Something special has come our way, and it goes by the name of Origin North. Sound familiar? There are two other restaurants from the Origin brand located in St. Lawrence and Liberty Village, but this is the first one that owner and Chef Claudio Aprile has opened north of downtown Toronto. This new restaurant is easily accessible right off Highway 401 at Bayview Village, and has just recently opened for service on June 11, 2013. Having celebrated this past Valentine’s day at Colborne Lane (the critically acclaimed molecular gastronomy food child of Chef Aprile- though now unavailable), we chose to celebrate another milestone at Origin North; our first Origin experience! The staff was more than accommodating as we celebrated a birthday on Friday night, and you know you’re in good hands when everyone has a friendly demeanor, including Chef Aprile himself who frequented our table a few times. We would definitely recommend this restaurant for parties of any size, because they simply have the capacity for it all 🙂
The virgin raspberry mojito was a great way to cool off for the day; the natural essence of mint really shone through
Oysters, our love. We can never get enough of them! The oysters were VERY fresh, and we enjoyed them the way they were prepared for us: we didn’t have to add any horse radish or tabasco or other condiments to them. Each oyster was pre-dressed with ingredients that brought out their freshness. Wonderfully done!
The Sparta Salad was unique: it was topped off with nori seaweed and fried shreds of sweet potato on top of a bed of shaved vegetables, with toasted sesame seeds and yuzu dressing. A ‘lil sweet, a ‘lil salty, a ‘lil acidity.
This is the DELICIOUS and highly recommended buffalo mozzarella dish: with pear, rosemary oil, pine nuts, and a drizzle of honey on toasted bread. This dish would go very well with a glass of white wine, and is one of the best things we’ve ever tasted – it could even pass for dessert (without being overly sweet)! We enjoyed the many different levels of flavours brought forth; the mozzarella was light and soft, while the pear underneath was sweet and juicy. As we told the Chef, this dish was like having a party in your mouth with everyone invited. Definitely a must try!
Look at those drops of honey 🙂
For one of our mains we ordered Thai Curried Shrimp with naan bread. The curry warmed up our tummies, while the naan soaked up all the sauce.
For our other main we tried the Miso Black Cod with bok choy and ginger sauce. The fish was flaky and delicate.
The space has a very modern vibe to it: sleek black chairs, tufted black leather booths to one side of the restaurant, industrial looking lights, and a Ducati (yep, a real motorcycle) by the front door. To balance it all out, there are also a lot of warm woods everywhere with a refined aesthetic… a sleek yet cozy environment housing solidly good food. The ambience is refreshing and not pretentious, which makes it an easy place to accommodate a wide variety of clientelle. And finally, we can’t say enough about the graciousness of Chef Aprile. He came by three times just to say hello and to follow up with our meals. Origin North, we shall see you again and soon! 🙂
Origin North
2901 Bayview Ave, Suite 300
Toronto, ON, M2K 1E6
416-479-8833
