Holiday Dining Destinations: The 6ix’s Hot New Asian Restaurants

Story | Renée S. Suen     Photography | Renée S. Suen, Andy Lee & Courtesy of Sherman Chong

In a food scene shaped by global culinary influences, the Asian restaurants in Toronto showcase particularly well. From late-night dim sum in Chinatown to upscale South Asian fare, the city’s culinary line up spans traditional comfort to avant-garde innovation. Among the country’s top tables, Michelin-starred and recommended restaurants and hidden gems tucked away in diverse neighborhoods, these new players are carving out their own flavourful, buzz-worthy scene.

The Lunch Lady  (93 Ossington Avenue  thelunchlady.com)

Known for serving a rotating menu of flavourful Vietnamese soups from the Ho Chi Minh City street stall she founded in 1995, the late Nguyen Thi Thanh’s fame skyrocketed in 2009 when renowned chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain spotlighted her on his show No Reservations. He praised “the lunch lady” for her daily soups, including the bun mam, a traditional Vietnamese fermented fish vermicelli soup.

In 2022, The Lunch Lady made its Canadian debut in Vancouver, launched by co-owners Michael Tran and culinary director Benedict Lim. The restaurant quickly earned Bib Gourmand recognition from Michelin. This summer, the long-anticipated Toronto location opened on bustling Ossington Avenue, drawing eager crowds and steady lineups from day one.

The inside space features an exposed ceiling and a deep, open layout dressed in rich jewel tones and sturdy finishes, evoking the glamour of a lively outdoor street stall. The walls pay tribute to the late Nguyen who tragically passed en route to the Toronto opening. Scenes from Vietnam add warmth and nostalgia throughout the room. Whether fated or a coincidence, renovations of the former Boehmer dining space revealed a mural near the entrance: three chefs in white uniforms striking a pose. Fans of Bourdain would recognize it as the iconic cover of Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, the book that catapulted the unapologetic cook into global culinary fame.

To maintain a steady flow of guests through the 150-seat space–split between an outside patio, bar, a semi-private and a private dining room, The Lunch Lady operates with timed seatings, with distinct menus for lunch and dinner. In Toronto, the menu has evolved beyond Nguyen’s beloved tradition of rotating daily noodle soups, which is available exclusively at midday.

For dinner, Lim prepares contemporary riffs on classic Vietnamese dishes that uses local ingredients that had been given Nguyen’s stamp of approval. There’s bò lúc lac (shaking beef) that tops grilled and marinated beef ribeye with peppercorn sauce and burnt scallion butter that’s served with crunchy cassava fries to the eye-catching pho bò wagyu—a gussied up beef noodle soup that features a whole split bone marrow, rare wagyu short rib, tender beef shank, rich oxtail and a slow poached egg in a 24hour simmered beef broth.

Must-tries include the coconut or tamarin nghêu (Manila clams), fish roe christened com chiên cua (crab fried rice) and bò tái chanh (beef carpaccio). The latter being flavour-bombs of paper-thin slices of beef f ilet with peanuts, crispy shallots, Thai basil, mint, perilla, and vibrant lime vinaigrette. Leave room for chè ba màu, Lim’s version of the traditional three-layer Vietnamese parfait that christens pandan sticky rice cake, prepared like Hong Kong-style French toast, with coconut condensed milk gelato, strawberry red bean puree and crunchy mung bean streusel. Wash everything down with playful South Asian spins on classic cocktails like a Ginger Basil Sour or pho-spiced old fashioned, a long list of Vietnamese coffees or the refreshing calamansi soda chanh.

Makilala (105 Church Street  makilala.ca)

The latest venture from serial restaurateurs Jeff and Nuit Regular— best known for their Thai-focused culinary empire, which includes Kiin, Pai, Sukhothai, and Tha Phae Tavern—shines a spotlight on the Filipino flavours of Jeff’s heritage. Located in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, Makilala is co-owned with Jeff’s brother, Joel Regular, and is inspired by the spirit of barangay, a traditional Filipino community that’s rooted in shared food, storytelling, and human connection.

Open daily, Makilala offers Filipino dishes that chef Nuit has learned from her mother-in-law and refined over years of family visits to the Philippines. Tagalog for “recognize,” the restaurant’s name reflects Nuit’s growing connection to the Filipino culture and her journey of discovery through food. The menu uses fresh, local ingredients while also incorporating seasonings that have been imported from the Philippines. Familiar numbers include chicken adobo, lumpia (long spring rolls made with thin pastry skin), that’s served with a coconut vinegar dipping sauce, and the incredibly addictive crispy pork belly lechon kawali.

Crowd favourites include the unctuous kare-kare (oxtail peanut stew), and a pork or shrimp pancit which is a delightful blend of seasoned cornstarch and wheat noodles that are stir-fried along with a mix of vegetables (carrot, snow pea, bell peppers, cabbage and more), and given a zingy finished from a squeeze of fresh calamansi. Large parties might want to consider the pre-order required kamayan-style feast (a communal meal where food is laid out on banana leaves and consumed by hand). The share-friendly dishes can easily be paired with Filipino beers (think Red Horse or San Miguel), and inspired alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails that might include ingredients like ube, Milo or calamansi.

The immersive experience at Makilala goes far beyond its flavourful menu. The space itself is a visual feast, decked out in nostalgic tchotchkes from stacks of cassette tapes on the windowsill to retro Filipino movie and basketball posters that are inspired by Jeff and Joel’s childhood home. Near the entrance, a small market showcases merchandise from Filipino artists and vendors. The bar is designed to resemble a sari-sari store, the family-run variety shops found throughout the Philippines and is named in honour of Jeff and Joel’s parents, Nonoy and Myrna. Toward the back, a private dining room accommodates up to 14 guests.

The attention catcher, however, is a fully equipped karaoke stage in the rear of the room. A lively nod to the Filipino national pastime, you can expect singers of all ages and skill levels to belt out their favourite tunes to the crowds. It’s a welcoming atmosphere that’s lively and great for groups.