Okeya Kyujiro Toronto’s newest Omakase restaurant is opening in May. The Michelin-starred restaurant, which currently has locations in Vancouver and Montreal, promises a theatrical experience along with the finest and freshest ingredients sourced from Japan.
Opening on Belair Street in Yorkville, this restaurant stands out among the plethora of Omakase or “chef’s choice” eateries in Toronto. What sets it apart is its aim to transport diners to Japan with its immersive dining concept, promising an authentic Japanese culinary journey. From the moment guests are greeted with rising curtains and a warm welcome to the final notes of a tea ceremony accompanied by dramatic music, every aspect of the experience captivates.
Chef Takuya Matsuda from Mie Prefecture, Japan, brings 25 years of culinary expertise to Okeya Kyujiro, ensuring top-notch quality by sourcing the finest fish from Japan and around the world.
While the restaurant’s menu details are yet to be revealed, based on the Montreal and Vancouver locations, guests can expect approximately 20 courses predominantly featuring sushi. The experience also includes dessert and a tea ceremony, lasting around one and a half hours.
From the Michelin Guide’s Point of View, the Vancouver location promises an intriguing evening ahead:
“Hosts dressed in stunning traditional clothing guide you to a dark room, lit only by the faintest glow from votive candles. A black curtain is raised ceremoniously only when the clock strikes the precise minute of your seating. These are the first clues that this is far from your typical omakase. From the premium, hyper-seasonal fish to the demonstration of sasagiri (traditional Japanese bamboo leaf carving), it is a memorable show from start to finish. Highlights include chawanmushi with crab, shatteringly crispy tempura sandbar fish, spicy firefly squid on a bamboo skewer, and a presentation of two uni petals from different Japanese waters served with seaweed jam. Sweet courses garner attention, especially wagashi, fashioned into a flower here.”
Reservations are now open on OpenTable for two seating times, 5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., starting May 9. The soft opening price is set at $300 per person
Okeya Kyujiro is located at 26 Bellair St., second floor.
Making movies must run deep in the Cronenberg clan DNA. First, the legend himself, David Cronenberg, followed by son Brandon, and now daughter Caitlin just released her first film, Humane.
Humane is playing at the Fox Theatre on April 26 and 28 and other cinemas.
There are three film directors in your family now. What’s that like?
It makes pretty much no difference to me whatsoever. Apart from just sharing, lamenting moments about, oh, casting is really hard, or someone is taking a really long time getting back to us, or something fell through and kind of bitching about it together — everybody is doing their own kind of thing. Their art is very different from mine. And I think people will be trying to find comparisons, but it won’t be that straightforward because I’m not really thinking about what they’re doing or what they’ve done, as I’m kind of moving forward into this.
Did your dad want to get in there and help or was he chill?
Oh, he’s so chill. I mean, he’s not the kind of person who offers advice unless he’s asked for it. And I only ask for it if I really feel that I need it. You know, I’ve been working long enough. But I think that he just trusts that I know what I’m doing enough to ask for help when I need it. And he’s not the kind of person who would step in and try to interject if he doesn’t think I need help. And I appreciate that because, as you know, nobody likes someone who oversteps.
What do you think the biggest lesson is that you learned from him?
I think that the biggest lesson that I learned from watching him work is that you can enjoy your career, you can love what you’re doing and just respect every single member of your cast and crew. Not that I wouldn’t have already. But everybody deserves to be working on a set that feels good to work on. If the director is in a good place then everybody else has the opportunity to feel like they’re in a good place and that they’re in good hands. And I learned that from working on his sets. I hope that my crew would say that our set felt like a very calm and fun place to work.
Has he or Brandon seen the finished film yet?
Neither of them has actually seen the final cut. I definitely showed both of them earlier cuts, like I did with many artists who I trust, and I really wanted to share. And I know that they will be honest with me.
What’s the origin story of Humane?
So funnily enough, Michael Spraga, who wrote it, I actually met him taking his photo for Post City [Yes, Caitlin was our photographer back in the day.—Ed.]. I was given an assignment to go to his house because he had made a movie called Sidekick. I went to his house to take a portrait. He had all these DVDs, and he had DVDs of Veronica Mars. And I loved Veronica Mars. And I didn’t know a lot of other people who loved it. So we started talking about it. We hit it off and became really good friends. And then I worked on another of his films, doing stills, called Servitude. And then he sent me this script.
And he said you were the only one he wanted for Humane. Quite the vote of confidence.
Oh, he was the first of many votes of confidence, which was an amazing way to step onto set on your first day, like our distributors had already bought the movie before we even shot a single frame. So confidence all over the map, and that really set me on a path of hoping that I would make everybody proud.
What makes you the perfect person to direct Humane?
I think that my photography style probably lends itself to some dark visual storytelling, and he knew I wouldn’t be scared of the gore.
Tell me a bit about the cast, many familiar Canadian actors from Jay Baruchel to Emily Hampshire and Enrico Colantoni.
