Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!

Radici Project is a buzzy Japanese Italian spot with connections to Noma and Nobu

It celebrates itameshi, a popular fusion style of cooking

By Jessica Huras| Photography by Jelena Subotic

| May 28, 2025

Copy link

A spread of dishes and drinks at Radici Project in Toronto

Name: Radici Project Contact: 588 College St., radiciproject.ca, @radici_project
Neighbourhood: Little Italy
Owners: Emiliano Del Frate and Kayo Ito Chef: Emiliano Del Frate Accessibility: Not fully accessible

Radici Project is the product of the real-life love story between chef Emiliano Del Frate and manager and sake sommelier Kayo Ito, who met while working in Toronto’s hospitality scene. After getting married, the couple spent several years travelling through Europe and Japan, gathering culinary inspiration and trying to figure out where they wanted to call home. The answer: back where it all began. “We had to decide where the best place was for us to settle,” says Del Frate “And we had a good life here in Toronto.”

Radici means “roots” in Italian, and the name celebrates Del Frate and Ito’s different cultures as well as the life they’re now creating together. “I’m Italian, my wife is Japanese—and now we’re putting down new roots here in Canada,” says Del Frate. Those roots shape the restaurant’s culinary philosophy: Italian Japanese dishes grounded in seasonal Canadian ingredients.

The team at Radici Project, an Italian Japanese restaurant in Toronto — From left: Mateos Jabbaz, head bartender; Sarah Buscema, host and social media manager; Kayo Ito, manager and sake sommelier; Emiliano Del Frate, executive chef; Teah Saiwong, chef de partie

Del Frate’s resumé includes heavy-hitters like Noma and Don Alfonso, while Ito brings her training as a certified sake sommelier as well as front-of-house finesse from her time working at Nobu and Park Hyatt.

Everything at Radici feels personal, from house-baked bread made by Del Frate’s long-time friend to the space itself, which came together with help from loved ones. “We don’t have some huge investor in the back—it’s a family working together, and I think people are happy to see that,” says Del Frate. “My goal is for diners to come, have fun, enjoy the food and try something different.”

The Food

Italian and Japanese cuisines may seem like unlikely companions, but in Japan, a popular fusion style of cooking called itameshi shows just how seamlessly the two can blend. Both culinary traditions prize seasonality, simplicity and respect for ingredients. It’s an ethos Del Frate channels into Radici’s evolving menu.

Though he draws his techniques from Italy and Japan, most of the ingredients he uses are from Canada. Around 70 per cent of Radici’s ingredients are sourced locally, from purveyors like 100km Foods, Tanjo Family Farm, Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc., and St. Lawrence Market vendors.

A chef plates pasta in the kitchen at Radici Project

Radici offers two distinct ways to dine. The à la carte menu is designed for flexibility—ideal for easing into an evening or stopping in for a quick glass of sake and a bite. Those looking for a deeper dive can opt for the multi-course tasting menu, which offers a more immersive experience.

Sustainability is central to Del Frate’s approach, a guiding principle that keeps waste low and creativity high. “Part of the reason we have two menus is to use everything,” he says, “even the scraps.”

For this dish, BC Dungeness crab, served in its own shell, is topped with a cloud of almond foam and a spoonful of caviar from Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc. Part of the $140 tasting menu

Tajarin is reimagined with beetroot dough, tossed in garum butter and crowned with smoked caviar — Tajarin—Piedmont’s answer to tagliatelle—is reimagined here with beetroot dough, giving it a striking hue. This sculptural swirl is tossed in garum butter and crowned with smoked caviar. Part of the $140 tasting menu

Olive oil–poached halibut served with dashi-braised maitake, finished over binchōtan charcoal and dusted with peperone crusco — This olive oil–poached halibut swims in a silky sauce made from its own bones. On the side: dashi-braised maitake, finished over binchotan charcoal and dusted with peperone cruschi (crisped sweet Italian peppers). Part of the $140 tasting menu

