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Yours Truly
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
229 Ossington AveToronto, ON M6J 2Z9
Neighbourhoods: Little Portugal, Ossington Strip, Trinity Bellwoods, Beaconsfield Village
(416) 533-2243
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 5:30 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
34 reviews for Yours Truly
33 reviews in English
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Review from Zoe C.
Toronto, ON
4/25/2012
I found Yours Truly on my way home one day from Beaconsfiled Village. I was really impressed and couldn't be any more pleased. This eatery and bar has something for everyone. It is the perfect spot to bring family and friends that are coming from out of town as it is sure not to disappoint! Reservations are accepted, but on the particular evening that we went, we did not make a reservation. Their service was amazing, and not having a reservation did not delay my friends and I from getting a table.
Little fact: They get their honey from Osprey Bluffs Honey Company, which is a personal favorite of mine :) -
Review from Kenny T.
Toronto, ON
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Lots of hype for this hipster spot - boarding on overrated. I was not in agreement with Toronto Life at all. The buzz won't last, but is deffinitely worth checking out. Prix Fix - pretty pricy with limited choices. Cocktails were cool, though we sent one back - a bit too creativem, if you know what i mean (a la mixologist)! Hard to get reservations, but the staff is friendly and we waited across the street for 4 seats at the communal table. 1-2 hours wait is normal I think. We had 3 separate waiters over our meal - which is always a bit annoying...though all were nice - felt a bit scattered. Food took forever, which is annoying after waiting for a table and seemed weird given the WHOLE RESTAURANT is eating the same stuff...when it came it was extremely interesting - well executed and delicious...though a bit over contrived - popcorn salad? really - best thing was the Perogee and the Rice pudding. We also has a really nice chesse...
Crowd is a young who's who - lots of groups of girls and guys likely heading to the bars after - we saw one hook up at the communal table - kinda funny. The staff looked like they didn't give a sh*t about what they wore - too hipster for me...
Bill was expensive - likely because of how much wine / beer was ordered while we waited for our food. Deffinitely not a cheap night out... -
Review from ED L.
Toronto, ON
4/24/2012
After all the positive reviews was looking forward to trying this new 'hotspot'.
Way too overrated!!!
The food wasn't anything to write home about, could have found better food from a grocery prepared meals. -
Review from Jiao S.
4/15/2012 10 photos
It is actually a 3.5 for me, but when i was there on their small plate menu day (Wednesday), so that this might be under rated.
Okay, I admit it might not be a good idea to order EVERY SINGLE THING on the small plate menu...... Can I say I had a tough day ??
It is hard to book a table, so my friend and I sitting at the bar, which didn't bother us at all. I took a quick look at the menu, found that the menu is very strong Asian based. (like bim bim bap, sushi , soba and satay). Like some of the yelpers, I read about Yours Truly on Toronto life, best new restaurant, so I think I try as much as possible, so i ordered everything on the menu, except for the dessert.
Soba came first, taste okay, not surprisingly good.
Bim bim bap came next, raw beef on top. Looks to me that it combined with the raw beef dish in Korea and bim bim bap together (i could be wrong). It taste okay, just two cold dish altogether, I start to feel a bit wired.
And everything else came up very fast, which is a good thing most of the time. However, for us that night, it was not as good since we could eat that fast and keep on combing the sweet and savory taste, hot and cold. It created a mix in the taste bud and the stomach, not in a good way. I don't think i could blame the restaurant at all for this. I am sure they didn't assume anyone would order everything on that menu.
Anyways, Thuet bread was amazing, with that duck fat spread over. Say no more.
Thai Satay is okay. Although I think since it is called Thai Satay, instead of pork, maybe it should be switched back to chcken,which will have better texture.
I like Tokyo dog the best. Best the Jap dog I had.
Pork taco.. I will still say Black Hoof is better.
Overall, everything is good but not amazingly good plus the mix of taste, I really couldn't say I enjoyed it as much, but as I said, really don't think I should blame the restaurant.
I really look forward to try their regular menu. -
Review from Tina H.
5/16/2012
Soak in some great cocktails in a great atmosphere. Lots of wood and metal accents. The large mirror with the welded copper frame on the back wall was especially interesting. Come here for a unique take on classic cocktails. I had two bourbon-based cocktails, using Bulliet I think he said: Rare Earth and East is East. Both were very delicious but Rare Earth was my favourite. Similar to a Manhattan. I also tried some sips of John Candy, a rye-based cocktail using Crown Royal, which was also delicious. I didn't eat any food but it looked great. Can't wait to go back and try some food too.
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Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2012
one of everything
You hear it, and it's an eye-roller. But you see it, and it's quite the eye-pleaser. Yours Truly has one of the nicest bars I've seen in a while. The concrete tables and copper drop lights are urban accents you would expect to find at a hip resto-bar. And at about 9, the lights turn down low, and music goes up.
I find Yours Truly's story endearing. It was going to be a "snack bar" until Jeff Claudio was hired - off of Craigs List by the way. Claudio has worked at some of the world's most notable restaurants, one of which (Rockpool) I will be trying in a few months (can't wait!).