The cast is amazing. Emily Hampshire was the first person to come on board. And I have a relationship with her from having worked together on Schitt’s Creek, as well as just a lot of other projects. Our paths have crossed many times, and we’re friends. And when I brought it to her, I just said, ‘this is you like you are Rachel’ and she agreed and she came on board first. Then she was also very excited about the prospect of having Jay play her brother because they’ve also known each other for a million years and they’ve never played siblings. But they’ve been friends and worked together. And then Enrico Colantoni playing the villain was the key to all of it. Michael wrote that part with Enrico in mind.
What did he bring to all of this?
He’s been in so many things that people recognise him from, but people don’t always know him by name. They know him by a face. Obviously, he’s got an amazing face, but his name recognition is reserved for fans. But he often plays a nice guy, rather than the villain, because he is a nice guy. He’s a legitimately lovely human being. And he was so good in this movie. It’s the just the layers that he gives to this character, this sinister, evil, sad character. And he brings the entire thing together. And we would do takes where I would say cut, and we would applaud. Because he nailed his insane monologues. His talent is just outrageous.
What are you hoping people take from Humane?
I just want people to have a good time. It’s meant to be a fun and entertaining time at the movies. I’m not trying to teach people about climate change. They should know what’s really going on in the world. So really, this is just meant to be a fun, fun film — to make you laugh, make you gasp, make you close your eyes and then leave and say, ‘Wow, I really enjoyed that.’
20 Maud is both the name and address of the archive sellers’ new base, out of which they’ll be selling extremely rare archive clothing, offering private shopping appointments as well as a buy/sell/trade program, monthly membership plans including a photography studio and styling services and monthly community events.
Kicking off this weekend, 20 Maud will be open to the public for the first time April 27-28 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. The new shop’s community events will feel similar to the massive pop-ups the pair have been known to host in the past, with thousands of pieces for sale, a buzzing crowd of fashion enthusiasts and interactive elements– in this case, a live DJ. They even have customers from China and the U.S. flying in for the event.
“A lot of stuff is really hard to get, which means we might be some of the only people in the world with certain pieces,” explains Maxamenko, pointing to a $20,000 Raf Simons Nebraska sweater on the wall. “If you look up where to buy it, you just can’t,” he says.
“People will get to browse our entire archive at discounted prices, which is something we rarely do,” he adds. “We don’t really do sales on this type of archive because it’s so difficult to find, so when we do events like this, we just want to bring the city together and show our gratitude for everyone supporting us.”
Ferguson likens it to a museum: “You can come see 40 years of fashion in one room and they’re the most exotic pieces you’ll ever get to lay your eyes on.”
On a normal day the two of them will operate the store alone, but with the anticipation of high foot traffic, they plan to hire upwards of 15 additional staff members for their public events. “It creates a lot of networking opportunities,” adds Ferguson. They also have two TMU fashion students joining them as interns.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who met their friends at our pop-ups in the past. I feel like Toronto lacks that community element a bit [in the archive fashion scene], so we want this to be a space where people can come and feel comfortable to be themselves,” he says.
Buy/sell/trade services will be booked through the duo’s websites, just like shopping appointments. “If people want to come offload gear, I think this is the first spot in Toronto publicly advertising buyouts [as opposed to consignment] for the type of gear that we sell,” Maxamenko says.
They’ll also be offering tiered monthly memberships ranging from $350-$700, which include a certain number of rentals and access to the photography studio. Nodding to Wild West Social House in L.A., a membership-driven luxury brick-and-mortar rental service and clubhouse for the entertainment and fashion industry, Maxamenko says the model is actually more affordable if you’re a stylist working with multiple clients. Instead of paying 20 Maud’s $150 fee for a one-time rental pull, members can access multiple looks a month and use the photo studio, for one price.
At the highest tier, they get an unlimited amount of on-site pulls, 10 off-site pulls, 12 hours of studio time, and first access to new inventory.
“A lot of times people are paying for individual services, so we’re just trying to make a bridge for them and merge those services into one space. It’s especially valuable with this caliber of clothes because most average pull rates [at luxury designer stores] are 50 per cent of the retail cost,” Maxamenko says.
Their excitement is palpable as they talk about their plans to position 20 Maud as a hub for archive fashion.
“We’ve been wanting to do this since we were kids,” says Maxamenko. “I remember lifting weights together in our basement when we were like 12 and 13, and saying how I would love to have a store in Toronto one day.” They’ve been running their individual archive businesses adjacent to each other for eight years, but the store is their first concrete collaborative effort.
Though they share the space, they continue to sell their collections separately. “It’s crazy that this is a reality,” Ferguson says.
Right after opening weekend, the pair are flying to Japan to source new stock for their next community event.
“There aren’t really any people going to pick in-person for archive stuff like this in Canada,” Maxamenko says. “We’re trying to provide a better price point by doing the hands-on labour ourselves.”
They’ll be back on May 17 and will be resuming services full-time then.
