We’ll see you in there.
Connect to customize your food & drink discovery.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Jade
If you like this, you’ll also like:
There's no shortage of high-quality, beloved restaurants on Avenue Road, and in the general Summerhill vicinity: Sotto Sotto, Osteria Giulia, Sassafraz, and so many more culinary staples dot the storied streets. But, Jade Yorkville, the latest restaurant to open in the area, doesn't want to compete with the celebrated eateries around. General manager and beverage director Jake Dolgy says the team behind Jade Yorkville wants to work together with its neighbours, creating an ideal environment for the city's foodies.
Stepping into Jade is almost an ethereal feeling: Shades of earthy green meet the eye while a welcome glass of bubbly greets the mouth. The idea is that the space can meet the expectation of whoever enters it - those looking for a good meal, a good cocktail or a good party are all invited and should expect to enjoy a unique experience. Everything is thoughtfully considered, from the aesthetically pleasing bathrooms to the extensive alcohol-free offerings to the complementary nature of the food and cocktail programs.
Executive Chef Hermawan Lay designed an Asian menu that combines classic recipes with modern, one-of-a-kind twists. It's designed to push guests out of their comfort zone enough to feel like its unique, but is still appealing, appetizing and recognizable.
The Corn Dog & Caviar is a fun example. It "features halloumi cheese and smoked farmer sausage, with house-made corn dog batter ensuring top quality," Chef Lay says. "It’s paired with tangy spicy mayo and honey mustard sauce on the side, and topped with white sturgeon caviar, adding buttery flavours and a smooth, subtle finish."
Chef Lay's unique approach shines through again in the crudo, in which he uses an orange vinaigrette, shiro soy, and sichuan pepper to play off the flavours of raw salmon, kanpachi and a "really buttery" yellowfin tuna cut.
"We chose grilled mackerel for its ease in achieving perfection with our butterflied technique, resulting in a beautifully crispy skin," Chef Lay says. The fish is paired with a classic beurre blanc sauce with a unique twist - cilantro sambal. It's then finished with ikura (salmon roe), nori flakes, and itokiri chilli.
"We wanted to do something a little different, a little more unique than a shrimp cocktail," Chef Lay explains. The result is a lobster iteration, served whole with wasabi alongside the traditional horseradish and cocktail sauce.
Chef Lay wanted to take a classic Italian dish and give it an Asian twist. The vegetarian dish takes on a complex flavour profile thanks to a recipe that incorporates black truffle mushroom xo, persillade sauce, king oyster and cremini mushrooms, cashews and parmesan cheese.
"Again, we just wanted to put our own spin on something classic," Lay says. He took a traditional recipe, made with cream cheese and oat crumble, and added a unique flair in the form of white miso and a dollop of charcoal namelaka on top.
To match the earthy flavours present on the menu, Dolgy created the Tokyo Godfather. "It’s a rich and complex blend of shiitake Mushroom and buckwheat-infused Chivas Regal 12-year Scotch, adding earthy and nutty notes, balanced by Amontillado sherry," he says. "The artichoke Amaro brings a subtle bitterness, while honey and miso add a touch of sweetness and umami. A dash of tamari rounds it off with a savoury, salty finish."
A bright cocktail with just the right amount of sweetness, the Lychee Fizz plays into the lychee craze and combines it with Grey Goose vodka, lychee, St-Germain, and Perrier. Deriving inspiration from the menu, it also uses Calpico, a which is a popular Japanese beverage, shio koji, umeboshi, and lemon.
"I designed the Mezcal Nigiri to taste kind of like sushi," Dolgy says. The complex ingredient list certainly stands up to the task: The cocktail is a combination of Del Maguey Vida mezcal, genmaicha tea, toasted rice, ginger, sudachi, shiro shoyu, lime, and kombu clarified with soy milk.
Another unique offering, the Shinobi is made with Casamigos reposado tequila, Cocchi Americano - an aromatized wine - umeshu, shiro shoyu, and sesame. The tequila flavour is muted and transformed into something more complex, something even non-tequila fans can enjoy.
"The Gogo Yubari is our playful take on the classic Vodka Martini. The Bubble Gum-infused Absolut Elyx Vodka and Kimoto Sake make it really stand out," Dolgy says of the beverage named after the Kill Bill character. It pairs well with something from the chilled section of the menu. It, like everything else, was designed with harmony in mind.
Recommended For You
