An immersive, multi-sensory, and colourful new restaurant is opening in Toronto, and a familiar face is leading the charge in the kitchen.
Chef Nuit Regular, who most recently opened Pai Uptown, will be leading the culinary program at Selva. The team behind the new space is the same as RendezViews, which transformed an old parking lot at 229 Richmond St. West into one of the city’s most colourful, epic outdoor patios. Selva opens Nov. 3 at 221 Richmond St. West, and reservations will be available to book starting Oct. 24.
Selva, which translates to jungle from Spanish, will feature massive murals of contemporary art, black lights, lots of tropical plants, and plenty of visually stimulating experiences.
The Food
During the pandemic, Chef Nuit learned to cook many different cuisines as she travelled the world in her kitchen, and was eager to share her new-found interest with others.
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With the jungle and nature as her backdrop, Chef Nuit’s menu draws inspiration from the incredible artwork created by Clandestinos Art (Bruno Smoky + Shalak Attack who also created Reflections, the much talked about mural at RendezViews) and the cuisines of South America.
Selva’s menu will merge chef Nuit’s Thai flavours with a nod to South American cuisine. Chef Nuit Regular’s goal is to complement the immersive multi-sensory experience at Selva by creating one-of-a-kind pieces of her hand-crafted edible art.
“Growing up in northern Thailand, I was also surrounded by jungles and nature, so I wanted to find a connection between the cuisines of South American and Thai cuisine—whether it’s a similarity in the ingredients or cooking techniques. I wanted the menu to bring the two cultures together and connect people through food and art,” Chef Nuit Regular says.
Most of the dishes are small plates that are meant to be shared with the whole table. Expect to find a variety of meat and seafood dishes, including four kinds of ceviche (fish, scallop, lobster, and vegan coconut), grilled whole fish, Waygu beef skewers, and plenty of sharing plates.
The menu also features a variety of vegetarian, vegan and keto-friendly items.
Selva is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m.