A sprawling new food hall is opening in just over a month, right in the heart of King St. W. near Richmond and Spadina.
Located at 499 Richmond St. W., Waterworks Food Hall is a spectacular mixed-use development project that houses 297 condominiums, along with restaurants and food stalls from some of the city’s best-known chefs. It is also connected to one of Toronto’s oldest, most historic parks — the 1.45-acre St. Andrew’s Playground.
“This project has been a true labour of love for us, and we are so proud of how it turned out,” said Eve Lewis, President and CEO of Woodcliffe Landmark Properties. “We believe beautiful, heritage-designed spaces can transform the neighbourhoods they are a part of and elevate our city.”
Photo: Doublespace Photography
The European-style Food Hall seamlessly blends with its surrounding neighbourhood, boasting a 55,000 sq. ft. space featuring old, heritage brick walls, a soaring 30-foot ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the interior in natural light. Throughout the space, steel beams, exposed brick walls, sophisticated tile floors and soaring skylights lend a modern aesthetic. An old gantry crane still resides in the space, adding an authentic touch.
Foodies from all over the city can indulge in a wide range of cultures and flavours from vendors selling everything from freshly-baked goods to vegan eats.
The Food stalls — which total more than 20 — will offer cuisine from around the world, including Aburi Sushi, Harry’s Charbroiled along with beverage offerings from Grape Witches, Civil Works and Boxcar Social. There are also two standalone spaces: Susur Lee’s Lee Restaurants and SOBR Market, the city’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop.
AburiSushi Photo: Kayla Rocca
The Waterworks Food Hall can accommodate a range of dining, including indoor or outdoor preferences, with a stunning central courtyard, banquettes, high-top tables and cafe-style seating. Several restaurants also have patios, while the adjacent park provides a nice spot for those who wish to grab one of the many take-away options.
The site can be accessed from four ground level entrances – Maud Street, Brant Street, Richmond Street W. and St. Andrew’s Playground. There is also a direct entrance from the public underground parking garage.
More than a dozen years ago, a group of people were stuck for 24 hours in a Tim Hortons outlet in Sarnia, Ontario. As they scarfed down sweet treats to stay alive, one of the last things going through their minds was likely, ‘hmm this would actually made a super-good, like, musical I think.’ But that’s where we are, and the stage production inspired by this uniquely Canadian story is getting its world premiere in Toronto next month.
The new Canadian musical titled The Last Timbit is set to debut at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto from June 26 to 30. The production revolves around a group of diverse individuals who find themselves snowed in at a Tim Hortons restaurant during a severe blizzard. The narrative explores themes of family, community, and resilience, drawing inspiration from the event in Sarnia in 2010.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the idea of turning the odd story into a theatrical production was sparked by a marketing company named Gut, which Tim Hortons hired to find ways to celebrate its 60th anniversary on May 17. And, yes, there will be some unique The Last Timbit merchandise and tasty treats available. Another iconic Canadian brand, Roots, is collaborating on the merchandise.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Michael Rubinoff and an incredible team and cast to bring ‘The Last Timbit‘ to life,” said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons.
The corporation is sparing no expense in putting together an impressive team to pull off this unique marketing exercise turned musical theatre. The person helming the production is Michael Rubinoff of the acclaimed musical Come From Away. A natural choice given that production has its fair share of Tim Horton’s references.
“Great musical theatre is telling compelling stories. Every day across the country, millions of Canadians come together at Tim Hortons where life’s stories unfold,” said Rubinoff, who won an Olivier Award and received a Tony Award nomination for Come From Away.
The musical features a talented cast including Chilina Kennedy, Jake Epstein, last seen in Boy Falls From The Sky (pictured at top) , and others, with music and lyrics by Anika Johnson and Britta Johnson, and a book by Nick Green. Directed by Brian Hill, with choreography by Genny Sermonia, the production promises to captivate audiences with its heartwarming storyline and humor.
“Every Canadian has a relationship with Tim Hortons, it’s a marker of so many huge events in all of our lives – and what an incredible thing to write songs about,” said Britta Johnson, in a press release. “That is a rich playground for writing and we’re really excited about what we’ve made.”
According to producer Rubinoff, The Last Timbit celebrates the communal spiri. The musical aims to evoke nostalgia and connection, resonating with audiences through its portrayal of everyday Canadian experiences.
Torontonians hoping to experience the Paris of daydreams and movie screens won’t have to fly across the ocean, they can take in a sensual Parisian-style musical performance right here in the city this spring.
Triangle d’Or Productions will launch a French cabaret-style production, “Déjà Vu”, in Toronto on May 10. Unlike traditional burlesque, the show will revitalize the Parisian cabaret tradition for Canadian audiences by infusing the city’s multicultural landscape with Parisian dance culture, and embrace diversity and inclusivity by featuring performers of all backgrounds, shapes, and sizes.
The inaugural performance series of ” Déjà Vu ” will take place at The Don on Danforth. The show will run for 21 dates, from May 10 to August 3rd, providing ample opportunities for audiences to immerse themselves in the unforgettable experience.
