What’s on the Menu: The 10 most popular restaurant openings of 2018
The 10 most-clicked restaurant preview posts of the year
Brickworks Ciderhouse
10 Kitty-corner to the new Broadview Hotel is the neighbourhood’s new ciderhouse, a two-storey restaurant and bar that also happens to make cider on-site. On tap: all of Brickworks’ big guns (Batch: 1904, Queen Street 501) as well as a few seasonal one-offs, like a basil-mint number. The majority of the dishes coming out of the kitchen also incorporate the apple-based beverage. 709 Queen St. E., 647-341-4500, theciderhouse.ca
Tsujiri
9 The massive lineups at Tsujiri, a 155-year-old Japanese brand, are owed to their matcha-packed meals, drinks and desserts. Almost everything on the menu is a verdant green, including noodle bowls, soft serve and jiggly pancakes (a new trend for 2018) that come served with brown sugar syrup and a few scoops of ice cream. 4909 Yonge St., 647-341-6622, tsujiri-global.com
Momofuku Kojin
8 Momofuku’s newest Toronto restaurant is a steakhouse with a Colombian bent. Kōjin, named after the Japanese fire god, replaced Daishō and Shōtō, and it’s here where head chef Paula Navarrete masters the kitchen’s open-fire wood grill. 190 University Ave., 2nd floor, 647-253-8000, kojin.momofuku.com
Alobar Yorkville
7 The Alo group’s third outpost, Alobar, is a standalone lounge in the middle of Yorkville. Patrick Kriss’s à la carte menu features crudos, seasonal sides and classic pasta, fish and meat dishes, like pork chops prepared on a Spanish-made and charcoal-powered Josper oven and grill. Pat Groves (Aloette) is responsible for elegant cocktails, and the wine list is curated by Christopher Sealy (Alo, Aloette, George, Midfield Wine Bar). 162 Cumberland St., 416-961-1222, alobaryorkville.com
Tanto
6 From the team behind some of the city’s best kitchens comes Tanto, an Argentine restaurant on Ossington. Here, chef Julian Iliopolus (Cava) cooks all manner of flora and fauna on a wood-fired grill. Niall McCotter (Cava, Chabrol, Atlas) is behind the list of consignment wines, most of which are from Italian, French and Spanish producers. 74 Ossington Ave., 416-546-3022, tantorestaurant.com
Il Covo
5 Two ex-Buca Yorkville alumni teamed up to open this new Italian kitchen on College. Chef Ryan Campbell is in charge of the cicchetti (Italian small plates) and Giuseppe Marchesini is responsible for the list of organic and biodynamic Italian wines. 585 College St., 416-530-7585, ilcovo.ca
Kaka All You Can Eat
4 While the restaurant’s name might be good for a laugh, there’s nothing funny about all-you-can-eat quality sushi. The Markham-based sushi spot earned its popularity by charging customers only $34.99 for unlimited seafood, including thick-cut sashimi, tataki plated with flower petals and aburi nigiri torched to order. 655 Bay St., 416-979-3288, kakaallyoucaneat.com
Akira Back
3 At his restaurant in the Bisha Hotel, Michelin-starred chef Akira Back doles out Korean-flavoured Japanese dishes, like tuna pizza, wagyu tacos and (something specific to this location) crispy rice topped with seared tuna, flavoured with ketchup powder. 80 Blue Jays Way, 2nd floor, 416-551-2800, akiraback.com
Pick 6ix (CLOSED)
2 This now-closed splashy sports bar in the Financial District had ties to Drake (his head of security, Nessel “Chubbs” Beezer, was a co-owner) and celebrity chef (Montreal’s Antonio Park) was responsible for the sushi menu at one point. You can guess what the Instagram feed looked like. 33 Yonge St., no phone, pick6ixto.com
See everything that was on the menu.
