Name: Chotto Matte Contact: 161 Bay St., 416-988-8097, chotto-matte.com/toronto, @chottomattetor Neighbourhood: Financial District Owners: Kurt Zdesar (NZR Group) Executive chef: Jordan Sclare (NZR Group including Chotto Matte London and Miami, Black Roe and Fucina; London’s Aqua Kyoto, Buddha Bar, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Savoy Hotel) Accessibility: Accessible entrance through Brookfield Place; accessible washroom behind the host stand on main floor.
The food
A full spectrum of Japanese-Peruvian seafood dishes served with Nikkei dipping sauces, and sharing plates of robata-grilled meats. Besides vegetarian and Nikkei sharing menus, there’s a by-request “Chef Experience,” as well as luxury bento boxes and express toban yaki (sizzling beef) sets for lunch.
The Nikkei sashimi is made with yellowtail sashimi, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro and yuzu-truffle soy. $19.50.
The Chu-Toro tiradito features medium fatty tuna sashimi topped with fresh wasabi, green onions and aji amarillo in a mango-yuzu sauce. $29.50.
The Nikkei gyoza are stuffed with pork and shrimp, and come with an aji amarillo-sweet potato purée, and a red pepper ponzu. $20 for five.
The dinner-only beef tataki on smoked aji panca is dressed with passion fruit salsa. $19.
The Barriguita de Chanchito features char-grilled pork belly that’s been marinated in aji panca and aji amarillo chilli. It comes topped with nashi pear and yellow tomato salsa. $18.50.
The drinks
Japanese whiskey, sake and pisco aplenty, plus a few local beers on tap, a few Japanese beers in bottles and a list of international wines by the glass and bottle. There are also classic and signature cocktails, like the Yuzu Martini and the Nikkei Negroni.
Flor de Manzana is made with Stolichnaya mango vodka, sake, passion fruit, apple juice and elderflower. $16.
Moshi Moshi is made with Hayman’s gin, nigori sake, St. Germain liqueur, house-made sesame water and yuzu. $20.
The Nikkei Negroni is made with Hayman’s gin, Martini rosso, Campari, green tea and aji amarillo. $18.
She’s So Smoking is a mix of Courvoisier VS cognac, peach, ginger, lapsang and hickory-infused yuzu. It’s garnished with a shiso leaf. $20.
Here it is again.
A visual spectacle, Holy Water is made with Miguel Torres pisco, junmai sake, roses and citric extract. Here it is, pre-lit. $18.
This drink is lit.
The flames reveal a hidden rose.
NZR Group’s executive chef Jordan Sclare (left) with C.E.O. and founder Kurt Zdesar.
The space
The 10,000-square-foot, Andy Martin Architecture–designed space is decorated with dramatic murals and includes various sitting areas, including a robata grill counter, a sushi bar and a main dining room that can seat 220 guests. AkACHAN, the cocktail lounge, will host nightly DJs and live entertainment. Coming soon: a Front Street–flanking heated terrace that will accommodate up to 150 people.
Here’s the lobby.
This is the main dining room.
Photo by Renée SuenHere’s the robata grill counter.
Here’s the cocktail lounge, Akachan. Japanese for baby or infant, Akachan is the brand’s first cocktail lounge.
The cocktail lounge has a DJ booth.
And more of the great art that adorns the restaurant.
Executive chef: Jordan Sclare (NZR Group including Chotto Matte London and Miami, Black Roe and Fucina; London’s Aqua Kyoto, Buddha Bar, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Savoy Hotel)
Accessibility: Accessible entrance through Brookfield Place; accessible washroom behind the host stand on main floor.
The food
A full spectrum of Japanese-Peruvian seafood dishes served with Nikkei dipping sauces, and sharing plates of robata-grilled meats. Besides vegetarian and Nikkei sharing menus, there’s a by-request "Chef Experience," as well as luxury bento boxes and express toban yaki (sizzling beef) sets for lunch.
[caption id="attachment_493781" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The Nikkei sashimi is made with yellowtail sashimi, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro and yuzu-truffle soy. $19.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493792" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] The Chu-Toro tiradito features medium fatty tuna sashimi topped with fresh wasabi, green onions and aji amarillo in a mango-yuzu sauce. $29.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493773" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The Nikkei gyoza are stuffed with pork and shrimp, and come with an aji amarillo-sweet potato purée, and a red pepper ponzu. $20 for five.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493791" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The dinner-only beef tataki on smoked aji panca is dressed with passion fruit salsa. $19.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493782" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] The Barriguita de Chanchito features char-grilled pork belly that’s been marinated in aji panca and aji amarillo chilli. It comes topped with nashi pear and yellow tomato salsa. $18.50.[/caption]
The drinks
Japanese whiskey, sake and pisco aplenty, plus a few local beers on tap, a few Japanese beers in bottles and a list of international wines by the glass and bottle. There are also classic and signature cocktails, like the Yuzu Martini and the Nikkei Negroni.
[caption id="attachment_493778" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Flor de Manzana is made with Stolichnaya mango vodka, sake, passion fruit, apple juice and elderflower. $16.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493779" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Moshi Moshi is made with Hayman’s gin, nigori sake, St. Germain liqueur, house-made sesame water and yuzu. $20.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493780" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The Nikkei Negroni is made with Hayman’s gin, Martini rosso, Campari, green tea and aji amarillo. $18.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493788" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] She’s So Smoking is a mix of Courvoisier VS cognac, peach, ginger, lapsang and hickory-infused yuzu. It's garnished with a shiso leaf. $20.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493789" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Here it is again.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493774" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] A visual spectacle, Holy Water is made with Miguel Torres pisco, junmai sake, roses and citric extract. Here it is, pre-lit. $18.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493775" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] This drink is lit.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493776" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] The flames reveal a hidden rose.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493770" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] NZR Group's executive chef Jordan Sclare (left) with C.E.O. and founder Kurt Zdesar.[/caption]
The space
The 10,000-square-foot, Andy Martin Architecture–designed space is decorated with dramatic murals and includes various sitting areas, including a robata grill counter, a sushi bar and a main dining room that can seat 220 guests. AkACHAN, the cocktail lounge, will host nightly DJs and live entertainment. Coming soon: a Front Street–flanking heated terrace that will accommodate up to 150 people.
[caption id="attachment_493777" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Here's the lobby.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493785" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] This is the main dining room.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493783" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Here's the robata grill counter.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493767" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Here's the cocktail lounge, Akachan. Japanese for baby or infant, Akachan is the brand’s first cocktail lounge.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493766" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] The cocktail lounge has a DJ booth.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493769" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] And more of the great art that adorns the restaurant.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493793" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] There's even a mural on the way to the washrooms.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493771" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] This is the Brookfield Place entrance.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_493772" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] And from the street.[/caption]){kind=link}