“Get ready to be transported on a journey of elegance, intrigue, and delight, as we offer a taste of Paris without the need for a plane ticket,” Meydge Anguiley, the founder and creator of Triangle d’Or Productions, Inc., said in a statement.
Anguiley is an international dance artist who hails from Paris, France. Prior to moving to Toronto in 2018, she trained in street dance and Latin dance styles, honed her skills in Paris’s top studios, and performed at renowned venues like the Accor Arena and the Zenith in Paris.
For the upcoming cabaret, she states that the show will “…feature our city’s best performers, and you will find our stage graced by women of all races and shapes, and we are also proud to open the doors to male performers.”
The production is also produced by an all-female creative team under the guidance of Anguiley,
“Déjà Vu” will include a mixture of sophistication with a hint of “provocative allure”.
“Whether you’re a seasoned fan of Cabaret shows or a newcomer to our world, ” Déjà Vu” invites you to embark on a journey of discovery and indulgence,” the producers noted in a news release.
Click here for tickets to ” Déjà Vu ” and here for more information about Anguiley and her French cabaret-style production.
Did the Toronto Eaton Centre just become the city’s ultimate foodie destination? With the opening of The Queens Cross Food Hall, a chef-driven culinary concept located in the mall’s lower level, it certainly seems so.
From the folks behind Oliver & Bonacini, the massive 19,000 square foot space includes 13 food stalls two rotating pop-up spots, a sleek bar and café boasting seating for 300 hungry patrons.
The food stalls offer a variety of globally inspired options, including new quick-service brands and creative twists on established O&B eateries, as well as partnerships and occasional pop-ups.
Get set to indulge in everything from gourmet burgers to finger-lickin’ fried chicken, and from fresh seafood to vibrant vegetarian options. The food hall boasts a lineup that caters to every taste bud, featuring must-tries like Swanky Burger, Beauty’s Fried Chicken, Gil’s Fish & Chipperie and others.
“Our team of chefs continue to work hard developing a diverse array of cuisines while ensuring each menu is thoughtfully curated with quality and taste a top priority,” says Chef Michael Robertson, O&B’s Corporate Events Chef who is overseeing the project. “We’re excited for guests to explore the wide variety of options we have available and choose their own culinary adventure. From smash burgers and coq au vin BLTs to hand-stretched pizzas, pork belly baos and robust salads, you name it, we’ve got it, or it’s likely coming soon!”
Inspired by the nearby Queen subway station, Queen’s Cross is designed to evoke the vibrant hustle and bustle of a cosmopolitan train station. Think dynamic custom signage, an ever-changing split flap board, and façades that perfectly capture the essence of each culinary brand.
Food stalls will include:
Swanky Burger
Beauty’s Fried Chicken
Gil’s Fish & Chipperie
Happy Tangle
Garden Variety
Lala’s Cantina
Babel Hummus Bar
Underground Sandwich
Curryosity
Captain Neon Sushi & Bowls
Le Petit Cornichon
Red Sauce
Libretto Slice Shop
Lil Rebel (limited-time pop-up by Chef Eric Chong of R&D)
Craig’s Cookies (limited-time pop-up)
Crossbar (café and bar offering coffee and breakfast service in the mornings, and full bar service in the afternoons and evenings)
Located at the south end of the mall’s lower level, Queen’s Cross Food Hall is open seven days a week for all-day dining.
This is your official notice that Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 12. It still might seem far away, but reservations are already filling up fast in diners and eateries across Toronto, especially when it comes to brunch — everyone’s favourite way to spend even a regular Sunday, let alone Mother’s Day.
Prove to those mothers, grandmothers, step-mothers, and mother figures in your life that they are someone special with these Mother’s Day specialty brunches around Toronto.
For brunch and entertainment: Valerie Toronto
@valerietoronto/Instagram
Valerie Toronto has both the menu and entertainment covered for Mother’s Day, so you don’t have to so much as lift a finger. Whether mom wants to look out the skyline views while at the top of premier Hotel X or enjoy the soft sounds of live jazz, Valerie Toronto is serving it up. The menu kicks off with a pastry basket and a choice of a starter, and end with a sweet choice of dessert, while the mains options include smoked salmon benedict, confit duck hash, karaage and waffles, truffle carbonara udon, and a 12-piece Valerie sushi set. To make the day extra celebratory, bottomless mimosa are up for grabs ($45 addition). The Mother’s Day Jazz brunch is priced at $75. 111 Princes Blvd, 28th Floor
For bubbles: Roses Social
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Located in Hotel X, Roses Social is the best spot to get an early start on Mother’s Day with brunch beginning as early as 7 a.m. Guests can dine on the a la carte menu (with options including the highlight truffle tuna crudo) or enjoy Mother’s Day features, like the salmon rosti, croque madame, and chicken and waffles. Make the morning extra sparkling with a bottle of Fiol bubbles for $76. 111 Princes Blvd.
