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Food & Drink

Ten under-the-radar restaurants worth visiting during Winterlicious

Including an Italian trattoria in Long Branch, a Thai spot in Moss Park and a Cajun kitchen in Cliffside

By Deepi Harish
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It’s that time of year again when Toronto restaurants serve up set menus, allowing fans to enjoy their favourite dishes and the unfamiliar to sample a taste. While the popular spots downtown often draw the biggest crowds, there’s a number of older, often overlooked kitchens worth checking out. Here are 10 under-the-radar restaurants participating in Winterlicious and what to order at each. (Note: with the exception of Upper Beaches Bourbon House, the dishes have been selected from the set dinner menus on offer this year.)

Various dishes at Ambiyan on Yonge, an Indian restaurant in Toronto
Photo courtesy of Ambiyan on Yonge
Ambiyan on Yonge

1560 Yonge St., ambiyan.com

This Indian restaurant in midtown invites diners to explore the full spectrum of the country’s cuisine—from the light, tangy flavours of the south to the rich, bold dishes of the north. With a focus on sustainability, Ambiyan prioritizes locally sourced ingredients, partnering with suppliers within a 100-kilometre radius.

Menu highlights: You can’t go wrong with the bold and creamy butter chicken (or the paneer tikka masala, for vegetarians) as a main. Either option is served with warm naan or fragrant rice. Start off with some spicy chicken bites, then finish on a sweet—and cooling—note with a classic pista kulfi (pistachio ice cream).

Wang Lang

669 King St. W., wanglang.ca

While King Street’s flashier spots often steal the show, just a little farther west down the strip—right across from a McDonald’s—is the sister spot to Michelin-recommended Thai restaurant Koh Lipe.

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Menu highlights: To start, tom bai ma kham chicken, a super savoury soup layered with all the flavours—it’s sour, it’s spicy and it packs an umami punch. Follow it up with kuay tiew ruer beef, rice noodles with tender beef, bean sprouts and fresh Thai basil in a rich broth made from a family recipe. For dessert, kanom krok ma muang is the obvious choice. Wang Lang is the only restaurant in Toronto where you can find these coconut pancakes topped with mango sticky rice.

12 Tables

1552 Avenue Rd., 12tables.ca

This cute-as-a-button (and very literally named) spot in Bedford Park serves a menu of both classic and modern Italian dishes, all brought to life by chef Piotr Przykaza, who infuses some of his dishes with a dash of Polish flavour. Service is friendly and unpretentious, and it’s the little details here—like palate cleansers between courses—that make all the difference.

Menu highlights: The must-order starter is the Wagyu meatballs, sautéed in a house tomato sauce and topped with homemade ricotta. For some of that Polish-Italian fusion, the beef tenderloin goulash—slow-cooked tenderloin served over house-made potato gnocchi—is the main to get. End with the key lime pie, a tangy and refreshing treat, to revive your palate after such a rich meal (or the Basque cheesecake if you’re down for continuing the theme).

The Starry Night biryani at Hawker, a vegan restaurant in Toronto's Kensington Market neighbourhood
Photo courtesy of Hawker
Hawker

291 Augusta Ave., hawker.to

This Kensington Market kitchen specializes in plant-based small plates made with locally sourced ingredients. Not vegan? Even meat eaters will be impressed by chef Jeff Merkel’s colourful and flavourful creations.

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Menu highlights: Start with the Earth appetizer, comprising smoked corn broth, sesame and oyster mushrooms (Hawker does wonders with mushrooms). As the main, Starry Night (pictured above) brings a bowl of rich biryani, smoky with poblano and a hint of lavender for a unique twist. For dessert, try a little something called Nature Cake, an interesting combination of breadfruit, sweet fern and coconut cream—both exotic and comforting.

The Chefs’ House

215 King St. E., thechefshouse.com

Located on George Brown’s St. James campus, this full-service restaurant is run by the college’s culinary and hospitality students. It’s a win-win: they hone their skills and you get to enjoy the food of talented chefs before they become famous. With a focus on seasonal ingredients and high-quality dishes, it’s fine dining without the high-end price tag.

