Truly, a new Ossington restaurant and bar with a chef whose resumé includes Per Se, Alinea and Noma (no, really)

12 thoughts on “Introducing: Yours Truly, a new Ossington restaurant and bar with a chef whose resumé includes Per Se, Alinea and Noma (no, really)”

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