One of the most memorable events that happened last year was meeting the one-and-only Top Chef judge, restauranteur and culinary icon Chef Mark McEwan. Chef McEwan was in Vancouver to promote his new venture with Johnsonville Sausage as their celebrity pitchman. At the event, I got to hear about not only his role with Johnsonville Sausage but also about new and exciting things that were happening with his restaurants in Toronto. So, when I visited Toronto last month, it was a honour to be able to finally dine at one of Chef McEwan’s restaurants that I had heard about. On this occasion, my friend and I were hosted at One Restaurant which is Chef McEwan’s contemporary Yorkville restaurant. Restaurants like this should encourage all aspiring restaurant owners to follow their dreams in the restaurant business. Of course, it is important to see this site if you’re choosing to follow these ambitions so that you’re fully aware of the financial options you have at your disposal.
Disclosure: All food and drinks in this review were complimentary. Opinions are my own.
Low Light & Chic Interior
Located within The Hazelton Hotel, One Restaurant exudes a modern interior that was warm and inviting. The low light, textured walls juxtaposed with gold and dark tones created a more intimate dining environment.
What We Tried
For brunch, we enjoyed the following:
- Jerk Chicken Burger ($22)
- Los Todos Mexicanos ($28)
- Lobster Spoons ($34)
The Jerk Chicken Burger was a mouthful of flavour explosion. It had grilled pineapple, avocado, Jamaican-style coleslaw, chicken patty, crispy plantain, garlic aioli and toasted bamboo charcoal bun. The charcoal bun itself does not have a flavour but the other layers had smoky, spicy and tangy flavours. Really delicious and I recommend it.
The other brunch entree we tried was the Los Todos Mexicanos. Made with fried eggs, sweet chorizo, refried beans, chili rellenos, house made tortilla, guacamole and salsa ranchera. I thought it was a very interesting Mexican-inspired brunch option that was hearty and not too heavy. I enjoyed the chorizo sausages which were sweet and spicy. I would recommend this dish to those who want eggs and sausages for brunch but with some more exciting flavours.
We also enjoyed the Lobster Spoons with lobster tail and vermouth butter. This is a signature Mark McEwan dish that has delighted customers since the beginning. Buttery, tender, bite-sized delights. A must-try when dining at One restaurant.
Overall Impression
It was a delightful and delicious visit to Chef McEwan’s One restaurant in Yorkville. I hope to try more of One or his other restaurants on my next visit to Toronto. To find out the latest on the McEwan Group, follow @chefmarkmcewan and @themcewangroup.