Menu highlights: Sunchoke soup topped with spiced almonds, chili oil and pear makes for a lovely seasonal starter. Next, try the sea bream grenobloise with fondant potato and swiss chard. For a sweet and sour finish, there’s a Meyer lemon tart with candied kumquats and bergamot meringue.

Upper Beaches Bourbon House

3655 St. Clair Ave. E., upperbeachesbourbonhouse.com

Don’t let the name fool you—this Cajun and Creole restaurant is actually in Cliffside. Tucked away in a plaza, it brings the bold tastes of the American South to Scarborough. It’s a no-frills spot, but the food speaks for itself.

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Menu highlights: We’re going against the theme here and focusing on lunch. Start with an order of cornbread, then use it to sop up the Creole cream sauce of the Voodoo Pasta, loaded with chicken and Andouille sausage. For dessert, a sweet potato brownie topped with rich nut fudge deliciously blurs the line between healthy and indulgent.

Related: Where the founder of Instagram’s Scarborough Spots goes for jerk chicken shawarma poutine, doubles and burgers

A plate of Bolognese at Pulcinella Italian Ristorante in Toronto's Long Branch neighbourhood
Photo courtesy of Pulcinella Italian Ristorante
Pulcinella Ristorante Italiano

3687 Lake Shore Blvd. W., pulcinellatoronto.com

With its welcoming wine bar and a menu that blends casual comfort with elevated Italian classics, this family-run Italian restaurant in Long Branch is the kind of place where people make themselves regulars in a hurry.

Menu highlights: Start with the Parma caprese, a creative take on the classic salad that pairs prosciutto with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil. On the side, try a melon-prosecco shooter. For a main, there’s a rustic rigatoni bolognese (pictured above) in a ragu rich with red wine and slow-braised beef and pork. But save room for the Mocamisu, a mousse twist on tiramisu.

Comma

490 Queen St. W., commatoronto.com

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Toronto has no shortage of excellent Korean kitchens, but this Queen West spot sets itself apart with elevated and experimental sharing plates. And the cocktails are just as thoughtfully crafted as the dishes.

Menu highlights: Start with the Bluish Winter, sweet pumpkin paired with a blue-cheese sauce. Next, there’s Lucky Vicky’s short ribs—braised, glazed in a house-made barbecue sauce, and served with marinated veggies, crispy pepper chips and kimbap. (If a chef names a dish after themselves, you know it’s special.) For dessert, there’s a twist on Korea’s favourite street food, bungeo-ppang. Instead of the traditional red-bean filling, this carp-shaped pastry is stuffed with ice cream.

Related: Comma, a Korean restaurant on Queen West serving raw marinated crab

Lapinou Bistro

642 King St. W. lapinoubistro.com

Despite being smack dab in the middle of bustling King West, this intimate French spot is easy to miss. Lapinou embodies the rustic charm of a classic bistro, with a seasonal menu that highlights regional French flavours.

Menu highlights: Venison carpaccio to start, followed by a luxurious beef short rib bourguignon that would make Julia Child proud. And to finish, the brown butter tart with banana anglaise and vanilla ice cream.

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Mengrai Thai's #54 Red Curry Chicken, curry served in a hollowed out pineapple
Photo courtesy of Mengrai Thai
Mengrai Thai

82 Ontario St., mengraithai.ca

Chef Sasi Meechai-Lim has been serving up top-notch Thai from her Moss Park kitchen since 2008. Her secret lies in her signature spice blend and her low-and-slow cooking style. Pai isn’t the only Thai restaurant in Toronto to attract celebs: Samuel L. Jackson, Mick Jagger and Jackie Chan have all dined at Mengrai.

Menu highlights: To start, there’s a selection of three one-bite appetizers—golden flower with chicken, crispy coconut Panko-crusted shrimp and green mango salad. Follow that with Meechai-Lim’s signature #54 Red Curry Chicken (pictured above). Served in a hollowed-out pineapple with lychee and chunks of pineapple, it’s bursting with tropical sweetness. For dessert, there’s classic mango sticky rice as well as a soft, spongy pandan cake topped with creamy coconut frosting.

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