I'm just going to say it: Toronto has a tasting menu problem. Somewhere along the line, the powers that be got together and decided that a multi-course menu with tiny portions of wagyu and scallop constituted the pinnacle of dining, and so followed a series of middling dining options. Of course, there are exceptions — DaiLo, Actinolite and Edulis to name a few — but largely, frou-frou plating and high-quality ingredients have bamboozled us into paying hundreds of dollars for essentially the same meal again and again.
Where's the ingenuity? Where are the signature moves separating one chef's tasting menu from another? Now, a new multi-course menu is entering the fold. Akin — a blind tasting menu from the dynamic duo of Alvin Leung, a chef whose restaurant earned three Michelin stars, and Eric Chong, the first winner of MasterChef Canada — arrived in November and is blowing away the cobwebs in a dining setting that is anything but stuffy.
aKin Toronto: What's the vibe?
Located in Toronto’s Old Town on Colborne Street, Akin is the fusion of decades of culinary heritage, neatly wrapped up in a 10-course, blind tasting menu. Step inside the moody space, all glistening gold accents and mirrors, and choose a seat on one of the red leather banquettes, or if you like a touch of theatre, a spot at the chef's table where you can be an eyewitness to dinner service and watch as plates fly out of the kitchen.
aKin Toronto: What's on the menu?
Chef Leung may have taken the back seat to Chong in this venture, but the chefs' shared philosophy on dining is what anchors the project. It's the reason it's called Akin, owing to the pair's strong bond and shared passion for culinary excellence.
That philosophy translates as a series of complex and visually stunning technical dishes, with layers of flavours, which all began with the seed of a traditional Asian recipe. If I'm spending $275 a head on a blind tasting menu, you better believe I want some bells and whistles. Akin Toronto delivers on that front with a variety of unique styles and courses that are as much a treat for the senses as they are for the tastebuds.
Translucent donuts are disguised as congee; a spherical hot pot is delivered on a spoon, complete with a layer of fat sitting on top; and "Anatomy of a Fish" deconstructs fish liver and even bones on dramatic custom-designed plateware. Flashy, maybe, but these aren't just gimmicks. Every dish has a purpose and each ingredient paints a picture in the chapters of Chong's life and career.
Though Nova Scotia lobster and other homegrown elements make it onto the menu, Chong is the first to admit that local sourcing is not the focus. For the MasterChef Canada winner, it's all about getting the best quality ingredients. From caviar and Iberico pork to Hokkaido uni, only the best, global tastes and flavours will do. And it's not all tiny bites: Dishes like Laksa, which comes in a rich, sweet-sour, tamarind-heavy sauce, and the Dry Aged Duck, have some heft to them.
Another troubling aspect of a multi-course meal is often the pacing. While you want your money's worth, it's never a good look if you're clock-watching and wondering if you've been taken hostage. Though dinner nets out at around 12 courses (including a palate cleanser), Akin keeps the courses flowing at a great tempo. Only around the eight- or nine-course mark did I become painfully aware of my waistband.
There's always room for dessert, and Akin's two-parter is especially worthy. The Chocolate Porcelain arrives first, an astonishing, almost reflective blue and white dish that I want to take home and display in my kitchen cabinet. Dinner is brought to a close with a collection of petit fours in surprising and delicious flavours like mandarin and milk tea, that had me digging deep even as my belly began to give out.
aKin Toronto: What to drink
Guests can opt for a wine or a crafted cocktail pairing ($135) to go with their meal. The cocktail menu also gets the Akin treatment, with plenty of molecular experimentation and mixologist techniques to make them just as memorable as the food.
A classic gin gimlet cocktail arrives on a spoon, designed to be swallowed whole and left to explode in your mouth. Then, there's a milk punch, as clear as can be in the glass, but once again layered with mysterious flavours — in classic Akin fashion.
Akin's 10-course blind tasting menu starts at $275 per person.
