Belle Isle is named after an island park in the Detroit River, sitting between Windsor and the “country that shall not be named” (according to Zac Schwartz). While the co-owner didn’t dive too deeply into the naming inspiration, one thing was immediately clear: Zac is funny, and that energy set the tone for a laid-back, laugh-filled Toronto Life event.

After breezing through the obligatory “legal” housekeeping, we were introduced to the full team, including Chef Ronan Shaftoe and the other Ronan, before settling in for a special tasting menu ($125; regular à la carte dishes also noted below).

Chef Keith Siu had me hooked the moment he explained that the contemporary Chinese dishes we’d be eating were inspired by his childhood growing up in Scarborough. Say no more, he was speaking my language.

The drunken foie youtiao was an interesting opener. The Shaoxing wine was restrained (thankfully), letting the sweetness of the foie gras come through rather than overpowering it. The crunchy youtiao worked nicely as a crostini stand-in.

Curry and hamachi sounded like a tricky combination, but the HK curry crudo ($20) somehow pulled it off. Fresh, layered, and flavourful without leaning on acid or soy, it was one of the more surprising successes of the night.

You couldn’t see all the tendon and beef shank hiding under the silky rice noodle sheet, but trust me the cheung fun ($22) delivered. he confit onion gave it a French onion meets Taiwanese beef vibe, and the rice noodles had a chewy, almost al dente texture. One of my favourite bites of the evening.

Shrimp toast ($16) has made a comeback in modern Chinese restaurants, and Belle Isle’s version came with a spicy shrimp mayo that was undeniably umami-packed… though it slightly overshadowed the shrimp itself. I preferred my second piece plain and appreciated that it wasn’t greasy, but I would’ve loved a heavier hand with the shrimp paste.

Chef Siu joked that his inspiration for the lemon pepper hidden chicken wings ($16) came from strip club wings - an experience I can’t personally verify. Despite the pile of red chilies, the heat was surprisingly muted unless you bit into one directly. The lemony notes didn’t quite work for me either, so I guess I’m not a strip-club-wing kind of gal.

The typhoon shelter steak was cooked closer to medium-well than I’d prefer, but the fried chili, garlic, shallot, and black bean topping added a crunchy, savoury punch. If you love onion frizzles, this is your dish.

On the flip side, the mushroom rice could’ve used more time. Some kernels were undercooked in the centre, likely from being stir-fried raw rather than pre-cooked. That said, the grains had a plump, glutinous quality and absorbed a deep mushroom flavour that I enjoyed.

Fuyu with yu choy isn’t something I would’ve expected, but fermented tofu usually plays well with most greens. Since the dish was steamed, the fuyu flavour felt diluted and didn’t fully shine.

The mango pudding jell-o shot duh ($14) remains on the menu, but Chef Siu gives it a nostalgic twist: more pudding than jello, inspired by something his mom might’ve made (minus the Malibu rum, of course). The boozy kick was strong, but once I added cream from the accompanying steamed cake, it mellowed out nicely.

Belle Isle’s steam cake has such a rich coconut taste. A delicious take on ma lai go the delce de leche frosting went so nicely without it and was just sweet enough to satisfy.

And if that weren't enough, we ended with apple and orange slices. If you're a 80s/90s child, a visited a Toronto Chinese restaurant, these were the desserts of our days.

I’d be remiss not to mention the libations from James McCole. After sampling two cocktails and two wines, the cocktails clearly stole the show. The names alone, tramp stamp + sandal tan = a life well-lived ($20), had me hooked. Cheerful and pink, with an unexpected leathery undertone that genuinely evoked sandals.

Still, it was the strawberry foam in I’m just a boy who loves berries and cream that won me over. If I could order a bowl of that foam with fresh berries, I absolutely would. Cold-foam lovers, take note.

Even though Belle Isle has been around since October 2024, this was my first time hearing about it, a sister restaurant to Lake Inez. Maybe it’s the discreet signage, but for now, it still feels like a well-kept secret. Belle Isle feels like a restaurant that’s still revealing itself and is worth discovering before everyone else does.