Wine and dine in Toronto

HOME CHEF Shinette Khoury, a Filipina entrepreneur married to a Lebanese, makes the best home-cooked Lebanese dishes —Contributed photo

I’m happy to have been able to visit Toronto albeit very briefly. Here are a few recommendations for a whirlwind trip for a first timer!

Beavertails

Aside from poutine, an iconic Canadian specialty is beavertail! This was introduced to us by Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita ‘Meian’ Austria, who is as eloquent as she is charming and Toronto Consul General Angie Escalona, who is a really sweet and generous diplomat. Beavertails are deep-fried dough pastries that are stretched to resemble the shape of a beaver’s tail. It looks like a flatbread, although sprinkled with cinnamon. Pinoys would remember maruya from the looks of it. While the original is simply sprinkled with cinnamon, there are now also options for chocolate and other toppings. You can just get these from stalls on the street.

Kensington

For a hip happening foodie neighborhood, head over to Kensington. Man about town Gino Khoury recommends Grey Gardens, which is on the Bib Gourmand list of the Michelin Guide. The Michelin review states, “Everyone is drawn to restaurateur Jen Agg’s hip, boisterous venue, which manages both style and substance with confident charm. An excellent wine list is paired with a small, mercurial menu that punches above its weight class, where ostensibly simple, unassuming dishes turn out to be heavy hitters. Raw items like oysters and crudos are commendably fresh and the house-made pastas are real showstoppers. Take as an example hearty spaghetti twirled with a mackerel-based twist on XO sauce, lifted with fermented chili puree and crunchy potato crumbs: beguilingly complex, indulgent and umami-packed. The menu might only offer a duo of desserts, but they’re just as inspired as the rest—in other words, not to be missed.”

This restaurant is just one among many in this area, which is like Makati’s Poblacion. I very much enjoyed the branzino, which is European seabass. But here it was served carpaccio-style. What was interesting was that they used green mangoes to break the monotony of the fish, alongside yuzu and daikon. I also enjoyed their deconstructed vegetarian “shawarma”. Instead of meat, the center of attraction is roasted asparagus that you can mix with hummus and tabouleh to be stuffed in a small pita bread. Note, though, that is not a family-style resto but a hip space to enjoy with friends.

Milo’s

A restaurant that everyone’s watching out for is Milo’s. This is a Greek restaurant—considered one of the world’s most famous Greek restaurants—that originated in Montreal. It has the best tzatziki with the most delicate fried zucchini tower. It has the freshest fish that is served simply doused with olive oil—which is enough because they use their own, My Sister’s Olive Oil, which is absolutely divine with just a touch of sweetness. They also have excellent lamb. And Shinette Khoury, an excellent home chef and the doyenne of Lebanese food in Montreal (she is a Filipina entrepreneur married to Lebanese businessman Tony Khoury and learned to cook the recipes of her mother-in-law when she lived in Lebanon in the early years of her marriage), swears by their crab cakes. It has been confirmed that Estiatorio Milos will open in Toronto in 2024.

Loblaws

This might be just another grocery store for Canadians, but for me, this grocery is a dream. It has an excessive selection of cheeses from all over the world, a wine area on the second floor and everything else you need food-wise on the ground floor. You can get your maple syrup pasalubong from here. There are also tables, so you can just buy your deli food and enjoy it right then and there. There are many branches but the one I saw and thoroughly enjoyed was beside the Holiday Inn Downtown.

Library Bar

The Library Bar is a sleek bar at the Fairmont Royal York that reeks of opulence and class. Its menu is an ode to ‘Poetry’, quoting Percy Bysshe Shelley: “Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar”, as it describes its offerings as “elegant cocktails moved by beautiful words and powerful feelings”. It quotes Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno—“Into the eternal darkness, into fire and into ice”—for its drink, Divine Comedy, which is a spicy, savory and refreshing gin-based drink that is “as complex and strange as any of us”. It quotes Isaa Takahata’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya—“Come round, oh distant time. Come round, call back my heart”—for its drink The Moon, which is a vodka-based drink with shochu, grapefruit, coconut yogurt and butterfly pea flower that is “elegant as a princess in a bamboo wood, soft as the light from the purple moon”. Their signature martini may just be the one of the best in the world. Choose the option with their signature gin. Look for Christine who is Filipina!

CN Tower

I was told that for the best dining experience, it has to be at the revolving restaurant of the CN Tower called 360 The Restaurant at CN Tower. It’s a 350-meter high revolving restaurant that offers an incredible view. I was not able to experience this. So I will just have to come back!!

Thank you, Toronto, for an incredible stay! Next time I hope to see more of Canada!