Story & Photography | Renée S. Suen
Diners looking for a transportive experience, with incredibly flavourful foods and equally smart cocktails, have two new options in the city. These are the latest projects by industry veterans, who have created a non-stuffy and vibrant atmosphere at their standalone spaces.
Lao Lao Bar (5 St. Joseph St. aolaobar.com)
Co-owners Jason Jiang and Seng Luong, known for running the popular but now shuttered Sabai Sabai, have created a contemporary Lao-inspired restaurant that celebrates their heritage.
Nineteen hand-made fringed parasol jute lamps, inspired by Laos’ French colonial past, dangle above the restaurant’s main dining room.
A nod to the high-proof spirit from Laos, the name is meant to evoke fun and inviting feelings. The duo has tapped Truease Studio to create an eclectic space in the Yonge-Wellesley neighbourhood that blends natural woven textures with other motifs, acknowledging the unique blend of local and French styles found in Luang Prabang and throughout Laos.
Lao Lao Bar can be found on St. Joseph Street. In the summer, there will be a licensed patio.
Details include the tiled pattern at the bar that takes after traditional Lao textiles and the stunning central pillar embossed in gold leaf that pops against the 100-seat room’s rich walnut hues.
To the east side of the room is a semi-private dining room, while the restaurant’s rear has a lower-level lounge. The latter has a speakeasy vibe and is rumoured to have a karaoke machine. In the summer, there’s a 20-seat patio planned.
Heavenly beef jerky is marinated then grilled. Accompanied by a Lao chili dipping sauce, It’s chewy, flavourful and great with beer.
The casual and fun menu taps into the bold, sharp flavours of fish sauce, chili heat and an abundance of herbs with share-friendly dishes divided into small and large plates. Eating with your hands is encouraged, as is the liberal use of the restaurant’s homemade jeow sauce.
The Ping Gai (Lao barbecue chicken) is a juicy and delicious main that’s been marinated with fresh lemongrass, galangal and chili. It’s sided by mango salad and Lao noodle salad.
The signature appetizer is Sakoo Yat Sai, (Tapioca Dumplings), that wraps a savoury shitake mushroom, radish and peanut core with chewy butterfly pea flower-stained tapioca. There’s also the Heavenly Beef Jerky and juicy Sai Kok, (Lao Sausage), that’s made with pork belly and seasoned with lemongrass, galangal, makrut leaf and shallots.
Available with shrimp or duck, the Laap’s diced protein is tossed with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaf, padaek and roasted rice.
In addition to modernized classics like the Laap Shrimp or Duck, there’s the must-not-miss Ping Gai, (crispy Lao barbecue chicken), Juicy and flavourful, thanks to being marinated with fresh lemongrass, galangal and chili, the chicken thigh is served with a side of mango salad and Lao noodle salad. Wash it all down with a beer, a choice of international wines, or non-alcoholic cocktails that tap into the tropical flavours of Laos.
Casa Paco (50c Clinton St. casapaco.ca)
Prepare to be charmed at this family restaurant in Little Italy run by four founders that’s focused on Spanish- and Italian-influenced cuisines prepared by chef Rob Bragagnolo and wife Caroline Chinery, and crafted zero-proof cocktails by Tommy Conrad at the bar, with Ailbhe McMahon running the front of house. The four met and worked together at Labora, a Spanish restaurant that drew crowds to King and Spadina.
Located on Clinton, just north of College Street, Casa Paco’s long space has two rooms: a reservations-accepted dining room and a no-reservation bar.
Honouring the rich traditions of old-world trattorias, tabernas and bistros, the timeless and cozy neighbourhood space is warm and decorated with greenery, framed mirrors and family photos. The long space is split into two distinct areas: a dining room and a darker bar with standing tables for drinks and light bites.
A darker bar with standing tables in Casa Paco.
Tapping into his Italian roots and Iberian training, Bragagnolo’s cuisine is simple and restrained, cooked in a charcoal oven he imported from Spain and employing seasonal ingredients on the daily-changing menu. There’s everything from pintxos to slightly more substantial share plates, like pan con tomate served with piquillo peppers and charcoal grilled whole fish of the day, which has featured Dover sole slicked with an aromatic pil-pil sauce.
The a la carte paella might be a seafood special, (market price), which has featured blue belly shrimps and freshly shucked Mahone Bay scallops topped with caviar.
The cheeky named Steak, Tartare has one side of the dry-aged steak cooked and the other left raw, (tartare), which allows for more of the meat’s inherent flavours to shine.
Operating Thursdays to Sunday, the menu features a Sunday-only paella special. In addition to a shortened a la carte menu that has a weekly changing embellished paella, (such as lobster, or one topped with freshly shucked scallops with caviar), there’s a prix fixe paella menu that comes with three starters, along with a choice of seafood, beef short rib or a seasonal mushroom and truffle paella.
The zero-proof Crimson Tide is made with Casa 00 Bourbon, grapefruit, lime and egg white.
Pair your meal with a selection from McMahon’s wine list featuring Old-World wine from regions that aren’t as widely showcased in the city, including those from the Basque Country. Or, pair it with
a selection from Conrad’s list of zero-proof bespoke cocktails that incorporate homemade syrups, tinctures and infusions.