For nostalgia: Old Mill
@oldmilltoronto/Instagram
If the mother figures in your life are more sentimental, traditionalists, and appreciative of stories and histories, perhaps a trip to the Old Mill Toronto is best in store. On Saturday, May 11 ($60, $25 for children 4 -11 and free under 3) and Sunday, May 12 ($75, $35 for children 4-11, and free under 3), the Mother’s Day Brunch and Dinner features a gourmet spread of fresh-crafted dishes from decadent sweets and desserts to filling, mouth-watering entrees of seafood, charcuterie boards, salads, potatoes, and, for dinner, a carving station. Scones, cupcake towers, croissants, muffins, strudels, and other assorted pastries will bookend the meal.
If that’s not enough, Old Mill is also hosting their Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea from Thursdays to Sundays between May 2 to May 11, full of pastries, finger sandwiches, and exquisite teas. Afternoon Tea goes for $70 per person. 21 Old Mill Road
For the Queens: Reign Toronto
@reigntoronto/Instagram
“Reign” supreme with the Mother’s Day brunch experience offered at Fairmont Royal York’s Reign. The excusive, sophisticated buffet offering features some of the restaurant’s favourite dishes fit only for the Queen, from pastries and fresh-made break, charcuteries, seafood, salad, herb-crusted lamb leg, maple and mustard salmon, orecchiette, and more. Made-to-order exclusives include avocado and smoked salmon benedict, omelette, duck confit, strawberry and cream stack, and a dessert with a selection of cakes, pastries, tarts, and pies.
Only available between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Mother’s Day, spots for this brunch are selling fast. Reservations cost $135 ($55 for children 12 and under). 100 Front St W.
Staycation: ONE King West
The Mother’s Day brunch at ONE King West is open to those who aren’t just spending the night, but staycations are always in style if you’re really in the mood to spoil mom. The eloquent buffet includes a live egg station, breakfast classics, a seafood bar (shrimp cocktail, seafood salad, smoked salmon, baked salmon), antipasto and salad bar, soup station, pasta bar, carving station (prime rib, roasted chicken), and a sweet table of artisanal pastries and cakes.
Mother’s Day brunch at ONE King West runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $105 per adult and $35 for children 12 and under. 1 King St. W.
For those with loose purse strings: TOCA
@tocatoronto/Instagram
TOCA is making it easy to choose how you want to celebrate the motherly figures in your life, in a cozy, comfortable space. Exclusively held on May 12 at 2 p.m. and 2:30, the Ritz-Carlton Toront0 is hosting the return of their Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet. Including an exquisite seafood selection, the day will include a wide offerings and special time spent with mom. Brunch reservations cost $185 per person or $85 for children aged 2 to 12.
Prefer a set menu? Get a taste of the pre-set 3-course brunch menu intentionally made for Mother’s Day. This dinner is only available on May 11 for $75. 181 Wellington Street W.
For the refined: EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace
@epochtoronto/Instagram
The exclusive Afternoon Tea at EPOCH will include no shortage of sweet treats and fine treats, combined with EPOCH’s rich and elegant ambiance. Held on both May 11 and 12, guests can make it their own by adding on champaign, sparkling wine, or signature cocktails. EPOCH’s Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea costs $90 per person.181 Wellington St W.
For the whole family: NODO Liberty
Mothers with a taste for Italian cuisine might be best suited for the Mother’s Day buffet found at NODO Liberty between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Mother’s Day. With many gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly options, this buffet is made for everyone with antipastos and oysters, pastas, pizzas, salads, and plenty of breakfast options, like croissants, pancakes, and an omelette stations. The brunch buffet costs $89 per person ($39 for children 4 – 12 and free for those under 4).120 Lynn Williams St.
For more than food: The Drake
@thedrakehotel/Instagram
Toast the mothers and mother figures in your life by raising your caesars and mimosas at The Drake Hotel on Mother’s Day. Chef McMeekin will serve up a multi-course brunch with the classics including mini blueberry scones, and Drake breakfast or bennys, combined with new dishes mushroom toast and finish it off with a house-made lemon meringue tart. The dinner will include a small gift for the mother of honour from Indigenous woman-owned business Roots + Raven, and guests can purchase a flower bouquet with a portion of proceeds benefiting Sistering, a multi-service agency for at-risk women and gender diverse individuals.
Brunch at The Drake costs $50 per person ($25 for children) with reservations available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. 1150 Queen St. W.
For a pampering: W Toronto
This Mother’s Day, W Toronto’s W Living Room is serving up a high te that is entirely beauty inspired. What does that mean? Strawberry edible lipsticks, ruby fudge ‘chapeaux’, clotted ‘night’ cream, and more all as sweet and savory petit fours. Delivered by a custom makeup case with floral loose-leaf teas, the bites at the High Beau-Tea treatment will have mom feeling ready to hit the runway. Champagne by bottle or the glass are available as an add-on. The beauty afternoon tea is priced at $95 per person and available Thursdays through Sundays.
