A Michelin-starred chef just opened a second restaurant in Toronto
Tono by Akira Back is on the rooftop of Yorkville’s W Hotel
Name: Tono by Akira Back
Contact: W Hotel, 90 Bloor St. E., tonobyakirabacktoronto.com
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
Owner: W Hotel and Akira Back
Executive chef: Karen Kim
Accessibility: Fully accessible
Chef Akira Back—whose globe-spanning Japanese restaurants already include an eponymous spot at Toronto’s Bisha Hotel—recently opened a second location of Tono (the original is in Qatar) on the rooftop of Yorkville’s W Hotel. “When I was approached to do another restaurant here, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it,” says Back. “But, when I realized I could bring Tono to Toronto for its North American debut, everything clicked.”
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In love with how multicultural Toronto is, Back decided it would be the perfect fit for Tono, which specializes in Nikkei cuisine, a blend of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and cooking techniques. “Opening a new restaurant is a risk,” he says. “But I always feel good when I’m here—this city really energizes me. It was worth the gamble.”
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The Food
The menu pays equal respect to sushi and Peruvian corn. There are opportunities to play it straight with classic sushi or sashimi, but the real fun happens when you think outside the bokksu: dynamite prawns detonate with aji chilies, Tajima short ribs masquerade as Wagyu and arrive with bamboo-husk tamalem, and miso soup is jolted with fiery rocoto peppers.
The Drinks
Taking the lead from the food menu, the cocktails incorporate Japanese and Peruvian flavours. In the Amor Kaiyo, for instance, Japanese whisky meets a signature mix of sweet potato, Peruvian dried corn, aji pepper, furikake and Japanese rice wine vinegar. It’s a sublime collision of worlds so harmonious it deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.
The Space
A gold-and-glass elevator emblazoned with a life-sized portrait of chef Back sets the tone. A sculptural sushi bar grounds the lounge-like dining room, framed by sweeping skyline views and softened by a floating floral installation overhead. It’s a study in duality, much like Tono itself.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