Jollibee
1 The long-awaited Toronto location of this Filipino favourite finally opened in April, drawing thousands of people who waited for up to 10 hours to try the chain’s crispy fried chicken, Jolly Spaghetti and mango-peach pies. 15 William Kitchen Rd., Scarborough, 647-953-1100, Facebook
 as well as a few seasonal one-offs, like a basil-mint number. The majority of the dishes coming out of the kitchen also incorporate the apple-based beverage. 709 Queen St. E., 647-341-4500, theciderhouse.ca
See everything on the menu.
Tsujiri
9 The massive lineups at Tsujiri, a 155-year-old Japanese brand, are owed to their matcha-packed meals, drinks and desserts. Almost everything on the menu is a verdant green, including noodle bowls, soft serve and jiggly pancakes (a new trend for 2018) that come served with brown sugar syrup and a few scoops of ice cream. 4909 Yonge St., 647-341-6622, tsujiri-global.com
See everything on the menu.
Momofuku Kojin
8 Momofuku's newest Toronto restaurant is a steakhouse with a Colombian bent. Kōjin, named after the Japanese fire god, replaced Daishō and Shōtō, and it's here where head chef Paula Navarrete masters the kitchen's open-fire wood grill. 190 University Ave., 2nd floor, 647-253-8000, kojin.momofuku.com
See everything on the menu.
Alobar Yorkville
7 The Alo group's third outpost, Alobar, is a standalone lounge in the middle of Yorkville. Patrick Kriss's à la carte menu features crudos, seasonal sides and classic pasta, fish and meat dishes, like pork chops prepared on a Spanish-made and charcoal-powered Josper oven and grill. Pat Groves (Aloette) is responsible for elegant cocktails, and the wine list is curated by Christopher Sealy (Alo, Aloette, George, Midfield Wine Bar). 162 Cumberland St., 416-961-1222, alobaryorkville.com
See everything on the menu.
Tanto
6 From the team behind some of the city's best kitchens comes Tanto, an Argentine restaurant on Ossington. Here, chef Julian Iliopolus (Cava) cooks all manner of flora and fauna on a wood-fired grill. Niall McCotter (Cava, Chabrol, Atlas) is behind the list of consignment wines, most of which are from Italian, French and Spanish producers. 74 Ossington Ave., 416-546-3022, tantorestaurant.com
See everything on the menu.
Il Covo
5 Two ex-Buca Yorkville alumni teamed up to open this new Italian kitchen on College. Chef Ryan Campbell is in charge of the cicchetti (Italian small plates) and Giuseppe Marchesini is responsible for the list of organic and biodynamic Italian wines. 585 College St., 416-530-7585, ilcovo.ca
See everything on the menu.
Kaka All You Can Eat
4 While the restaurant's name might be good for a laugh, there's nothing funny about all-you-can-eat quality sushi. The Markham-based sushi spot earned its popularity by charging customers only $34.99 for unlimited seafood, including thick-cut sashimi, tataki plated with flower petals and aburi nigiri torched to order. 655 Bay St., 416-979-3288, kakaallyoucaneat.com
See everything on the menu.
Akira Back
3 At his restaurant in the Bisha Hotel, Michelin-starred chef Akira Back doles out Korean-flavoured Japanese dishes, like tuna pizza, wagyu tacos and (something specific to this location) crispy rice topped with seared tuna, flavoured with ketchup powder. 80 Blue Jays Way, 2nd floor, 416-551-2800, akiraback.com
See everything on the menu.
Pick 6ix (CLOSED)
2 This now-closed splashy sports bar in the Financial District had ties to Drake (his head of security, Nessel "Chubbs" Beezer, was a co-owner) and celebrity chef (Montreal's Antonio Park) was responsible for the sushi menu at one point. You can guess what the Instagram feed looked like. 33 Yonge St., no phone, pick6ixto.com
See everything that was on the menu.
Jollibee
1 The long-awaited Toronto location of this Filipino favourite finally opened in April, drawing thousands of people who waited for up to 10 hours to try the chain's crispy fried chicken, Jolly Spaghetti and mango-peach pies. 15 William Kitchen Rd., Scarborough, 647-953-1100, Facebook
See everything on the menu.
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