While at W Toronto, visit the elaborate floral installation as part of Fleurs de Villes, a local floral trail throughout the Yorkville neighbourhood. Through the collaboration, W Toronto is also hosting Flower Power and Chocolate Paint and Wine workshops over Mother’s Day weekend. 90 Bloor St E.
Occasion dressing is a one-way street to breaking the bank, especially when you’re in that era of your life when all your friends are getting married. But there’s a new dress rental shop in Toronto that will make evening wear pretty affordable, ultra-sustainable — and plenty of fun.
Toronto has a limited but growing dress rental scene, previously only occupied by Fitzroy Rentals on Sterling Road and Rent the Couture on Carlton Street — but now there’s a new addition, Leslieville’sRentesthetic.
The dress rental boutique run by Iryna Bon and Anastasia Chystokoliana offers an affordable line of occasion dresses and doubles as a photography studio, so you can get professional shots of you in your special dress. That’s because Chystokoliana is a professional photographer by trade, operating a full-time wedding photography business on the side, and Bon is a fashion stylist, and the owner of a modeling agency based in Ukraine. Together they offer mini photo sessions wherein Bon styles the clients using the Rentesthetic collection, and Chystokoliana photographs them.
They’ve also begun hosting community networking events for women that work in fashion or a related industry, or are simply passionate about fashion. The first one was held on April 6 in the Rentesthetic space, where at least 40 women came out, and the Reshesthetic girls were so pleased by the success that they intend to host similar events at least once a month.
“Women are invited to come and network, meet each other, and hopefully make some friends,” explains Chystokoliana.
The women have been working and living in Toronto for just under 10 years, having freelanced in their industries until they met in 2018. Bon actually came to Chystokoliana as a client for a photo shoot, and they immediately hit it off.
“We clicked really well, so we went for coffee and started talking about our work,” says Chystokolian. They decided to combine their services to offer styled photo sessions.
When the pandemic hit, they were forced to rethink their business practice.
“We realized how wasteful and unsustainable it was to purchase a significant amount of clothing for each shoot, which then cluttered our closets,” Chystokolian says. But when the events industry started picking up again, there was a boom in demand for their services, and they noticed that more and more women were seeking occasion wear. Clients were asking them where they could find designer dresses for parties and events.
“A lot of women couldn’t figure out what to wear or where to find clothes, and they didn’t want to buy a dress they would only wear once,” says Bon. “The business allowed us to address this problem while remaining in the fashion industry in a way that we felt good about.”
They began operating their dress rental business on social media, but always intended to open a physical space in Toronto so that clients could come in for fittings. “There’s a big need for that because with women having so many body types; it’s really hard to find a dress online that will actually perfectly fit,” Chystokolian says.
Finally the time came to open the physical space, and the Rentesthetic boutique officially opened in the summer of 2023.
“Our first client was an incredible moment for us,” Chystokolian says. “She found us on social media, and she was looking for a dress for a party — a very plain dress, nothing crazy. But when she came in here she saw our collection of dresses and she started trying them on. She tried on a very bright, yellow dress with pink feathers and she was obsessed — she put it on and she started shining.”
“She fell in love, she rented it, and we were just so excited to let her explore, play and see herself in a dress that she wouldn’t have tried before,” adds Bon.
The dresses are available for four day and eight day rentals, with the average prices being $100 and $120 respectively. “We wanted to make sure it’s an affordable alternative to buying, because a lot of people tend to go for fast fashion options because it’s cheaper,” says Chystokolian. “We hope to educate people on how they can spend the same amount of money but on a quality piece that they wouldn’t have to own. They can just wear it, return it and then wear something different for another event.”
“A lot of our clients come to the boutique and are surprised that such a service exists,” Bon says. “We’re very excited to see more and more women embrace the concept of renting instead of buying.”
Rentesthetic is open 260 Carlaw Ave. every day of the week from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., or book a fitting by appointment.
Toronto’s vegetarian scene is thriving, landing it in the global spotlight as the 50th most vegetarian-friendly city. Whether you’re a devoted herbivore or just curious, there’s no shortage of delicious plant-forward options to explore in the city!
Gia
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Dundas West’s, Gia is more than just your average Italian eatery. With a plant-forward menu that celebrates the best of both worlds, Gia offers a unique dining experience that caters to vegetarians and omnivores alike. From housemade pasta to locally sourced organic produce, every dish is crafted with care and attention to detail. But it’s not just about the food—Gia’s cocktail program is equally impressive, blending Italian influences with classic mixology to create signature drinks that perfectly complement the menu. With seating for 32 indoors and 30 more on their elegant CafeTO patio, Gia strikes the perfect balance between relaxed and sophisticated dining.
Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant
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Buddha’s Vegan restaurant has been a beloved fixture in Chinatown since 1991. Known for its delicious Asian-fusion cuisine, it’s a go-to spot for vegans and food enthusiasts alike. Their menu boasts crowd favourites like chow mein and General Tao’s veggie chicken. With rave reviews and flavourful offerings, Buddha’s continues to impress with every bite.
