In a world of influencers and celebrity chefs, not everything is as perfect as it seems. In The Perfect Bite murder mystery dinner ($175 per person), you’re introduced to a group of chefs called The Salty Six and the dinner you’re attending is tribute dinner to Noah who died 13 years prior. He passed in a tragic accident, much too early… but was it an accident?

I’m a big nerd and love murder mysteries; combine it with a dinner and even better! From my first experience with Mysteriously Yours in university, I was hooked on a meal where I could immerse myself into a cast of actors and use my sleuthing skills to figure out who is a murderer. The food is never great, but for this occasion, I’m not there for the food.

The Perfect Bite consists of a four-course meal with palette cleanser and a basket of warm focaccia to start. It’s great to have something to nibble on as we work through the first clue. Especially since we’re attending the 8:30pm seating, I’m hungry and need some brain food to get the wheels turning.

It’s followed by a caprese salad where the cheese is whipped into a savoury mousse studded with deskinned grape tomatoes and garnished with pickled red onion and basil. It’s an interesting take on a caprese, although I would have liked actual mozzarella pieces as well.

What makes the dinner interesting is you need to pay attention to the dishes. For most, there’s something included in it that helps you with the puzzle.

The truffled mushroom cigar looks impressive; a thin crispy crepe filled with a mushroom mousse garnished with black sesame ash to really give it the full effect. It’s too sweet for my taste but I get why it’s needed in the context of the game.

Diners have a choice of mains: beef, chicken, or falafels. We all opted for the braised beef, a decent portion served with silky garlic mashed potatoes, carrots, and green beans in a rich jus. Before the main, I was still hungry but given its sizeable portion it left me satisfied. The beef was nice and tender and quite good for a murder mystery.

Before the dessert we’re given a palette cleanser. How it comes and what it is, I’ll keep secret and not spoil the game.

We end with another mousse, this one a cheesecake topped with graham crumbs and a berry compote. It’s good, but by this time I’m a bit tired of mousses, just give me something to chew on already! Who knows, maybe they thought their demographic would seniors with no teeth.

Having been to several murder mystery dinners, I’d say this was the most enjoyable. The Perfect Bite is more than a show, they include puzzles with each course, which give you clues towards a larger puzzle. Ultimately, it creates a more entertaining and interactive experience and makes for great teamwork to get to the next course. Rest assured, they’re not difficult puzzles and if you’re stuck, “Frank” the bar manager comes around to steer you in the right direction.

Without giving too much away, I also liked that there’s a twist, and it culminates in the final puzzle where you can really sleuth by getting out of your seat and using other devices.

If this sounds like fun, The Perfect Bite is still in Toronto until August 8, 2025, and also showing in Vancouver and London, UK. Here’s your excuse to get a group together (ideally four people) to eat and play with your food. 

European tasting menus that incorporate Japanese influences to play into food trends or Michelin inspector palettes don’t impress me. It’s the reason I had reservations of trying Radici Project at the beginning. Until I heard the restaurant was started by Kayo Ito, a sake sommelier, and Italian Chef Emiliano Del Frate who also happened to be married. Now this is a mashup I can get behind.

Their immersive tasting menu ($160 per person) begins with an amuse bouche trio including a mocktail palette cleanser that looks fruity but finishes savoury thanks to the garum butter swirled into the drink.

The drink prepares the taste buds for their crab takoyaki that incorporates unused portions of the crab head (in a dish to come) captured in a soft fluffy batter with bonito flakes adding an extra touch of umami. I found the concept of the savoury waffle too similar (and not as tasty) and wish the kitchen used the dollops of creamy burrata and crisp kimchi in something different.

If you don’t like dealing with the crustacean, Radici’s crab dish is ideal as the sweet crab meat is removed from the shell and paired with an almond foam and caviar. What’s finished in a few bites must take a while to prepare but makes for a great start.