Here we have Ontario pickerel, pan-fried until crisp and resting in zuppetta di ceci, then finished with Ontario ramps and a few dollops of caviar — Here we have Ontario pickerel, pan-fried until crisp and resting in zuppetta di ceci, a rustic Italian chickpea broth. It’s finished with Ontario ramps and a few dollops of caviar. $30

This binchotan-grilled veal tenderloin is plated with charred parsnips and a glossy jus made from tart Saskatoon berries — This veal tenderloin owes its perfect sear to binchotan charcoal. It’s plated with charred parsnips and a glossy jus made from tart Saskatoon berries, balancing smoky flavour with some sweet-tart snap. $35

A sponge cake, layered with milk, chamomile custard and chamomile gel, sits beneath a delicate pollen-studded tuile. Inspired by Del Frate’s ritual of enjoying milk and honey before bedtime, this light dessert is designed to be a soothing finish to a meal full of big flavours. $18

The Drinks

Radici Project’s beverage program reflects the same cross-cultural inspiration as its food menu, blending Italian, Japanese and Canadian influences.

Developed by Ito, in collaboration with Del Frate and sommelier Debbie Shing, the drink list features premium sake, natural wines and elegant cocktails that echo the kitchen’s seasonal flavours.

The Tre Paesi cocktail pays tribute to three nations with a mix of Canadian pét-nat, Italian amaro and Japanese ume liqueur. The result is a gently sparkling cocktail with notes of stone fruit and a soft, balanced bitterness. $18

The Vai con Dio is an easy-drinking cocktail that sees Valley of Mother of God gin combined with Sanzen Yuzu No Osake, along with house chamomile-ginger kombucha — The Vai con Dio (Italian for “go with God”) is an easy-drinking cocktail that sees Valley of Mother of God gin combined with Sanzen Yuzu No Osake along with house chamomile-ginger kombucha. It’s topped with sparkling water and finished with a ribbon of cucumber. $19

Forest meets fermentation in this zero-proof sipper. A base of bold black tea is mixed with beet kombucha and pine syrup, then topped with soda for lift. $15

The Space

The restaurant’s design, led by Del Frate and Ito, evokes warmth and calm, blending Japanese and Nordic influences with Canadian sensibility. Soft wood tones, natural textures and a muted palette create a serene setting that invites guests to settle in and stay for a while.

Much of the space was built by Del Frate himself with the help of close friends, but Ito played a key role in shaping the design, working closely with Ikebana artist Aya Sugino to create floral arrangements that bring freshness and quiet beauty to the room.

The restaurant is divided into two distinct areas. At the front, guests can opt for the à la carte menu and explore a selection of wine and sake flights. In the back, a tasting menu with optional wine and sake pairings is offered at a series of tables facing the open kitchen.

The bar at Radici Project, a restaurant in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood

Banquette seating in the front dining room of Radici Project

Four-top tables in the back dining room of Radici Project

Two-top tables inside Radici Project, a Japanese Italian restaurant in Toronto

The exterior of Radici Project, a restaurant in Toronto

THIS CITY

Obsessive coverage of Toronto, straight to your inbox

Jessica Huras

Jessica Huras is a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating food, travel and lifestyle content. She’s a content editor for the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine, and her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Chatelaine, Toronto Life and Elle Canada, among other publications.

Big Stories

Deep Dives

The $4-Million Girlfriend Experience: The thief, the cam girl and their whirlwind fraudulent romance

Deep Dives

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber

Deep Dives

Trump’s Loss, Toronto’s Gain: Meet the artists, professors, scientists and other luminaries ditching the US and moving north

Deep Dives

Dancing Queens: Patrons, staff and performers share their wildest memories of Crews and Tangos, Toronto’s most storied drag bar

Deep Dives

Edward the Conqueror: The unlikely ascent of Canada’s telecom king

Deep Dives

Lady Parts: Inside Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen’s new show, Small Achievable Goals

Inside the Latest Issue

The July issue of Toronto Life features a behind-the-curtain look at the insatiable political ambitions of Doug Ford. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.