Bloomberg – Michelin stars are already on the Toronto map. On September 13, the prestigious guide awarded stars to 13 restaurants in the city for its first experience in Canada.
Only one restaurant got two stars: Sushi Masaki Saito, where an omakase experience costs C$680 ($523) and serves diners daily fish from Japan, served fresh and perennial. It’s run by Chef Masaaki Saito, who used to work at two-star Sushi Restaurant Ginza Onodera in New York.
“It’s very, very important for Michelin to come to Canada,” Saito says. “For the first year, it doesn’t matter if you get one, two, or three stars.” He laughs: “In the end I’ll get three, four and five.”
The remaining ten restaurants received one star (which means a quality food rating). Among them are two of Patrick’s Kris’ restaurants: the French Alo Restaurant and the casual Alobar Yorkville.whose menu ranges from tuna rice to pappardelle duck. This is a notable overlap, especially in a city of 158 neighborhoods with a thriving culinary scene.
Another one-star winner was Edulis, from husband and wife Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth, who focuses on Canadian ingredients and dishes and also won an award for excellent service. Osteria Giulia, winner of a star for its inspiring Italian cuisine, was also awarded the Michelin Prize for Exceptional Cocktails.
The 122-year-old guide, It’s also called 17 Bib Gourmand (good food at a moderate price), which Michelin defines as places where two courses and a glass of wine or dessert cost less than C$60. Places include a wide range of cuisine, from SumiLicious Smoked Meat & Deli to Indian Street Food Co, Middle Eastern and European Jewish joint Fat Pasha, and Gaudi-style Spanish tapas bar.
Monty Wan, co-owner of the award-winning favorite Thai BBQ Bib Gourmand, doesn’t think the Michelin menu really represents the melting pot of Toronto. “There was good variety, but I’d like to see more,” he says.
Analyzing Toronto was not an easy task, given that it is the fourth most populous city in North America. “Toronto is without a doubt a huge city,” said Michelin’s chief inspector for North America, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of his position. He said the study focused on the greater Toronto area. Areas such as Markham and Richmond Hill, which are suburbs located about 30 kilometers from the city center but part of the Greater Toronto Area, are not included.
When asked how the city compares to Miami, Orlando and Tampa, whose stars were announced in June, Gwendal Paulnik, guide’s international director, said Toronto is “very diverse globally, with flavors from every corner of the world.” The Florida trio of cities overall got 15 stars, compared to Toronto’s 13.
Michelin is on its way somewhat in North America. In 2021, the guide included only four places: New York, Washington, Chicago, and California. Now there are seven Including Florida and Vancouver. The awards are due to be announced in the fall. Menus aren’t necessarily cheap: Visit Florida Local travel agencies are said to have paid $1.5 million for a restaurant rating guide.
Michelin began working with Destination Toronto, Destination Ontario and Destination Canada two years before the pandemic to assess the region, Paulinick says. He declined to comment on the details of the partnership, saying it revolved around “promotion, marketing and communication strategies.”
The benefits of working with Michelin are “clear and immediate and have a huge impact throughout the culinary community,” says Andrew Weir, executive vice president of Destination Toronto. He says the agency has researched places like Thailand, Chicago and Washington to see the benefits of a guide covering the city.
“This is a multi-year initiative and partnership,” Ware adds.
Polnik repeats that the mentor and her inspectors have a “fierce” independence. “Tourist organizations and boards have no idea what the choices are, and you will only find out during the advertisement.”
A Destination Ontario spokesperson also declined to reveal details of the partnership with Michelin: “Destination Ontario works with Michelin only on marketing and promotion efforts. The agreement allows for collaborative work to promote the culinary show in the region.”
Some of the area’s favorites, such as Chef Ron McKinlay’s Canoe Restaurant and Bar, a contemporary Canadian restaurant serving dishes that highlight the country’s diverse cuisines, haven’t received any stars. “Our inspectors visited Canoe many times and enjoyed it. They included it in the selection as a recommended restaurant, but it was generally agreed that it did not reach the one star level at this time,” says the chief inspector. “However, the inspectors will continue to monitor the development for a possible upgrade in future choices.”
Here is a list of Michelin-starred restaurants in Toronto.
2 stars
sushi masaki saito
a star
Abury Hanna
Welcome
Alubar Yorkville
Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto
Yorkville Riddle
Idols
Frilu Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto
Austria Julia
quetzal
Shushin
Yokashi
Bib Gourmands (Good food at a moderate price)
shred
spirit
Bar Raval
My heart
Siri Saint Bar-B-Q
Chicken Chica
Social Winery
Fat Pasha
Thai favorite
Plum Fonda
Gray Gardens
Indian Street Food Company
Bartola
Puerto Bravo
research and development
Sumy Smoked Beef Deli
Winona
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