A new chapter for Aburi Hana features an a la carte menu, Japanese cocktails, a dramatic new look and an exquisite dining experience.
I’ve often walked by a narrow passage on Yorkville, looked up at a discreet sign—Aburi Hana—and continued walking, oblivious to the fact that within, there is a Michelin Starred, Edo-inspired Japanese dining salon, serving a thoughtfully composed, intricate, contemporary Japanese menu.
At the entrance, dense black and gold tones create an immediate calm after the cacophonous street outside. Sophisticated design in deeper shades of the color spectrum—indigo walls and soft lantern-light, are instantly relaxing. The illuminated bar with a focal point of a vermillion marble column invites us to investigate the creative cocktail, sake, wine and spirits menus and the jovial personality of multi-award-winning Bar Director, Troy Gilchrist. He draws inspiration from Japanese culture and ingredients while adding a contemporary twist.
At a comfortable table for two, I am enchanted by the calm ambiance of this spacious dining room, and look forward to an exceptional array of a la carte dishes.
The opening dish in this thoughtfully composed tasting menu is Kinmedai Prosciutto Ae—Kinmedai (splendid alfonsino/red snapper), is prepared prosciutto-style with Yuzu vinaigrette, myoga (Japanese ginger), and young green onion. “Ae” refers to a Japanese preparation in which an ingredient is dressed or tossed with a sauce or seasoning.
Flavours and texture are intriguing in Kombu-Cured Wagyu Tartare. A really generous round of Wagyu beef cured with kombu, accompanied by pickled plum, smoked daikon, koji egg yolk and the crunch of shichimi-spiced polenta chips. Shichimi is the Japanese seven-spice blend, usually containing chili and other aromatic spices. The elusive and mysterious flavors flirt with my tastebuds.
Japanese Garden Salad uses seasonal local vegetables, and then uplifts them by umami soy dressing, egg-yolk sabayon and sweet fermented daikon pickle. It all works as a kind of palate cleanser to prepare us for what is my favorite dish of the evening.
Matcha Shokupan, is a soft, slightly sweet Japanese milk bread topped with foie gras parfait, candied hazelnuts, and pickled vegetables, preserved in sake-lees and Kinzanji miso, a chunky, slightly sweet Japanese miso that serves to enhance each mouthful. My next visit here will be to sit at the bar, indulge in this dish along with one of the cocktails created by Troy Gilchrist, maybe Bullet Train or The End Has no End.
The flavours and textures of our tasting menu continue to be pleasant surprises. I have always said, “First we eat with our eyes.” The beauty of the porcelain plates fascinate me, so that I have to indulge my curiosity and commit a faux pas by turning over a plate to learn the brand name. (Arita, a 400-year-old Japanese company.) Each plate has been chosen to enhance the beauty of the food and becomes part of the story-telling.
The renowned Iberico Pork Secreto Misozuke—richly marbled Iberico pork, miso-marinated and enhanced with Manganji sweet pepper and Japanese mustard, confirms that every element is guided by the spirit of omotenashi, a Japanese approach to hospitality rooted in sincerity, thoughtful anticipation and care.
There is an elegance and theatricality which clearly inspires this dining experience and adds to our appreciation of the evening. Oshi Selection—a jeweled selection of pressed sushi of king salmon; uni and salmon roe; spot prawn and caviar; and seared otoro with cured mullet roe. Each flawless dish appears to have been inspired by the rhythm of Japan’s four seasons, and showcases ingredients at their peak.
In every culture, there is dessert. Wasanbon Ice Cream, made with the exceptionally fine, delicate Okinawan brown-sugar syrup and Wasanbon meringue is the perfect ending to an exceptional dining experience.
A restaurant like Aburi Hana does not happen hap-hazard, and it has been honoured with a Michelin Star since 2022. Clearly, the meticulous work of K.O.S. Design Inc., Culinary Director Aiko Uchigishi and Head Chef So Sakata, under the direction of Noriaki Okubo, President of Aburi Restaurants Canada and CEO Seigo Nakamura, have created a unique destination for an exquisite dining experience. And we are the happy beneficiaries. Gochisousamadeshita!
Abura Hana. 102 Yorkville Avenue, Unit 4, Lower Level. 647-252-5194