The city’s top chefs on the best Toronto meals they’ve had lately

Patrick Kriss, Alo

“Dandylion is always great. When I was there for dinner last summer, I had an incredible fish dish. Delicate slices of escolar were served like a sashimi with avocado, lemon juice, olive oil and crispy soybeans. It was simple, fresh and delicious with lots of acid. It was perfect.”        

Anna Chen, Figo

“That would be Bar Isabel’s tripe stew. It’s a hearty mix of tripe, chorizo sausage and pig ear slices, and it’s finished with a poached egg. There are many good things on the menu, but this is the dish I just can’t stop devouring.”    

Doug Penfold, Cava and Chabrol

“Chinatown’s Si Chuan House serves an incredible lamb hotpot. It’s simple, and comes with lots of vegetables and sides that you can throw into the stock. The awesome thing is, the broth gets better with each bowl.”        

John Bil, Honest Weight

“For Edulis’s canard à la presse, Michael Caballo hangs a duck for up to three weeks and then presses it tableside using a duck press. The meat is tender, and the blood sauce so rich. The experience spoke to me on an emotional level about whole-animal dining.”    

Noureen Feerasta, Rickshaw Bar

“The inasal pork ribs at Lamesa’s Sunday kamayan (hand-to-mouth) dinner are tender, sweet and sticky, bursting with smokiness and the flavours of soy and star anise. What made the meal extra special was that it was acceptable for me to lick my fingers after every bite.”    

Ivana Raca, Raca Café and Bar

“I love sitting at the bar at Zucca and ordering a bowl of their ciriole al pomodoro piccante. The house-made pasta comes in a beautiful, not-too-spicy tomato sauce. There’s a ton of flavour from the basil, but it’s all about the texture of the noodles for me. I’ve had a lot of fresh pasta dishes but this is my favourite.”        

Michael Hunter, Antler

“I always have fun at Bar Raval on College—I love the room and the Spanish vibe. There are so many delicious pinchos and small plates, but if I had to pick one it would be the octopus conservas. Grant and his team really do import some of the best preserved seafood and shellfish.”    

Dave Mottershall, Loka

“That would have to be the original porchetta sandwich at Porchetta and Co. My Italian friends think the truffle mustard and parmesan are blasphemous, but I think this is a better porchetta sandwich than one you’ll find in Rome.”        

Sujoy Saha, Tich

“Chef Anbu Panbarasan of Dindigul Thalappakattu in Scarborough makes a superior mutton biryani. It’s South Indian–style, made with aromatic short-grain rice and moist mutton pieces. The dish is perfectly spiced and served with creamy raita to give it a slightly tangy taste. I crave it!”        

Kai and Levi Bent-Lee, Bent and Fring’s

“We agree that it’s gotta be chef Koji Tashiro’s Wagyu oshizushi at JaBistro. The blowtorched beef is glazed with miso, and the pressed rice is excellently seasoned. It’s a simple but perfectly balanced dish.”