Taste of Toronto today revealed its final lineup of top chefs and restaurants participating in the second annual festival, descending on Fort York July 2 - 5. Among the new additions are renowned chefs Masaharu Morimoto, Alvin Leung, Lynn Crawford and Stuart Cameron, joining over 30 of the country's top culinary talent.
Iron Chef and Michelin-starred mastermind Morimoto is set to debut signature dishes from his latest eponymous restaurant and highly anticipated first-ever venture in Canada, scheduled to open late 2015 in Toronto's King West neighbourhood. Festival goers can delight in Chef Morimoto's fusion of Japanese and Western ingredients, exemplified in his showcase dishes: Uni Carbonara made with quail egg, smoked bacon and parmesan, as well as Toro Tartare served with caviar, sour cream, wasabi and dashi soy.
"It's a pleasure to cook alongside some of Toronto's most celebrated chefs," said Masaharu Morimoto. "To be welcomed into the city's vibrant and innovative food community is such an honour."
Also previewing a new restaurant at this year's event, Rob Bragagnolo of Marben will introduce Carver at Sunday's lunch session. Scheduled to open downtown Toronto in fall 2015, the restaurant will focus on locally-sourced Ontario and naturally-raised, slow-roasted meats. The final chefs and restaurants completing this year's lineup include Stuart Cameron from Byblos, Patria and Weslodge, as well as the Kinka Family of Guu Toronto, Kintori Yakitori and Kinton Ramen who are returning to the festival for the second year in a row. Other newcomers to the festival include "The Demon Chef" Alvin Leung, to appear alongside his MasterChef Canada protégé Eric Chong at the R&D booth.
Celebrity chefs will also lend their star power to the festivities, with Lynn Crawford performing an on-site demonstration and cooking class as an Egg Farmers of Canada Chef Ambassador, Massimo Capra presenting with Italian favourite Galbani cheese, and sustainable seafood advocate
Rick Moonen appearing alongside one of North America's most trusted producers of seafood, True North Salmon.
"Toronto has so many international star-power chefs contributing to the buzzing culinary scene, we are thrilled to be able to showcase so many at the festival this year," said Meghan O'Hanlon, Event Director, Taste of Toronto. "We are particularly looking forward to getting a sneak peek of Morimoto's new restaurant, as well as welcoming big names like Alvin Leung, Lynn Crawford, Massimo Capra,
Rick Moonen,
Jonathan Waxman, Michael Bonacini, Mark McEwan...the list goes on."
Dishes hot off the grill include Byblos' charcoal lamb kofte, mixing in flavours from its house pickles, toum and green schug; and R&D's octopus with chargrilled choy sum chimichurri and "yu heung" eggplant. Enjoy a taste of summer with plates such as compressed watermelon and cucumber salad from Little Sister; crispy BBQ pork taco on a bed of fresh jicama slaw from Barque; and grilled summer squash, coloured with pomegranate, pickled red onion and Macedonian feta from The Harbord Room and THR & Co.
Food lovers can also look forward to Los Colibris' light traditional ceviche to America's savoury tuna poke cocktail and Richmond Station's acclaimed Stn. Burger with beet chutney and OKA cheese. The Drake Hotel's Fish Fry with clams and haddock and house-made tartar sauce is sure to be a hit; as is Splendido's braised pork belly with peanuts and Thai basil; and Rasa's truffle gnudi, presented with local mushrooms, pickled shimenji and walnut pesto.
Be sure to leave room for gourmet dessert items, like Montecito's vanilla panna cotta with port-poached rhubarb and caramelized white chocolate; or Bosk's peaches and cream, topped with Darjeeling cream, bourbon syrup and a brown butter almond crumble.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit tasteoftoronto.com.
Taste of Toronto 2015 restaurant and star lineup
- Adrian Niman, Rasa
- Alvin Leung and Eric Chong, R&D (Thursday and Friday only)
- Amanda Ray, Biff's Bistro
- Anthony Walsh and Michael Bonacini, Oliver & Bonacini
- Bill Osborne, America
- Carl Heinrich, Richmond Station
- Cory Vitiello and Robbie Hojilla, The Harbord Room and THR & Co.
- Damon Campbell, Bosk
- David Neinstein, Barque
- Elia Herrera, Los Colibris and El Caballito
- Franco Stalteri, Charlie's Burgers
- Jonathan Waxman and Matt Robertson, Montecito
- Ippei Iwata, Aki Urata and Koji Tashiro, Guu Toronto, Kintori Yakitori and Kinton Ramen (Saturday only)
- Masaharu Morimoto, Morimoto Toronto
- Michael van den Winkel, Little Sister
- Miheer Shete, Bannock
- Rob Bragagnolo, Marben (Sunday only)
- Stuart Cameron, Byblos, Patria and Weslodge
- Ted Corrado and Matt DeMille, The Drake Hotel, The Drake Devonshire and Drake One Fifty
- Victor Barry, Splendido
- Lynn Crawford, Egg Farmers of Canada Chef Ambassador
- Mark McEwan, McEwan Group
- Massimo Capra, Galbani Cheese
- Rick Moonen, True North Salmon
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