Hawker
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A new-ish kid on the Kensington Market block, Hawker is an upscale spot for plant-based small plates helmed by chefs Jeff Merkel and Leah Steduto. The menu takes inspiration from nature with appropriately named pretty-as-a-picture dishes including Starry Night made with biryani, smoked poblano and lavender and God’s work ($18) comprised of romano beans, pepper paste and pine nut. There’s also a selection of vegan wines and cocktails too.
La Bartola
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Calling all vegan enthusiasts! La Bartola, led by chef and owner Ivan Castro, is a meatfree haven that’s anything but simple. Drawing culinary inspiration from his mom and grandma, acclaimed as his world-class cooking teachers, Ivan crafted a menu that pays homage to the incredible Mexican women revolutionizing the kitchen. Despite being meatless, La Bartola doesn’t compromise on flavour, offering favourites like herbed guacamole and sweet or savoury tamales.
Saigon Lotus
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Saigon Lotus, a vegan Vietnamese restaurant, expertly blends traditional Vietnamese flavours with unique vegan offerings exclusive to Toronto. From their signature pan-fried vegan pho noodles to customizable fresh spring rolls and renowned Vietnamese vegan specialties, this Kensington Market gem promises a fresh and distinctive experience with every dish.
Superette co-founders Drummond Munro and Mimi Lam (Credit: Kayla Rocca)
Although 420 has lost some of its counter-culture glamour since legalization, it is still a fun day to celebrate the simple pleasures of cannabis, if that’s your bag. To that end, here’s our list of the top dispensaries in midtown Toronto for all your celebratory needs.
Owned and operated by entrepreneur Zain Jaffery, CanaCulture was born during the pandemic and strives to offer the best cannabis experience for its customers. The dispensary offers high-quality cannabis and accessories, and seeks to cultivate a community of knowledge through customer service and industry understanding. The store is colourful and bright, designed to be inviting and encouraging for customers to explore.
Robert Cirasella and Kevin De Sousa have been friends since they were six, and Hi Class cannabis is their, ahem, joint business venture. Known for their cannabis banana bread, Hi Class was the first cannabis shop to open in midtown. Cirasella has a decade in the industry under his belt, and De Sousa’s Fortune 500 experience helps him manage the company’s day-to-day operations. Established in 2019, they opened a brick-and-mortar location during the pandemic and offer a wide range of cannabis products and accessories, available with same-day delivery. Complete with a neutral palette, exposed beams and clean lines (and, of course, green accents), the storefront is designed with modern shopping in mind.
With a location in the downtown core in addition to their midtown outpost, Superette offers a traditional retail experience as well as an online store, bringing comfort and ease to cannabis (and merch) shopping. The dispensary offers a wide array of cannabis flavours and, as an added bonus, the brand gives back to the community: Superette hosts in-store food drives, plants fruits and vegetables on the company farm, and offers staff time to local food banks, helping to sort non-perishable items. And, 70% of the company’s employees identify as women, creating an inclusive backdrop to one of the most immersive and fun dispensaries in the industry.
Minimalist design is the name of the game at Day ‘N’ Nite Cannabis, previously known as Cannabis on Bloor, where products are stocked on industrial metal shelves and surrounded by framed, brightly coloured product ads. Offering accessories and goodies like bath bombs, edibles, concentrates and more, Day ‘N’ Nite organizes their website in order to offer up the most popular products and staff picks front and centre — though shopping by brand is also an option. Simplicity is key at this dispensary, and it rings through the brand’s design, website and philosophy.
This cannabis company was the first to legally open its doors in the city of Toronto. Now, with locations across the GTA, the Hunny Pot offers products like oils, concentrates, extracts and capsules as well as traditional offerings like edibles, flowers and pre-rolls. The company also sells their own line of merch and branded accessories. Delivery of the extensive menu is available throughout the GTA and, in many cases, same-day delivery is available, too. Each store is designed with honeycomb details and faux-grass walls, evoking a beehive vibe. Details like murals and graffiti walls tailored to each location across the GTA help add personality to each location, but come together to create an upscale, approachable vibe that’s certainly design-forward. The Hunny Pot has some famous fans, too, including Sean Paul.
This dispensary chain is one of the largest in the country with 30 locations in the province, as well as outposts in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Shoppers can browse the online selection by intent, and check out guides for activities and moods. Education is paramount at Tokyo Smoke, with their website offering an in-depth look at a variety of products, accessories and strains to help customers make an informed decision about each purchase. In addition to the usual product offerings, extracts, topicals sprays and beverages are available for purchase online and in-store. The newly launched click-and-collect service for customers is COVID-friendly and helps reduce the amount of time customers spend in-store.
It was while living with his two best friends in Toronto in 2015, and going to Toronto Metropolitan University’s theatre school while pulling 12-hour restaurant shifts together, that actor Mena Massoud — and his buddies — discovered what it truly means to be vegan.