Their menus are ever-changing, but there are only three. Two set (veggie and not) and one snack.
Of all the things I loved about Yours Truly, the most notable was who brought us our food. Their chefs. That's right. They make it and then bring it to your table to walk you through it. Love that.
Last Sunday my sister and I met up with The Scotsman and Venus to grab a drink and sample the snacks. A lot of that menu is more preparation than cooking, but either way, food boils down to concept. The chef has an idea and then he brings it to fruition. I would describe it as a gastronimcal pub with classic charm. Some of Yours Truly's ideas weren't innovative, others were, but all of them were presented beautifully, and tasted near perfect.
The four of us joked that we should just get one of everything. But then you know, that's exactly what we did.
Deviled Eggs - sriracha , furikake, sesame. The srirachi was a dollop of genius.
Salt Cod - inari, kewpie, nori, rice. My favourite things in one bite.
Thuet Bread with whipped duck fat and crispy shallots. Cutest presentation ever. Duck. Fat. OMG. Although we agreed there could have been more shallots.
Monforte Cheese with osprey bluffs honey. A well thought out pairing.
Salmon Sashimi - sour apple, white soy mustard, shaved foie gras. I would like to squirt white soy mustard on everything.
Rice Pudding - usually not a fan, but this one was really delicious.
I just checked their menu today. They have a chinese pork rice bowl and a behirir moroccan pancake. They're calling us. You free tonight? -
Review from Taylor O.
Toronto, ON
4/15/2012
I have to say I was impressed. I had heard some good things about Yours Truly but I really had no expectations for what dinner would consist of. We didn't make a reservation but went a little earlier than we would normally have dinner (it was around 6:00pm). We were seated at the communal table which has never bothered me. I actually kind of like it, most of the time. Feels like you are at a big dinner party.
Anyways, as Vegetarians we normally don't have a hard time with options at most of the restaurants in Toronto. I have to commend Yours Truly for stepping it up a notch. Of course we got the tasting menu; a 4 course meal for $35 seemed like a great idea to me. They have two menus every night. A meat and a Veg. I can't speak for the Meat but the Veg tasting menu was excellent. It did have eggs, so some Vegetarians should be aware.
Fantastic. That is all.
We started with some cocktails, which were amazing and followed with a bottle of wine. The meal was perfectly paced. Not rushed in anyway. One course, a few minutes to digest and have some wine, then the next course would arrive. Exactly how a meal should be.
Highly recommend for both the food and the drinks. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
4/22/2012
I hate myself for doing this, but I can only give this place 3.5 stars based on my visit here last week..... I have said this time and time again, it is the luck of the draw what type of meal you get and what type of snack offerings are available the nite you are there. I frequently check their daily menu, seeing when it will change, what is new etc.... Sigh I'm such a food addict.
Coming on a Monday night for the 9pm dinner service, the place was packed.... And Loud! Our server was courteous and patient with our ever ending questions. Being told that the rare earth cocktail was a pretty solid staple on their menu, I went with that for my drink of the night. Bourbon based, it lived my to my expectations. Booze and very earthy, so to speak.
We were presented with pistachios and longan to start our nite. By fresh and juicy fruit, I was very happy with how things started. Then the amuse Bouches came out, more than I expected to receive. We were given a dashi seaweed broth with seed oil that was flavourful and warmed my lungs, a sushi type roll with carrot and beets, topped with a dollop of spicy mayo... Very in textures with a nice kick to to finish off, and a cheese bread with truffle oil - I thought the puff was dry, With the cheese to be extremely overpowering and lack of truffle essence.
It was quite some time before our first course fame out. It was a potato salad in the form of a round dish, with lots of compliments including different herbs, seeds, pea purée, creme fresh.. The sky was the limit. While I liked the additions that created different flavours and textures, I found the potato salad to be every regular, a little mushy and a little disappointing. It had to get better from here.
Second course was a sea bream with scallions, and snake bean (cool) in a soy based broth. It was beautifully cooked, the fish tasted fresh and overall very refreshing...however...being Asian, it's really hard for me to be completely satisfied when I consistently eat steamed fish at Chinese restaurants and this reminded me of just that. May have been plated and cooked more elegantly but I was hoping for something else here.
Third course was chicken chantecler with crispies on top over potato purée. This was by far the best dish of the night. The chicken was succulent and juicy, flavours just bursting with each bite. I wish there was more mash at the bottom as it was creamy and thinking about this dish makes me salivate. Even after I finished the meal I was longing for more.
Our last courses was the rice pudding with taro, raisins, apple foam and brittle. The foam was refreshing and I like how there were different ingredients to add more flavours and texture. The foam was refreshing and light, while the brittle added a solid crunch with a a bit of saltiness. It was a nice way to end the meal.
I really want to come back to try their snacks menu because it is often changing. I wish I had the chance to meet chef claudio because he follows the same philosophy as chef Blaine at lummi island in Washington and they may have worked together in denmark together....
There is always next time.... And yes I will come back.....I will.... -
Review from Simika K.
