There is the “right way,” the “wrong way,” and the “good enough way.” It becomes immediately evident at the launch of Toronto restaurant, Lyla’s new culinary chapter that they have executed the “right way”—brilliantly.
The smart design of the building, on the corner, grabs my attention the moment I step out of the taxi. Excuse me for “judging a book by its cover,” but my intuition turns out to be correct.
Co-owners Daniel van Welie and Amen Habtemariam have genuine charm. Highlight the word genuine. They work on the belief that enduring restaurants bring together excellent food, hospitality, thoughtful design and memorable guest experiences. Nice words—and they have become my checklist for the evening.
The bar is an inviting pause before dinner. Head Bartender and Bar Manager Walter Reis has a great smile and a creative soul, both of which inform his cocktail philosophy. Jardin de Fragola is his signature cocktail, made with everyone’s summer favourite, Valley of Mother of God Gin, pineapple, strawberry and kiwi bitters, jauntily capped with a pouf of yuzu foam. From the first sip, it surprises, stimulates and fulfils all at the same time. Later, I applaud his intelligent wine pairings with the menu, which complement the dishes so beautifully.
A tray of toonie-sized caviar blini confirms my intuition. The proof is in the freshly made, crisp and tasty blini—usually the downfall of this delicious little item.
Dinner is introduced with a menu in Four Chapters.
Chapter One offers sparkling, jewel-like nibbles winking invitingly from their plates, and we reciprocate by indulging in provocative bites of roasted octopus, spiked with cherry gastrique and mellowed with smoked tomato and kelp butter.
Another platter show-off is Heirloom Roots: feta, roasted carrots and beets, seasoned with a splash of sherry caramel and textured with something new to me—puffed buckwheat.
The wine pairing is a lovely rosé, proving that actor John Malkovich has talent creating wines as well as characters in movies and plays: his 2024 Les 7 Quelles Rosé from Provence, France.
Chapter Two takes us to Italy with a detour to Japan.
Spaghettoni alla Uni is a pleasing surprise, tossed with uni, Hokkaido uni butter and the crunch of nori pangrattato, with just enough heat in the mouth to create a glow, not a burn.
Risotto al Funghi is textured with a wealth of shiitake mushrooms, perfumed with black garlic and scattered with crunchy puffed buckwheat. Just as I am appreciating the flavours of the risotto, Executive Chef Daniel Kim and Sous Chef Seungho Jeon appear at the table, making us feel welcome and graciously accepting accolades. And they certainly get an earful from me.
I am so enthusiastic about the luscious, rich, sweet-and-savoury risotto. The Japanese rice is cooked to absolute perfection, to order. No pre-cooked and reheated risotto served here.
For the wine, we return to Italy with a 2023 Gavi, Fontanassa, Piedmont.
Chapter Three is an embarrassment of riches, with an overabundance of delectable choices. Service is family-style, and we can overindulge our taste buds with crispy-skin sea bream bathed in Ossetra caviar beurre blanc, blood orange and ramp oil.
I was introduced to ramps decades ago during an unforgettable forest cookout in West Virginia and have not seen them on a local menu until now. The pungency of these wild leeks can dangerously overpower a dish unless utilized by a very canny hand in the kitchen. Here, with the sea bream, the sauce is ambrosial.
And more: USDA Prime striploin, 21-day dry-aged, smokey and rare—just a few degrees beyond blue—is served with salmoriglio, an olive oil, green onion salt and Shimada jus, not often seen outside southern Italy. In fact, it’s similar to what we call Italian dressing on a salad, and it works exceedingly well.
The accessories to these main courses are as far from cliché as they can get. Nicely roasted Brussels sprouts bravely sport a fillet of smoked white anchovy, chilli and crispy shallots. Potato pavé comes with crème fraîche, bergamot and zabaglione espuma. These gorgeous, paper-thin stacked potatoes are quite trendy, and frankly, I hope they never leave. They have taken the place of French fries in my heart.
Back to France for the wine pairing, with the 2024 Copain Domaine du Petit Oratoire, Rhône.
Who knows what to expect after the unique flavour profiles we’ve experienced?
Glorious White Chocolate Tiramisu, served in a glass coupe, has been created with espresso, coffee liqueur, mascarpone, white chocolate, ladyfingers, cocoa powder—and a lot of love.
The cocktail pairing is perfect: an Espresso Martini made with Dillon’s Vodka, Dillon’s espresso liqueur and espresso coffee. No one is in a rush to depart.
In fact, we could spend another hour or so discussing our dinner and the intellectual, beautifully presented and original dishes served. It befits contemplation.
I have great admiration for the abilities of these two young chefs, who seamlessly weave the elements of two distinct cuisines into their own footprint, creating dishes that are thoughtful, ingredient-driven and unique, yet retain their authenticity.
And this is not to ignore the confidence of co-owners Daniel and Amen in their chefs, encouraging them to do things “the right way.” And we, the clientele who fill this restaurant every night, are the ones who reap the benefits.
Lyla, 60 Sudbury Street, 647-948-7997