Although inflation has caused the cost of dining out to soar, there are many standout restaurants in the city with quality food at reasonable prices. And when it comes to restaurant recommendations, who better to trust than a chef — and a Michelin chef to boot!

Chef Jeffrey Bovis, recently awarded a Bib Gourmand for Wynona— a neighbourhood bistro serving up mouthwatering house-made pasta — recently shared his favourite affordable restaurant in Toronto where two can dine with wine for under $100. Read on to find out which spot he selected.

Chef Bovis wants to eat at: Magic Noodle

“They have several locations, but the quality of the locations can vary a lot. The one up by Willowdale (North York) is good,” he recently told us. “The lamb soup with hand-pulled noodles is good, and they also do a rolled onion pancake with sliced beef.”

Magic Noodle

Authentic hand-pulled noodles are made fresh daily at all four Magic Noodle locations. The no-frills Chinese eatery offers bouncy, chewy, customizable noodles, which are then served in a savoury slow-cooked stock that’s different from Japanese ramen. Thirteen varieties of soup noodles, including customer favourite, Magic beef, is topped with slices of braised beef shank that has been slow-cooked to perfection in their specialty marinade. A number of stir-fried and dry noodle dishes round out the menu, which also includes savoury snacks and small plates, like fresh squid that’s served sizzling, and, for the more adventurous, Chinese delicacy haggis soup is made with slow-cooked lamb organ meats, which give the stock a rich and fragrant flavour. It’s a prime spot for students, thanks to the generous portions and casual vibe. 93 Harbord St; 1383 16th Ave., Richmond Hill; 2190 McNicoll Ave., Scarborough; 5453 Yonge St., North York

If you want to know where chef Steven Molnar of Quetzal eats cheap, click here, for Rob Rossi of Osteria Guilia click here.  And to find out where chefs Kate Chomyshyn and Julio Guajardo of Fonda Balam get an affordable meal, click here.