Little by little, they learned about animal and meat products and how they affect the body, and how cutting out meat could lead to a number of benefits. They’d share their research with each other and, one by one, slowly stripped their diets of eggs, chicken and meat. Soon, it became a lifestyle.
“All of us really started noticing a lot of very big shifts in our bodies and in our minds that we never thought we would,” says Massoud. “We would be zipping around the restaurant, we had more energy it seemed than anybody else. That’s where the idea for Evolving Vegan came from. You come to it in your own time, in phases and stages, because food is how we connect to our emotions.”
That sentiment, which helpfully eliminates any intimidation surrounding a vegan diet, is the core thesis of Massoud’s TV series Evolving Vegan, which debuted its second season on Crave and CTV Life on April 16.
It follows the actor-turned-host through various major cities known for their cuisines as he steps into popular kitchens and discovers how local chefs craft their signature vegan dishes. It also makes each vegan meal look better than any meat dish (seriously). This season, we watch Massoud make his way through Philadelphia, Montréal, Miami, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Tokyo, with guests like magician and actor Penn Jillette; comedian Maz Jobrani; educator and food historian Zella Palmer; and New York Times best-selling cookbook authors Carleigh Bodrug and Radhi Devlukia.
Not only does the series capture Massoud engaging with his two great passions — food and travel — but it signifies just how far the actor has come. Performing for over a decade, his very big break came with Disney’s 2019 live-action Aladdin remake in which he, of course, played the beloved lead alongside Will Smith and Naomi Scott.
He followed those with roles in Jack Ryan and Reprisal, the Rob Ford drama Run this Town, and a few TV rom-coms, but it’s when he headed back home to Toronto — with Evolving Vegan, for which he’s also a producer and picked up a 2023 Canadian Screen Award nomination for his hosting skills — that he seemed to finally be holding the reins. He also published a cookbook in 2020, inspired by the show and his mother’s own kitchen.
In fact, one might say its family — and food — that’s always kept him coming back home. “Growing up in Toronto, my parents were very Egyptian,” says Massoud. “We spoke Arabic at home and we ate Egyptian food, so I was very connected to my culture and have always been fascinated by all cultures. It’s opened my eyes to how people think, live, work and eat differently. I think we can get so caught up in the North American way of doing things; we’re hyper-obsessed with work, it’s hard for me to shut that part off. But when I travel, I see how shutting off benefits a lot of other cultures. They’re able to build a community and connection.”
So as much of a busy guy as Massoud is — he’s got a few upcoming films, a podcast and a production company — it helps to involve his family.
“That’s the amazing thing about a show like this, I’m playing myself,” he says. “And because I’m playing myself, I get to show different parts of my life.”
For instance, in Evolving Vegan’s first season, one particular episode centres entirely around Toronto, and pays a visit to his sister’s home as viewers watch his whole family cook together.
“When you leave all your cousins, aunts and uncles in Egypt and emigrate to a country like Canada, it’s important to stick together and build that family bond because you really don’t have anybody else,” adds Massoud.
A benefit in keeping close to home has been the balance Massoud’s family often provides him. He’s the only one who is a performer, while his two sisters are pharmacists, and his brothers-in-law are, respectively, also a pharmacist and an engineer (like his father). And yes, in case you’re wondering, they did hope and pray he’d become a doctor — as brown parents are wont to do.
Massoud explains, “[I] tend to live in a bubble now in Hollywood; they ground me and remind me of the real world.”
Another important person Evolving Vegan viewers have gotten to know is Emily Shah, Massoud’s frequent collaborator and fiancée, whom he proposed to while shooting the show in Japan in December. Which means wedding planning is one more thing on his already lengthy to-do list.
“I’m a horrible husband! I’ve sat down to talk wedding maybe twice so far,” says Massoud. “We’re in the very early stages of it, and haven’t set a date yet. I’ve been busy, I haven’t had a chance to really sit down and get planning, but hopefully soon.”
Surely, with him being Egyptian and his love of food, and her being Indian, there’s going to be an incredible dinner?
“I don’t know! We’re probably going to do an Indian ceremony and then an Orthodox ceremony, so it’ll be a couple nights, but the Indian night, that’ll probably be a buffet,” Massoud says, wheels spinning. “It should be, right?”
Whatever the case, this is one vegan all wedding guests can be sure to trust.
FAST FACTS:
Favourite vegan restaurants in the city:
“If I want a quick bite and I want something healthy, I always go to Fresh. I love Planta. But if you want to go to a really intimate place and have some of the best pasta you’ve ever had, Gia. And if you want dirty comfort food, l would go to Hogtown Vegan. Try their wings or mac and cheese. And finally, Honey’s Ice Cream, which was featured on Evolving Vegan’s first season.”
Favourite local coffee:
Rooster Coffee House
Favourite Toronto chef:
Matt Ravenscroft, currently head chef at Gia, and formerly of Rosalinda, The Drake, and Parts & Labour