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent service, mostly great food . I loved their gnocchi with sorrel, hazelnut and mushrooms! Also their poached egg with onion, garlic, chickweed and ash....who knew, a poached egg can be this delicious?! I liked this place a lot, and would definitely come back.
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Review from Yi Z.
4/12/2012
I called on a Tuesday for a Friday night reservation and I was told that they were fully booked. I was so excited when the restaurant called me on Friday to tell me that a space had opened up for us.
And so we showed up for our 9pm reservation. The restaurant had a very...San Francisco or West LA feel to it (sexy and organic hipster). Since there aren't many choices to be made, we ordered right away. The bf got the Meat menu and I tried the Veg menu. Honestly, the Veg is a much better deal - two of the four courses are the same for both menus and the Veg still included egg.
We started with the Deviled Eggs, which were creamy and fabulous. Next, we got a amuse that was ok. I definitely thought that the food was 4.5* (or maybe even 5* if you factor in creativity).
Yours Truly is the type of place to go if you have two to three hours to spare so you can eat at a leisurely pace. Unfortunately, we wanted to get out of there quickly so we could go to a club. We asked the waitress if they could speed up the meal a bit (20 min gaps between each item was getting to me) and although she asked the kitchen, there was no improvement. We contemplated abandoning the meal after the 2nd course because we had already been there 80 minutes at that point despite ordering the minute we sat down. At the very end, we got the 3rd and 4th courses and paid almost simultaneously and darted out as fast as we could. We left so quickly that I dropped my scarf on the floor on the way out and a waiter ran two blocks to chase us down. That was nice of him.
It was really a delicious meal. Perhaps it wasn't the right day for us to experience such a drawn out dinner. -
Review from Brian S.
Toronto, ON
5/9/2012
Three times is a good number of times to visit a place and really know whether they are good or bad. And this place is on the top side of good - it's fantastic. We went with friends a month or so ago and just ordered the entire menu - that's the kind of place this is. The chefs are often bringing out your food and telling you the fun things that you get with each dish. There are also great cocktails and drinks.
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Review from Janelle W.
Toronto, ON
3/12/2012
An overall solid experience that lived up to the hype--the bf and I shared the salmon sashimi and the salt cod to start. Both were great, but the sashimi really stood out. We shared the vegetarian tasting menu, which featured a lot of really interesting combinations and preparation methods of which I can't do justice by attempting to describe properly. It was a very creative menu that also included a few amuse bouches--a cute and very tasty truffle falafel was among them.
Presentation was also delightful; the falafels came in a jar of rice and other diners at our table received dishes packaged in brown paper bags. The whole meal really reflected an artful approach to vegetarian food.
Outside of that, the service was great despite it being busy, the ambience found that sweet spot between casual and gourmet-y, and when the bill is squared up, you're just a hop away from Sauceington Row to fulfill your imbibing needs :D. -
Review from Cindy Y.
Scarborough, ON
4/7/2012
Came here on a random Wednesday night, luckily my boyfriend and I were able to get seated at the bar right away.
All the better to enjoy the nice ambiance of the place and watch drinks get mixed! Definitely has a great atmosphere, from just the calm lighting, beautiful walls and counters, and the little pickled jars sitting on the shelves.
But.... not too hot about the food itself. Maybe we just so happened to order the not-so-great things off the menu, but then again, it was based off our server's recommendations.
From the daily small plates menu:
1) Pork belly tacos: the pork belly had a good flavour and I loved the cactus inside, but oil kept dripping out everywhere and the tortilla tasted really bland.
2) Doubles: I was intrigued by this because I've wanted to try West Indian food.. but this wasn't great. Two pitas sandwiching chickpeas, with tahini yogurt sauce on top. It tasted alright, but it was really too heavy for a "small plate" and got boring to eat after a few bites.
3) Salt cod: This was probably the best of the 3. Really good flavour to the sushi rice and the salt cod, and the inari was a perfect vessel. Yummm. But again with the carbs!
I didn't like the fact that each plate seemed particularly heavy on the carbs, but maybe we just happened to choose those ones. Compared to Guu, I much prefer their more sensible portion-sizes though.
My friend says I'd better off trying the tasting menu though -- I will be back for that! -
Review from S M.
Toronto, ON
5/7/2012
what a joke. Worst restaurant meal I've ever had.
Course 1 - Carrot
a roasted stub of carrot served with sliced raw carrots. We all had a good chuckle and decided this place might be taking itself too seriously but we decided to reserve judgement.
2 - Egg
an undercooked poached egg on a bed of mayonnaise. Absolutely vile and stomach churning. Served with a fork and no bread, so quite impossible to eat, assuming you were so inclined.
3 - Gnocchi
not bad
4 - Milk and Honey
I thought it would be hard to eff-up dessert, but they managed. tasted like sweetened buttermilk
Service was dismal. Our hipster waitress couldn't be bothered to ask us if there was anything we needed or how our meal was. I remember this quite clearly because I was dying to tell her.
Don't bother with this one. -
Review from Steph L.
2/2/2012
Dear Yours Truly,
I had my doubts because of your cheesy love-letter name.
However, I heard from a friend of a friend and other Yelpers that I should give you a shot.
I'm so glad I did! I had a wonderful time!
This place was packed on a Thursday night. We didn't have a reservation and were seated at the communal table. It's cramped and the nearest coat and purse rack is the wall heater. Even though our seating was less than ideal, we didn't mind, we just wanted eat!
We started off with drinks. The wine list was small but their cocktails were excellent The Shake-That-Pear ($11) was light and sweet, and refreshing. Pear nectar and gin is a magical combination.
The food list was creative and I wish we had tried everything!
They had a rotating tasting menu (meat $45 and veggie option $35).
We decided to share small plate items, 5 items and a drink each only cost us about $70 bucks for two.
San Choi Bao: Simple Asian style lettuce wraps. We weren't sure how to eat them without making mess. Ripping the lettuce into small pieces and spooning in the pork and vermicelli worked perfectly. Simple but tasty.
Salt Cod Inari: Tofu shells stuffed with sweetened rice and cod. Sweeter than expected and filling.
Thuet Bread: Mmmm whipped duck fat:
The bread arrived in a closed paper bag that said "rip me open". It was a very fun presentation! The duck fat was fluffy and deliciously salty and greasy. Why can't we have duck fat and toast for breakfast instead of buttered English muffins?
Deviled eggs: Soft, creamy, and tasty. Yep, deviled eggs.
Dessert: The yogurt-muesli dessert was good but not really one of my favourites. The yogurt was light but I found the cake a bit hard and well, this dish was a whole lot like the breakfast I had this morning.
We enjoyed all the items we ordered.
Also, I thought the service here was spectacular.
Friendly and chatty, the servers were busy but happy to serve you.
I had a great time here. =)
Your's Truly, I like you.
Let's see each other again soon.
- Steph L. -
Review from Vivek S.
Gotta jack up the star power after my second visit here. A night at Yours Truly really is as good as it gets. I attended a UYE (Unofficial Yelp Event) helmed by yelper Susan G and it was a heckuva night. Great drinks, amazing convivial atmosphere and unforgettable eats.
We ended up getting two of almost everything on the sharing menu (avoiding the higher priced items). These dishes come three to four items on a plate and were between $5 to $7 each. Highlights for me:
Pork Ssam - The extra S is for "sofreakinggood". These are lettuce wraps of charred pork belly and crispy onion. As a Hater of Lettuce, it's rare to hear me rave about anything related to the Green Devil.
Salt Cod Inari - Served with creamy wasabi sauce. More sweet than salty, it was an interesting mix of flavours.
Pork Adobo Tacos - just order these.
Bread with whipped duck fat - I shouldn't have to explain this further.
There were other great options too (actually there wasn't anything I ate that I didn't like) but these were the standouts for me. I also tried two more cocktails on this visit. The Winter Batida is a nice and light gin-based beverage served with a slice of dragonfruit. The Crimson Flip was the ultimate winter drink. Sherry and frangelico heavy with cream, cloves and egg. I had two of these before I started to pass out, sated and happy.
So much fun. And confidential to the servers: I shall return, candy in hand.Listed in: Cocktail Boss, Ossington Strip
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/8/2012
Clever name, right? Yours Truly is a trendy, well-decorated space befitting the Ossington Strip. It… Read more »
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Review from Tara E.
Well payed Yours Truly. Well played. I called on Friday morning, to see if there was a reservation available, and I lucked out! Someone had just cancelled, and so I had a seat at 6:30 that very same night. There was no more than a moments wait when we arrived, and the service was excellent through the night. I do wish there had been somewhere to hang our coats, as I was wearing a long white dress coat, and it ended up slung over the back of my chair dragging on the ground.
We ordered a $45 meat tasting menu, and four of the tasting dishes to share ($6-$12 each dish I believe). The stand outs were the duck which came with the meat menu, the salmon sashimi and the Thuet bread with whipped duck fat. (Ever since this meal I have been envisioning way to include more duck fat in my life...)
It wasn't until after we were done our dinner that I remembered having read an article about a new resto in Toronto where the chef has an impressive resume. Noma, Alinea, Thomas Keller? I pulled out my phone at the table (a major no-no in almost all circumstances), and checked it out. It WAS this place. And I have to say, I'm not surprised. The chef had a sophistication that I found very impressive. There was a nice mix of flavours, and styles, but everything just worked.
Also, I had the John Candy cocktail ($12), and it was FANTASTIC. Rye, maple, ginger and bitters. Just order it.
$160 for dinner for two with 2 drinks each (no coffee or dessert, other than the one included in the tasting menu) -
Review from Joie T.
HELLO TORONTO!!! I am impressed! I just attended my FIRST Toronto Yelp UYE last night and what a way to kick-start the NEW YEAR with a BANG! Feeling like a Yelp virgin, all over again, I walked into the venue with my sidekick, Mark T., and met some fabulous Toronto Yelp Elites! As always, super friendly, and loads of fun, THIS is why they are "Elite" status! Made me feel like I'd been hanging with them for eons! First of all - a shout out to SUSAN G. and DISHAN W. - THANKS for organizing it! I was all smiles, all night!
Located just at the corner of Dundas St. W & Ossington, this new baby is only a couple of months old! I feel so COOL to be in-the-know! Upon entering, I was immediately impressed by the trendy space, with funky pendent lights hanging amidst the dimly lit interior. Very cozy, and a reasonably quiet atmosphere for an appetizer-slash- drinking spot!
PLEASE NOTE: This is an American SNACK bar. Dishes are meant to be small tasting dishes, so be prepared to order more than 1 dish to fill up! We were a table of 8, and it was a challenge to determine how to go about ordering food! Dishes ranged from $5 - $30. The average dish was around $6, and you will receive 2-3 small pieces on each dish. As a large group, we opted for ordering 3 of every single item on the menu (minus the $14 lobster roll and $30 steak and eggs dish). It was enough to make all 8 of us feel full without falling into a food coma!
THE HIT LIST:
SALT COD - like a tofu rice baggie, but stuffed with moist steamed rice, mixed with sesame seeds, inari, nori kewpie, and tiny pieces of cod - MY FAVE!
DEVILED EGGS - soft boiled eggs, topped with nori flakes, sesame, and a hint of hot sauce? Creative!
PORK SSAM - large bitter lettuce wraps topped with grilled juicy pork & marinated corriander. Simple & Light!
PORK ADOBO - soft tacos with marinated veggies and soft chewy pork meat drizzled with pork fat and oils. Finger-licking goodness! (Oh! Ask for a hand towel in advance - you'll thank me later)
It was like have an innovative/creative party in your mouth all night long! WELCOME BACK INDEED!!!
Yours Truly is SINCERELY an awesome place to drink & eat & have a gabfest! -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
Updated - 3/4/2012
4.8 stars
-.2 points for our bartender. She was a bit off.
What I love about this place is that it's a mix of a bar, a restaurant and a casual place to get a snack. It just ...works. The tasting menu is highly underrated.
APPETIZERS
We waited for 40 minutes for our table but the wait on a Friday night was worth it!
We split a tasting menu for one and some appetizers and were fully satiated.
What a cool touch that the cooks come out to serve you your food. Pretty cool stuff.
The deviled eggs were pretty solid but not my all time favourite. I think they were also shadowed by other appetizers. Mainly the Salt Cod. OMG. Hot Damn. The saltiness on the fish and rice was perfect!
TASTING MENU
WINE: Tempranillo from Valencia. A great red that went down really really smooth. Lovely tannins and tastes. Not too sweet but sweet enough! Perfect with the duck. Yum Yum Yum.
They all were a progressions of tastes. The standout was the duck.
Parsnip - I've never had parsnip (or I don't remember it); it's like carrot with a crunchy texture; the whipped honey was the star of this dish and it was light and fresh.
Trout - perfectly cooked; my dining companion loved it. So I let him eat the rest of the dish! Paired with hazelnuts, cranberry and yam. Again loving the flavours and textures. For one person, this is a very good portion. There was some bok choy on the side and it was delicious.
Duck - I LOVE LOVE LOVED this dish. I could have had another one to be honest! The duck was moist, juicy and full of flavour paired with sunchoke and garlic emulsion.
Yogurt was a unique spin on a dessert that was healthy for you. It was tart and a bit sour. The anise was the coating on top of the jar that you crack through with your spoon and again, gives the dessert a great texture like a creme brulee. The raspberry flavour of the hisbiscus was spot-on.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Really really happy I had the tasting menu. The chefs really know what they're doing and I love that they're doing it in a casual atmosphere. It's like this really great secret. A great date place.
It's not cheap though: the meal with wine came out to $120 for two.Listed in: Libations, Hipster Havens, Last Chance for Romance, All Time Favourites, The Toronto Near.Afar. Tour
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/26/2012
I like it! Of course, I'm a sucker for word-smithery at the end of a letter (It's not a salutation… Read more »
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Review from Susan G.
1/26/2012
[Yours] Truly, I'm in LOVE.
I love this place!
I visited on a Wednesday with fellow Yelpers to try out their "small plate" menu specifically, as I'm a huge fan of tapas, and have heard amazing things. Their menu had a great variety - including two tapas items, steak and eggs ($30) and lobster rolls ($14) which we decided to skip because of price, we ordered two of everything else in the $5-$7 range.
The best were:
- Deviled Eggs: I've never had them before, and I'm pretty sure that nothing else could ever compare EVER. I couldn't shut up about the eggs. They were a dream in my mouth!
- Toast w/ Duck Fat: While that definitely wasn't the actual name of the dish, that just about sums it up. After experiencing this, I wouldn't hesitate to spread fat on my toast in the future (ok, maybe I would)
- Pork Adobo Tacos: So good we ended up ordering 4 plates. AH-MAZING
- Pork Lettuce Wraps: Charred perfection, SO delicious!
There were about 4 other dishes, but these were by far my favorites.
They also have a variety of interesting unique cocktails in the $10 - $14 range.
It wasn't just the food and drinks that made me love this place though - the service was really great, our waitress was extremely friendly, prompt and informative. Also, the decor is perfect - even the washrooms were so nicely designed, and everything was clean and modern, yet almost rustic. The "tin" light fixtures and exposed light bulbs over the bar definitely were right up my alley.
I WILL SO BE BACK ASAP.
Yours Truly,
Susan G. -
Review from Teresa C.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
God. I love this place so much I feel hesitant about writing a sparkling review about it! I want this place to myself!
I went on a Saturday night around 1030pm with my good friend. The house was almost full (with one table empty, but prepped for a reservation). We got seated at the communal table at the front of the house. We were seated at the corner of the table, so we were able to (almost) face each other and chat.
I ordered the CRIMSON FLIP ($12) cocktail. It was a warm blend of flavours, perfect for the winter.
Between my friend and I, we ordered three of the snack items. And goddamn, every single one was fantastic.
The THUET BREAD WITH WHIPPED DUCK FAT ($5) was so delightful. I mean, everyone knows you can't go wrong with duck fat. Put it on everything and everyone is happy. The crispy fried shallots that garnished the whipped duck fat added a nice flavour as well.
The SALT COD inari ($6) was also lovely. The wasabi kewpie sauce was delicious. I shamelessly wiped the plate down with my finger and ate it right off of it. Don't expect the cod to be very salty, as a lot of salt fish tend to be. It was a slight taste that I found balanced all of the flavours equally.
The PORK SSAM ($7). THE PORK SSSSSAM!!! That night, the pork was garnished with a ranch sauce and topped with crispy fried onion. The pork was so fatty and tender, and that slightly tart ranch sauce cut the heaviness of the fat perfectly. Wrapped in lettuce, the snack went down lightly. I could have had a dozen more of those.
This place is my new favourite west end hang out. You know how the five stars on Yelp means "as good as it gets?" Well, that is exactly how I feel about this snack bar. They do it right, man. (They also serve prix fixe meals, but I am really only looking to it for late night snacks and drinks.)
I really liked the atmosphere at Yours Truly. Nice interior decor. I was a big fan of the huuuuge windows at the front of the house. The place felt laid back and non-pretentious. It felt like people were really just out for a nice relaxed evening. I hope it stays that way. BECAUSE I WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK. I AM ALREADY PLANNING MY NEXT TRIP. -
Review from Cait B.
North York, ON
1/19/2012
I've visited this great new spot twice in the past two weeks. My first experience was so wonderful, that I was left waiting for an excuse to go back. I had been in great company, the drinks were delicious, and I found myself thinking about what I had eaten as I was crawling into bed later that night. I've never thought about a meal hours later, I have typically forgotten what I actually ate altogether. But the delicious, eclectic and thoughtful dishes on the YT menu are not to be forgotten.
An old friend happened to be visiting Toronto last night, my wish granted, I could go back for more. Wednesday night YT offers their small plate menu, prices ranging from $5-$9, it is great for sharing and trying a variety of different things. But trust me, you will leave with a full belly. The meal is perfectly timed, be it by accident or divine intention, servers bring out dishes at precisely the right moment. The service is simply outstanding, no one sounds pretentious as they explain the culinary genius of what you are about to enjoy. Nothing is rushed. The atmosphere is laid-back and trendy; you can tell the owners are all from beautiful BC (I'll admit my bias as I am also an ex-Vancouverite).
I am in awe of the creativity and talent of chef Jeff Claudio. Our group (of 5) debated at length our favourite dish. Unanimously we enjoyed everything. Picking between the Pork Ssam, Salt Cod, and feature salmon wrap proved impossible. We had thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and I know you will too. You might want to call ahead and make a reservation, as this hot spot fills up! -
Review from Noel D.
1/11/2012
I've only been here once but I can already tell this is going to be a popular addition to the Dundas and Ossington zone. Especially given the fact the kitchen is open until 2am!
Came later in the night with some friends so we tackled the late-night menu in grand style: by ordering one-of-everything on the menu. I wish I could remember all the items we had because some of them were quite stellar, but because I am a little bit of a slowpoke when it comes to ingredients I don't know what I was tasting half the time. I do remember enjoying some picked radish though, and possibly some duck and tofu snacks?
Only two beers on tap unfortunately: Stiegl (which I'm not a fan of) and Erdinger Dunkle, which is definitely more my steez as I love dark malty beverages. They have a couple more in bottle as well (including Guinness) so you should be set on the beer tip.
I really liked the atmosphere. Just a classic look with perfect lighting, lots of seating and just an overall great vibe. Our waitress was beyond nice and efficient, and the chef even came out with our food directly and told us all about it. But I think that's because he was friends with the people I was rolling with -- I know nothing about cooking so it all went over my head, but sounded great at least.
Will definitely be coming back to this place soon. -
Review from Kat T.
3/20/2012
Another in my personal tour of "Toronto's Top New Restaurants"
Reservation- tough to snag, and they have two official seatings, at 6/6:30 and then 8:30/9pm (ish). Anyone walking in the door was turned away on this busy Thursday night.
Arrival- My first impression is cool! Although it is a bit hipstery, the table and chairs are comfy. The bar area is gorgeous and I want one of those at home. There is a communal table at the front. We were seated near the front, but comfortable and not cold.
Bar/Drinks- there is a short wine list by the glass and bottles and beers. But the cocktails are where it's at! I started with the John Candy, a big, fat glass full of bourbon, orange twist and flavour. The smaller cocktails are strong and classy. I managed to have a glass of wine during dinner, which was great as well.
Food-Two menus are placed before you. The tapas style small plates menu and then the Chef's menu of either veg or regular. Our table of four shared 2 small plates and then moved on to the 5 course menu. The chef sent over two or three small bites of food before our menu items even started to come out. Food restrictions and allergies can be accomodated for. My favorite item- the mousse of squash and yogurt with quinoa. Mushrooms played prominently based on the season. They came out in a few different styles of dishes and I loved all of them. Some people who don't love mushrooms also enjoyed them. Dessert was pretty cool, but very light and I still had 'room left' for somehting a bit more heavy.
Service- Even though this isn't a white table cloth kind of place, I was awed that there were so many servers who brought the food for 4 people all at the same time. The chef came out himself to describe one of the courses. The waitress was not intrusive and very cool.
This place is new, like nothing else. Small food, so order plenty of small plates before the fixed price menu. I'd totally love to come back and hope they will add some wine pairings with each course. -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
One of the best meals ever - and I've eaten here twice!
The best thing about going here with three other people? We ordered everything on the menu! Both the meat and the veg tasting menus, and the snacks! AMAZING!
Service is good, food is even better. Loved it.
This is the kind of place where they elevate the simplest ingredients. Pickled celery can rock your world at Yours Truly. -
Review from Kate S.
Toronto, ON
1/11/2012 1 photo
I will have to go back for the food but if the precision, presentation, and overall taste of the cocktails is any indication of what will come out of the kitchen, I'm sure my review will remain much the same.
This is a lovely new spot - kind of a wake up to the Ossington scene. I appreciate that there is a snack menu and affordable glasses of wine (starting at $6) and pints of beer (starting at $5) in addition to the cocktails. The vibe is relaxed but the design makes you feel like you're some place special, unpretentious but aware.
After talking to the bartender a while, he gave me a sample of the ginger liquer made in-house (brandy, cognac, ginger and sugar cane). It was superb. I also had a pint of Steigl for $5.
I will certainly be back to try the food and in the meantime, I can't big up the service in the place enough - they were all attentive and on point without being intrusive.
REALLY GOOD for having just opened too. -
Review from b r.
Toronto, ON
2/16/2012
Went here with 5 others for my bday dinner. I felt bad because we sat at the communal table and two people from our party were late (like really late...30 min and 1 hour) and it was a Saturday night so it was crazy busy. Normally I'd expect the staff to hate us for this, but they were still nice. The decor is minimal but cozy - they even have the old Galaxy donuts sign downstairs. The food is also really simple but good, made with quality ingredients and done in interesting ways. The only thing I'd say about the tasting menu is that it's not a lot of food. I thought $45 was reasonable for a salad course, two mains, and dessert, but normally that many courses would leave me stuffed. This was just fine for me (my boyfriend said he was still hungry though, so be warned if you normally eat a lot).
Probably not worth reviewing the actual food we had since the menu changes, but I will say that the trout, whatever they did to it, was amazing. So was the gnocchi. The dessert was cake topped with (allegedly) whipped yogurt (& honey), but honestly it tasted exactly like whipped cream. If it was really yogurt then I'm impressed. My friend who ordered bar snacks had the cook bring them out to her, and he was really cute & explained everything.
Good deal on Steigl and good cocktails. I'd definitely come back, but would recommend making reservations (or show up early for the communal table). -
Review from Ares X.
Toronto, ON
3/25/2012
Excellent place. It's deserving a 4.5-5 stars.
Service was great (it was the girl with the nose piercing).
They have a number of interesting/old school drinks such as "the Aviation".
The drinks are nice and strong and the snack menu is great as well.
Loved the cod "sushi".
Ill definitely come back to this place and probably try their pre-fix menu.
Great place for some food and drinks. -
Review from Rachel L.
Toronto, ON
We were the first customer there on a Saturday evening. The first thing that we noticed is the minimalist yet modern and cool decors. Very good music but it wasn't too loud. The atmosphere was trendy and chic.
The menu is simple, and it's always evolving. There are two daily four-course prix fixe menu ($45 for meat, $35 for vegetarian) and a snack menu ($5 - 13) to sop up the cocktails.
Chef Claudio sends out a few amuse-bouche including Creamy Cauliflower Soup, Truffle-infused Falafel Balls with Yogurt and Spinach Leafs topped with whipped buttermilk, salt and rye breadcrumbs!
Love love love the Truffle-infused Falafal Balls! And I also adore the way it's presented; to have them come out in a tight seal jar that's filled with rice made them so much more enticing. The amazing aroma just fills your nostril the moment the lid is opened. I can have 10 more of these!
A lot of the snacks were Asian-inspired. Thumbs up to chef Claudio for successfully adding twists to the familiar comfort food that we grew up with. Each dish is a fun discovery. Being vegetarian, I especially appreciate the Veg tasting menu that they offer.
Over all, we love the decor, the vibe and the creativity of the dishes. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Not only do the chefs cook in the kitchen, they also bus the tables. They bring out the dishes and introduce them to the customers, acting as "ambassadors and translators between the kitchen and dining room." (http://Toronto.com) However, the service was extremely slow, there was at least 20 minutes wait between each course. I definitely feel that's something they have to work on immediately. -
Review from Joe L.
Richmond Hill, ON
1/27/2012
Wow.
I may very well have eaten the best meal of 2012 and January isn't even over.
Yours Truly is a welcomed addition to Toronto's restaurant landscape. Chef Jeff Claudio has been heralded in a lot of reviews for his impressive resume that includes stints at Per Se and Noma. This isn't undeserved hype, this kid knows how to cook.
I ordered an Old Raj off the signature cocktail menu to start. It was a mixture of rum, ginger, and masala bitters--yes, masala--and it was FANTASTIC.
My girlfriend and I opted to go for the tasting menu. She got veg, I got meat. Standout on the menu had to be the Trout. It was cooked to perfection with black radish and brown sugar (or was it butter) emulsion to complement it.
Everyone around us was ordering off the small plates menu and me and my girlfriend began debating whether or not we had made the right choice going with the prix fixe. Still hungry after our prix fixe, our server suggested we try the SALTED COD saying that it was "the best thing that ever happened to him". That was enough of an endorsement. As others have said before me, the salted cod is prepared like a maki roll with homemade horseradish mayo to dip and it is AMAZING. Wow, just wow. I could've eaten 20 of these things.
Finally, our dessert came: a cake topped with muesli and foamed yogurt. It all went together, bite by bite. I ended up eating my girlfriend's.
Welcome to Toronto, Yours Truly. -
Review from Richie P.
Guelph, ON
3/29/2012
I've more or less given up on Yelp reviews, but I need to give this place another 5-star rating.
We showed up 15 minutes after opening and got a seat at the bar. The room filled up quickly. It's a nicely decorated, small room. We order the vegetarian tasting menu and some snacks: the bread with duck fat, and the salt cod. Some amuses arrive: a compressed romaine leaf with sour cream and panko, a vichysoisse with pickled beets, and a spoonful of compressed apple, apple reduction and some kind of coffee powder (I don't remember exactly what this was). The romaine was revelatory for something so simple, the vichysoisse was good and pickled beets are my favorite food item, and the apple spoon was good but not my thing (my girlfriend loved it). Out come the snacks - bread in a bag with whipped duck fat and crispy shallots. The bread is good, and there's a few different varieties in there. The salt cod inari, as others have said, is seriously amazing. One of the best things I've ever eaten.
On to the tasting menu. A potato salad arrives, with potato chips, greens and dots of various things around it. The portion size is good (I think the kitchen was overall very generous with us since we were sharing - kudos). One of the "polka dots" is an egg yolk gel that I loved - this may be a high-end dining/modernist cuisine standby for all I know, but I am a student and can't normally afford this kind of food. A carrot dish comes out, with (if I recall) pickled carrots, raw carrots, carrot in brown butter (dark, rich and very sweet), more carrot of unidentifiable cooking technique, and a powder- more of the coffee/caramel one I think. It was interesting to see such worship of a single ingredient. The third course was a onion bouillon with ricotta gnocchi, foam (creme fraiche?), and crispy leeks. The leeks are weird - crispy but tough, but everything else is extremely good. The dessert was impressive: an almond panna cotta, with lychee on top of that, and meringue on top of that. There was tapioca pearls, rice pudding and rice foam to the side, with sichuan pepper on top. While I would have preferred just the rice pudding/foam/sichuan combo, everything was still good.
I chat with the bartender a bit (who I think is one of the owners) and he has information on any technique/any part of the dishes we are eating. The cooks serve the food and are very intense and enthusiastic about what they are putting in front of you.
I am so glad that food like this exists at a price point that isn't too high. I'll definitely be back for snacks, and to try a meat tasting menu. -
Review from So A.
Toronto, ON
2/29/2012
Service was great and food is deeeeeeeelicious. If there are 2 of you, I would highly recommend getting only one tasting menu (either veg or meat) and get yourself alllllll the starters to share!
-
Review from Leslie-Anne W.
Toronto, ON
Yours Truly is a great new addition to the ossington strip. Formerly a Galaxy Donuts, they have transformed it into an uber cool and modern space with faux wood walls, copper light fixtures and edison light bulbs. The old Galaxy Donuts sign can be found in the basement on the way to the bathroom - a cute touch, indeed. The menu is something different for Ossington, and the city of Toronto in general. A $45 prix fixe 4 course menu is available until 10pm and a snack menu available until 2am! The food is sourced from the best local resources (Kolapore Springs, Montforte Cheeses Cumbraes...etc) and is creative, playful and fun semi-asian-semi-molecular gastronomy at a fantastic price point. Our group of six tried everything on the snacks menu and was happy with each course. Highlights included the outrageously delicious pickled celery, radish and green beans as well as the xi'an lamb skewer with housemade flatbread. The atmosphere is relaxed, the prices reasonable for downtown, and the kitchen doesn't close until 2am - what more could one ask for?
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