If you've been longing for a vacation lately, you no longer have to go very far to get your tropical fix. Selva is one of Toronto's soon to open restaurants and will offer guests a unique dining experience like no other in the city... and beyond!
Owner Oliver Geddes says, "Selva is the ultimate COVID story." Over a year ago, when the pandemic hit, he secured the parking lot outside his entertainment complex, The Fifth Social Club, where he planned on setting up a satellite BBQ, but on their opening day, it was stolen.
Geddes headed on over to his neighbours up the street at Pai and wondered if they'd want to supply some food for them. Needless to say, it was the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Geddes, the team at Pai, and of course, star Chef Nuit Regular.
The summer of 2020 at RendezViews ended up being a complete success thanks to their partnership. After a long, dark winter of pondering how they could elevate the experience, they thought it would be smart to capitalize on 2021 being declared as 'The Year of the Arts for Toronto,' by Mayor John Tory.
Geddes says, "I thought that art could be a really neat vehicle to bring hope, joy, and optimism back to our city, and I was able to create this kind of art park out of RendezViews using two fantastic artists."
The Summer of 2021 progressed, and being the forward thinker he is, Geddes was wracking his brain, trying to figure out the next move when the weather once again cooled down for the winter.
He had a vacant lower level space at The Fifth, and had some more traditional concepts in mind. He says, "We really struck a nerve with RendezViews, and this idea of rebirth, so I thought, how can we double down on that. So I spoke to the artists initially at first, and asked if they wanted to get in on doing something that's never been done in the city before."
It was Geddes' goal to create an environment that feels like an escape within the city. He says, "RendezViews felt different from anywhere else, and I wanted to take that idea and elevate it to the next level. To create a place that feels like you're escaping the concrete jungle."
The idea for Selva (which translates to jungle in both Spanish and Portuguese) came out of the feeling of getting away to a jungle-like tropical destination such as Costa Rica or Tulum. The same artists who created the stunning rainbow installation at RendezViews -- Clandestinos Art (Bruno Smoky + Shalak Attack) -- loved the concept, and lent their talents to design the artwork for the interior space, which would transform from day to night.
Upon walking into the space, you will find yourself thrust into an immersive canopy of the artwork, where every surface has been covered with stunning designs. Geddes says, "What's wild is when night falls, we hit it with UV lighting, which then transports you into this other dimension, where you walk into a piece of art, and if you hang out long enough, you're sent into a portal that takes you to a whole other place."
Geddes then approached Chef Nuit and her husband, Chef Jeff Regular, to collaborate on the menu after their wonderful experience working together. The pair loved the concept, and once they saw the art, they jumped on board immediately.
"It has just been so incredible working with Chef as she has taken this idea of food as art, and has elevated it a whole new level."
During the lockdown, Chef Nuit had lots of time to experiment with other global cuisines aside from traditional Thai. She says, "As a chef you always love to learn new things, and though I was busy getting my teams at Pai and Sukothai organized, I knew this was something I had to be a part of."
Though her roots are in Thai food, when Geddes showed her the space transformed with artwork, she felt transported into the jungle and was excited to utilize her experience and create a menu that would engage all the senses to match the restaurant's vibrant atmosphere.
Growing up in Northern Thailand, Chef Nuit has always felt connected with the jungle, where she fell in love with the beautiful trees, flowers, landscapes and, of course, the food. She wanted to find a connection between South America and Thailand's cuisines to bring the cultures together and connect people through food and art.
The majority of the menu is made up of small plates that are meant to be shared with everyone at the table. Chef Nuit is proud of each dish she has created but has a few favourites she strongly recommends, like the grilled eggplant dip with mushroom, ceviche tacos and Waygu beef skewers, all of which have fantastical plating that brilliantly complement the space they are served in.
A majority of the dishes also feature fruits and vegetables to make you feel like the meal has been foraged directly from the jungle. There will also be a variety of vegetarian and keto-friendly items available.
Geddes has confirmed they will have eight cocktails on tap and says, "The idea with our beverage program is to keep up the feeling of feasting with our eyes, before our mouths. Everything that Chef has presented is so beautiful to look at, and so we hope to emulate the same kind of vibe with our line-up of refreshing cocktails."
With around twenty beers on tap, there will certainly be no shortage of drinking options to choose from. All of their craft beers will be coming from Collective Arts Brewery -- one of their partners at Rendezviews -- and they have a strong domestic and international portfolio of beers available.
Selva is located in the lower level of The Fifth Social Club building at 221 Richmond Street West, and reservations for November 3 onward will go live on October 24.