The restaurant follows a zero-waste philosophy that you see throughout the meal. So, when their supplier, Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc., started smoking the fish they killed to harvest caviar, the restaurant knew they needed to feature the product on their menu. And what a wonderful idea it was to pair the slice of smoked sturgeon with their crusty airy sourdough and silky whipped butter! The meaty fish tastes like a lean country ham so really works. I’d love to see more restaurants swap out sturgeon for swine. 

I was intrigued by how curing duck breast in beeswax would taste. It seems to condense its flavours as the gaminess was more pronounced, which was why the kitchen paired it with a slice of preserved plum and a pickled vegetable (?), both elements cutting the richness and gaminess of the duck.

The karaage e papacelle is a great fusion dish. It was influenced by Kayo who grew up eating fried chicken, which Chef Emiliano notes isn’t popular in his Italian village… when he ate chicken, it was usually roasted and served with potatoes. So, he decided to marry their cultures by deboning a chicken wing and stuffing it with roasted potatoes. Served with a mascarpone roasted red pepper sauce it’s deliciously addictive, the fluffy soft potato contrasting nicely with the crunchy and juicy fried chicken.

At Radici, pink dishes do not signify frilly and light creations. The beet tajarin tastes like a rich seafood pasta thanks to garum butter studded with smoked caviar. The pasta was done beautifully and left me longing for just a few more forkfuls.

If food scraps taste this good, I say give us more. The cappellacci is stuffed with veal trimmings and served in a burnt onion dashi made from various vegetable scraps. I can still taste the delicious broth that flooded my mouth with flavours, including the ingenious idea of adding small ginger slivers and sumac at the bottom so it ends on a bright note.

You can’t go wrong with halibut and maitake, one poached and the other grilled creating a creamy smoky dish. Yet, it’s the peperone crusco oil that really wakes up the fish adding a bright zing of spice that shone through the two richer elements.  

We’re told to try the veal by itself and leave the portion topped with a cilantro flower last. I was waiting for a huge pop of floral or citrus, but it didn’t taste that different. If anything, the sparkling red wine paired with the dish surprised me more. It paired well with the tender beef and silky sweet smoked parsnip puree.

In fact, I’d recommend going with their drink pairings. The mix wine and sake flight ($70 for 4 drinks) complimented the meal and incorporated such different drinks including a yeasty sparkling sake, orange wine, a white, and the aforementioned sparkling red. 

Dinner ended with a delicious honey cake topped with camomile gel and whipped cream. It tasted so light and fluffy adorned with honey and buttery cookie elements to give the dish extra pops of flavours and textures.

I’ve been lucky to have dined at many Toronto restaurants before they were granted a Michelin star and getting a reservation became difficult. I’m predicting that Radici Project will be a star contender. Their food is inventive and delicious but improving their plating aesthetics and tweaking the service is needed. It’s small things like ensuring the drink pairing is on the table before the food arrives, which can be easily solved by allowing the sommelier to be dedicated to drinks and not also serving food.

At least they have the welcoming and warm environment down. And I enjoyed the whimsical touches like the Jenga block cutlery holder that became a necessity when the wooden ones they sourced weren’t big enough to hold the cutlery. Since Jenga is a go-to game for Kayo, they bought a box, and it’s works beautifully.

As the Radici Project continues, I can’t wait to see how it morphs and grows. 

I’m not going to mention The Lunch Lady of Saigon’s affiliation with a chef turned TV travel host in this post. Instead, I’ll focus on Chef Nguyen Thi Thanh, the lunch lady who attracted diners to Saigon for her daily noodle soups. Sadly, she passed away earlier in May 2025 before the opening of her Toronto restaurant, so its kitchen is comprised of a brigade of men instead of a lady.

Normally, a bowl of pho is a single person affair but at The Lunch Lady their wagyu noodle soup ($36) warrants sharing unless it’s the only dish you’re eating. A large stone bowl of rice noodle, fresh herbs, and a slow poached egg arrives with thick slices of tender beef cheek, a couple hunks of ox tail, and a bone marrow protruding that we’re told to scrape into the dish and mix before eating. As if that’s not enough, a plate of thinly sliced raw wagyu accompanies that’s added tableside to make a carnivore’s heart sing.

Since so many items are added to the broth, it really needs to be hotter, ideally sizzling in the bowl is first presented. Maybe the restaurant is worried about liability issues with the tiny tables, not wanting to burn customers, but the soup is barely hot after everything’s put in.

At least the broth is tasty. The first spoon revealed a decent soup that morphs into something even better by the end as the rich oils from the bone marrow & wagyu and herbs permeate the broth. Make sure you have multiple bowls throughout the meal.

What a brilliant idea to separate the shrimp from its shell in the crispy prawns ($24) prior to deep frying. As both cook separately, the shrimp finishes quicker, and the shell becomes brittle enough to eat.

Served six to an order there’s plenty to go around and are fried to perfection so it’s crispy but still juicy. The enlarged surface area does make it a bit difficult to dip into the chili lime sauce, you’ll need to angle and squish to reach the bright condiment.

To counteract the shrimp’s heaviness, the beef carpaccio ($24) was a great companion dish. The plethora of basil, mint, perilla, crispy shallots, and crushed peanuts seemed overwhelming at first sight, but somehow the beef filet held up against the garnishes. Topped with a lime vinaigrette, it does make for a flavourful bite that cuts the greasiness of the oilier fried shrimp.

The Lunch Lady don’t skimp on crustacean in the crab fried rice ($36). A small palm full arrives on top as proof of the abundance and we’re told to mix it in before eating. To ensure the pungent XO sauce doesn’t overpower the crab, only a bit is added to the dish, while more is mixed into a soy sauce that can be used to taste.

Textures are abound in their fried rice as some grains are deep fried along with crunchy fish roe. As a person who doesn’t love having things stick to my teeth, these crispy bits were a tad annoying but the dish delicious enough that I wasn’t annoyed for long. Surprisingly, the fried rice was even better reheated the next day as the flavours meld together and the crispy bits soften.

Since the tables are small, getting the timing of serving right is so important. We visited on the third week of The Lunch Lady’s opening, and they still need to work on pacing. While a complaint during the first two weeks was the meal moved too slowly, the brigade (seriously there were almost twenty people in the kitchen) over corrected with dishes flying out at breakneck speed.

Luckily, our server provided time warnings with military precision. As the pho was presented, she noted the fried rice would arrive shortly, so we slid all the accompaniments into the bowl to clear the plates and make room for the second main.

If you’re there for a leisurely meal, it’s not the greatest. Personally, I’d recommend visiting as a table of three, you’ll get a larger table so you may not need to rush finishing dishes. Or perhaps wait before visiting The Lunch Lady as they get their timing better.

Visiting with three people will also allow you to try more as the portions are sizeable and I couldn’t even think of dessert. At least the cà phê martini ($18) worked as a dessert, an espresso martini made with aromatic Vietnamese coffee and very boozy thanks to vodka, Licor 43, and Bolivar coffee liqueur.

Toto looks like we’re not in Ho Chi Minh City anymore. And through her partners, the Tran family, may the Lunch Lady’s recipes and legacy continue forever. RIP Chef Nguyen Thi Thanh.

The Chef’s House is an interesting Toronto restaurant. I’s where the hospitality and culinary arts students from George Brown hone their skills (under supervision) to get real life experience at working in a restaurant. As a customer, you benefit from reasonable Financial District price points and unhurried sitting times.

Things are “old school” as we’re treated to a fulsome complimentary breadbasket containing a decent sourdough, dry whole wheat bun, and crackers. Served with citrusy whipped butter and a porcini purée it tides us over until the appetizers arrive.

I found the dressing on their charred broccolini salad ($14) too heavy, especially since it’s served on a bed of cauliflower purée that already adds tons of flavour to the greens. Still, it’s an ideal winter salad since the charred broccolini and cauliflower are warm and adds a hearty touch to the radicchio, baby kale, and pumpkin seeds.

