Restaurant Update: Shoushin sushi and a rebooted Amaya coming, plus PintxosTO

It was a remarkably slow week for restaurant openings in Toronto (every one who is close to opening might be holding off to make a big pre-TIFF splash.) But we did get news of a couple of big ships on the midtown dining horizon: a rebooted Amaya and upscale sushi for Yonge and Fairlawn.

Coming Soon

  • Ex-Zen Sushi sous chef Jackie Lin plans to open his own joint, Shoushin, a sushi bar, at 3328 Yonge St. His press release says he has “never [been] a fan of fusion, he promises that his sushi will be done the traditional way.” It also says they’ll be open by the end of September.
  • Many know the Gerrard and Greenwood neighbourhood as Little India, but the soon-to-reopen Brickyard Grounds would like you to call it Bricktown. The local cafe and casual restaurant has been shut since a serious fire in February 2015. [Facebook]
  • In the next two weeks, Hemant Bhagwani hopes to have Indian Street Food Co. open in the space on Bayview that has been Amaya Indian Room for almost a decade.

Restaurant Coverage

  • Our food profile subject for the month, Cory Vitiello is gradually making a name for himself with a three-restaurant group and a key role in a new Food Network Canada show this fall.
  • Hemant Bhagwani, the founder of the Amaya group, is changing course and focussing on street food for his upcoming venture.
  • It's not all gasoline and BBQ at Leslieville Pumps. For her lunch pick this week, Karolyne Ellacott chose their Veginator sandwich. 
  • For our Kitchen Confidential column, we had Bar Fancy’s southern fried chicken labratory tested and put it up against a Rose Reisman recipe.
  • From custom cocktails to an on-theme 1980s decor, Addisons Residence is setting up to be the go-to hangout on Wellington.

Changes and Other News

  • If you notice that some of the city’s top ktichens seem a bit emptier than usual on Sunday It may be because many of them will be manning a station at Toronto’s second annual #PintxosTO event. The organisers (including our own Suresh Doss) have brought in Donostia from New York and Fosh from Spain along with Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli (a Basque white wine) and Zapiain Sagardoa Cider to go with the sponsoring Estrella Damm. Tickets are still available here.

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO