Toronto’s dining scene has been a whirlwind of dynamic, diverse and eclectic this year, as evidenced by our curated list of the 12 best new restaurants. We believe in getting the real scoop from insiders, which is why we tapped into the city’s culinary elite, from Michelin stars to celebrity chefs, to bring you their top picks.
Next up on our list is Anthony Rose, owner-chef of Fat Pasha a Bib Gourmand recipient praised by the Michelin Guide for its food “that you can crave and eat regularly.” We asked him to share his thoughts on the best new addition to the city’s dining scene. Keep reading to discover his exciting selection.
Chef Rose’s pick: MSSM Yorkville
“MSSM Yorkville is stupid delicious. Until someone coughs up $500 to take me to his (Maski Saito’s) Michelin starred restaurant this is where I shall be,” says chef Rose. “So much fun to have your own personal sushi chef and watch the action. I love dinner and a show all in one.”
MSSM Yorkville
The long-awaited offshoot of Sushi Masaki Saito has finally arrived, just in time. When we spoke to the chef — the Michelin stars’ winningest wiz in this country — he derided Toronto sushi and pitied us for our bento bowls. “The food in New York is so much better than the food in Toronto,” he told us last February after scoring two Michelin stars for his eponymous Yorkville boîte, where dinner for two is $1,360 (and that’s forgoing fizzy water for tap). “In Toronto,” he continued, “There are too many fake chefs.” Saito mentioned that he had five more restaurants planned, and the first of these, MSSM Yorkville, offers his Hokkaido scallops and fatty tuna with pickled radish for $75 at lunch (the menu is prix fixe). Although the chef is not personally working the line at these prices ($98 for dinner), the room is vibrant — pop art, Vegas style. Since it doesn’t cost as much as a llama, each bite doesn’t need to transcend but merely impress — which it does, every time. 154 Cumberland St., 2nd
To find out which restaurant Michelin-recongnized chef Anna Chen picked, click here.