When ordering the sea bream grenobloise ($26) you’ll need an appetizer as it’s a light main. The fish was cooked well – the ideal flakey flesh and crispy skin combination. And while the Swiss chard was too salty on its own, it worked when combined with the neutral potato. If anything, I wish there was more than one roasted fondant potato as it was creamy and delicious.

The sauce in the sticky toffee pudding ($12) had a slight boozy taste to me but seemed lost on the rest of the table. And while it’s a satisfying rendition of the dessert, it’d be better if the cake incorporated more dates so it’s stickier and the sauce a touch thicker.

In a city of $20 cocktails, the Chef’s House $10 price point makes it a great place for drinks. They offer 8 classic cocktails and glasses of wine ranging from $8 to $11 so you really don’t need to worry about visiting during happy hour. Just be mindful of the time of the year as the restaurant closes during school holidays and breaks. A small risk to take for an establishment tied to a college. 

It was an excellent idea to start off the evening in Evangeline, the Ace Hotel’s rooftop patio, as it created a casual beginning. A tray of cava awaited as I exited the elevator and while mingling in a room of strangers, it felt like I was there for a dinner party.

Trays of canapés flowed throughout including a delicious rabbit croquette wrapped in a green goddess salad leaf. The pea and strawberry tart was sweet, tangy, and savoury but a bit too floral so the jamon Iberico became lost. Many dashed for the oysters topped with caviar and crème fraiche, alas once I got one mine was gritty. Yet, I was so chill and relaxed that I didn’t care nor wanted to take photos… at last, I ate first.

Drinks were flowing with more cava and two Herradura tequila cocktails available around the hour. The strawberry and shisho Cointreau mix sounded refreshing but was too sweet for my taste. As was the “cabana cocktail”, a concoction of tequila, cacao bitters, vanilla, coconut oil, toasted coconut, and wildflower honey.

But at least it got everyone buzzing. By the time the Herradura rep explain their logo, an inverted horseshoe, represented pouring out the last drop of luck for their customers, I felt like Don Draper was in the room.

Dinner was served downstairs in Alder and soon generous pours of Pearl Morissette wines came by. It made my evening hearing they were supplying the drinks as the limited bottles rarely circulate outside their winery aside from some Toronto restaurants.

Alder’s first dish was a hit. The Hokkaido sea scallop and sea urchin featured two barely cooked through poached scallops, shaved in half and served with smoked buttermilk that had a tartness that’s like adding lemon to seafood but finishes with a rich creamy touch. The uni was flown out the day before for the dinner, balancing the dish with sweetness.

Fat Rabbit’s beef tartare included honey and golden raisins, which gave it a sugary taste. The addition of pickled vegetables helped bring out some acidity, but it was the mint and cilantro blossoms that added a brightness that impressed.

I can see why they left the tartare less salted as the breaded and deep-fried Guernsey Girl cheese it sat on top was savoury. It was just a waste as it wasn’t hot, so the dairy felt hard and rubbery. A great idea to feature local ingredients from the Upper Canada Cheese Company, just not showcasing it at its best. 

Alder’s lobster raviolo was so good. The bisque-like sauce was bit salty, but the pasta was cooked to perfection and stuffed with large chunks of lobster, each bite bursting with flavour.

While the roasted pork collar was meaty and almost like a pork loin, it was a tad tough and likely would be better cooked as slices rather than a huge steak. Perhaps Fat Rabbit wanted something that would hold up against the spicy aji amarillo sauce? We all agreed the pancetta wrapped shrimp stole the show and would have been happy with two of these served with more vegetables.

A generous slice of coconut cream pie finished the meal; its crust made from toasted coconut meringue so it’s crumbly and a bit nutty. Despite not being able to finish my pork, I happily consumed the entire slice.

Since hearing about the Fat Rabbit, I’ve always wanted to try the restaurant. This Visa Infinite dinner was a nice compromise before heading out to St. Catherines. Chef Zach Smith also announced a second restaurant opening sometime in the late summer or fall. The fat rabbit becomes a warren.