Toronto : Editors' Picks : Dining

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Editors' Picks: Dining

The newest eateries and notable cuisine to savour.

by Craig Moy

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Interior shot of Madeline's.

Image © Neill Sturgess

EDITOR'S PICK

Though he recently turned his attention toward the Big Apple, famed chef Susur Lee has not wholly abandoned this city. His eponymous Lee restaurant remains, and now foodies can feast next door at newly minted Madeline’s. Just don’t expect the complex pan-Asian fusion for which its owner is known. Instead, the menu focuses on European-influenced cuisine prepared by longtime Lee protégé Dominic Amaral and served family-style to encourage sharing. Amid the intimate, damask-patterned room, order up and enjoy any number of excellent entrees, including a three-cheese risotto croquette, slow-cooked pork belly with currant jam, and giant calamari with chili mayo and anise salt—a surfeit of options means even the pickiest of gourmands are sure to be satisfied.

Chef Debu Saha of Debu's Nouvelle Indian Cuisine.

UPMARKET INDIAN

After shuttering his popular Biryani House in 2007, venerable chef Debu Saha travelled to Europe and India in search of new cooking techniques and trends. Now he’s back in Toronto, where his elegantly appointed new restaurant, Debu’s Nouvelle Indian Cuisine, showcases the timeless tastes of the subcontinent executed with contemporary French panache. The carte changes bi-weekly, but expect dishes that combine local ingredients and exotic spices, like vindaloo-style Ontario rack of lamb and peppercorn-crusted caribou in a korma sauce. Chef Saha’s five-course tasting menu and renowned vegan-friendly spread add even more flavour to the culinary fusion.

A delicious cappuccino from B Espresso Bar.

JAVA BREAK

Find respite from winter’s chill at one of these top coffee shops.
1. AROMA: Adorned in red, black and chrome, this Israeli import is a sleek space in which to sip a thick mocha or Turkish coffee, or nosh on a house-made sandwich.
2. B ESPRESSO: Italian to the core—from the authentic espresso and cappuccino to its fresh-baked breakfast frittata and baristas who always know the latest Serie A results.
3. BALZAC’S COFFEE: Named for one of history’s great writers and coffee-lovers, this café micro-roasts Arabica, organic and fair-trade beans daily for its Distillery Historic District devotees.
4. DARK HORSE ESPRESSO BAR: The welcoming, lived-in ambience—complete with a large communal table—at this relatively new coffeehouse has made it a staple of the Queen East strip.
5. MANIC COFFEE (426 College St., 416-966-3888): The joe at this hip spot is made fresh before your eyes using a high-tech and über-exclusive Clover coffee machine.