Soos ★ 94 Ossington St., 416-901-7667
This new family-run spot mixes familiar Ossington cues—dangling Edison bulbs, sharing plates and citrusy cocktails—with refreshing details, like pops of tropical colour from chili-red chairs and patterned blue wallpaper. The result is a restaurant greater than its parts, one that delivers classic Malaysian dishes alongside clever bar snacks without seeming kitschy.
To wit: meaty chicken wings coated in sweet chili sauce and peanuts, and Soos’ poutine—a serious new contender for the city’s best—which features crispy hand-cut fries covered in galangal-spiked lamb curry and fresh Quebec curds. Char kway teow is a rice noodle dish with grilled prawns and crunchy bean sprouts, plus terrific house-made sambal, a spicy chili paste with garlic and fish sauce. To finish, spears of pineapple grilled until sticky, served with Greg’s ice cream.
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